Did you know you could use dried curly willow branches to make a natural privacy screen? We did this last summer, left it on all winter, and then my husband placed these old plastic containers, that he spray painted this spring, in a row beneath the curly willow branches with flowers and vines planted in them. I just love them! Especially at sunset!
Hibiscus moscheutos : It is a Herbacious Perennial, meaning it comes back every year. Hardy from Zones 5-9 Height 3-7 feet Width 2-4 feet This plant blooms from July -September Full Sun Low Maintenance Huge Flowers from Reds, to Whites, to Pinks 3-5 inches in diameter Can tolerate wet soil Butterflies love it!
5 Reasons to Mulch Your Garden, the Next Step to Protecting Your Investment: After you finish planting this spring, be sure to mulch everything with 3 inches of shredded bark mulch. So you ask, “Why mulch?” Here’s why: Mulching reduces erosion. Don’t let the wind or rain blow or wash away all the lovely top soil you just spent your hard earned dollars on to make your garden grow! Mulching reduces plant disease. Mulching reduces the amount of watering you will have to do. Mulching reduces weed populations. Mulch looks a heck of a lot nicer than bare soil, and is much easier to work with if you want to rearrange plants later on. Mulch prevents soil from splattering up on your siding during a hard rain. Find out if your city has a compost facility. You can usually get great deals on mulch and compost. In Davenport, Iowa, we can get a truckload of shredded bark mulch for $30! Lots cheaper than spending $3 to $4 per bag, eh? Compost only costs us about …
Creating a Garden Border: When should I start in the spring? You can start planning indoors on paper in January Outdoor work can begin as early as March in the Midwest, or as soon as the ground is thawed. The layout work can be done as long as there’s no snow on the ground so you can see what you are doing. Planting is best to be done in the spring for Herbaceous Perennials. Trees and shrubs can be planted in the spring, or fall for the best success rate. You can still plant in the summer, but you have to be religious about remembering to water to protect your green investments! 10 Steps to Getting That Garden Started: Be sure to have all your utility lines flagged before you start! Lay out the flower bed with a garden hose to achieve the shape. Then spray Roundup on the grass now to kill it off. Or, if you don’t want to mess w/Roundup, lay out the bed w/garden hose…spraypaint the border, Rent a sod cutter …
Why Good Soil is Key in Protecting Your Investment: If you don’t have good soil, you might as well just throw your money out the window and watch it blow away. Plants living in good soil with lots of organic matter and good drainage will grow twice as big as plants planted in clay, or backfill from when the builders built your home. 3 Ways to Make Healthy Garden Soil for Healthy Plants Add Compost: If you have poor soil that is hard, or sandy, or clay like, and poorly drained amend the soil with about 4 inches or more of composted compost (the black compost) or topsoil, and then till it in down to 6 or 8 inches deep. Why? Compost is filled with nutrients your plants need to grow big and strong and to have lots of blooms. Not only is it nutrient rich, …
