Can you believe it, 2011 is here and Spring is just around the corner. This week as I have looked out my window, I’ve seen rain, freezing rain, snow and fog. Winter is lingering, but the thoughts of spring are still bounding in my thoughts. Early flowering shrubs, bulbs and all the early spring color, who can wait?, I’m ready now. If you haven’t started to think about spring yet, you better try. There are plenty of things that we need to be doing to prepare our gardens, flower beds and properties for spring. As the snow melts away, we should be be cleaning debris from our beds and lawns. We should also be considering what dormant pruning we would like to do and get it done now. Going into spring with a well maintained garden will bring additional hours of satisfaction later, and a feeling of a job well done now. This is also a great time to make sure that all your tools are properly sharpened and repaired. A gardeners best friend can be the tools that they work with everyday. Clean and well maintained tools will help you to work faster and be more productive So put on your hat and gloves, grab your tools and I’ll meet you in the Garden. For now HAPPY GARDENING!
Can you guess what I’m thinking about?
January 19th, 2011Spring Has Sprung
March 17th, 2010
What is it that the teachers say in March. “In like a lion out like a lamb” I do believe that this best describes this years weather. After the long cold winter we are now getting our first glimpse of spring. Warmer days, light cool breezes and the smell of spring bounding around every corner. We see our gardens coming to life as the bulbs emerge and their blossoms begin to open to the warmth of the spring sun. In my travels this week I have noticed many gardeners taking their first foots steps out into their gardens. Cleaning up winter mess and and redefining their gardens for a new gardening season. Many have begun to apply a nice new warming layer of mulch to their gardens for increased aesthetic appeal as the bulbs and emerge and plants begin to leaf into life. It is this time of year that our renewed spirit of life shows on our faces as we break from our homes to visit with our friend, neighbors and relatives. So get out and get into your Gardens, get those hands dirty. Do some clean-up pruning, fertilizing and come in and see us this year for some beautiful new perennial flowers that will lift your spirit with their grace and elegance. Happy Gardening!!!!
Happy Holidays
November 30th, 2009
Happy Holidays from all your friends at Perk-A-Lawn Gardens. Our showroom is bursting at the seams with Holiday and Christmas decorations and gift giving ideas. Come in today and let us help you find that perfect Christmas gift for those special people in your life. Wrapping and Bows are available to help make shopping and the holiday season just that more enjoyable.
Perk-A-Lawn Gardens has unique and one of a kind ornaments that will make your Christmas tree extra special this year. If you are looking for a live or cut tree to bring that evergreen smell into your home, we have those in stock. The varieties that we offer are Scotch Pine and Douglas Fir from 5′ to 9′. Create Christmas traditions and memories by bring in the children and allow them to be apart of picking out your Christmas tree. A great time for any family. See you at Perk-A-Lawn Gardens. (Showroom Hours 8-5 Mon-Sat and 12-5 on Sun. all time on EST)
As the Weather Turns
November 13th, 2009
As summers ends and fall sets in, it’s time to stop thinking about a fall cleanup and it’s time to get out there and get it done. A good clean up is essential for the health and vigor of your garden. A thorough cleanup will help to remove many unwanted tenants from your garden. Fungus, weeds and other undesirable materials will lay dormant through the winter only to rear their heads come spring. Clipping back perennials, removing infected leaves and disposing of your yard waste will be a great benefit to you. Composting is an option if you have the space and the resources. If not, bag your debris up in a recyclable bag and often it can be put out at the street and picked up and recycled. Clipping back perennials and disposing of the cuttings will additionally help you to maintain a clean appearance to your garden while also reducing the cover space for rodents and other small animals that would likely use your garden as a winter vacationing site. Rodents and other small animals can cause great damage to your plants as they gnaw on stems and trunks of your favorite plants. Not to mention the burrowing through and under your plants creating opportunities for your plants to dry out or even worse to freeze out over the winter months.
