Fall Mums

Last Updated on Friday, 9 September 2011 08:12 Written by Phillip Friday, 9 September 2011 08:12

The Fall mums arrived this week. Mums are a staple for fall color and decoration. The word Mum is short for Chrysanthemum…a flowering plant that usually blooms in the Fall. With lots of varieties of colors and sizes, mums are a perfect fit for any home owner or gardener. With this large variety comes a large variety of sizes and growing needs. While all mums are perennial(meaning they will come back year after year), many of the varieties that are sold by the mass merchants are not hardy for winters colder than zone 5.  I treat these mums as annuals, using them as instant color in a container by themselves or in combinations with other Fall plants.

In recent years there have been some new releases of mums that were specifically bred for the Northern gardener. A particular favorite of mine is the Minnesota Mammoth mum. These mums can withstand temps as low as -30 degrees, and still come back year after year. They get the name Mammoth from there large size. This is an all around easy plant to grow, with its vigor and no fuss growth habit. Don’t think of these as your ordinary garden mums, that you find at the box stores. Their natural growth habit is large, with a natural dome shape. They make great specimen plants or as a showy hedge.

Trying to establish mums in your gardens can be easily accomplished by following a few easy steps. Most people try to plant their mums late in the year when they are in full bloom. At this time of the year the plants are putting all of their energy into blooming and not into rooting. This is one of the main reasons I am always hearing of customers lack of success in growing mums.  So choose the right mum, give it minimal care and you can enjoy Fall beauty for years to come.

Locally Grown Means more than Vegetables

Last Updated on Friday, 2 September 2011 07:38 Written by Phillip Friday, 2 September 2011 07:38

Usually when garden centers advertise locally grown items, you assume they are talking about vegetables. I believe locally grown is also important for any item purchased at your local garden center. When you purchase a plant that is locally grown, you should be getting something that is already acclimated to your area. All to often the grocery store parking lot “garden center” and box stores, have plants that are shipped in from all over the country. Many of these plants have a tag on them saying they are appropriate for your growing zone. What you need to do, is look closely at the tag and see where these plants were grown. Very often, perennials and nursery stock that was grown in a warmer climate, have difficulties adapting to the more severe cold of northern winters. This causes people to have failures with their purchases and they think to themselves, “I’m not a green thumb….I just can’t grow plants.” The truth is, that it usually is not your fault at all. So when purchasing plants or produce, think locally. Go to a local garden center that grows their own plants. Ask questions…if they can’t answer those questions they probably didn’t grow the plants themselves. They are hundreds of reasons to buy locally…..this is just one of them!

Raised bed gardening

Last Updated on Saturday, 15 January 2011 02:49 Written by Phillip Saturday, 15 January 2011 02:49

Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about their flowers or their vegetables growing in their raised beds. I’ll give you an overview of what raised bed gardening consists of. A raised bed can be any type of container that elevates the plants above ground.