Early Summer Garden Tips

Right on schedule, our spring season is moving into the full summer season mode. If you still need flowers, visit Creek Side for the best selection in town of Grown Fresh Container Gardens, Hanging Baskets, annual flowers, perennial flowers, roses, shrubs and trees.  We have been taking good care of all our flowers during the ups and downs of this spring season.  Plus, we schedule a new crop of containers available for the month of June so all you see in the Courtyard and Greenhouses will be big fresh flowers!

If you already have your flowers, now is the time to make plans for keeping them happy and beautiful all summer long:

Water & Fertilizer
  • Establish a routine daily watering schedule.  Early in the day is best, but early evening is OK as well.  Consider investing in a professional water wand or water nozzle.  It will help make this job a little easier.  We would be lost without them in the greenhouse.
  • Establish a routine schedule to fertilize your flowers through the summer to double your flower power.  Use Jack’s Petunia Feed throughout the summer or switch over to Jack’s Blossom Booster in mid-July.  One tablespoon every 2 weeks.  Mark it on your calendar and stay on schedule for the best results.
  • If you have not fertilized your perennials yet, it is not too late.  Consider incorporating the granular Fertilome Tree and Shrub food into the soil around each plant.  Or apply Jack’s All-Purpose fertilizer mixed with water from your watering can or hose end applicator.
  • Apply the second step of the Fertilome 4 Step program to your lawn now, which is your Weed N Feed.  If you have not purchased the program, Creek Side has single bags of Fertilome lawn fertilizer available.
Planting
  • You know that saying, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago”.  But the next best time is right now!  As long as you water regularly, now is a good time to plant a tree and the Creek Side selection is terrific.  Many 8’ tall trees to choose from for planting, including 20’ ornamental trees to 50’ shade trees especially suited for our Colorado climate.
  • When planting perennials, shrubs and trees, dig the hole 1/2 to twice the diameter of the container, incorporate Nature’s Yield Organic Compost into the soil that is used to pack around the root ball and water thoroughly.  Make sure the water is penetrating the soil to the root ball and not just running off to the side.
Maintenance
  • Consider a new piece of garden art or statuary to accent the beautiful colors you have assembled in your garden or on your patio.  This is the space where you will relax and unwind after a hectic day.  Make it your special, just for you!
  • As perennials in the garden grow, get tall and sometimes lean or topple to the side, use a support hoop to prop them up.  This will keep them from leaning on each other and hold them tall for the best show.  Keep several small and large sizes available in the garden shed so they are handy to use when you need them.  Simple and easy to use, these really help keeping your perennial beds looking great!   A new trellis might be just the thing to support vines and trailing perennials.
  • Apply Fertilome Weed Out broadleaf weed killer to your lawn with an easy to use hose-end sprayer.  Apply Fertilome Killz-All to the weeds showing up in the concrete driveway and sidewalk cracks.