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Garden Talks
1. Tim Bate of Skillin's Nursery wants you to know that our lilac bushes are on sale through Sunday the 29th for 20% off. The lilac is a longtime favorite for most gardeners and it was even grown in the gardens of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. I love history and the "good old days" but the lilacs that are grown now are so much prettier AND hardier. We have some beauties and NOW is the time to save on lilacs. Every landscape needs a lilac!
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Fragrant, Fragrant Lilacs on Sale Now!! |
Click HERE to see what else is ON SALE at Skillin's!
2. As I mentioned last week: this cold weather will give your plants will bring fungus and mildews for sure to many plants. Use all natural Serenade to protect your plants against many diseases! For further precaution in this potentially plant stressful time, make sure your soil is well packed with organic matter (we sell terrific composts here) and that your plants get a little bit of some all natural fertilizer included with their planting. Use Garden Tone or Plant Tone for your garden plants and Flower Tone or Plant Tone for your flowering plants. The microbial bacteria in these fertilizers will really help the roots of these young plants to develop well and anchor your plants through tough climate times.
3. ALSO, give many of your flowering plants a little top pinch as you plant them. Yes, flowering will be postponed for a week or so, BUT you will get more shoots (yes this means more flowers) and this top or terminal pinching will give your roots a little extra boost!
*Click HERE for more tips at our Skillin's Garden Log about what to do with your garden after all this rain! There are some very helpful tips for us gardeners at this post!
4. Yes! Skillin's does site visits and landscape designs for you! Click HERE to find out more about this service. Advice from Chad Skillin can save you lots of time, clear up confusion about your goals in your yard AND save you money and aggravation!
5. You have already read that lilac bushes are on sale for 20% off here at Skillin's! Yes, that is correct. Good gardening friend Margaret of Away to Garden recently posted a neat slide show about lilacs. Her photos are phenomenal so check them out!
6. If you have rose bushes planted and have not fed them yet; feed them now. I use all natural Rose Tone or Flower Tone by Espoma for my roses and apply it at the beginning of the season and then again in June. This early in the season I also give my roses a liquid feed with all natural Fish and Seaweed food by Neptune's Harvest. The nutrients from this product work quickly and effectively to spur on growth for your rose bush.
Want make those hydrangeas blue? Hydrangeas are hungry right now so if you have not done so give them a good feeding of all natural Holly Tone by Espoma. If your hydrangeas have been a particulary dull blue then "up the ante" with all natural garden sulfur. All of these natural fertilizers are sold right here at Skillin's!
7. For even more May gardening tips (including advice about peonies, beans and lilacs) check out our garden blog--the Skillin's Garden Log!
Our 2011 nursery and perennial catalogs are now ONLINE! Check them out!
For more great local gardening tips check out A Garden in Maine. Skillin's friend and associate David K is a Portland ME gardener with great respect for gardening tradition but also an intelligent eye towards new and fun gardening methods! I follow his blog and David is very busy with his garden!
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