Phytophthora infestans and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! This was not the cry of the Irish in 1845. The potato’s (genus: Solanum) history takes us from the mountains of Peru to the hills of Ireland, only one of the many migrations this lowly tuber has traveled. Initially, during the 1600s, the potato was enjoyed only by royalty and nobles. That all changed as the Industrial Revolution... Read More
Everybody has got Spring Fever going now in a big way! The weather has been beautiful, maybe just a little too nice lately. It makes our landscape plants a little crazy like they are not sure what to do. So we’ll watch what happens closely and take it one step at a time. All of us get a little like that too don’t we? The... Read More
While we wait for the beauty and bounty of the 2016 garden season outside, a fun blooming project can be brought inside. If you have access to crabapple, lilac, honeysuckle, apple, plum, forsythia, dogwood, chokecherry or pussywillow then your garden can bloom inside! This technique is called “forcing branches.” Follow these 5 simple steps for a jump on spring: 1. CUT – Select branches that have fat... Read More
“To dig and delve in nice clean dirt Can do a mortal little hurt.” John Kendrick Bangs (1862-1922) American Writer Before any planting, the soil must be dry, not wet! Working with the soil when wet drastically alters the structure of the soil particles by compacting them. This does not allow for movement of oxygen, microbes, and composting arthropods/insects which are necessary for plants to... Read More
Spring is in the air and just in time, Creek Side Gardens is now open for business. We take a little break during the winter months to work on new projects and greenhouse maintenance so that everything will be ready to go for the busy spring season. And ready to go we are! As we have been sharing with you the past several weeks, planting... Read More
With the beautiful February thaw weather that we have been having, has everyone had a chance to get out into your yard and garden to see how things are doing? It has been an interesting winter season. There has been a fair amount of steady snowfall over the course of the last several months. So much so that in the lowest, shadiest areas of the... Read More
Even though the retail store has not opened yet (opening Sat. Feb. 27!), it has been a very busy couple of weeks for Creek Side. Our geranium crop has been planted and the plants look great! We will have several new varieties for you to check out this spring. Along with the geranium pots, we planted geranium and fuchsia hanging baskets so they will get... Read More
A brand new spring season is upon us, and Creek Side Gardens is gearing up for the fun! Next week our pots of geraniums will be planted along with the fuchsia and geranium hanging baskets. It is so exciting to start up the greenhouses with fresh new pots, soil and baby plants. The day lengths are becoming noticeably longer minute by minute. The warm sun... Read More
If you have ever ordered any kind of gardening information, especially seeds or nursery stock, your name was entered into a time honored tradition of the January garden catalog drop. For seasoned gardeners this can be an exciting time as well as a challenging time. It can be compared to a child in a candy store – so many good things to pick. For brand new gardeners overwhelming! Many of... Read More
Now you may be thinking this article has something to do with a certain football team and a hugely popular television event on February 7th, and you would be partially correct! It is about one’s perspective when faced with what could be defined as a monumental, life changing task. Expect the best, not the worst. The negativity of self-doubt and thinking the worst doesn’t allow for wholeheartedness. When you... Read More
