Category Archives: Information

Practicing Patience with Perennials

Posted on by
Reply

We all love our annual flowers, reliably producing a glorious display all season long.  They are perfect for containers or filling in areas of the garden beds.  While annuals truly are amazing, don’t discount the predictable perennial plant.  You can easily create a dynamic display of color and texture by positioning your plants according to bloom time.

The majority of perennials will bloom during a specific amount of time during a specific part of the season.  Knowing which plants bloom when will assist you in creating your plan.  In addition, choose perennials that will stay in place and don’t “walk” around (via seeds or runners).  Using ever-blooming shrubs like a selection from the new Easy Elegance® Collection of roses as a backdrop for your perennial display for added wow factor.  Filling in and blending your “masterpiece” with foliage plants such as Heuchera will guarantee visual interest all season long.

Suburban Lawn & Garden grows the majority of our own Perennials for you.  These plants have been started right here, in our zone, ready to enter your garden without a fuss.  There is a general rule, however, which applies to nearly all perennials.  When first introduced into your garden, they like to “check things out”, dip their “toes” in and get comfy.  In doing so, you may not see an exciting amount of activity from them.  We like to refer to this as “sleeping”.  The following year, they tend to “venture out a bit”, peeking around the corners, becoming introduced to their neighbors…basically getting better acquainted with their environment. We refer to this as their second year “creeping” stage.  The following year, stand back!  If you have found an acceptable spot for your perennials, they will explode with growth and color!  They “leap” to their full potential.  Time to sit back and enjoy your handiwork…

Our stores are FULL of perennials for every spot in your garden.  Don’t be afraid to add them to your containers as fillers, too.  You can enjoy them all season, then install them in your garden beds in the Fall.  Enjoy your new-found passion for Perennials!The Garden that is Finished is Dead

Pesky Critter Season

Posted on by
Reply

It’s that time of year, again!  The weather will get colder, food will become scarce and the critters begin moving in on your prized plants…aak!  Rabbits and Deer can be horribly destructive to annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees.  During the winter, it becomes extremely important to protect your young trees from hungry critters, as well as, sun scald which can cause irreparable damage.

There are several methods you can use to protect your new trees, some are better
than others for serving a dual purpose.  There are tree wraps, screens, paint and fences.  It is suggested to choose a method which suits your fancy and then check frequently for damage to the tree.  The best time to install your wrap is after a few lengthy nighttime freezes.  The majority of the insects will be gone and no longer post a threat to the tree for the season.  Tree wraps come in varying forms, are readily available (check the tree care section of our garden pharmacy), and extremely easy to install on the tree.  The brief video provided is an excellent tutorial on the process.

The tree wrap is only designed to be

applied to the point where branching begins on the tree.  Granted, deer may cause damage to the branches of the tree, but this will not usually be a fatal attack.

And then there is the well known saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”… if you grow plants which are undesirable to critters, you will have much less damage (in a normal year).  There seems to be very few “immune” plants to munching, however if there are enough alternatives in neighboring properties, they should ignore these plantings.

Deer tend to do more fatal harm to trees and shrubs, so this list is primarily focused on those categories.  As stated before, they avoid these plants….this doesn’t guarantee they will remain chomp-free.

The majority of the plants found on the rabbit list are those which both tend to avoid.  In addition to these plant lists, most spring and fall bulbs are safe from being grazed or browsed, soooo plant away!  

If you reside in what feels like a heavily “infested” area, consider making a switch to some of these beautiful plants which naturally ward off critter attacks.  Keep us posted!

The Garden that is Finished is Dead

Holiday Decorating with Fresh Greenery – How To

Posted on by
Reply

The Holidays seem to sneak up on us every year….how does that happen? Thanksgiving is actually very early this year considering the first of the month fell on a Thursday.  We have one weekend left to complete our decorating before the festivities begin…can we get it done?  Yes, we can!  Poinsettias and Fresh Greenery are coming this week with Christmas Trees to follow!  I believe we will have everything needed to complete your design ideas.

If your Christmas Tree is the artificial type, but you still

 want the aroma and ambiance of evergreens, use fresh greenery within your decorations.  The possibilities are endless: swags, wreaths, outdoor pots, indoor pots, table toppers, mantle runners, not to mention a myriad of accent uses.  You can even display an arrangement in a small space such as a guest bathroom…makes a great air freshener, too!

