Chaos, Pompoms, and Good Nutrition
Things start slowly.
Little by little the weather gets nicer and little by little, things get busier. Then, the last of the cold weather is behind us... and it’s game on!
I’m referring to the spring gardening season.
Each year has subtle differences, but they all follow roughly the same pattern...the season gets started in March, gains speed in April and then by early May, it’s running at full throttle. The world is lush and green, mowing is a race to keep up with the grass and empty veggie gardens are filling up quickly with the promise of a bountiful summer harvest.
There is a lot going on this time of the year.
We see roughly the same spring ramp up happening here at the garden store. We start to see folks showing up in early March after a long, lonely winter. It picks up a little bit more in April...as the weather allows...and then by May, we’re hitting on all cylinders.
Mother’s Day week is usually the most intense stretch of the spring season for us. That’s the time of the year that vegetable garden planting, working on landscape projects, getting summer flowers in the ground, and buying something pretty for Mom all cross paths to create the “perfect storm” for spring business.
This year was no different... except we threw a larger construction project into the middle of it. That created a lot of challenges for us, but we put our heads together and came up with solutions that have worked pretty well. It wasn’t perfect... but it worked.
Sometimes a little change is okay. It forces you to look at everyday things a little differently and often times better ideas take form. At the very least, it keeps things from getting boring!
Everyone has been very understanding about the changes. And I’m pleased to see that there’s just as much excitement from all of you as there is from all of us regarding the new greenhouse and the good things it will bring. Thanks for all the questions and the compliments. And thank you, especially, for your patience through this process. Now for the best news... it will be done soon!
Cameron Rees, General Manager
We still have a lot of spring season ahead of us. This next stretch from now until July is great for enjoying our gardens and great for adding to them. Take advantage of it! Maybe make some changes of your own… Now that things are starting to fill out with leaves, buds, and blooms, a gardener’s eye not only plots for this season, but looks ahead at what would be good to get into the ground this year, with the hopes of showing well next year.
We’re continuing to bring in fresh loads of plants to restock where needed. The lot continues to be full, with a mix that changes slowly as new plants come into bloom and new crops come online.
If you’re in the area, come take a peek!
—Cameron Rees
ENJOYING HYDRANGEAs!
Hydrangeas are much loved but often misunderstood.
They offer amazing floral displays, starting late in the spring and continuing into the heat of the summer, picking up where the early spring flower shrubs leave off. Their impressive blooms are a great addition to any garden, complementing the perennial flower color that typically dominates gardens during that time.
But which one... or ones... should you grow?
With so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide. Some grow tall, some are short. Some like shade, while some prefer sun. And then there’s flower color... help!
Knowing a little bit about the different forms will help get you started. Let’s dig in…
Smooth Hydrangea
We offer four different types of hydrangeas. Technically we offer five, but the fifth one has more of a climbing habit, so it’s grouped in with our vining plants. For this discussion, we’ll focus on the shrub forms.
Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescent) – This species is one of our North American natives. It does well in our Kansas gardens, preferring some shade through the heat of the day (aka, afternoon shade) and regular moisture... they have large leaves that will let you know when they’re dry. They’re easy to grow, blooming reliably for the gardener every year by late May/early June. Most selections will have large pompom-like blooms and white is the predominant color, although there have been a few introductions in recent years that offer flowers in shades of pink. Most grow to the 3-4’ height range, but we do offer a few selections that stay a little smaller.
Bigleaf Hydrangea
Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) – This is the Asian counterpart to our Smooth Hydrangea. It has a similar look in both foliage and flowers, with a couple of notable differences...the foliage is much glossier, and the blooms are much more colorful. This is the hydrangea that blooms white, pink, red, lavender or blue. They’re stunning, but they’re also the most challenging. They are the most sensitive to our hot, dry weather, and their blooms can be prone to freezing out during our cold winters and late cold snaps in early spring. They can be grown and enjoyed, but they take more work.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) – This is another North American native, and although not native in Kansas, it grows quite well here. Here again, it would prefer some shade through the heat of the afternoon, and like the previous two, be prepared to help out with some extra water when it gets dry. Many grow big, reaching the 6-10’ range with a similar spread, but fortunately, there are also some nice, dwarf selections that give us options for smaller areas. All bloom white, but many have the ability to age into beautiful shades of pink to raspberry-red... depending on the weather. And here’s the kicker. It takes cool nighttime temperatures for those colors to form, and that’s not something we typically have much of during June and July when these are blooming. Plan on them being white and only being white and you won’t be disappointed. Occasionally we’ll catch just the right weather pattern, and you may see some pink. Enjoy that as a special treat, because it won’t happen very often.
