Fragrance of Fall – Plant Something Sweet

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As autumn nears, we’re dreaming of cooler weather, cozy sweaters and pumpkin everything.

The flavors and aromas of autumn float around the air and it is full of bliss.

As the trees change color and the pumpkins begin taking shape, step outside to experience this bliss and the crispness of the air.

Fill your garden with these sweet smelling plants to keep the fragrance of fall floating around your garden all season. Make sure you fertilize with Espoma’s Liquid Bloom! Plant Food to maximize the fragrance.

Chrysanthemum

Add some classic beauty to your garden with a simple Chrysanthemum. Some varieties have an earthy, herb-like smell. It blooms with many varieties, so choosing what color you desire adds to the value. The classic mum will get you in the autumn spirit in no time. Plant in full sun in zones 3-9 and feed regularly with Espoma’s liquid Bloom! for gorgeous flowers.

Katsura

As the leaves of this tree turn to gold, orange or red, the brown sugar scent closely follows. This multi-hued tree has all of the redeeming fall qualities. Known for its shade protection, katsura is a great addition to your garden. The sweet fragrance can be enjoyed from a considerable distance. It is perfect to get you into the autumn feel. Plant in full to partial sun in zones 4-9 and use Bio-tone Starter Plus when planting to help katsura establish roots.

Flowering Tobacco Plant

Best for filling gaps in your garden, this tall fragrant beauty will keep you enjoying its white tubular flowers all autumn long. Known as a night plant, the terrific smell of jasmine is found most powerful at dusk. They are wonderful at attracting hummingbirds. Plant in full to partial sun in Zones 10-11 and feed regularly with Plant-tone to ensure superior growth.

Chaste Tree

This shrub releases refreshing fragrances of sage. And with its light blue flowers on a wooded stem, it’s a great addition to a cut flower fall bouquet. Plant in full sun in zones 6-9 and feed regularly with Tree-tone for strong roots and trunk.

Fragrant Angel Coneflower

Mix and match colorful coneflowers, just be sure to include the fragrant angel. The large sweetly scented flowers are made up of two rows of white petals surround a greenish, orange cone. They tend to smell of vanilla which is wonderful wafting through the air in autumn. Plant in full sun in zones 4-9 and feed regularly with Espoma’s liquid Bloom! for gorgeous flowers.

Tea Olive

Known as the “false holly,” tea olives grow into dense evergreen shrubs or trees and have leaves that look like holly. Their flowers commonly come in white, but can surprise you with yellow or orange blooms. The apricot fragrance from these shrubs will make you happy you welcomed them into your garden! Plant in full to sun in zones 7-10 and feed regularly with Holly-tone to provide essential nutrients.

 

Stuck on what else to plant this fall? Learn how to plant the perfect tree this season to enjoy for generations to come!

Fall Flower Child – Add Bloom power to your garden

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As summer comes to an end, rustic autumn colors sweep in as the season’s vibrant blooms begin to fade.

This year, fall is going to be hot, so keep your hand shovels at the ready. Fall Flower Power is ready to kick some blooms into your garden.

Find where you need to include some fresh new flowering plants. Utilize plants with late bloom times and continue to feed regularly with Espoma’s Bloom! to ensure your flowers are reaching maximum potential.

5 Flower Powered Plants to put on a Show:

Garden Mums

The color variety available for garden mums makes this one of our favorites for fall flowers. Mums can come in autumn hues of orange, gold, russet and bronze which will keep your garden looking great all season long. Perennials will last through the winter and will bloom again next year. Plant in full sun in Zones 3-9. Grows 18 inches tall.

Celosia

Celosia bring incredible color and vibrancy to your garden. They offer flowers in different shapes and colors from the brain like cockscomb to the showy plume varieties that produce feathery flowers that look like flames or puffs of cotton candy.  They bloom until the first frost. Plant in full sun. Grows up to 3 feet tall.

Aster

Daisy-like blossoms, with a resemblance to a star, will give your garden a fresh new shade of color. Blossoms in pinks, purples, blues and whites emerge in late August to extend the beauty. Plant in full sun in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4-8. Grows 5 inches tall.

Pansies

These rounded, flat-faced flowers bring a variety of bright colors, and some autumn colors, to balance out your garden. Pansies are versatile and can be planted in your garden, a container or planting beds. They bounce back after a bit of light frost, which does well in an autumn garden. Plant in partial to full sun. Grows 6-12 inches tall.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

This queen of climbers is a great vine to add into your garden. Known as the Sweet Autumn Clematis, the Clematis terniflora, blooms well even in the shade. It has masses of white blooms and a strong fragrance to enjoy. They bloom in late summer and into autumn.  Plant in partial to full sun. Can climb up to 20 feet.

