The crisp fall air excites everyone to go out to a pumpkin patch and pick the best one for you and your family. We bring them home, set them up for display or carving and within days they are being chewed on by squirrels or other pests or a nicely carved face now looks like a melting zombie. Here are some tips for preserving and... Read More
Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins galore!! The Creek Side Courtyard is full of pumpkins of all sizes, shapes and colors! Colors!? Yes, pumpkins are available in a variety colors now thanks to our rich farming heritage and more widely requested heirloom varieties. Rouge Vif d’Etampes or Cinderella Orange, Queensland Blue, Cotton Candy White, Long Island Cheese, Tan and Jarrahdale Green, not to mention our popular Warted varieties... Read More
Selection The earlier bulbs and corms are purchased in the fall, the better the selection. Select the largest bulbs of a variety, because there is a direct correlation between bulb and flower size. Generally, a gardener selects the site before purchasing bulbs. This site usually is conspicuously located to show the flowers off to their best advantage. If the bulbs will remain in this location... Read More
Holly’s Oktoberfest Beer Cheese Soup 1 ½ sticks of butter 3-4 tbsp flour 1 package of frozen “soup” veggies (onions, carrots, celery) 3-4 potatoes (peeled & cubed) 3 cups chicken broth 4 cups water 2 cups cheddar cheese (mild or sharp) I use sharp 1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese. ½ block Velvetta cheese – cut into cubes 1 bottle of beer (depending on your... Read More
Our days are warm and bright, but the nights are cooling off to create that inescapable feeling that we are ready to move on to the fall season. Football is all around, vacation is over, kids are back in school and the rich earthy color tones of the fall season are creeping in. Perennial Flowers Who can resist the contentment that bright gold Black-Eyed Susan’s... Read More
Fall is for Planting! Perfect time to plant trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables. Soil is warm until early November to help grow new roots. Get a head start for next season. Take advantage of sale prices from suppliers. Find the right plant for the right location – sun or shade, tall or short, early-mid-late season etc. Plant fall bulbs – tulips, daffodils, hycacinths, crocus Plant trees... Read More
Cover crops or “green manures” have gone hand in hand with agricultural practices for a long time. Cover crops naturally re-enrich soil, protect it from erosion due to rain or wind, improve its texture, and feed soil organisms, which maintain a healthy ecosystem in the soil, breaking down minerals and nutrients that feed plants. As gardeners, our success is directly tied to the soil in... Read More
The Creek Side Gardens Grown Fresh Fall Flowers are beginning to take center stage just in time for the change in seasons. Kids are going back to school. Temps are cooling down. Days are getting shorter. If you have never planted a fall garden with fall mums and pansies or planted a new tree or shrub in the fall, then you are missing out on... Read More
What does that mean? Why are we suggesting planting in the fall rather than the traditional spring planting season? Fall is a great time for planting for several reasons! Fall Planting Recommendations The plants we are recommending for planting into the landscape in the fall are perennials, roses, shrubs, trees and bulbs, the types of plants that will survive the cold temperatures of the winter... Read More
The perennial palette is rich with fall colors beginning in August and they really begin showing up all over now! With just a few additions to your garden, you can be enjoying those rich fall tones as well. The Classic Most everybody is familiar with ‘Goldstrum’ Rudbeckia, the Black-eyed Susan daises. You will see them all around town now. Why? Because they are hardy, dependable,... Read More
