Monthly Archives: June 2025

Perennials for the Cutting Garden

The classic gardener’s dilemma is whether to cut flowers for enjoyment or leave them to look nice in the garden. Often, removing flowers from the border can make it less attractive and leave an unsightly hole in the overall garden design. The cutting garden solves this problem and allows you to grow many plants that have beautiful cut flowers but are less than lovely in the garden. For example, many varieties of carnations have a tendency to flop with their heavy flower heads. The cutting garden offers an excellent place to hold perennials in reserve until you are ready to plant them in the garden, and it is a great place to practice with new perennials.

Planting Perennials for Cutting

Traditionally, the cutting garden has been basically utilitarian with perennials grown in rows like a vegetable garden. But, by growing enough plants (a minimum of three) of each perennial in your garden, you will have plenty of flowers to make the garden more attractive. Plant the tallest flowers so they don’t shade the shorter ones, and consider more natural curves and groupings in your garden so any missing plants aren’t so obvious.

Perennials for Cut Flowers

Many beautiful perennials are ideal for a cutting garden. While you should choose blooms that will thrive in your climate, soil type and yard conditions, these are popular choices that do well in many different areas…

Achillea                                    Aconitum                                 Allium

Anemone                                 Anthemis                                 Aquilegia

Armeria                                    Asclepias                                  Aster

Astilbe                                      Boltonia                                   Campanula

Catanache                                Centranthus                             Chrysanthemum

Convallaria                               Coreopsis                                 Crocosmia

Delphinium                              Dianthus                                  Dicentra

Doronicum                               Echinacea                                 Echinops

Eupatorium                             Filipendula                               Ferns

Gaillardia                                 Geum                                       Grasses

Gypsophila                               Helenium                                 Helianthus

Heliopsis                                  Hemerocallis                            Heuchera

Hosta                                       Iris                                            Kniphofia

Lavendula                                Liatris                                       Lillium

Lobelia                                     Lupinus                                    Lysimachia

Lythrum                                   Paeonia                                    Papaver

Penstemon                              Perovskia                                 Phlox paniculata

Physostegia                              Platycodon                               Rudbeckia

Salvia                                        Scabiosa                                   Solidago

Stokesia                                   Thalictrum                               Trollius

Veronica

Study different cultivars of each type you are interested in, and don’t forget to include greenery as well as blooms to enliven and fill out your cut bouquets.

Tips to Increase the Lifespan of Cut Perennials

While flowers may last longer in the garden, that doesn’t mean they will immediately wilt once they are cut. To make your cut perennials stay plump and fresh for longer…

  1. Cut flowers in the morning or evening when they are most turgid.
  2. Use a sharp knife or pair of scissors to make a clean cut. Plunge stems into water immediately.
  3. When arranging the flowers, remove any foliage from the base of the stems (no leaves should be underwater). Re-cut stems before putting the flowers in a vase.
  4. Place your arrangements in a cool room out of direct sunlight and change the water daily.
  5. Add Floralife, a preservative, to prolong flowers.

A cutting garden can be a beautiful and practical addition to your yard, and while it may need different care than your other landscaping, it can be just as vibrant.

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Bringing Butterflies to the Backyard

In spring, female butterflies will be mostly concerned with finding their species’ specific host plants on which to lay fertilized eggs. Instinctively, they know they must find plants to ensure that their caterpillars will have appropriate food for survival after hatching. Both male and female butterflies will be looking for flowers with nectar for their own survival. And, they will be searching for shelter from rainy or windy weather, a sunny place for basking, and a source of water. Because many natural butterfly habitats in North America are disappearing at an alarming rate, it is becoming increasingly difficult for butterflies to find these necessities of life.

