Decisions, decisions to make about your garden.

             

          With the hot and cold spells, we we've been having in St Louis I know some people are starting to think about the upcoming gardening and lawn season; especially I’m asked what to plant and what to possibly change about their gardens. I have said before that winter is a great time to go out and plan for things in the spring. Whether it`s a vegetable garden for healthy eating or great curb appeal to make the neighbors jealous. A little planning before you begin always helps to prepare for this spring. (Click Here For A Good Online Garden Planner online) 

            Depending on when you do your gardening in Spring (this is St Louis after all!), It may be time for some new plants to spruce up the front yard and get rid of something you don`t like.   We know a good Gardner if you don’t have a green thumb, but still want a garden.   Go out and look at the area a couple of times during the day to figure out how much sun the area gets. Is it full morning sun or afternoon sun when the sun is at its highest point. This will give you an idea on what to plant in the area depending on what the plants’ needs are.  Different plants can thrive in different areas. Hosta’s and azaleas may be ideal for areas with a lot of shade. Roses and Shasta daisies fit quite well in sunny areas.

            If you want to develop a vegetable garden this season, think about what foods you like to eat. Do you like adding spices when you cook or enjoy eating a lot of salads?  This will help give you an idea (and get some fresh stuff to eat!) of what to plant in the garden. There has been a rise in popularity for raised garden beds over the last couple of years. They can help transform a bare spot in the yard and make something out of it. Raised beds can also be built in to your existing patio if space is a concern of yours. Some properties can have very small yards with no space. Raised beds are also ideal for people who have a hard time bending over and working on their knees. Raised beds allow the person to work in the garden either sitting or standing depending on the height of the garden. Whatever you decide to do this season do your homework to know what you would like to plant and thrive in our area.   This site may help especially if you’re a beginner:   https://publichealth.wustl.edu/gardening-in-st-louis-ten-tips-for-beginners/

Hiring a Pro has its advantages in the landscape

Having a professional landscaper around the yard can help alleviate the headache of maintaining your grounds. Many professional follow industry standards of right times to prune and proper to techniques to care for your gardens. This can be a lot on a homeowner sometimes when you have a busy life. Hiring a professional designer can help you plan on having the landscape of your dreams installed.

            There are a lot of people I see these days either pruning at the wrong time or not using the right equipment for the job. I do understand that this isn`t their line of work but they may not realize that you can hurt or even kill the plant. We follow industry standards and use the monthly garden calendar found on the Missouri Extension office website. The Missouri Botanical Gardens can also be a good reference point for learning how to maintain your gardens. It usually always starts with proper plant selection for the St. Louis area climate. Planting the wrong plant can lead to problems down the road from mother nature. We purchase most of our stock from Garden Heights Nursery in Richmond Heights. They have a good staff with the knowledge to lead anyone in the right direction. They even have a professional designer on staff to help draw out your design.

            Everyone`s got a pretty busy life style these days. From getting the kids to the next soccer game or a night out with friends. You look out your window and see the grass needs to be cut or the Ewe bushes are getting out of control. You say to yourself I`ll get to it, but in Heinz site it doesn`t get down. In worse case you may be cited depending on the municipality you live in. A Professional Landscaper can help alleviate these problems by coming up with a maintenance plan for any size property. Plus, having a nice landscape property can add to the value of your home when the decision comes to put it on the market. We can help with any landscape questions are problems you may have. Feel free to contact us to discuss your options. We will do our best to stair you in the right direction if we don`t have the answer.

Time to prepare your garden for winter after the first frost.

Fall is upon us with the changing temperatures and entering the month of October. Some may start to think about the garden as the growing season comes to an end. Doing a couple of things now can help when winter sets in. The first frost may be a ways away but being prepared is always a good thing.

Start by cleaning what leaves have fallen so far with the start of fall color season beginning. Trees are dropping leaves with the dry conditions that area around along with the cooler night temperatures. Add some organic matter to the garden to help add some revive the soil for next spring, such as compost or cow manure. Once the first frost set sets in, some perennial ground covers can be cut to ground level such as hostas or day lilies. Cutting these plants back keeps disease and pests from hiding in the garden all winter. Give the plants a deep watering to help the soil preserve moisture through the winter. Plant spring bulbs at this time to give the garden some new color in the spring. Apply a winter fertilizer to the lawn to help a deep root system develop, avoid adding any nitrogen unless it is a cool season grass such as Fescue or Bluegrass. A few things can help things survive if we have a harsh winter as some are predicting in different areas of the country.