August and early September in the landscape is really a period of maintaining the status quo with landscaped areas of your yards. As the annuals in beds, pot and planters become leggy and look stragglier, I like to pull them out of the ground/planters and replace them with lovely fall mums. If you choose to leave the annuals in the ground/planter you should stop feeding them; just continue watering as needed. The beds need attention now, as a result of the summer heat and higher level of rainfall. There are weeds everywhere; mulch has either been washed away by the frequent downpours or has crusted over. Before applying your fall blanket of your favorite mulch, you have to clean up the beds: get all the weeds out, scarify or remove the crusted mulch, and loosen the soil surface. When all this is done, you’re ready for any activities you may want to do in the fall, like planting mums, adding more mulch, planting colorful and long-lasting perennials, or adding a few shrubs. Get all this done now, and you’ll be able to coast into the end-of-the-season gardening activities next month and beyond.
Fall is for planting – Our nursery boasts a fantastic selection of perennials and shrubs for any situation you may need. Mums, ornamental cabbage & kale, ornamental peppers, celosia, and a variety of cold crops will be available starting the week of August 28th, as long as the weather is conducive for these cooler annuals. Once the heat of summer breaks and cooler evenings set in, it’s prime time for all of your fall planting.
Deer and other Pest Repellents – I don’t know about all of you, but the deer and rabbits have been driving me crazy this year. I’ve been applying my spray about every 2 weeks since May. I use liquids, but many others prefer using granular products or both. We all spend too much money, time, and effort on our shrubs, perennials, and flowers to share them with our crepuscular visitors. If you’re in the same boat as me, come in to the Lawn Depot and browse among our pest control area. We’ve got lots of different ways to exclude these varmints from our landscapes, and lots of experienced people with whom you can discuss your particular situation.
All things Birding – Stop in to experience our extensive Birding department. Whether you’re looking for feeders to mount on poles, affix to windows, or hang from hooks or trees, we’ve got ‘em. We also offer a wide variety of specialty and mixed feeds, from hummingbird food to finch food, to general-purpose food. We keep it in stock all year, and encourage all of you who love watching the birds to come in and see what we’ve got. And while you’re here, take advantage of sizzling savings at 30% off all varieties of birdfeed, from August 14th through September 2nd.
As much as I love the summer, with its long days and outdoor activities, I enjoy the beginning of the fall season. Being primarily a lawn guy, I relish the fall season because the lawns look so good and so much of what we do to upgrade them works beautifully. I’m also fond of the fall at the Lawn Depot because it’s when you all get back to work on lawns and beds and we get to share our knowledge and catch up with you. We look forward to seeing all of you soon and often this fall.