Spring is officially here, and Laura from Garden Answer welcomes the season with a fresh round of planting and garden prep!
She kicks things off by sowing stock flower seeds saved from last year. Using Espoma Organic Seed Starter Mix and Potting Soil, she creates the perfect environment for strong germination and healthy growth. To support her young seedlings, Laura turns to Espoma Organic Grow!—a liquid organic fertilizer packed with essential nutrients that help plants thrive naturally. 🌱
Next, Laura adds lasting color and structure to her landscape by planting three Sgt. Pepper Dogwood shrubs. Known for their vibrant red twigs and variegated foliage, these shrubs are given the best start with Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus, a mycorrhizae-enhanced organic fertilizer designed to promote deep roots and long-term plant health. 🌿
Finally, she refreshes her hellebores by trimming back old foliage and feeding them with Espoma Organic Holly-tone. This slow-release organic fertilizer is ideal for acid-loving plants and ensures strong, beautiful spring blooms. 🌸
From seed starting to shrub planting, Laura shows just how easy it is to grow a healthy, thriving garden with the help of Espoma Organic. If you’re looking to boost your garden naturally this season, reach for the organic fertilizers trusted by gardeners for over 95 years.
As the season changes, it’s time to think about planting fall crops and adding a splash of color with Ice plants. Join Laura from Garden Answer as she shares tips for a successful fall garden.
Laura uses Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix for her containers, ensuring her plants have a rich and healthy environment to grow in. For her raised garden beds, she opts for Raised Bed Mix, ideal for creating a nutrient-rich foundation.
To further enrich her soil, Laura amends with Land & Sea Gourmet Compost. This compost not only loosens the soil but also adds valuable organic matter, essential for plant health. To give her new plants the best start, Laura feeds them with Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus, packed with nutrients that support strong root development and vigorous growth.
Join Kaleb Wyse from Wyse Guide as he tackles his gardening checklist! Watch as he plants multiple varieties of ferns and succulents in containers.
Kaleb uses Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix along with Bio-tone Starter Plus to provide the best possible growing conditions for his plants. When planting ferns, Kaleb mixes in Holly-tone to deliver additional beneficial nutrients specifically for acid-loving plants.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/LAWN-TO-GARDEN-1.jpg7201280Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2024-08-02 11:11:062024-08-02 11:16:24VIDEO: Designing a NEW Garden with Summer Rayne Oakes
Do you have shady spots in your garden that you don’t know how to utilize? Watch as Laura from Garden Answer demonstrates how to plant annuals in shaded areas to create vibrant, lush spaces. Whether under a tree or by your house, these tips and plant combinations will help you make the most of those low-light areas.
The Perfect Plant Mix for Shady Areas
Laura’s Plant selection:
Sedona Sunset Colorblaze Coleus: Adds a warm autumn touch, blending beautifully with pinks.
Tropical Shades Impatiens: Though labeled orange, they turned out a stunning coral pink.
Non-Stop Joy Mocha White Begonia: With tuberous blooms and beautiful foliage.
Queen Tut Grass: A compact centerpiece with a fireworks texture.
Patricia Ivy: Perfect for containers, though tricky in-ground planting.
Laura started with a small area in front of Limelight Hydrangeas. The plan was to layer Sedona Sunset Coleus for a vibrant splash of color, followed by Impatiens in the front. She also rejuvenated a nearby container with Queen Tut and Begonias, creating a clean and beautiful display.
Location 2: Under the Golden Rain Tree
This spot receives morning and late afternoon sun. Laura chose Colorblaze Coleus, part-shade to shade Impatiens, and Maverick White Geraniums for the sunnier areas. The result was a cohesive look that harmonized with the surroundings.
Location 3: The Maple Tree Area
This shady spot near the kitchen entrance required a cleanup first. Laura then planted El Brighto Coleus, White Begonias, and Wire Vine. The combination not only filled the space but added layers of color and texture, creating a container-like effect.
Final Thoughts:
Planting in shady areas can be challenging, but with the right plants and arrangements, you can transform these spaces into lush, colorful parts of your garden. Keep an eye on the light levels and choose versatile plants that thrive in varying conditions. Happy planting!
