It pains me to see customers spending hundreds of dollars on new plants and simultaneously refusing to spend a few more on a bag or two of compost and a box of starter fertilizer. These two items are not unnecessary “add-ons” that the retailer is just trying to add to the sale, they are critical components of a successful transplanting process - or as I like to refer to them as “plant insurance”. Unless you have phenomenal soil, you should always add compost and starter fertilizers when you are planting new plants. Here is why…
One plant that simply must be present in every yard is a Laceleaf Japanese Maple. You know the ones… the beautiful, manageable sized trees that have interesting leaves in stunning colors all throughout the year. Laceleafs can be living art pieces when cared for properly and developed slowly into specimens that add character, texture, and color to any landscape. Even over the dormant winter months, a properly grown Laceleaf can be a stunning focal point in the garden…
A huge trend in gardening over the last decade or so has been cultivating your very own homegrown fruit. The pandemic intensified this practice, and it seemingly continues to become more and more popular for our patrons at Sunnyside, season after season. While most all endeavors in the garden are gratifying to me, there is something extra special about growing your own edibles, including fruit. Whether you are adding to an existing garden or starting anew, some planning and a few points to ponder will help you to grow fruit successfully…
It should be no surprise that in the last few weeks of the year I would take one more opportunity to promote the allure and value of golden foliaged plants. As we move into the dark months of the year, these beacons of light become absolutely essential in keeping our interest in the garden. This hit home for me the other day as I…
First off, my apologizes to writer E.L. James for riffing on his popular novel title “50 Shades of Grey”. I rather doubt that my comments here will ever make it to the big screen. Just the same, the month of December in my garden is a pretty steamy mix of tan, brown, or black (and all the shades in between) emanating from foliage, seed heads, and bark, and frankly, I find it pretty stimulating…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
We dove into oxygenating our indoor spaces with houseplants a couple of weeks ago, and now let’s continue our indoor discussion by investigate some superior pet-friendly options. As the weather continues to cool and the wind and rain ramp up, it becomes easier and easier to garden indoors and work outside a bit less. Many of us have…