April In The Garden Newsletter
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Container
Combos That Dazzle by Paula Craft
We all do it. We look in the gardening magazines, see those
fabulous container plantings and think 'Why don't my plants look like
that?' You may even have the very same
plants or container and it still is just not the same!! Here's a dirty little secret from someone who
has taken plenty of plant photos; those gorgeous shots are more than likely
staged within an inch of perfection.
That one plant that didn't look up to par? Whisked out and replaced with a better one
before the shutter was clicked.
Even if you're not aiming for
picture perfect, most gardeners can improve their container plantings with a
few simple tricks. Here are a few tips
from the experts at Swan River Gardens to help you come closer to perfection
for this season.
Either
start early or start big.
Mixed plantings look their best when the plants have grown into each
other with stems from one weaving into the next. The best way to achieve this is to start your
containers early enough in our short growing season to get  maximum growth in
the shortest time. Good bedding plants
are available as early as the middle of April at Swan River Gardens. I like to plant my mixed containers then and
put them just inside the garage door.
The door gets opened on nice days and stays shut when the weather threatens
and every night. This means the
containers get about a one month start on anything else that has to wait for
the threat of frost to pass. I don't do
it with every container but enough to get a jump on the growing season. And you can see the difference in those
containers by mid June.
Containers that I start later get
bigger plants. We have a short growing
season. Puny plants stay puny for too
long. A geranium in a six inch pot
already has a good root system and can spend more energy on top growth and
those all important flowers earlier than one in a tiny four inch pot. In a large pot, two six inch potted grasses
have immediate impact and give the container pizzazz in a hurry. Petunias in six packs may seem like a bargain
but they will spend a whole month of our three month growing season just
peeking over the edge of a pot. Petunias
in four inch pots will already be filled out and showy and so will your
container!
Try single
plants in pots grouped together. Some
garden photos show what looks like an absolute riot of plants with stunning
color combination's and perfect blending.
 On my patio there is a particularly difficult corner to 'stage' with
plants but I have hit on the perfect solution the last few seasons. One large cement urn is surrounded by up to
ten smaller pots that each contain one perfect, robust plant. Towards the back some smaller pots sit on
overturned pots for added height. The
whole thing winds around the corner and changes on occasion when one plant or
another looks less than perfect. It is
what you see when you enter my patio and no one ever figures out it is more
than one pot after June 15th or so.
Single plant pots can also be
impressive on their own. Sometimes the
best choice for a unique pot is a unique planting that emphasizes its
special-ness. A tall narrow planter can
be striking when paired with a tall narrow grass all alone. An ornate multicolor pot may need just one
plant that blooms in a complimentary color to bring out the great glazing
colors. One of my favorite planters
every year is a red ceramic cup and saucer that I put a simple Irish moss
in. It sits on the end table next to my
hammock and is a simple, humorous little gem that makes me smile every time I
look at it.
Don't
skimp on the building blocks: soil, water, food and light.
Use a good potting soil mix.
It will be loose and have good texture that little annual plants can put
lots of roots out into. Good potting
soil like locally produced Glacier Gold® will both hold  water and drain
correctly. Don't let your containers dry
out between watering. Doing so causes
stress that your plants must spend energy to recover from, energy they should
be putting into flowering. During the
hottest days of summer you may need to water containers twice a day. Buy a gentle wand like the Dramm® ones sold
at Swan River Gardens for the kind of shower containers like.
Use a slow release fertilizer
like Osmocote® when you plant your containers.
Annuals are heavy feeders and respond best to constant nutrient
availability. A second dose in early
August with the Swan River Gardens Osmocote® with sulfur can perk up plants
that are suffering from pH imbalance due to our alkaline water. Water soluble formulas like Miracle Grow® also
work but you should use them every time you water for best results.
Be sure you pick shade loving
plants for containers in shade and sun loving plants for sunny spots. Only a few plants do very well in both kinds
of light so pay attention to the light requirements when you are selecting
plants. In shade areas I like to use
perennials such as Hosta or ferns in pots.
After enjoying them all summer, in fall I plant them in the garden. Using perennials for leaf color and texture
in shade greatly expands the choices I can make.
There you have some basic tips to
get you started. If you are still feeling unsure or just can't
find time to plant your own containers, bring them in for our experts to
do. You'll find that it is very
affordable and the results are spectacular!!