Catch up with Kaleb Wyse from Wyse Guide as he demonstrates how to use row covers to protect plants from insects. Kaleb walks us through the installation process and explains the benefits of using these covers.
Additionally, Kaleb shares his expert tips for planting hanging baskets. He uses Espoma Organic Potting Soil to ensure the best-growing medium for his new plants. Kaleb mixes in Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to give the plants a healthy start, providing the essential nutrients for their success.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-16-161429.png5891042Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2024-07-16 16:28:142024-07-18 18:06:04VIDEO: How to use ROW COVERS + Planting HANGING POTS ??? with Wyse Guide
English cottage gardens date back centuries. They were used to grow vegetables, herbs for healing, fruit trees, perhaps a beehive, and common flowers. The informal style went through a renaissance in the late 1800’s when they became somewhat more nostalgic than practical.
The informal aesthetic of dense planting and natural materials is still en vogue today. In this video, Laura outlines 10 design principles to help you design a cottage garden. Before you start, make sure you have plenty of Espoma’s organic Bio-tone Starter Plus plant food to make sure your plants get the best possible start.
No Straight Lines
Cottage gardens are always informal and a touch whimsical. Avoid straight lines. Gently curving edging looks more natural and playful. If your site restricts you to a straight edge, let the plants spill over it to create an unrestrained look.
Large Groups of the Same Plant
White cottage gardens are more relaxed in their design, it is still best to use large sweeps of the same plant. Think of planting in groups of three, five or seven. That is far more restful to the eye than a jumble of onsies and twosies.
Spacing Doesn’t Matter
This is one time you do not have to follow the advice on the plant tag. Cottage gardens are always densely planted and generally grow more densely packed with time. Annuals and biennials are often used in cottage gardens and will self-sow in the border. Biennials are plants that take two years to grow and flower from seed like the foxgloves shown. Another advantage to planting things close together is that there is less room for weeds to grow.
Color Harmony
It’s very important to pick a collection of plants that have harmonious colors. Without that the border would look chaotic. Garden Answer uses a collection of soft pinks and peaches with touches of blue and lavender. It needn’t always be soft colors, but they do need to be unified in some way.
Use Varied Heights and Textures
In any planting, it’s a good idea to think about texture, height and foliage color as major design elements. Nothing blooms all the time. Varied foliage forms and colors will create interest even when the flowers aren’t in bloom. Laura uses Heuchera specifically for the silvery foliage color.
Anchor Plants/Structural Elements
This is sometimes referred to as the “bones” of a garden. It’s a structural element that all of the other plants get woven around. In this case, it’s a beautiful shrub rose named Rose ‘The Lady Gardener’, a fragrant beauty with full, apricot blossoms. The rose is repeated three times. Repetition is soothing to the eye. It’s possible to use evergreens for a slightly more formal feel, or whatever peaks your interest.
Fragrance
The first thing everyone does when they pick a flower is to hold it up to their nose. Cottage gardens are known for their fragrance. Try to select varieties that smell good at the garden center. Roses, lavender, sweet peas, and sweet alyssum are all good choices.
Not Perfectly Maintained
Along with relaxed design principles, comes relaxed maintenance. Planting tightly will discourage weeds. Annuals like poppies will self-seed and move around the border, just like the biennial foxgloves. Weeding everything that comes up might mean that you weed out these plants and inhibit their spontaneous movements.
The Look Will Change Over Time
This style of gardening is the exact opposite of a formal border filled with geometric shaped boxwood. By its very nature this is meant to be more random. People often sow cosmos, violas and other plants that have a tendency to move around. Let them surprise you. If you really don’t like where one popped up, it’s easy enough to remove.
Be Patient
Being patient is really what gardening is all about. A garden is never really finished. Enjoy the journey!
Garden Answers Plant List
Nepeta ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ – catmint
Achillea – pink yarrow
Allium ‘Serendipity’ – ornamental onion
Rose ‘The Lady Gardener’
Heuchera Dolce ‘Spearmint’ – Coral Bells
Clematis ‘Brother Stephan’
Digitalis Foxy Hybrids – foxglove
Lobularia ‘Blushing Princess’ – sweet alyssum
Here are more videos from Garden Answer we hope you will enjoy.