If you love to be creative, these arrangements are not very difficult to make.  You will need a plastic pot (we have some in our plastic pot recycling bins), a plastic liner, enough florist foam to fill the pots completely, florist picks, hot glue, ribbon (if you wish to make your own bow), pruning shears, fresh greenery and other ornaments/accents you wish to use.

Insert the plastic bag into the pot, then soak your foam.  Fill the pot with as many large pieces as possible, but be sure to fill it completely with pieces cut to size.   Next, cut a bit off of the stems of the greenery at an angle.  This will insure two things: ease of insertion into the foam and the fresh cut will absorb available moisture more readily.

You will want to decide whether you want your masterpiece to be viewed from one side or all sides.  Keeping this in mind, begin with your largest, tallest or center-most pieces of greenery first and work towards the edges of the pots (you can always fill in voids later with additional evergreen or alternate accents).  Once you are satisfied with your base, begin adding filler (various accents and small pieces of greenery to hide the pot edges).

Use hot glue to attach ornaments to the florist picks for easy placement into your design.  You may even wish to collect interesting seed pods or other nature items from your garden for additional interest.  Paint them with metallic spray paint for a bit more pizzazz!  These items can add more of an earthy tone to your arrangement.  Once you are finished, add a bow (if desired) and give yourself a pat on the back!  You did it!  Don’t forget to keep them well watered to last throughout the season.

Alternately, you may wish to use a Poinsettia as a centerpiece within the pot and then add fresh greenery around the plant OR you can use various annual or tropical plants to accent your gorgeous Holiday beauty.

Consider using small containers in the same way for accent pieces throughout the house!  How lovely!  If you would prefer to not tackle this project yourself, come on in to one of our stores (they are assembled at our Martin City location at 135th and Wornall) and we should have several to choose from.  If you don’t see something you like, ask if we can create a few custom pieces for you!  Either way, your home is guaranteed to be beautiful this season!

For inspiration, visit our Facebook Page and flip through our photo albums, we have several pictures to jog your creative juices!

Have a marvelous Holiday season!!

The Garden that is Finished is Dead

Mulch is Mulch….or IS It?

Posted on by
Reply

The short answer to that question is, NO.  There are many variables which determine the quality of a good mulch:  piece size, consistency, environmentally friendly dyes, penetrability and need, are a few things to consider when deciding which mulch to use.  At Suburban Lawn & Garden, we generate the majority of our mulches so we certainly make every attempt to insure you will get the absolute best quality for your money.

At our Yardwaste/Recycling Center we collect downed trees, limbs, shrubs and other sources of wood from the public to create our mulches.  We use two massive

Hogzilla tub grinders (the largest available on the market) which create the perfect consistency for our mulch.  It is light enough to easily provide thorough coverage, yet substantial enough to maintain placement, as well as, not be easily washed away.

Four of our mulches are enhanced with environmentally safe dyes to brighten your landscape; Dakota Black, Java Brown, Sedona Red and Special Dark.  Not only is colored mulch fantastic for aesthetic reasons but it is actually quite resistant to UV rays.  The colorant is a dye, so you will want to wear gloves and old clothes when installing, it can do a number on your fingernails!  More important than how it looks, it is entirely safe for children and pets.

Our Pine Bark Soil Conditioner is primarily used as a soil amendment, but many homeowners love the way it looks as a mulch.  The Pine Bark Nuggets can be used by themselves or even combined with the Soil Conditioner for added texture.  The Cedar mulch has a unique look all on its own and, initially, maintains a scent which is undesirable to many insects.   For your playgrounds or other large areas where children or people gather, the Playground Chips are the way to go.  The consistency is perfect to provide “a soft place to fall”.  The Cedar Mulch and Playground Chips are brought in via an alternate source.

We also stock a very nice Double Ground Hardwood which is a “naked” form of our dyed mulches and we have an inexpensive Estate Mulch for large areas when aesthetics is not as much of a concern.  All of the mulches listed are available in either bags or in bulk and can be delivered to your driveway (in KC and surrounding areas).  With bulk orders, you MAY even qualify for free delivery!