Panicle Hydrangea
Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) – This one has become the most popular form in recent years for a few obvious reasons: it’s hardy, it blooms reliably, it’s easy to grow, it prefers sun more than shade, and there is so much variety to choose from. This species grows big, 6-10’+, but in recent years, there has been a flood of new introductions that address that size issue and now we have numerous smaller selections to work with. All bloom white, but much like the Oakleaf Hydrangea, many selections have the ability to transition into impressive shades of pink to raspberry-red. Unfortunately, just like the Oakleaf Hydrangea, this only happens if the weather is cool enough to drive that change. Most of these bloom in July and August, so that rarely happens for us here in our gardens. Plan on white flowers and you won’t be disappointed. And just a reminder, this variety needs plenty of sun. A little light shade is fine, but if planted in too much they’ll grow leggy and won’t bloom very well.
Now, a couple of growing tips...
Like most plants, all hydrangeas will do better if they have good soil conditions. Take time to add compost to the bed prior to planting...not just the planting hole...but the entire bed. Skimp here and you’ll regret it. Keep them well mulched and watch the water. When it gets dry, you’ll need to help them out.
Now for pruning. This topic also creates a lot of confusion for gardeners, so I’m going to try and keep this as simple as I can.
Smooth Hydrangea and Panicle Hydrangea can be pruned in early spring to control size. This will also tend to make them bloom even better. Bigleaf Hydrangea and Oakleaf Hydrangea should not be. If you prune these types at the same time, you’ll find you get few to no flowers. So, my recommendation...prune all Smooth Hydrangea and Panicle Hydrangea hard each and every spring. As for Oakleaf Hydrangea and Bigleaf Hydrangea do not prune them unless you’re pruning to remove either dead wood or spent flowers.
There are still bound to be questions, so bring those in... We love to talk about Hydrangeas!
—Cameron Rees
WHAT’S NEW?
Roll the highlight reel! Come check out these beauties & more!
“THYMELY” ADVICE:
don’t forget to fertilize!
Everyone knows you’ve got to water containers and hanging baskets, but what about fertilizer? How important is it to fertilizer them?
Extremely!
It is important to keep in mind that plants growing in containers need regular feeding to keep them growing healthy and producing lots of blooms. The nutrients plants need don’t naturally occur in the components that make up good potting mix, so they need to be added. That’s typically done in a couple of different ways.
The first is through the use of water-soluble fertilizers. These are special formulations designed for use on potted plants like houseplants, hanging baskets and mixed containers. The fertilizer granules quickly dissolve in water, creating a “Kool-Aid”-like solution that you use to water things with. This needs to be done on a very regular basis, following the label directions. We utilize these kinds of fertilizers on our greenhouse crops, aiming to apply them weekly.
Fertilome All-Season’s Water-Soluble Plant Food
Fertilome Blooming and Rooting Soluble Plant Food
Your other option is using slow-release fertilizer. These products look similar to the fertilizers we use out in our gardens and landscapes, but they’re not. Never use garden or landscape fertilizers on your containerized plants. They will burn your plants. Instead, use slow-release fertilizers. These are manufactured in a way to allow the nutrients they contain to be released slowly over time, providing a gentle feeding over many weeks to even months, depending on the product. This makes them safe to use on potted plants and makes fertilizing a snap. We use these kinds of fertilizers on all our potted perennials, trees and shrubs to keep them growing well and staying healthy.
Fertilome Multi-Cote
Hi-Yield Grower’s Special
Which type you use doesn’t matter, that’s just a matter of personal preference. The important thing is that you do it and do it regularly.
Good luck!