And this year, email us your
pictures of containers or plantings you are particularly proud of. We may ask you to use them here and show the
whole world your handiwork! Send them to
us at SwanRiverGardens@yahoo.com. Get out there and get planting!
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How
Much
Mulch? What Kind of Soil? What?
Every once
in a while at Swan River Gardens we will find some poor soul out in our bulk
material yard walking from mulch mountain to mulch mountain trying to decide
which one to get. Or someone comes in
and asks for 'dirt' and suddenly faces what seems like just too many choices
for such a simple request. Let's try to
sort this all out so you can walk in and confidently get what you need and want
for every job.
Swan River
Gardens sells garden soil, potting soil, soil conditioner and compost to grow
plants in. We also sell chipped bark for
mulch in four sizes, mini, small, medium and walk on. All these products are available bagged or in
bulk by the yard and each kind is priced individually. Partial yards are also available. For small jobs we can fill either a five gallon bucket or a 30 gallon trash. Our bulk products come from Mountain West and
Glacier Gold, both local producers.
A cubic yard
is equal to 27 square feet. In other
words, it represents the volume of a box that measures 3 feet on all sides. For comparison, a raised one foot high bed, 3
feet wide and 9 feet long would also be one cubic yard. See the chart at the end of this article for
formulas to figure out how much material you need. As far as how much a cubic yard weighs, that
depends on the material and the water content.
Evenly moist topsoil weighs about 90 pounds per cubic foot so a full
yard of it will weigh about 2400 pounds or so.
A full size standard half ton pickup can just about handle this amount
so you should plan loads accordingly.
The Swan River Gardens dump truck can carry about 6 yards of topsoil at
one time. Obviously bark mulch is
lighter and rock is heavier so you should adjust your plans to fit. Swan River Gardens offers delivery for a fee
based on mileage.
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The
Swan River Gardens Bulk Product
Line-Up
Soil Mixes for growing plants:
 Swan River Gardens 4-Way Mix: This
custom blend contains compost, peat moss, sand and fine bark. This is what we plant our shrubs and trees in
pots with. It is a great mix for raised
garden beds or to make any garden soil better. This is the best choice for a new garden. It can also be used in containers especially
ones you want to grow vegetables in.
Annuals will do fine too but you may want to mix in some perlite to
loosen the soil up even more. Available
in bulk for $57 per yard, $15 per 30 gallon trash can 0r $3 per 5 gallon bucket, not available in bag goods.
 Glacier Gold Grower's Blend Potting Soil:
Another fine local product that contains compost, perlite, coconut coir
and peat moss. This is a premium blend
for gardeners who grow plants that are a little bit fussy about soil
conditions. For container plantings
this mix will drain well and offer a little more nutrient from the compost than
plain potting soil. It is what Swan
River Gardens uses to plant the majority of our annuals in pots and our custom
container plantings. You can usually get
2-3 seasons out of this mix in your containers if you add a little compost in
spring. Available in bag goods for $7.95
per 1.5cf bag or in bulk for $98 per cubic yard, $19 per 30 gallon trash can 0r $4 per 5 gallon bucket.
Products to Improve Your Soil:
 Glacier Gold Compost: Locally produced compost made of forest
products, organic matter & bio-solids. Bio-solids are waste from sewage
treatment. In large urban areas, such
material has been found to be contaminated with toxic waste but here in the
Flathead Valley we do not have the kind of industry that contaminates the waste
stream therefore we can say with confidence that Glacier Gold Compost is safe
to use. Use it to amend garden soil to
add nutrients and texture. You can use
it to rejuvenate container soil and to top dress the strawberry or raspberry
patch in spring. With very high nutrient
value, this is GOOD STUFF! Available in
bag goods for $5.95 per 1.5cf bag or in bulk for $48 per cubic yard, $12 per 30 gallon trash can 0r $3 per 5 gallon bucket.