Once your mulch arrives, be sure to install it properly to get the longest life out of it.  Clean your beds of weeds, rake existing mulch if you are top dressing with an inch or two, and re-edge the beds to keep grass from encroaching.  For more info about installation, you can click here.  We have all of the tools that you will need to do a great job, but if you would prefer to not get your hands dirty, or become overwhelmed with the job, give us a call and we can professionaly install it for you.

If you have any other questions about mulch or how to install it, please give us a call or drop by our Facebook Page for a chat…we would love to hear from you!

Green Your Garden

by 1800mulchpro.com

The Garden that is Finished is Dead

True Survivors

Posted on by
7

As the Summer season comes to a close (thank goodness!), it is time to take “inventory” of the plants who sailed through the heat and drought with relatively little damage. The drought was bad enough, but MANY plants can survive being deprived of water for an extended period of time. The heat is what caused many of the plants to “give up”.

Hostas took the combination of torment particularly hard, leaving many to wonder if they will re-emerge from the soil this year. While several types of plants seemed to either die or go completely dormant, let’s focus on which plants were tough enough to make it through.

 

In my yard,

Caryopteris ‘Summer Sorbet’ was a clear winner. This specific variety is variegated green/gold foliage accented with misty blue blooms. Other fantastic varieties include ‘Sunshine Blue’ and ‘Li’l Miss Sunshine’ (at left) which have a very similar appearance. Only requiring 2 supplemental soakings, this lovely creature even bloomed during our hottest days.

Many ornamental grasses performed “well”, but I did notice that they bloomed extremely early as if they were preparing for winter. In a normal season, most of varieties of Miscanthus will send up bloom stalks in August which persist through winter. My ‘Adagio’ Dwarf Maiden Grass only received a couple of drinks with the garden hose and has been blooming since mid-June.

Coming in at a very close third would be Weigela (well established plants). This plant did not bloom well, but other than that, it rarely sulked and received very little supplemental water. Now would be a great time to plant this shrub, it will have quite awhile before the ground freezes to become settled in.

I have said it before, but I will say it again: Amsonia is a FANTASTIC plant! Although it “pouted” a little and sagged under the extreme heat, it never got crispy and perked right up after the first relief of rain. Try this plant when you get a chance, doesn’t look like much in the pot, but give it a year and it will start showing off!

Annuals also became divided into two categories: wimps and survivors. I believe I will begin to fill my pots with tough creatures in future years. There were quite a few plants which excelled for me (with regular watering) and a few which can be brought in for the winter months.

One of my absolute favorite annuals grown primarily for foliage is the Purple Heart Plant (Setcreasea pallida). Tough as nails and fantastically vivid purple foliage, this plant is a definite winner under any circumstance. Bring it in for the winter, too…it may sulk a bit without enough light but will quickly bounce back once returned to its spring hangout.

Another great filler plant is Plectranthus. While that is quite a mouthful to say, it is more than a mouthful of a plant!! Thriving in the heat, keep it watered and it will outperform most other plants. If it gets too crazy, just give it a pinch. Similar to Coleus (also a great heat performer), it responds very well to a bit of grooming. There are quite a few different varieties to look for…give it a try!

Last but not least, which annuals were happy enough to continue providing us much needed color? Low flower count is a sign of stress with any plant, and many annuals displayed discomfort. Not surprisingly, Lantana barely even noticed the change in the weather…continuously providing beautiful color, as well as, food for the occasional butterfly.

But, I would have to say that one of my absolute favorite blooming annuals is Angelonia. It simply doesn’t know the meaning of the word “quit”. Every week the plant is a little bigger and the stems are lined with beautiful flowers. Even though it seems to be on the delicate side, don’t let appearances fool you! This is one tough plant!

Other honorable mentions should go to Succulents and Pachypodiums (great fillers or centerpieces in annual pots), Zinnias and Shrimp Plant.

Next Spring (2013) will be the time to survey how well our trees fared.  I will be sure to update you with results.

I would love to know which plants performed well for you this year, so feel free to email me!

And PLEASE don’t forget about the birds this winter. Blooming and setting seed sank very low on the priority list of most plants and these feathered friends may need our help more than ever during the upcoming season of snow and ice.

Hope to see you at our upcoming Pumpkin Patch Festivities!  Come on out, it will be fun!

The Garden that is Finished is Dead