Stuck on what else to do for your garden this fall? Check out our Fall Garden Checklist to get you in the right direction!

Timeless florals will never go out of style

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Spending time in your grandmother’s garden is a lovely memory: The big luscious blooms, the scents and peacefulness radiating off the flowers, watching your grandmother putter around always adjusting something. You never wanted to leave.

You can bring your grandmother’s garden to your home. Plus, gardening is good for your own wellness. Try planting our favorite timeless flowers in your own garden and, fertilize with Espoma’s Flower- Tone to ensure your blooms stay luxurious.

Top 10 Timeless Flowers

1. Sweet Pea – Our first pick in the timeless flowers category due to their old-fashioned fragrance. They are a delicate flower with a diversity of color. Generation after generation has introduced this flower to their garden. It is a climbing plant, so keep a trellis or a wall to allow it to reach its full potential.

2. Primrose – With over 400 varieties of Primrose in the world, this flower has withstood the test of time. Typically pale yellow in color, with varieties including white or pink, many people are fond of this plant. It’s one of the first perennials to bloom and can flower into winter as a low growing flower.

3. Heliotrope – It’s sweet vanilla and almond fragrance makes this flower a lovely addition to any garden. It even dates back to the Victorian era. Often used as a border plant, this bloom will make your garden timeless. Heliotropes do well in container gardens too.

4. Four o’clocks – Featured in the 1876 St. Louis seed catalog, this flower is incredibly popular thanks to its jasmine-like scent. It is described as a favorite, combining the beauty of foliage, the wonderful bloom, a diversity of colors, and delightful fragrance. They are a self-sowing plant, so monitor the seed pods to control spreading.

5. Foxgloves – With name variations that date back to 1847, foxgloves can be a perfect fit for your garden. The bell shaped flower provides a variety of color and freckles on the inside. Foxgloves are a biennial, so flowers don’t show up until the second year in the ground. They are self-sowers, so if you leave the stalks in, they will continue to bloom year after year.

6. Morning Glory – Being a climber, this vining flower will grow well by a trellis, fence, or a leaning ladder to add some beauty to anything. When choosing your variety, be sure to choose Ipomea tricolor, which is non-invasive. Other more popular morning glories are invasive and can cause problems in your garden.

7. Poppies – Starting off as a common weed, poppies gained their popularity over time. They became a symbol through World War I and have stuck around since. They are beautiful swaying in the wind with their vibrant colors. Many are self-sowers, so plant them once and watch them come back for years.

8. Peony – Peonies have been around for hundreds of years. They are able to survive with minimal effort for the gardener, but draw “oohs” and “ahhs” due to their big beautiful blooms. Gardeners have hundreds of hybrids to choose from for their own garden. They release an abundant fragrance and are perfect for adding some color to a bouquet.

9. Bleeding Heart – Known as a classic cottage staple, the bleeding heart has captured many gardeners’ love. Their romantic blooms develop quickly in late spring and are long lasting through the summer. It’s easy to see why their floral pendants, in shades of rose pink and white, are considered timeless. You can never go wrong with a bit of romance.

10. Hollyhock – Often seen in front of a barn, cottage or white fence, hollyhocks are perfect for bringing some beauty to a bland canvas. They have big blossoms in vibrant colors and will grow five to seven feet tall. They are perfect for the back of a border or by itself, to not overwhelm the surrounding blooms. Plan accordingly as some varieties are perennials and others are biennials.

 

Ready to try something new? Use Espoma’s liquid Bloom! plant food to give your favorite flowers the nutrients they need and to promote bigger blooms.

6 Fall Veggies to Plant Now

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August is here, summer is coming to an end, and you are just weeding and waiting. You’re in the summer slump.

Time to snap out of it! Get your garden thriving with fresh fall vegetables in your succession garden. You have a time left before the first frost comes around and you hang up your gardening tools. Don’t know what to plant? We can help with that! Give veggies a head start by planting seeds indoors.

6 Fall Vegetables for Succession Gardening

1. Collards – As one of the most cold-hardy plants, collards are great for fall weather. Collards are able to handle temperatures as low and the high teens. For a fall harvest, count back six to eight weeks before your first frost. This allows for sweeter leaves during a fall and winter harvest.

2. Kale – As part of the Brassicafamily, kale grows well in cool weather. Count back six to eight weeks before the first frost to start planting for a fall harvest. Depending on your USDA zone, you can continue planting into the fall. Maintain moisture in the leaves to ensure they are tender. Packed full of nutrients, kale is a great fall vegetable.

