Late June early July Gardening in Minnesota

This is your last chance this summer to trim your evergreens. You do not want to trim evergreens much after mid July. Trimming promotes new growth, if that happens too late in the season, the new growth will not harden off before winter and can turn brown. Most deciduous shrubs can be lightly sheared if you like a more formal look, but stay away from the Lilacs, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Forsythias and other plants that bloom early in the spring, for they have already started setting next years flower buds. Shrubs planted in heavier shade can be trimmed to encourage more branching. Shrubs that flower on new wood like most Spireas, can be sheared to promote a second flowering.
Keep feeding annuals and roses. Things that are long blooming, are heavy feeders and need to be fertilized more often. This time of year you can use Miracle Grow and water. Only fertilize things you have been watering regularly. Do not feed drought stressed plants. Things such as hanging baskets and Hibiscus that get almost daily waterings, should be fed more often, as the frequent watering leeches out the nutrients.
Keep watering your lawn, it should receive one inch of water EVERY week. Keep the mower blade set to one of the highest settings, around three inches. Cutting the grass shorter during hot, dry periods will stress the grass and promote weed growth. Taller grass shades the ground and keeps it cooler. You do not mow the grass because it is tall, you mow it because it grows unevenly. Newly mowed grass at 3", looks just as nice as newly mowed grass at 1". Keep your mower blade sharp to make clean cuts. Dull blades beat and rip grass and cause stress.

Perennial Flowers That Bloom in Spring Through Summer

Dianthus

Dianthus is an old-fashion flower that performs well in cottage gardens, formal gardens and rock gardens. The height of dianthus ranges from 5 inches tall up to 2 feet tall, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The old-fashioned varieties have clove-scented flowers. Deadhead the faded flowers to encourage new blooms to form and to keep the seed from dropping into the garden. At the end of the season, allow a few seeds to drop to make sure the plants do not die out over the winter. Dianthuses are shallow-rooted plants, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, so mulch the existing plants well. Dianthus begins blooming in April and, depending variety, will continue blooming into September.

Salvia

Salvia is an easy-to-grow perennial plant that, once established, is drought-tolerant. There are both perennial and annual varieties of Salvia, so be sure to read the tag to see if the variety you choose is hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zone 4. There are many varieties of Salvia to choose from, including the culinary sage that is popular in holiday dressing. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees frequent these plants during their long bloom season. To encourage continual bloom and discourage self-seeding, regular deadheading is necessary. Salvia begins blooming in June and continues through October.

Yarrow

The fern-like foliage of yarrow adds texture to the garden, which is an important design element. The flowers that come in a multitude of colors including white, yellow, red and pink attract a variety of bees, butterflies and beneficial insects into the garden. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Yarrow is an easy-to-care-for plant that is drought-tolerant once established. Yarrow will spread, even in poor soil, so plan to divide this plant every couple of years to keep it under control. The blooms start in June and continue through October.

WET WEATHER GARDENING

Avoid Soil Compaction

Let’s start with the main “don’t”. Do not work the soil when it is wet. Nothing destroys soil structure faster than ploughing, or digging in soggy soil. Soil damaged in this way gets compacted easily, with the associated consequences of reduced air percolation and impeded drainage.

Do’s

It’s a good time to set cuttings of most shrubs to root. You’ll have to be careful with cuttings of “softer” plants such as impatiens and coleus, which tend to rot easier than shrubs, so provide some protection from the rains.

It’s also a good time to circumpose plants such as croton, mussaenda, roses, hibiscus, allamanda, as sap flows freely during the wet weather.

Keep up your spraying program, especially for diseases such as black spot fungus on roses, leaf spots and blights. You may have to increase the spray cycle to every 5-7 days, and be sure to add a surfactant or sticker to the mixture.

Finally, check drainage channels, and clear or reinforce where necessary.

What Plants Keep Rabbits Out of a Garden?

While there tend to be several plants that almost always repel deer, there is no single plant that works to repel rabbits all the time. Many variables control what a rabbit will and will not eat including population and what other foods are available to them nearby. However, you can minimize your rabbit problem and sometimes eliminate it altogether by just growing plants that rabbits usually won't eat.

Wax Begonia

Rabbits tend to avoid wax begonias in gardens. These flowers grow 6 to 12 inches tall and do very well in containers. They bloom well into the growing season and thrive in sun or partial shade. Wax begonias work well in borders and beds. Well-drained soil that is fertile, rich, and loose is the best soil for this plant. They are also very resistant to insects and disease. Wax begonias can be brought indoors when the weather gets too cold.

Marigold

Marigolds are one of the most common anti-rabbit plants. The key is to pick a marigold with the strongest scent you can find. Plant two rows of marigolds next to each other in order for this plant to be most effective. Marigolds are very tough plants and come in colors ranging from rust, to gold, to yellow. Grown near vegetable gardens, this plant also repels insects. Soil for marigolds should be rich, well-drained, and kept moist. Generally marigolds require very little attention once they're established and can adapt to slightly drier soil conditions. Pinch off dead blooms to keep them blooming longer through the season.

