Summer’s in mid-swing and the annuals around your home are in need of a lot of water to keep them beautiful. With all that extra water, the
nutrients from the soil are likely to wash away. Clean up those
containers by removing spent flowers and trimming back leggy stems. Then, once the baskets and pots are cleaned up, add some fertilizer to the watering routine. Mix up some Bachman’s Mighty Bloom
water-soluble fertilizer in your watering can and use this mixture at least every two weeks for the rest of the summer and fall. Some plants are heavy feeders and may need to be fertilized more often. Plants with large flowers like hibiscus and petunias will love to get a shot of fertilizer every 10 days or so. Mix the Mighty Bloom with water by following
packaged direction and water the containers until the water
runs out of the drain holes.
Water Gardening
Just like a house without any
landscaping, a pond without plants doesn’t look complete. Turning your pond or water feature into a water garden will soften the edges and make it look like it has always been there. If you have a naturally boggy area in your yard, or if you create one near water, you can include a number of plants that like it wet, but don’t want to grow in the water. Water plants are grouped as plants that like deep water; those that prefer to grow near the edges (called marginals or bog plants) and floating plants. Growing plants in ponds and bogs is really fun once you understand a few basic concepts. Pick up a complimentary copy of the Bachman’s Information Sheet ‘Plants for Ponds and Bogs.’
Helpful Watering Aids
Keeping up with the water needs of your lawn, garden, landscape plants and containers can be a challenge. Having the right “tools” helps keep the job manageable. Start with a quality hose that stays flexible but is strong. And be sure you have enough of it to reach where needed. A well-balanced watering can helps for those odd places or that lone planter off in the corner. One of the most useful watering tools is a
water wand. They extend your reach and provide a soft spray of water. There are even water wands with trigger handles and shutoffs so you can easily lay the wand down for a minute while you turn a container or pinch a bloom. To cover large areas, a good sprinkler is a must. Since there are several types of sprinklers, be sure to take a few minutes to read the labels so that you’ll select the style best suited to your needs. Having the right watering tools not only saves you lots of work but also helps your plants stay healthy and beautiful.
Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bushes are the liveliest spot in the garden from July to
September. When the butterfly bushes are in bloom they attract a
wide variety of colorful butterflies. Butterfly bush is known botanically
as Buddleia and they are treated like a perennial in Minnesota. The
vigorous woody shrub tends to die down to the snow line each winter, but the root pushes up new growth and the blooms follow starting in July. Buddleias grow from 3’ to 6’ tall and 3’ to 5’ wide with flower spikes ranging anywhere from blue to purple and pink. Buddleias do best in well-drained soil and in a sunny spot. Once buddleias are
established they are drought tolerant. A variety of buddleia called windy hill is the hardiest of the buddleia varieties. It has withstood temperature of –25F. Plant buddleia for the butterflies to
enjoy and for your pleasure.
Summer Sweet Clethra
If you haven’t seen Clethra you are missing out on a wonderful summer blooming shrub. Clethra are known as summer sweet because of the fragrant bottlebrush blooms. Clethra like moist soil and will do well in full sun or light shade, but do their best in part shade. There is a variety called “Ruby Spice” that can get up to 6’ tall and 4’ wide with deep pink flowers that bloom in mid summer. For those who prefer a smaller bush there is a compact Clethra called “Sixteen Candles” which grows to 3’ with dark green leaves and upright white flower spikes that grow up to 6” long. Look for Clethra, a truly outstanding landscape shrub.
Did you know?
Flowers and seeds of the pumpkin are edible.
Tips
Great gardens have a skyline, which is done by incorporating
vertical elements, such trellises and arbors as well as small trees
and upright shrubs.
To make every drop count, don’t water in the middle of the day.
The best time to water is early in the morning.
Most North American bats feed exclusively on insects, eating more mosquitoes and other insects than birds and bug zappers combined.
Upper Midwest Koi Club Presents Second Annual Koi Show Bachman’s Minneapolis, August 1-3 Join us this weekend as we celebrate 100 of the most beautiful koi in the region. Visit bachmans.com for show details and our FREE KOI AND POND SEMINAR schedule. You don’t want to miss this show! FREE ADMISSION
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