3. Lettuce – With different varieties, you can mix and match the lettuce in your garden. Count six weeks before the first frost to start planting. You can sow every two weeks up to the first frost for an extended crop. You can continue after the frost by using a hardier variety, such as romaines or butterheads.

4. Mustard Greens – Mustard greens have seeds that are easy to plant straight into your garden. They germinate well and grow quickly. Count back three weeks before the first frost to start planting. If you want a more successive harvest, plant every three weeks starting mid-summer. They do not grow well in summer, so starting them now is perfect for your fall flavors.

5. Beets – Beets love cold weather. In the southern states, they can be grown all winter long. In the northern states, make sure the soil is cooler (around 41F). Thinning your rows allows your beets to spread out and grow fuller. You can use the greens you thinned for a good salad mixing.

6. Turnips – Planting turnips in the fall makes the plant tenderer and sweeter than the spring. Sow your seeds in the late summer, early fall months to get a fall harvest. Start your turnips with seeds as they do not transplant well.

Remember to keep your plants watered well and fertilize regularly with Espoma’s GROW! Liquid Fertilizer.

Sharp Tips for Growing a Cactus

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Are you experiencing a hot, dry summer and wanting to plant something new? Go the water-wise route and add a cactus to your container garden. It keeps your garden interesting and gives everyone something to talk about.

 

Cacti are a great way to introduce new character in a garden. With their unique texture and eye catching shapes, cacti can be the next big hit in your garden. But be careful, their spines can stick you when you aren’t paying attention.

 

Five Sharp Cactus Gardening Tips

1. Gear Up

When handling cacti, it is incredibly easy to get poked by one of their spines (needles). Wear nitrile dipped gloves to reduce being poked by the little hair-like spines. The synthetic of the nitrile helps decrease the penetration. Leather gloves don’t repel as well. Keep an eye out for the long spines; they can still hurt! Make sure your soil is geared up too, with Espoma’s Organic Cactus Mix.

2. Catch Your Eye

Every container needs a focal point. Plant tall, structural cacti to ensure your eyes are sweeping over the garden. Add cacti, such as mangave and saguaro, to areas most commonly looked over.

3. Create Cactus Clusters

Bunching up a variety of cacti will improve the aesthetics of your garden. Like other plants, cacti love to be next to each other in clusters.

4. Balance the Colors

Balance out the heat of the summer by planting cool colored cacti. Muted colored cacti have colors of teals, purples and soft greens that really bring relaxation to mind.

5. Create a Living Backdrop

Columnar cacti create a tall narrow look that is perfect for bunching together to make a creative backdrop. This works great to reduce sound, hide a fence, or even as a great meeting place. Put a table and some chairs and always stay on trend. Imagine how beautiful it will look as the cacti start blooming.

Cacti are very low-maintenance, needing water once every 10-17 days in the summer. Remember to use Espoma’s Cactus! liquid plant food every two to four weeks to keep your cacti happy and healthy.

Winter months are right around the corner! Learn how to take care of your indoor cacti and succulent plants to survive even in the winter’s darkest days.

Nature Never Goes Out of Style – Transition into a Fall Cutting Garden

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Seeing all of your hard work and tiny seedlings bloom into amazing plants full of color is the best part about gardening. It’s easy to bring the essence of the outdoors inside. All you need is a cutting garden.

Choose blooms that will make you happy, even if they don’t look particularly pleasing next to each other in the garden. This is your place to be creative and make amazing floral bouquets to brighten your indoor spaces.

Top Autumn Plants for Cutting Gardens

Autumn brings a change of color. This list shows off vibrant fall plants that will keep your bouquets fresh and on trend.

1. Goldenrod

This filler adds a bright pop of color to any arrangement. The mustard yellow flower can vary from short, packed blooms to long, spacious blooms. Goldenrods require minimal care and can grow almost anywhere.

2. Blue Mist Spirea

A reliable performer, blue mist spireas are the perfect addition to any fall cutting garden. Use individual stems or entire branches of this purple-blue flower. Blue mist spirea will grow about 2’ to 3’ tall and wide with 1” clusters of flowers.

3. Sunflower

Since sunflowers come in a variety of colors, keep autumn tones in mind. Seeds are easily germinated and will bloom within 60 days after germination. Pollen-free sunflowers are best for bouquets.

Where to Start:

1. Choose Your Site

Scope out an open, well-drained, sunny spot for your cutting plants. The size of the space depends on how many plants you want to grow. Don’t think you have space? Plant cutting flowers between your vegetables rows. Or add them to containers on your patio or balcony!