Bee Balm

Bee balm is a plant that rabbits will avoid if they can help it. This hardy perennial grows strongest and best inside zones four through nine and can grow 24 to 48 inches high. Bee balm blooms from July to August and prefers full sun but can handle partial shade. Bee balm is also known as bergamot. Bee balm attracts butterflies for those who want butterflies but not rabbits in their garden. For best growing conditions, soil should be rich and moist with a pH of 6.5. If you grow this plant in partial shade, watch out for snails.

Hyacinth

Hyacinth is another plant you'll rarely see a rabbit eat and a great part of a rabbit-unfriendly garden. Hyacinths flower in the springtime and produce very fragrant blooms. These flowers grow from 6 to 12 inches tall and come in a multitude of colors including: blue, purple, lavender, red, pink, white, orange, and yellow. Since flowers sometimes become smaller after the first year, some prefer to plant new bulbs yearly and treat them as annuals. Wear gloves when handling hyacinth bulbs if you have sensitive skin since they can make your hands itch. Hyacinths prefer full hot sun for best results.

Eastern Tent Caterpillars

The caterpillars feed on leaves of these host trees, and may cause significant defoliation when present in large numbers. Caterpillars wander when they are ready to pupate, crawling on houses and decks.
First, be sure you have eastern tent caterpillars, and not another similar pest. Eastern tent caterpillars build their tents in the crotches of tree branches and appear in early spring.
Eastern tent caterpillars rarely infest ornamental trees in large enough numbers to kill your landscape plants. Because they appear in early spring and complete their life cycle by summer, the host trees have time to produce more leaves after being defoliated. If you have a few caterpillar tents in an apple or cherry tree, don't panic. Control of the pests may not be necessary at all. If the infestation is significant or you just can't stand the sight of caterpillar tents in your trees, there are some things you can do.
Remove the caterpillars by hand. The caterpillars will rest inside their tent after they feed. When you see a large group of caterpillars in the tent, use a stick or gloved hands to pull the tent from the branches, caterpillars and all. For a large tent, you can wind the silk around a stick as you pull it from the tree. You can crush the caterpillars or drop them in a pan of soapy water. In the fall, once leaves have fallen, look for egg masses on twigs of the host trees. Prune out any you find, or scrape them from the branch and destroy them.
Young larvae may be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki, or Bt. Bt is a naturally occurring bacteria that interferes with the caterpillar's ability to digest food. It must be applied to the foliage of the infested trees. The caterpillars ingest Bt as they eat, and will stop eating immediately and die within a few days. You do not need to spray the tents or the caterpillars.

Minnesota Weather and Mulch

We have been getting lots of questions about what type of mulch to use in your garden beds, rock or a shredded wood.  Both are good to use in their own applications, but the plant type plays a more important part in picking the type of mulch.  For example if you have a sunny garden bed and use are planting perennials you would want to use a wood mulch, and here is why.  The rock on a sunny day gets hot under the sun as you well know, but when perennials are added you can stress out and at times even kill these plants by the intense heat.  The sun hits the plants from above and the rock bakes them from under, way to much stress.  A shredded wood be the perfect mulch for water retention and to not hold so much heat.
A rock mulch works better with shrubs and trees because of the age of the shrub or tree is a few years.  They can handle more of heat from the sun mixed in with the heat of the rocks.

June Weather

It seems that Minnesota will never have spring?  One day it's over 100 degrees and the next we drop down to 54 degrees.  So much has been going on at Halla Nursery this past month that I have forgotten to write in our blog.  Well I promise from this day forward, even if its something small I will write.
So lets catch you up to date here. 
The retail store is is all done for the 2011 remodel, and the store has its new layout.  Our staff has changed, with us hiring people with the plant knowledge that I will put up against any nursery any day.
As far as garden tips go, its not to late to start your vegetable gardens, and here at Halla we have hundreds of plants to choose from.

IS IT TOO COLD TO PLANT?

We have been asked if it has been to cold to plant or put out your annuals.  With the weather we have been having over the past few weeks, you would think it is late September here in Minnesota.  Its May 15th, and just two weeks ago I was watching snow flakes come down as I was having coffee in the greenhouse.
Just to let you know, the temp would have to stay at 32 degrees for two days straight to have any effect on your annuals.  At this time of the year it is cool, but I myself would not worry about it.
New variety of annuals are coming in this week, and stop by for some hand picked varieties of them that will be arriving this Thursday.  We are getting some in that you can't find at other nurseries.

Free Design Before and After Pics

Please stop in with some pictures of the garden spot you want to transform, we can show you before and after pictures of what it will look like.  Just bring them in on a drive or email them to mark@hallanursery.com     We can print the after picture with a list of the plants you will need.

