One of the many questions we usually start hearing this time of the year is “Can I still plant in the summer?”

We understand why people may be nervous but the answer is an overwhelming YES!

Our nursery yard is filled with beautiful specimens waiting to beautify your landscape.

Here are a few easy tips to follow before you get started:

If you have a sunny, dry spot you’re looking to fill, choose trees, shrubs, or perennials that will be happiest in those conditions. Similarly, avoid sun-loving plants for those shady areas.

Not sure about plant requirements? Come pay us a visit and we’ll gladly work with you.

Dig your hole twice the width of the root ball and no deeper than the height. (You want the top of the root ball either at ground level or slightly higher.) If you’re planting a container plant, make sure to score the roots first. If you’re planting a tree with a wire basket take off all the burlap as well as the basket. In both cases, this will prevent girdled roots from developing.

3) Amend your soil

4) Place your plants

Add Van Wilgen’s JumpStart fertilizer or our organic option, Van Wilgen’s Root Boost to the hole when planting. (Just make sure it comes into contact with the root system.)

Add a 2-3” layer of Van Wilgen’s mulch around the base of the plant, in your preferred color. Be careful to leave the stem or trunk flare exposed. Over-mulching can lead to its own set of problems!

Water the base of the plant thoroughly while avoiding overhead watering. Your new plants will need a deep soaking two to three times a week for the first season, though with the summer heat we’re currently experiencing, you might have to water more frequently. Click here to reference our watering guide.

Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy your new plantings and some warm summer weather!

June is here, bring on the sun and fun!

June is the time to get ready for all the summer parties or get-togethers with our family and friends.

I love creating a little oasis on my patio at home, a place where I can sit back and relax with those that I love.

This year I decided to design my own tropical paradise. My trip to Florida this spring had a lot to do with that decision. While visiting all the farms to pick out some cool plants to sell this summer I simply fell in love even more with all the colors and textures that the variety of tropical plants have to offer to our homes.

When our tropical order comes in early spring it brings our tropical paradise to life. Imagine seeing farms full of that kind of color. Truly an amazing sight to see!

Everyone has their own idea of what a tropical paradise looks like. I personally like to use lots of colors so mine consists of lots of hibiscus and Mandevilla. Oh, and I can’t forget the gardenias! The smell from this plant totally relaxes me, so that one particular plant goes right next to my porch swing.

Now if I was lucky enough to have a pool, I would still have all the colors with hibiscus but I would also have to add in a few robellini palms. This is my favorite palm; it just loves the sun and heat so this makes the perfect pool or patio plant.

There are so many tropical plants to pick from to create your own special family tropical oasis. Here’s a list of our favorites

• Yoder hibiscus
• Mandevilla
• Gardenias
• Lantana
• Plumbago
• Canna lilies
• Oleander
• jasmine
• Robellini palms
• Spindle palms
• Majesty palms
• Areca palms
• Bromeliads
• Boston ferns
• Elephant ear alocasia
• Bird of paradise

I know it’s getting very hot and humid in Connecticut but there are still things to do in the garden. Don’t forget about the flowers that are performing beautifully for you in spite of the heat, your potted annuals that are putting on a show all summer, the roses that continue to climb even with the sun blazing down on them, your lawn that could use a little summer boost, and your veggie garden that is getting ready to burst with fresh food for the family table. They need you; so put on your coolest clothes, some sunblock, a wide-brimmed hat, and fill up your water bottle with ice-cold water. You can do this!!

SUMMER TRICKS TO KEEP YOUR GARDEN FEELING COOL:

MULCH:

Mulch will help keep your plants cool, hold in moisture, & keep weeds from stealing the plant’s water. A 3-inch thick layer is perfect. Mainely Mulch (chopped hay) is a perfect choice for your veggie garden.

COMPOST:

An inch or 2 of compost spread on top of the soil around plants will help to hold in moisture and replenish plant nutrients. Try the Shrimp & Seaweed Compost by Fafard. Shrimp is great at retaining moisture.

WATER:

What a great idea! Soaker hoses are perfect for trees, shrubs, perennials, and veggies. You can turn them on and forget about them for a few hours. A slow drip or trickle when watering this time of the year is perfect. Plants establish a deeper root system this way. Watering plants at the base, as opposed to overhead, will really reduce disease problems and summer scorch.

FERTILIZE:

There are so many fertilizer choices that would be appropriate for this time of the year but I am going to focus on 2…Van Wilgen’s Organic Fish & Seaweed and Van Wilgen’s Organic Root Boost. WHAT IS ROOT BOOST YOU ASK?!

I am so excited about this new Van Wilgen’s fertilizer. It really is awesome. You have to try it. It is great for any time of the year but I really love it when the summer heat kicks into high gear. It will never burn a plant, even in the worst heat, but it will definitely enhance a plant’s vigor. It is filled with every type of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and element you can imagine. Use it dry to establish a new plant or transplant one. Use it mixed with water to fertilize the foliage and the soil on a regular basis. Watch your plants thrive with Root Boost during the summer months.

Van Wilgen’s Fish & Seaweed is great to use with Root Boost or alone. It is a rich fertilizer that feeds, helps plants retain moisture, and keeps them disease-resistant. A little smelly but I love it!

Your lawn will greatly benefit from a straight fertilizer application this time of the year. Use Greenview’s Lawn Food, Espoma’s Organic All Season Lawn Food, or Espoma’s Summer Revitalizer with iron. Throw in a bag of Fast Acting Iron by Encap. Iron is a little trick lawn companies use to help keep your lawn green through the summer months.

Don’t forget to do Grub control. Grubs will start eating the roots of your lawn in August. Apply Bayer’s Season Long Grub Control now. Water it in and you will be set for the rest of the year.

There are so many other little tricks for the garden in the summer heat but I do not want to thoroughly exhaust you. Wait for the sun to start going down, fertilizer in one hand, hose in the other, and go visit your plants. Don’t forget your drink!