June in Bloom – HSG Newsletter
Sunny greetings to our friends and clients!
The middle of June has arrived and summer is in full swing in the gardens! Beautiful blooms beckon bees and other pollinators to drink their fill as the summer sun kickstarts those slowest-to-wake perennials into high gear! Perennial hibiscus, which can take months to show its face, suddenly explodes with growth, culminating in show-stopping blooms of enormous size.
Our summer containers are all installed and filling in gorgeously. If you have annuals from us that are putting on a lovely display, feel free to post a photo on your social media and tag us!
Community Service Project: Accepting Applications Online!
We are continuing to accept applications on our website for our 2023 Community Service Project! If you know of an individual or organization that could benefit from some free labor from professional gardeners like ourselves, encourage them to fill out an application on our website!
Previous projects have included restoring an overgrown memory garden at a faith community, preparing garden beds for an edible garden at a senior center, and restoring the landscaping of an older veteran.
We love sharing the joy of gardens with everyone in our community!
What’s Growing On?: Shearing & Pinching Perennials
This time of year there is a parade of blooms throughout the garden. Some of those blooms can be extended or repeated with some judicious pinching or shearing. If you notice that we've cut down some of your plants during our visit, fear not! They will pop back up with another flush of growth and blooms in just a few weeks' time. If we continue with the dry conditions we've been experiencing, it would be wise to water the perennials that we shear to help them recover nicely. Otherwise, sit back, relax, and enjoy your gorgeous gardens!
Seasonal Services: Fall & Winter Container Interest
It's hard to believe that in the middle of June, we are already looking ahead to colder weather! That is the life of a gardening company, always preparing for what is on the horizon. We are now beginning to collect deposits for Fall and Winter container design for the 2023 season. Your early interest helps us effectively plan for the coming months. We appreciate your continued support!
With flowers ranging in color from red to yellow, coral, orange, and combinations in between, Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) is a lovely addition to a sunny, dry spot in the garden. Tolerant of poor soil quality and blooming from June through frost, this perennial looks just as lovely in a perennial garden as it does in a mixed prairie planting. Ranging in height from 12-30″, and with a variety of flower colors to choose from, there is sure to be a Blanket Flower that fits your garden!
Tolerant of significant shade and naturally a tidy size, Coralberry is a delightful shrub with smooth glaucous blue-green foliage and adorable creamy white blooms that develop into gorgeous coral-pink berries that persist through winter.
Quite drought tolerant once established, it fills a niche in the dry shade garden with adorable hardiness!
When it comes to selecting landscape plants, it's important to understand the characteristics of potential selections and whether those characteristics help or hinder your goals in your landscape. Coralberries can have a strong suckering potential, which can be undesirable in smaller or tidier landscapes. Despite this, we find they are a great addition in some dry shady sites that are often difficult to anchor with shrubs. Similarly, Blanket flower can easily self-seed in open garden spaces, making it potentially frustrating to thin. We find that by deadheading the spent flowerheads when they are finished blooming, the seeding is significantly reduced, making it play much more nicely with its neighbors.
Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.
We appreciate your business and continued support as we work to make your summer gardens thrive!
Warmly,
The Home Sown Gardens Team