Buying Plants For Your Garden

When buying plants from a garden center, inspect them closely and avoid any pots with very dry soil. Look also for yellowing leaves, since this may this may mean the plant is starving, or for any ragged leaf edges, since this could be insect damage.
It is also a good idea to avoid buying plants that are past their bloom because you will not benefit from the bloom of the flower. Ask the staff if it is a continues bloom for the spring and summer or just a onetime bloom.
When putting them out in your garden or pots consider the area you live in. In Minnesota we can have frost up till June, but that rarely happens. We had frost here at Halla Nursery in Chaska last Monday May 2nd.
Any transplants you buy will need potting almost immediately, to ensure each plant has enough room to develop. To do this, gently remove the transplant from the cell pack and put it in the a pot with your soil. Remember to do this very quickly as you don't want the roots exposed for any length of time. Loosen up the roots before surrounding them with water. Water the transplant as soon as you can.

Weekly Specials

Specials for May 8 to May 14, 2011

- 20% off all hanging plants

- Join our garden club for $10 and get a $10 Gift Card
and 5% off all future purchases (excluding sales items) Stop In or Call Us to Join

- Buy three perennials and get one free

- 20% of all pots

- Get free landscape consultation

- Bring your yard or area before and after photos, and we'll
display them for all to admire

Specials for the week of 5-1 to 5-6-11

• 20% off of seeds and spring bulbs
• Join our Garden Club for $10.00 and get a $10.00 Gift Cerificate plus 5% off of all future porcgases (excluding sale items)
• Monrovia Knockout Shrub Rose $30.50
• Blooms Spring to Fall
• Great purplr flower
• Monrovia Ramopo Rhodondendon $31.00
• Spring Bloom with a stunning purple flower

Minnesota Gardens

Planning your Minnesota Garden can be an easy task when you plan ahead for the work to be done.  If this is your first time gardening, we recommend the following steps.

The most important step is to look at your soil to tell what kind you have.  Grab a handful of most soil and squeeze it in your hand, if it forms water droplets most likely its holds to much water and needs peat moss, cattle manure, and  bacteria (mycorriazae).

We have used Peat Moss and Cattle Manure compost in our beds and in the plantings for our customers and find that it amends the soil to help with drainage and nutrients.  Another tip would to use the straw or leaves you might have put over your gardens the past season.  Turn soil over at least eight inches deep or call us to have it tilled.

The next step is to look at how much sun your garden gets.  Do you have a shade or a full sun garden?  The sun’s rays will change throughout the season with most home gardens.  You might have full sun in the spring but as the trees leaf out that spot might become partial shade to full shade by mid season.  I use the date June 20^th, the summer solstice for my starting point.  That is when the sun is at its highest point of the season.  Try to remember back the year before and see what your garden or that area was like mid season. This will determine the plant varieties you should use.

Laying out your garden is all up to you, the most common with flowers is tall in the back and the shorter in the front.  I have seen many variations, it really is what is pleasing to you.

When it comes to planning your vegetables it’s a whole different ball game.  Read the information on the packet of seeds you are planting.  If you are growing pumpkins you will need a large  area, as the vines will spread out as they grow.  Planting corn next to carrots will block the sun that the carrots need  Planting your vegetable garden in rows north to south will give your plants the best exposure to the sun. I put the layout and the plant information in an envelope to review at the end of the season.  You would be surprised how much that will help you on your next year’s garden.

If you are a first time Gardner  stop into Halla Nursery to have one of our experienced staff members help you with it.  We will be happy to make recommendations so your garden brings you the results that you desire.

For your larger projects our designers will meet with to do a complete design for your yard, there is no charge for this service when you purchase the plants from Halla Nursery.

To get more information on your garden, please check out hallanursery.com our Halla Gardens Blog and join us on Facebook for great coupons.

Welcome to the Halla Nursery Garden Club Blog "Minnesota Gardens"

We want to thank all our past customers and the new ones that are still to come.  At Halla Nursery, we are just as frustrated at the weather like you.  I looked out the window today May 1^st, and thought it must be October as I watched the snow flakes come down.  It’s all about the weather at times, 70’s two weeks ago and now light snow.  What’s a gardener to do?  We wait and wait for that one break to let us know when its time to get down and dirty, and it shows up at our doorstep when we least expect it, strange how the weather works at times.

At Halla Nursery we are making some changes to expand the way we do business. We are having classes from building a pond in your backyard, having Master Gardner’s in to answer your questions, to having local Farmers Markets on the weekends.  We welcome your garden questions, and will post them on this Blog as well as our website hallanursery.com we would love to post your garden pictures as well, so send them in to mark@hallanursery.com

            We will be doing daily Blogs about what we are doing, but most importantly what you should be doing in your Minnesota Gardens.