GardenSpotlight

Summertime!   Ahhh…picnics, barbeques, outdoor sports……mosquitoes.   There are many things you can purchase to help fend off those nasty, disease carrying insects.   One of those items is Citronella Oil.   Citronella Oil is produced from Citronella plants, one of which is a type of grass ( Cymbopogon nardus).   There are also Citronella Geraniums or Scented Geraniums, of which the citronella type are also known as Mosquito Plants. Citronella grass is a coarse, clump-forming tropical grass that can grow 5-6 ft tall. The stems are cane-like and the leaves are grayish green and flat; about 3 ft long and about 1 in wide.   It does not spread by runners, as some grasses do, but the clump increases in size as the plant matures.   I did read somewhere that the grass can become quite invasive as it produces a large quantity of seeds, so you may want to check with you local nursery or county extension office prior to planting.   This grass is closely rel...

We are still adding new crops to our sales greenhouse…new marigold colors, new crops of alyssum,   a young coleus crop and new types of basil, to name a few.  The month of June is full of great celebrations; Father’s Day, weddings, graduations. This is a perfect time to assess your landscaping goals and schedule further plantings accordingly for the remainder of the summer and fall seasons.   Many times we have customers come in thinking it is too late to plant in June….not so.  Flowers can be planted throughout the summer, many well into August.  Garden centers are still full of great plants and you will also find larger plants for a greater impact in your garden.   For those of you not wanting to spend time in the garden weeding, or for a lack of planting space, look for container gardens; combination plantings in larger 10” -  20” pots.  Talk about instant gratification!  Vegetables can also be planted in pots successfully...