Wishful thinking won’t conjure gigantic peony blooms, but smart fall cleanup can certainly help. Since herbaceous peonies refuse to take orders from your calendar or your shears, rushing the job can cost you flowers next season. Follow these simple October moves to protect the roots and set them up for a strong flush of blooms…
Want to kick back next spring while your garden erupts into early color? Direct sow these tough-as-nails annual flower seeds this October and let Mother Nature do most of the work while you sip hot cider. Or mulled wine, like certain gardeners. 7 Flower Seeds To Direct Sow In October For Earlier Spring Blooms If…
Your lavender is dying to survive this winter, but wet soil can stand in the way. Quite literally. So take these fall tips and give your lavender the best chance of staying strong until spring. Task 1: Check Winter Hardiness First, figure out what you actually planted. Check your plant tags or look at the…
Hydrangeas do not follow one-size-fits-all winter rules or arbitrary October wrapping deadlines. What matters most is knowing whether your particular shrub blooms on old wood, new growth, or both. A few careful decisions noe that can make a big difference on how well your hydrangea comes through winter and flowers next season. Task 1: Identify…
Is your iris bed looking like a rhizome wrestling match? Time to break up the underground crowd! September is a great time to slice, dice, and untangle those roots so they head into fall healthy and ready for a strong spring. Task 1: Fan Out, Split Up, Shorten Down If you haven’t dug up your…
Your patio geraniums (aka pelargoniums: the tender types we grow in pots and summer beds, not hardy perennial geraniums) spent all summer living their best life outdoors. Now the nights are getting colder, and reality is crashing the party. If you want to bring the same plants back out next spring, it’s time to prep…