Seasonal Garden Tips

Summer Tips '08

It has been a busy and "green" spring here at River Valley! It has been fun meeting all of our customers and taking care of your landscape/garden needs. I love working in such a beautiful setting and helping folks add to the beauty of their homes. This Spring has been rough for some Arkansans and the weather has presented us with some interesting challenges. It seemed like my relatives from out of state would be calling me on a weekly basis to see if we survived the tornados and floods. I tell them that what's left standing seems to be doing pretty good. In fact, it has been a very beautiful season...lots of blooms and not as hot as we know it can get ....yet.
Hopefully you all are enjoying your beautiful landscapes and fruitful gardens. I have enjoyed swiss chard, lettuce, beans and peppers so far this year with the tomatoes filling out nicely. And we are most delighted to see the pumpkins swelling!

Your summer vacation....DisneyWorld or River Valley?

New to our gardening concerns this year is the state of our nation's economy. Food prices and gasoline prices are requiring all of us to make some adjustments in our daily lives as well as in how and where we spend our vacations. One can really make a difference in the grocery bill by growing more produce at home...from tomatoes and peppers in the home garden to blueberry bushes to fruit trees. We have a nice and varied selection of plants to choose from here at River Valley. Harvesting and eating fresh food from the garden is one of life's great pleasures. You can help the local economy by buying locally grown foods as well.
As for that vacation destination all I can say is that we sure are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful states in the country. Plan to visit some of the many wonderful parks and sites here in Arkansas. In fact, River Valley is such a beautiful nursery that you might enjoy bringing the family out for a ride on our golf carts and viewing our blooming perennials and unique water features. Bring a carrot to feed our mules, Brownie and Blackie.

Banes of our lives....

So all that beauty and fruit doesn't come without a price. When it comes to the garden and yard let's talk about the "banes of our lives". To me its bermuda grass in my beds. Why it chooses to grow in my flower beds and not in the lawn space where I would lilke for it to grow is one of the great mysteries of gardening. I am constantly developing bermuda eradication strategies. Yes, I can spray it with my 20% vinegar and it sets it back for awhile, but bermuda is tough and keeps trying to come back. I have added extra inches of mulch and it almost works. It gets real thin and weak as it tries to find some soil to latch onto, making it easier to pull out. But pulling it out seems to be the best method, getting as much root as possible. Pine straw mulch seems to work the best as the bermuda really struggles to get established. I know pulling it out is not the most pleasant of tasks, but let's discuss the therapeutic benefits of this activity. First of all, pulling weeds is good exercise. After a good spell of weed pulling, my back and legs are nicely stretched (as in sore) and I just know that this is good for me. Trying to eliminate the spread of an invasive species and make room for the desired plants is rewarding on a psychological, emotional level as well. Restoring harmony and beauty and balance is among the most noble of human endeavors. Creating a nice clean flower bed is instant gratification in its own way.
The only drawback I see is that I am getting alot more therapeutic benefit than my wife. I am working on that issue as well.
So, from a gardener's perspective those banes are really blessings in disguise and opportunities for finding balance and harmony.

Things to do this summer season.....

Water:
Do I need to mention that you need to water appropriately? Remember, watering deeply and less often is better than more often and not long enough. Adding to your mulch is the best thing you can do to keep plants from drying out and keeping the weeds down.
Water in the early morning for best absorption and to keep fungus from developing (which could happen if you water in the evening and the water can't evaporate quickly).
And don't water your lawns too much. Grass generally needs about 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches per week.
Also, don't cut your lawn too short during the hot spells....the longer the leaf the more moisture it can hold.

Pruning:
One need not do alot pruning at this time of year. However, to keep perennials and roses and shrubs like gardenias blooming longer it is helpful to "deadhead" the spent flowers. This give the plant more energy to use toward new and more blooms.

Lawn care:
Raise your mower height.
Choose the right fertilizers. The big heat of the summer creates a period of dormancy when its too hot for the plants/grass to grow. So don't try to "push" them to be too green by using a strong, harsh fertilizer. Its best to use an organic ferillizer like compost or milorganite or seaweed for slow-release feeding. These fertilzers increase worm and microbial activity that makes for a healthy soil. A healthy soil creates a healthy lawn that resists disease and insects. GO ORGANIC!

Consider a water feature!
When sitting on your deck or patio there's nothing more soothing and refreshing than the sound of flowing water! You can choose from our wonderful and expanding selection of fountains and water features here at River Valley!

Consider container gardening!
WE GOT POTS!
We have a new shipment of glazed pottery and containers for that perfect garden accent!

Plan for the next growing season in your vegetable garden. By the end of August and early September you can plant another round of veggies.

Enjoy the summer!
Be careful of the Heat!
Come visit us at River Valley!

May your Garden Grow!

Tom Neale