While you’re out cleaning up in your garden stop to ponder how different locations in your garden preformed over the last year or so. Are there spots that needed more color, fuller plants; how about some need for additional evergreen color? These questions and others should be asked as you float from one spot in your garden to another. Take a few moments to think about what would be best for garden and visualize the impact of how some additional plants or bulbs could greatly benefit your garden with needed color and texture.
Spring bulbs are always a plus in the garden. What a wonderful way to bring additional color to some of those in-need areas. With the many types and a cornucopia of colors how could you not add a few for some fun spring color. Daffodils are one of our favorites. Not only do they handle the changing weather conditions fairly well, they also withstand many of our animal friends. Daffodils have come a long way over the last 75 years. You can select from early, mid or late bloomers along with different sizes, shapes and mixed colors. You can never go wrong adding daffodils to your collection of beautiful bulbs. Tulips would also be a great addition as well to any garden. With hundreds of colors, sizes and shapes you can find the right flower to suit not only the location, but your personal taste. Install tulips throughout your garden to create a spring dance of color that will bring warmth and joy to your heart. Hyacinths are a great way to show off color next to entryways. Plant Hyacinths in larger groups next to where people will be walking by. The dramatic effect will have people abuzz about your remarkable gardening talents. Finally the Crocus bulb and flower, one of the smaller bulbs to plant in and around your garden can be quite fun and beautiful if done in the right way. Remember with any bulbs, quantity and location are the two most important factors in creating a WOW look and feel. For fun take a hundred or so Crocus bulbs and toss them into the yard, then plant them where they fall. Do this every year and after several years you will reap the rewards of an incredible drifting effect that comes in early spring. Now won’t that make the gardening clubs members drool as they come to see you. Happy planting!!!
Perennial of the Month (June)
June 24th, 2009
“Plantain lily”
Size: 15-30”high & 15-60” Wide
Requirements:
Soil: Well Drained
Light: Part sun to shade
Color: Flower colors varies from white to lavender, and the foliage has many varieties in gold, blue, green, and variegated
Attraction: Butterflies
Information: If you have a shade garden, then hosta are most likely your best friend. With the many colors, sizes and shapes hosta are by far a gardeners bliss. Hosta are hardy plants with great disease resistant qualities and make will make a fine addition to you shade garden.
Quiet Trouble
March 11th, 2009
March 2nd, 2009
Requirements:
Soil: Moist, Well Drained
Light: Full to Part Shade
Color: Light Blue Bloom, Variegated Leaves
Attraction: Deer resistant, Woodland Perennial, low maintenance
Zone: 2-9
Information: This unique flowering plant offers a garden a touch of woodland beauty. With the many light blue flowers in mid spring to early summer and its heart shaped leaves that provide clumps of variegated foliage this bold plant stands out on its own with a quiet majesty.
New Spring Line
February 26th, 2009
Our 2009 spring showroom is open and ready for business. Our showroom features many one of a kind items found nowhere else in the tri-state area. Take a stroll through today and enjoy the many new water fountains for both inside and outside use. We have a large assortment of wind chimes, glass gazing balls and misc garden decor. Come put a little color into your spring with Perk-A-Lawn Gardens. (Open Monday -Friday 8-5 pm)
And Were Off
February 18th, 2009
Perennial of the Month (February)
February 2nd, 2009
Astible x arendsiiGarden Astible
Requirements:
Soil: Moist, Well Drained
Light: Full Shade to Part Sun
Color: White, Pink, Purple, Red and Peach
Attraction: Lacy Leaves, and Mounding colorful blossoms
Zone: 3-9
Information: If you have a shady area in your garden with rich well drained soil then this is a perennial for you. Excellent for cutting, this beautiful early to mid summer bloomer provides ample color in those darker areas. With many colors to choose from it’s easy to fall in love with the open and fern-like plant. In cooler regions this perennial can be placed in full sun.