 Soil Pep: This
product is like the ugly stepsister to compost but most gardeners have a good
use for it and some even swear by it. It
is used to amend garden soil to improve texture & break up clay. Soil pep is an excellent clay buster! It can also be used as mulch to top dress
perennial beds or fruit patches. It is
less formal than bark or rock and does not contain weed seed so it can be an
excellent for weed suppression. It is made
up of finely ground bark & chips and does not have much nutrient value. You should add compost to it or use
granulated fertilizer to amend soil pep's nutrient levels. Available in
bag goods for $4.95 per 1.5cf bag or in bulk for $37 per cubic yard, $10
per 30 gallon trash can 0r $2 per 5 gallon bucket.
Products for Mulch: Mulch serves several important purposes in
the garden world. They are a great way
to save time in the garden. Mulch can
help suppress weeds and hold moisture in.
For some plants such as clematis mulch helps keep roots cool, something
the vine needs for good flowering. Mulch
also makes good paths to keep mud off feet, both yours and your pet's. All types of Swan River Garden's bark mulch are
available in bulk for $48 per cubic yard, $12
per 30 gallon trash can 0r $3 per 5 gallon bucket. Small and medium barks are also available in 2cf bags for $4.95 each.
 Small Bark: These uniform pieces of conifer bark work for
well for paths. The small pieces are
easy and safe to walk on but do not scuff up easily. Small bark is also good for a clean look
under shrubs and like all mulch helps hold moisture in and keep roots cool.
 Medium Bark: Larger pieces of chipped conifer bark are
great for mulch around large shrubs and trees.
The look is clean and finished.
Use at least a 3 inch layer for good weed suppression.
 Supreme Walk On Bark: This
is a blended product with medium and large bark chips plus shredded pieces of
wood. The great advantage of Walk On Bark
is that it holds in place well, even on slopes.
The varied sizes of material help it to 'knit' together and stay in
place. It is a good choice for mulching
shrubs and trees or for paths.
Swan River
Gardens carries all these products throughout the season. We can load them for you in your truck or
trailer. We also offer delivery for a
fee based on mileage. Assorted other
goods are also available in bag goods.
You can find products like manure, peat moss and organic potting soil in
our bag good lineup. Come see us and let
our Swan River Gardens expert's help you select the product you need. We look forward to showing you our mountains
of mulch!
How Much Mulch?
Mulch is
usually sold by the cubic yard, and that can leave gardeners
scratching
their heads when trying to figure out how much to buy. Here is an easy way:
1. First,
find out the size of the area you want to cover in square feet.
This is
easy; just multiply the length of your garden by the width.
2. Next,
decide how deep you want your mulch to be, in inches.
A couple
of inches are usually sufficient.
3. Now
multiply the size of your garden in
square
feet (#1) by the depth of your mulch in inches (#2).
4. Divide
the number you get in #3 by 324.
This is
the number of cubic yards of mulch you will need to cover your garden.
Download this chart for reference, click here>
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It's time to get your Baskets and Containers to us for a jump on the season. At Swan River Gardens we can custom grow your favorite mix of color in your own Patio Pot or Hanging Basket. We'll start the growing now and you can pick up or have them delivered when the weather is right. For more information contact us at 406-837-3375 or go to www.SwanRiverGardens.com .
Sincerely,
Tamus Gannon
Swan River Gardens
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Buy Two Get One Free
Irish Eyes and Botanical Interest Garden Seeds, Always Buy Two Get One Free. (While supplies last)
Sale ends when Seeds Are Gone
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Upcoming Events
 The following class is an after school
class from 3:30-4:30pm. After school
snacks will be provided before we start the class!
April
15th 3:30-4:30pm (Thursday)
Plant Pals!
Terra Cotta Pots
are nice but even more special when they are made into a Plant
Pal by a Sprout! In this class, the Sprouts
will create a face on the side of a Terra Cotta Pot! Then
the Sprouts will fill the pot with potting soil
and sprinkle grass seed over the top to create hair! With a little patience, sun and water the Sprouts
will watch their Plant Pals
grow hair. Hopefully they won't have a "Bad
Hair Day"!
Saturday April
24th 10:00-10:45 am-
Home,
Tweet Home!
Help
Celebrate Earth Day's 40th Anniversary
by creating a recycled Bird Feeder! Recycle, Reuse, Reduce
is the motto! In this class the
Sprout's are going to "reuse" plastic bottles
and transform them into bird feeders! Feel free to bring in one of your own liter
bottles (or smaller) or use one of ours to "reuse"
for this project!
(more >)
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