2. Plan Your Plants

Check plant tags to see if your site meets the requirements for sun exposure and growing conditions. Be sure to keep the layout of the garden in mind. Leave spaces between the rows to make cutting and collecting easier. Plants that are the same height work better together— for you and the plant.

3. Prepare the Ground

Make sure your soil is clear of any debris and weeds – you don’t want your flowers competing with anything else. Work in several scoops of Espoma’s Bio-Tone Starter Plus in to the soil, to give your plants a good head start.

4. Planting Your Garden

Planting with seeds or seedlings are both great options for this garden. They are planted an inch into loose soil. Fertilize regularly with Espoma’s Liquid Bloom! Plant Food for the best results. Make sure to water flowers at least weekly.

As your plants start to bloom, keep cutting. The more you cut the more flowers you will get! It’s as easy as that.

Looking for more inspiration? Learn how to plant this easy fall flower container with Laura from Garden Answer.

Don’t Stop Believing – Your Garden Reinvented!

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So you just finished harvesting all of your crops, you have tomatoes in every drawer in your kitchen and your garden is cut back. What now?

With enough time left before the first frost, you can still get another crop in the ground.

Whether you are a planner or a fly by the seat of your pants kind of gardener, succession planting is something to try.

What is Succession Planting?

Succession planting is a way of planting that maximizes your harvest. You plant one vegetable right as another finishes. There are a few ways to do this:

  1. Harvest Crop – Using the same plot for another set of vegetables after harvest. When a crop is finished, plant another, with a shorter maturity date, in its place. Leafy greens, followed by potatoes, are a great example of harvesting and replanting.
  2. Companion Crop – Plant two or more crops with varying maturity dates around each other. After the first crop is harvested, your garden will continue flourishing. Radishes next to cucumbers are great companions. Radishes will be harvested before the cucumbers start to produce too much shade.
  3. Staggered Crop – Plant the same crop every few weeks in order to not be bombarded by the entire crop at once. Tomatoes and peas are crops you’d want in small batches through the whole season.
  4. Same Crop – Plant the same crop with different maturity dates. Seed packets will display the days to maturity on the packets. Broccoli is an example crop with various maturity dates.

Now you know what succession planting is, here are a few steps to send you in the right direction.

5 Tips for Succession Planting

  1. Plan Accordingly – Growing based on maturity can be a little tricky if you aren’t planning for your region. Make sure to check the seed packet or plant tag to find out how long the plant will take to mature and what temperature it will grow best in. Make sure you have enough seeds to keep you going through the season.
  2. Plant Transplants – Speed up the growing process by starting seeds This will allow you to harvest and quickly plant to keep your garden at optimum level all the way up to those winter months. Or, purchase plants as seedlings from your local garden center.
  3. Feed Regularly – Add Espoma’s Garden Tone to the soil between plantings to keep the soil rich and crops thriving.
  4. Don’t Hesitate – As you see plants starting to reduce or cease harvest, don’t hesitate to pull them to make room for a new crop.
  5. Rotate Crops – Try not to plant the same vegetable in the same spot year after year. This causes the soil to lose essential nutrients and increases the likelihood for diseases to develop. Rotate crops every three years.

Succession planting can ensure your garden is in working production all season long. Learn what veggies it’s not too late to plant.

Stop and smell the roses… Right outside your door!

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Do you love roses but are stuck with limited space? Is your rose collection growing faster than your raised beds?

Container roses are a great solution for gardeners short on space or those who want the freedom to move their roses around. They give you the option of having roses wherever you want them.

So whether you are trying to cover up some unsightly spot or wanting sweet-smelling roses near your front door, we’re here to help you figure out the best roses for you.

Depending on the size and structure of your container, most roses won’t be a problem. Just be sure the container can hold the roots and soil needed for your roses. Be sure to choose roses recommended for your USDA Hardiness Zone.

Best Types of Roses for Containers

Miniature Roses – Don’t let the name fool you — these roses may be small in bloom size but still produce radiant color. Miniature refers to the size of the bloom, not the size of the bush. Typically they grow between 12”-18”, depending on growing conditions. These roses also love to hangout in window boxes. Choose a container that is at least 10” deep.

Small Roses – These low-growing roses help show off gorgeous containers. Small roses usually reach up to 2’. The variety of small roses is expansive and offer different styles, colors and smells to keep your garden rocking. Due to their small stature, they are perfect for the urban gardener — use these to spruce up your balcony or front stoop. Choose a container that is at least 12” deep.

