Refresh& Reset
We are more than half way through summer, and what a summer we are experiencing! Heat and rain are the perfect combination for our vegetables and flowers to grow and produce.
Our gardens are in tiptop shape, and we can explore and experiment with flowers and vegetables we may have overlooked earlier in the season.
Garden centers and nurseries are discounting their stock to make way for their fall inventory. Here are a few suggestions on how to enhance the existing beauty of your garden by taking advantage of nursery sale prices.
Container plants may be in need of a perk-up, after suffering from either too much rain or too much sun.
Remove spent plants and add in new ones. Choose annuals whose colors are complementary or contrasting to the existing foliage.
Alternatively, select annuals that you overlook or do not regularly use in your container designs. Healthy, colorful selections of begonias, petunias, dahlias and other annuals await you at local garden centers and nurseries at bargain prices.
Summertime invokes the tropics, and tropical plants, such as gardenia, hibiscus, jasmine and mandevilla are available at reduced prices. Citrus plants, including lemon, lime and orange, offer fragrant flowers and interesting foliage.
If you've always wanted to try a tropical or citrus plant, now is the time to take advantage of their reduced prices.
Choose healthy plants with glossy foliage, new growth, blooms and buds. Many tropical and citrus plants can be overwintered in your home.
Looking for plants that transition into fall?Consider plants with flowers or leaves in the color ranges of orange, red and purple. Also, try plants with black foliage or flowers.Look for annuals with black flowers, such as petunias, vincas and dianthus. In perennials, look for black leaf elderberry, black cohosh or bugbane. Black flowers go well against light-colored foliage, adding a touch of drama to hanging baskets, shade gardens and containers.If your vegetable plants suffered root rot or other rain-related issues, look for vegetable packs that are reduced in price and mature in size. It's not too late to plant them in containers or gardens.Alternatively, buy vegetable plants in patio containers. These large plants are fully grown and are a welcome addition to your patio container collection.Thinking ahead to next year, peruse seed packets and summer bulbs often located in the indoor clearance section. Store seeds in a cool, dry location.Similarly, store summer bulbs in a cool, dry location with adequate air flow through the bulb packaging. Inspect bulbs before storage and remove bulbs that are dead or decomposing. Keep the package label with the bulbs for easy identification.On days that are too hot for gardening, visit local nurseries and garden centers. Be on the prowl for interesting plants to spice up your landscape.Lisa Marie Bernardo, PhD, RN, is a Penn State Extension Master Gardener of Butler County.
