Tips & Advice

We love to impart knowledge to our clients - through our meetings, meanderings, time together, as well as our newsletter and lending library. We love ideas and find great ideas everywhere. We are inspired by our clients and by their unique needs and perspectives. We are very proud to share monthly bits of wisdom, tips and advice with our clients through our monthly newsletter - mailed to every client home and available here on our web site to our clients.

Please see our list of newsletters below. 

 DateFile Size
July 2008 Newsletter 326 kB
June 2008 Newsletter 223 kB
April 2008 Newsletter 218 kB
February 2008 Newsletter 2 MB

For all of our friends and visitors, we are pleased to share this annual calendar of garden tasks. Click on any month for helpful reminders. 

January/February March April May June July
August September October November/December

January/February

Create garden designs and plans
Collect early flowering tree and shrub branches for indoor forcing
Check the condition of garden mulch
Assess winter plant damage
Send for seed and nursery catalogues
Save fireplace wood ashes as a source of garden potash
Initiate outdoor masonry projects

March

Clean and repair garden tools
Rake lawn to remove dead grass and debris
Evaluate landscape for good drainage
Assess winter plant damage
Have garden machines serviced
Prune perennials, roses and flowering vines
Shop for hard-to-find plants
Trim ornamental grasses

April

Schedule spring cleanup
Prepare vegetable and annual beds
Prune Roses
Selectively prune shrubs
Plant herbaceous perennials, roses, trees and shrubs
Divide Perennials
Start up automated irrigation programs
Set up peony hoops
Plant sprint annuals

May

Prune spring-flowering shrubs that have finished blooming
Fertilize roses
Plant window boxes and containers
Apply mulch to perennial beds and borders
Sow vegetable seeds outdoors
Deadhead spring bulbs
Overseed lawns
Plant summer annuals
Stake peonies

June

Fertilize roses and annuals
Prune privet and yews
Set houseplants outdoors in a protected area
Remove flower heads from spring bulbs
Prune spring flowering shrubs
Remove spent flowers from rhododendrons

July

Check irrigation systems
Dead-head annuals and perennials
Prune climbing roses after flowering to promote new growth
Plan spring bulb order
Fertilize annuals, container plants and roses
Divide and lift perennials
Apply summer mulch

August

Order bulbs for fall planting
Divide and lift perennials
Thatch lawn
Spot seed bare areas of lawn
Cut and dry flowers suitable for winter bouquets
Order and plant bearded iris
Change from summer to fall watering schedule at end of month

September

Order spring bulbs for fall planting
Order and plant bearded iris
Order autumn annuals
Change from summer to fall watering schedule at tend of month
Repair, seed and thatch lawns
Do NOT prune or fertilize trees or shrubs now

October

Plant spring flowering bulbs before first frost
Plant or transplant deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs
Water evergreens thoroughly to prevent winter injury
Wait to winterize irrigation systems until Thanksgiving
Plant bulbs for indoor forcing
Bring houseplants in
Plant fall annuals

November/December

Clean out annuals and vegetable plants
Remove dead, diseased and broken branches from trees and shrubs
Cut back and mulch perennials
Start a compost pile
Clean and put away garden equipment for the winter
Plant winter containers
Transplant deciduous and evergreen trees
Rake up and remove fallen leaves to reduce insect and disease problems next year

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