Dilute 3 to 4 tablespoons of white vinegar to a gallon of water and pour this solution at the base of your plants. This will reduce lime build up in the soil. If you repeat this process every 2 to 3 months it will help keep plants like palms and maples free from browning on the tips. This process is not a substitute for fertilizer. This is to minimize the salts in the soil that acid loving plant have problems with. With larger plants or smaller plants adjust the portion accordingly.
Soil Conditioning:
Conditioning- Improving the soil and is always important for a successful landscape. Mulching-applying a 2-3" thick layer on the top of the soil surface is not a substitute for mixing amendments into the soil at a shovel depth, but is more important-so mulch! We sell several different products to choose from.
Fruity Smoothies
What you'll Need:
1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 carton (8 ounces) strawberry yogurt
1/2 to 3/4 cup cranberry juice
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
Step by Step:
In a blender or food processor, combine
yogurt and cranberry juice. Add strawberries, raspberries and sugar; cover and process until blended. Pour into glasses;
serve immediately
Yield: 2 servings
Be a Guest Gardener:
Gardeners love to learn from other gardeners "over the fence". We would love to include a tour and or an article from one of our readers! Drop us an email
The Plant Depot Family would like to thank all of our valued customers for helping us to reach our 10 year anniversary. Although much has changed in the past 10 years, our goal remains the same. The nursery was founded on the mission to provide quality plants at fair prices with superior customer service. Thank you again for all of your business, we appreciated your support.
Father's Day is Sunday June 20th
Spice up your Father's Day festivities with an activity or two.
Plant a fruit tree together. We suggest giving Dad a cool one in his easy chair and let him see you sweat for a change while installing a wonderful fruit tree. Many varieties to choose from: Meyer lemon or Lane late navel.
If you are planting in a container be sure to use G&B Organic Potting or Supersoil, or in the ground use G&B Organic Harvest Supreme or Cactus Mix. We recommend fertilizing monthly with Dr. Earth Citrus or Monterey Fish and Poop and spray as needed with organic pesticides such as Neem Oil or Ultrafine. Dad will be able to enjoy your tree and its fruit year after year.
Be sure to interview your father and/or grandfather. Ask questions about his birth, childhood, and what he did when he was a teenager. Find out favorite subjects in school, how he met your mother or grandmother. Inquire about his favorite job. End the interview by expressing your love for him.
Get together with a few other families and play the Father/Child Game. Divide into four father/child teams. Ask the fathers to leave the room while the children sit in chairs. Ask the same four or five questions to each child about their fathers. Bring in the fathers and ask them the same questions. Will the father and child have the same answers? Switch places and see how well the fathers know the children. Award a red rose to the winning father/child team.
Question Ideas: Favorite color, movie, candy bar, color of toothbrush, memorable moment with you, best friend, hobby, talent, food, animal, cartoon, pizza topping, ice cream topping, restaurant. Most embarrassing moment. Favorite holiday.
Have a Father's Day BBQ or picnic in your garden. Make a crown for dad and let him know he's "King" for the day. This can be a family activity or extend an invitation to a few other families also. Make sure all the dads are given "Royal Treatment".
The days are getting longer and life will be moving outdoors.
Now is the time to plant scented shrubs and vines or even a complete scented garden in your outdoor room. The supply of scented plants is excellent this time of year and if planted now, you will have a good chance of plentiful fragrant blooms all summer.
Almost all scented plants can also be grown in containers so they make a great addition to patios and balconies.
Most of them require good drainage and acidic soil.
Here is a list of the best summer scents:
Tuberose
Butterfly Bush
Plumeria
Honeysuckle
Night Blooming Jasmine
Lavender
Stephanotis
Citrus Trees
Gardenia Veitchii
Roses
Gardenia Mystery
Heliotrope
Star Jasmine
Viola Odorato
Ginger
Brugmansia
Carnation
Mandevilla laxa
Brunfelsia
Come on in and sniff the beautiful scents of summer.
We'll help you choose one or more to give your garden and your home fragrances that become a sweet memory.
Why do we farm all of this grass?
History
Americans love lawns - it's in our blood/genes. Lawn care is the most popular gardening activity in the country, outpacing vegetables, flowers, fruit and houseplants. More people tend lawns than read books, go to movies, or watch sporting events on TV.
There are 5 million acres of home lawns in the USA (150 trillion grass plants under cultivation). Americans spend $6 BILLION a year to keep them looking good. A well maintained yard (including lawns) can add 15% to your home's value. Lawns help muffle noise, moderate temperatures, reduce dust and pollen, control erosion, improve soil, improve air quality by reducing CO2 levels, cushion the legs, and, though some may disagree, help keep dirt out of the home.
In medieval times, lawns were called “flowery medes,” because short- stemmed plants were used more than grasses (chamomile). One can actually find references to “grassy garden carpets” back in the Persian Empire, but lawn as we know it is a more “recent” invention. In Europe, the lawn was born due to pasturing animals that grazed too close to the home (safety area). Then the medieval lawns took on a new form; sod was dug from pastures, planted on estates, and “mowed” by hand with scythes. Only the rich could afford this lawn. It wasn't until the 19th century that lawns came to most homes. Edward Budding made it possible with his invention, the lawn mower. He worked in a textile factory, and in 1830, he watched the blades of the textile machines cut fabric, and figured the same action could be used to cut grass. When his 19” wide lawnmower (reel mower) went on the market, he described mowing as “amusing, useful and healthful for everyone”, but today, that is not the case.
Honk and wave as you pass me on Saturday morning, won't you?
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