Shrubs

TIPS FOR PRUNING HYDRANGEAS

There are various types of hydrangea bushes, the mophead hydrangea being the most common. Hydrangea pruning instructions may vary slightly with other types. Although hydrangea pruning care may differ, all hydrangeas can benefit from the removal of dead stems and spent blooms each year.

Design for Bio-Diversity in Your Home Garden

Our ability to feed ourselves, find water, breathe oxygen, is dependent on a bio-diverse environment. The bio-diversity of our planet is declining at an alarming rate due to habitat loss. Human activity is the main reason behind this loss, which is actually good news, because this puts us in a position to do something about Design for Bio-Diversity in Your Home Garden

GET SPRING REWARDS WITH FALL PLANTING

Just because it has been hot and humid well into September, don’t let that fool you. Fall is just about here and it’s a great time for planting.

PROPER TIMING FOR PRUNING FLOWERING PLANTS

Suggested Pruning Time for Common Flowering Trees, Shrubs, & Vines Spring-Flowering Plants: Plants that bloom in early spring usually produce their flower buds the year before. The buds over-winter on the previous year’s growth and open in spring. Prune after flowering: Alternate-leaf Butterfly-bush (Buddleia alternifolia) Azalea (Rhododendron species) Beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis) Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) PROPER TIMING FOR PRUNING FLOWERING PLANTS

Repairing Winter Damage In Your Garden

Winter Garden Damage – What Now? Winter can offer obstacles for our gardens.  Cold, snow, ice, freeze/thaw cycles, wind, salt from treating roads and sidewalks are a few that spring to mind. Most of those obstacles can be readily overcome, but some are more challenging. Cold, Snow, Freeze/Thaw Cycles – In Other Words, Normal Winter Repairing Winter Damage In Your Garden

Lacecaps Like Light (and a Little Shade)

What You Should Know About Lacecap Hydrangeas Lacecap hydrangeas are a more delicate version of their mophead relatives, and have the same growing requirements. See below for pruning hints.

Look for signs of this scale in the next few weeks!

     Azalea bark scale and cryptomeria scale can be seen in our area. Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to treat crawlers in late June through late July. Giordano’s has these organic treatments by Bonide in stock. Do you have scale in your landscape? Learn how this harmful insect can be recognized & treated Look for signs of this scale in the next few weeks!

PLANTS FOR WET SOIL SITES

Is your lawn prone to flooding? Or do you have a water feature and want to decorate it with flowers, shrubs and/or trees? Careful when selecting for your wet soil sites, plants that are not specifically adapted to wet soil conditions eventually fall victim to root rot and rarely survive, let alone thrive. Feel free PLANTS FOR WET SOIL SITES

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Viburnums

Viburnum nudum ‘Winterthur’,Common Name: Witherod Winterthur is a compact cultivar that produces fragrant white flowers that grow in clusters between April & June. The flowers provide nectar for butterflies, native bees & other pollinators. As the season transitions to later summer & fall the flowers are replaced by berries that turn color as they ripen; Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Viburnums

The Science and Happiness of Mulching

Choosing the right mulch is essential to giving your plants the best possible conditions. Mulch improves plant growth, conserves moisture, reduces weed growth and moderates fluctuating temperatures. The contribution of mulch undoubtedly assists in the generation and balancing of an ideal micro-ecosystem for your landscape. Fork It On! Mulching is a Science, it turns out… The Science and Happiness of Mulching

Soil pH for Landscape Plants

Come in and get a pH test kits or contact Cornell Cooperative Extension-Nassau  horticulture to determine your soil’s pH, then refer to this pH Chart to find the optimum pH for your plantings. A pH of 7 is neutral. To lower your pH (acid), add aluminum sulfate or to raise your pH (alkaline or basic), add Soil pH for Landscape Plants

Mycorrhizae: Endo & Ecto! Wait… What?

All About Mycorrhizae Symbiotic relationships exist throughout the natural world. Species tend to develop these mutually beneficial relationships in order to overcome certain obstacles and often they come to depend on the advantage that working together to achieve a common goal supplies. As it turns out one such symbiotic relationship exists that we can take Mycorrhizae: Endo & Ecto! Wait… What?