Tropical hibiscus bud drop is usually a stress response, pure and simple (though pests can cause it too). These plants will give up on perfectly good buds to save their own necks over the smallest change, dropping them onto the patio because the wind blew the wrong way. Among other things. Here’s why those buds…
Clematis vines are essentially primitive machines driven by basic hydraulics and blind panic. You can get far more flowers by leaving yours completely alone until it actually needs feeding, then giving it what it wants at the right time. Now, if only you had a guide… Know Your Clematis Pruning Group Before Feeding Flinging nitrogen…
If I had a dollar for every time a well-meaning neighbor drowned a perfectly good hydrangea in bloom booster chemicals, I’d have a much bigger greenhouse. Let’s set the fertilizer bag down for a second and talk about how to feed these plants before you stress the roots or end up with more leaves than…
Hydrangeas wilt because they lose water through those massive leaves faster than their roots can replace it, especially during hot, sunny afternoons. It happens almost as quickly as my favorite uncle can empty a bottle of brandy, so I know exactly how you feel right now. Nothing can replace proper hydration, but there are a…
Midsummer gardening isn’t a nurturing hobby; it’s a corporate restructuring. Once their first round of blooms fades, plenty of perennials start sending resources into seed production instead of fresh flowers. Fire the spent upper growth on the right plants now or face a fall bankrupt of flowers. The Three Degrees of Pruning Violence To make…
Are your summer beds looking a little re-seed-ing? Between the scorching sun, spent blooms, and stems sagging into their neighbors, no wonder things look ready to bolt. I’m going to show you how cutting the right plants back after their first flush can encourage fresh basal growth, tidy up the border, and sometimes bring on…