Starting a butterfly garden can be simple and rewarding if you follow these pointers. The most important thing you can do as a gardener is to plant both nectar and host plants in your garden. Providing host plants for caterpillars to feed on, will allow you to watch the metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. So, do not discourage caterpillars. They may make your garden plants look bad but it’s usually only temporary. Most important – do not use pesticides! You may be killing off the very insects you made the garden for. And, you don’t have to have a large area to get a response. Just a few select plants will spur some action. Choose the sunniest spot possible for your butterfly garden. It could be any size or shape; even a short border will work. A combination of woody shrubs, perennials and annual flowers works best, but using just a couple of plants can still yield results. Planting a section of wildflowers is an easy way to cover a problem area and lure some butterflies to your yard. If you don’t have the room for a garden, fuchsia, petunia or impatiens hanging baskets will attract butterflies as well as hummingbirds.

The following is a list of plants that attract butterflies:

Woody shrubs:

  • Glossy Abelia
  • Butterfly Bush
  • Japanese Privet
  • Honeysuckle
  • Weigela
  • Spiraea
  • Lilac
  • Deutzia
  • Trumpet vine

Perennials:

  • Achillea (Yarrow)
  • Butterfly Weed
  • Aster
  • Shasta Daisy
  • Cosmos
  • Carnation
  • Coneflower
  • Joe-Pye weed
  • Sunflower

Annuals and Tender

Perennials:

  • Heliotrope
  • Lantana
  • Rosemary
  • Marigolds
  • Petunias
  • Geraniums
  • Snapdragons
  • Portulaca
  • Zinnias
  • Allysum
  • Fucshia
  • Vinca
  • Balsam
  • Dahlia
  • Impatiens
  • Salvia
  • Verbena
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Summer Watering Tips

As the days heat up, watering can become a dreaded garden chore and too many gardeners use wasteful techniques that use plenty of water but don’t give their plants the moisture they really need. Make watering plants easier and more efficient with the proper practices and tools…

  • Mulches not only make plantings look more attractive, but their most important functions are to help retain soil moisture and minimize weeds, which would also usurp moisture from your plants. Mulch around plants to a depth of 2-4 inches, refreshing mulch as needed to maintain that depth and attractiveness.
  • Watering cans and small containers work great for spot watering plants with different watering needs by hand. You don’t always need to get out a hose or sprinkler to get the watering done.
  • Check to make sure that you have the proper length hose(s) to reach every corner of your garden. Take into account any obstacles in the way, and be sure you aren’t dragging the hose over any delicate plantings to reach more distant dry spots.
  • Add a water wand to the hose to get the water where it’s most needed – the base of the plants – without needing to bend over repeatedly, which can cause back strain.
  • The best time to water is during the early morning hours of a sunny day. This will allow plants to absorb more water before it evaporates when temperatures rise, but won’t leave water to sit on plants overnight when mold can develop.
  • Always water plants and container gardens thoroughly and deeply to encourage deeper, more drought-tolerant root systems. It is better to water less frequently but more deeply rather than more often but with less water.
  • In the landscape, a good rule of thumb is to provide an inch of water per week minimum. Keep track of precipitation with a rain gauge to avoid wasting water by overwatering when Mother Nature does the job.
  • New individual plants that are set out, direct sown seed beds, sodding, etc. often require daily care, including watering, until established. Check moisture levels carefully during this period so the plants are well cared for.
  • Use soaker hoses to provide slow drip watering. This allows plants to absorb water easily without wasting water by evaporating from foliage or spraying into the air. Soaker hoses can even be layered beneath mulch to preserve as much moisture as possible.
  • Pay extra attention to plants in containers and hanging baskets as they tend to dry out faster and with greater frequency. These plantings will likely need to be watered daily or even multiple times a day during heat waves.
  • Place Tree Gators, a drip irrigation bag, on newly planted trees for slow, steady watering that will soak down to the root system without draining away along the surface of the soil.

If you’ll be away on an extended vacation, or even just for a few days, make arrangements with a trusted friend or neighbor to “plant sit” while you are gone. There’s nothing worse than worrying about your garden while you’re away – except coming home to crisp plants that haven’t been watered properly!