Patio Roses – With big, colorful and robust blooms, you cannot go wrong with patio roses. They have a neat, bushy growth and regularly blooming rosette flowers. Choose a container that is at least 12” deep.

Floribundas – These one-of-a-kind hybrid roses have vibrant, colorful blooms that will dress up your yard. Grown in clusters, floribundas are wonderful to keep your guests in awe. They require a little more breathing room, so make sure to pick a larger container to keep them comfortable. Choose a container that is at least 15” deep.

6 Steps to Planting Your Rose Bush in a Container

  1. Select a container with drainage holes. The taller the containers the better since roses are deep-rooted.
  2. Fill container one third of the way with Espoma’s organic potting mix.
  3. Take the rose out of the pot and gently loosen its roots.
  4. Add 3 cups of Espoma’s Rose-tone to the soil and mix thoroughly.
  5. Place the rose in the soil no deeper than it was growing in the container. Planting depth should be such that the graft knuckle is just below the soil level. Add more potting mix to the container and level out soil.
  6. Water thoroughly.

 

Feel like you need more container plants? Learn what hydrangeas need to thrive in containers!

Petscape and Play This Summer

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With summer weather comes plenty of great opportunities to play some fetch or take a walk through the park or on the beach. Fido wants to be right by your side all summer long. Dogs love all of these outdoor activities, but they also need you to look out for them. Keep pets safe this summer by taking an extra few minutes to pet-proof your yard and keep them cool on summer’s hottest days.

A small dog running on a lawn with a ball

 

Here are 7 tips to have a Safe Paws summer with your pet.

  1. Swim Test. If your dog loves swimming, invest in a doggie life jacket. Even the best swimmers can get tired and this will make sure nothing happens to your furry friend as he jumps off the dock or chases a tennis ball on the beach.
  2. Go Organic. Your dog loves to play on the lawn, so keep paws safe by using Espoma’s organic lawn care Dogs whose owners applied chemical herbicides were 4.4 times more likely to develop bladder cancer.
  3. Create boundaries. Some pets always want to be by their parents’ sides. Others can’t wait to run out in the open. If your dog needs some boundaries, consider adding a fence or petscaping to make sure dogs play where they’re meant to.
  4. Use Sunscreen. Dogs can get sunburned, too. Use an organic dog-formulate sunscreen to keep the rays at bay. Short-haired dogs are especially susceptible to sunburns and skin cancer.
  5. Keep Cool. Brush your dog’s hair and keep it free of mats to provide good circulation and regulate body temperature.
  6. Beat the Heat. Always carry a water bottle with you for walks on hot days. Skip walking outdoors between 1 and 4 pm when heat and humidity can stress dogs the most.
  7. Keep it out of reach. Dogs love to grab charcoal briquettes from the grill. Keep these out of reach since they can cause vomiting and require surgery to remove.

Learn more about how to get a Safe Paws lawn here.

5 Ways to Give Your Summer Garden a Boost

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There’s no better way to enjoy your garden than by encouraging it to grow bigger and better. Before your summer veggies and flowers peak, take your garden to the next-level by refueling it.

Knock-out these 5 essential tasks and your garden will thank you. You’ll extend your summer season and ensure that your lawn and garden are in tip-top shape.

 

5 Ways to Give Your Summer Garden a Boost

1. Hydrate. When it’s hot, dry and muggy, the best thing is a nice cold drink. Your plants need some H2O, too. The trick to keeping your garden hydrated during the hottest days is not to water more. It’s to water smarter. Water plants deeply in the morning so they have the entire day to soak it up.

Image courtesy of Garden Answer

2. Keep plants fed. Your summer veggies and flowers are hungry. Feed hanging baskets, container gardens and annuals with liquid Bloom! plant food every 2 to 4 weeks. Vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers are heavy feeders. Continue to feed every 2 weeks with organic fertilizers Tomato-tone or Garden-tone.

3. Prune and deadhead. Extend the life of perennials by deadheading flowers as soon as they are spent. This will encourage plants to keep blooming as long as weather permits. Your roses will thank you. Prune tomato suckers and shrubs now, for fuller plants later.

4. Mow lawns strategically. When mowing, keep the mower blades high (3” or higher) to encourage healthy roots. Cut grass in the evening to give it time to recover and keep yourself cool.

5. Plant more! There are many quickly maturing plants that will thrive in summer gardens and be ready for harvest in the fall. Try planting radishes, cucumbers, beans and more.

Sit back and relax! Take a good look at your hard work and dream about the rewards and bountiful harvests you’ll enjoy in the months to come.

If you’re looking to get a better tomato harvest this summer, be sure to check out our complete tomato guide!

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