1. Tim Bate of Skillin's Nursery wants you to know that our ornamental grasses are on sale through Sunday the 10th for 20% off. 

Does your garden need some class? Plant some grass!

Also our 10" flowering hanging plants and geraniums on sale as well! 

 Click HERE for more details and to see what else is ON SALE at Skillin's!  

Our Ornamental Grasses are On Sale!

2.   Make a weed pass through each garden bed each week, since weeds are not just unsightly but steal moisture, nutrients and light from desired plants. Apply mulch to all beds to help. I have tamed quite a bit of my weeds and now I am going to mulch my perennial beds with the terrific Fundy Blend by Coast of Maine (sold right here at Skillin's!). The Fundy Blend is an enriching mulch with seaweed and will provide some terrific compost matter to my soil and plants. There is also some bark in the Fundy Blend that will help this compost hold well as a mulch.

3.  Now is a fine time to move your houseplants outdoors.  Keep your houseplants in a shady or at most filtered sun situation outdoors since their leaves are not used to hot outdoor sun rays. Feed them with a good all natural pelletized fertilizer like Dynamite or the all natural Plant Tablets by Organica. They will love it! As a precaution against outdoor "creepy crawlies", consider picking up some Systemic Granule Insecticide by Bonide. This product is easy and safe to apply and is a terrific safeguard against pests.

 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.   Some of your annuals, perennials, and vegetables are prone to develop a disease called powdery mildew when the weather stays wet and cloudy. Check your tall phlox, bee balm, zinnias, roses, and vine crops like cucumbers and squash for a white film developing on the foliage. At the first sign --or better still, just treat them now with Serenade organic fungicide (sold right here at Skillin's) to prevent this problem for developing this year.

 6.  Mike's Must Have Perennial for the Week is the Clematis.  

The clematis is a head turner when it is in flower and can serve as a focal point in your garden for decades. Let Paul Parent tell you more about why the clematis is a Must Have in this post we call "Clematis"!.

An excellent plant to pair with the Clematis is the Moonbeam Coreopsis (just starting to flower and will flower into August!)

My Favorite Clematis--the Niobe--Planted Next to a Moonbeam Coreopsis (Another Favorite)

7.  For even more early July gardening tips (including more details about Mike's Must Have Perennial for the Week; trimming pine trees for better growth; repelling slugs; staking vines; hanging basket care; caring for fall flowering perennials and  Skillin's Moisture Meter) check out our garden blog--the Skillin's Garden Log!

Our 2011 nursery and perennial catalogs are now ONLINE! Check them out!