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Less Pain, More Gain: Ergonomics in the Garden

Merriam-Webster defines ergonomics as: An applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely. Experts in ergonomics strive to design and produce items that better match the capabilities, limitations and needs of the people who use them. The result is a safer product that causes less fatigue and stress on the body, while still allowing you to perform the same functions as with regular tools or items.

How Gardening Can Hurt Your Body

Repetitive gardening activities can put you at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, and can exacerbate other conditions such as arthritis, sciatica and other aches and pains. Poor movement or sudden strains can pull muscles or pinch nerves, which can lead to days or weeks of recovery, doctor appointments, tests, medications and other treatments. Even worse movements could lead to more severe injuries, falls or sprains which could cause you to miss out on a gardening season altogether. Listen to your body – if a movement hurts, change what you are doing and the tools you are using.

Ergonomic Garden Tools

Before purchasing the tools required to perform your garden chores it is best to choose those that fit the job – weeding, pruning, digging, trimming, harvesting, raking, etc. It is equally important, however, that the tools fit you as well – your size, your grip, your posture and your preferences.

Ergonomic tools will help you accomplish different garden tasks with greater efficiency and reduced effort, force, bending, leaning or twisting. With the correct tools you will be able to dig, trim and cut more, in less time, with less effort and more gardening enjoyment. Some ergonomic tools may look no different than the familiar tools you’ve been using for years, but they may be made of different materials to be lighter or stronger. There may be angle or length changes in handles to allow for easier use, or handles may be cushioned to provide firmer grips without causing pain or fatigue. Some tools, such as portable stools or combined tools that include buckets as well as a seat or kneeling pad, help make gardening chores more accessible and comfortable as well.

Ask one of our employees for their assistance in making your garden equipment choices. We carry a wide selection of ergonomic garden tools and are happy to help you choose the right device, size and style for you to accomplish your gardening chores safely and pain free.

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Adding Nighttime Garden Accessories & Accents

You can enjoy much more than plants in your garden every evening and into the night, and in fact the right accessories can beautifully enhance your garden even as twilight falls. Consider these stunning accessories and accents to turn your daytime garden into a nighttime paradise.

Wind Chimes

Let gentle evening summer breezes play soothing sounds in your garden or patio. Choose from Bamboo styles or traditional wind chimes, and try different sizes and styles to find the tinkling tones you like best. Avoid using too many wind chimes, however, as different styles can have contrasting tones that may clash with one another rather than create a soothing melody.

Candleholders, Lanterns & Torches

Light up the night with lovely candleholders, lanterns and decorative torches to keep your summer evenings long and bright. Place appropriate lighting along pathways, deck edges and stairs to safely illuminate gathering areas, or use spotlights to create dramatically uplit trees and shrubs. For a whimsical touch, try kitschy strings of themed lights for a fun accent, or add elegance with multiple lanterns suspended from a large tree.

Tabletop Fountains

Erase your daily pressures by bringing the soothing, relaxing sounds of water to your patio or deck. A handcrafted tabletop fountain will add a soft, natural sound in harmony with your evening of relaxation. Consider fountains that may double as bird baths or centerpieces to do double duty during the daytime as well.

Tinkling Toadstools

Add enchantment to your garden with magical Tinkling Toadstools. When placed in groups, colorful glazed caps create a tinkling sound when the wind blows. Position them under a shrub or in a large, rustic container to add a fairy garden ambiance to your evening landscape, and be sure there is subtle light nearby to highlight their color and beauty.

 Ponds or Other Water Features

When the moonlight, candles and twinkle lights reflect on the water’s surface, there is an added glow and iridescence to the garden. Running water from a re-circulating pump powering a small spray fountain or waterfall provides a relaxing background sounds to the summer evening. Accent your water feature with floating lights, stunning water lilies or other creative options.

Egglites

Add nighttime beauty to ponds, fountains, statuary, landscaping and more with Cal Pump’s Egglite. These assorted colored, 10-watt lights are compact spot lights that can be used in or out of the water and are suitable for fresh, salt or chlorinated water. Position them unobtrusively and select colors that can magically enhance your nighttime landscaping.

With the right evening accents, you don’t have to stop enjoying your garden when the sun sets – just as temperatures cool off, the beauty of your garden can be heating up.

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Battling the Bugs of Summer

In the summer months, insects can take their toll on your plants if you are not on the alert for problems. If the right product is used at the right time and under the right conditions, however, pesticides can be reduced to a minimum and your plants will be well-protected.

Organic Products

Apply organic products early in the morning when bugs are eating. To stop insect damage, the spray must be applied to the insect itself or sometimes to where the bug is eating. The entire plant must often be sprayed to keep the pests from moving on to untreated areas. Organic controls include insecticidal soap, Bonide All Season Spray (horticultural oil), Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, tobacco dust, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), rotenone and pyrethrin sprays.

Contact Products

Inorganic in composition, these insecticides must be applied either to the insect or the leaf where the pest is feeding. Apply in the morning for best results, and as with the organic controls, soak the entire plant so the insects do not find a safer spot to nibble. Contact pesticides include Malathion and Sevin.

Systemic Products

Systemic insecticides circulate to all parts of the plant. Therefore, if you are only able to spray part of a shrub, the product will move to all leaves within 24 hours to control feeding insects for about two weeks. Systemics are best applied in the evenings when there is no chance of rain and sprinklers will not be used. The product will be absorbed only as long as the leaf stays wet. When the leaf dries by mid-morning, the product is then moved through the entire plant when the insects resume feeding. Systemic insecticides available to the homeowner include Bonide Systemic Insect Spray, Ortho Systemic Insecticide and Bayer Season-Long Tree & Shrub.

Not sure how to deal with your pests and unwanted insects? This handy chart can help!

Environmentally Friendly Controls for Common Garden Pests

 

Pest Type

Control Methods
Ants & Cockroaches Concern Home Pest Control, Diatomaceous Earth, Bonide Eight, Bioganic Spray & Dust, Garlic Barrier
Aphids Insecticidal Soap, Pyrethrin, Bonide All-Season Spray, Bonide Eight, Rotenone, Hot Pepper Wax, Neem Oil, Garlic Barrier
Predator: Ladybugs, Praying Mantis
Caterpillars (Tomato Hornworm, Cabbage Looper, etc.) Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, Bt (Bacillus Thuringinensis), Dipel Dust, Bonide Eight, Neem Oil
Predator: Trichogramma, Praying Mantids
Fleas Diatomaceous Earth, Concern Home Pest Control, Bonide Eight
Predator: Beneficial Nematodes
Japanese Beetles Beetle Traps, Neem Oil, Schultz Expert Gardener, Pyrethrin, Bonide Eight
Predator: Praying Mantids, Beneficial Nematodes for grub stage control
Lacebugs Hot Pepper Wax, Insecticidal Soap
Mealy Bugs Insecticidal Soap, Pyrethrin, Bonide All-Season Spray, Pyrethrin, Bonide Eight
Predators: Crytpolnemus or green lacewing
Mites Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, Insecticidal Soap, Bonide All-Season Spray, Pyrethrin, Hot Pepper Wax, Garlic Barrier, Neem Oil
Mosquitoes Pyrethrin, Mosquito Bits, Mosquito Dunks (pond control)
Scale Hot Pepper Wax, Bonide All-Season Spray, Insecticidal Soap, Bonide Eight
Predator: Green lacewing
Slugs Concern Slug Stop, Monterey Sluggo
Predator: Birds
Thrips Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, Insecticidal Soap, Bonide All-Season Spray, Pyrethrin, Hot Pepper Wax, Garlic Barrier, Neem Oil
Whiteflies Insecticidal Soap, Pyrethrin, Repel M Sticky Tape, Safers or Tanglefoot Sticky Whitefly Trap, Bonide Eight, Garlic Barrier
Predators: lady bugs, encarsia formosa or lace wings

 

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