Exciting addition at Greenhouse Garden Center & Gift Shop: a full service florist. Call Joni at 229-7040 and look for her by the door to the Gift Shop.

As a kid, the arrival of Indian summer was the last summer hurrah! It was still light enough to play outside after dinner, and warm enough to wear shorts. Even though school had begun, you still had a couple of weeks of warm summertime fun. Well, now I realize that it was also a couple more weeks of summertime flower color for my parents to enjoy in their gardens! Somehow, I think they must have planned ahead to ensure that the gardens were beautiful.

That's right. Now is the time to tuck into your garden beds and patio paradise containers some of your favorite late summer and fall blooming perennials and shrubs. This list of flowering plants includes just about every flower color that you can imagine. You may be the type of gardener who has a complete plan of colors, sizes and shapes in mind. Or you might be a gardener that loves just to collect plants of all colors, sizes and forms. You know who you are and what your style is.

There are plenty of late summer and autumn bloomers to choose from. Our plant selection is a veritable treasure chest of Indian Summer colors. Come into the garden center and begin choosing today. Don't forget to pick up some Bumper Crop or Paydirt to amend your native soil. Oh yes, and to promote the non-stop blooms, feed with Master Nursery Rose & Flower Food and FST or Dr. Iron.

Then sit back on that Adirondack chair, chaise lounge, or hammock--and enjoy your Indian Summer garden in full bloom!

By Tamara Galbraith

Fall is the best time to divide most overgrown perennials...but that doesn't mean you can't get a head start on the process a little earlier. As a general rule, dividing is done opposite a plant's blooming season,  i.e., spring bloom = fall division, etc. Most perennials should be divided every three to five years.

Walk around your landscape during summer's bloom boom and observe which plants will be in need of dividing when autumn does finally roll around. Arm yourself with a pad and pencil, and make notes. Additionally, jot down ideas about other plants that may not be in the best location for optimum performance. Are your hostas getting too much sun? Are your Louisiana irises staying too dry?

A few of your plants might actually be ready for multiple divisions. For example, I can tell just by looking at the crown of my Heuchera 'Lime Rickey' that there are actually three plants existing in the same space. Where am I planning on putting the others once divided? Maybe your plant divisions would make nice gifts for friends or family...write that down too. Most gardeners go weak in the knees at the thought of free plants!

Watch for more information here about dividing plants as Fall grows nearer.

With summer here, garden herbs are kicking into high gear, producing lots of pleasing, aromatic foliage that is great for cooking and potpourris. Freshly harvested leaves are wonderful for cooking, but you might want to preserve some to use later in the year or to create sachets that will fill your home with wonderful scents.

There are two ways to air-dry your crop. The first is to hang it up. With large-leafed herbs such as basil, rosemary, and sage, snip off the leafy stems, then tie the cut ends together with string and hang the bundle upside down in a warm, dry place (out of direct sunlight) with good air circulation. The herbs should be dry and crisp in two to three weeks. You can then strip the leaves off the stems and store them in airtight container for later use. This method is also a great way to dry lavender.

The second way to dry herbs is to spread them out to dry. With fine-leafed herbs such as oregano and thyme, simply remove the foliage from stems and spread the leaves on a cookie sheet or piece of clean window screen and set in a warm, dry, airy place away from direct sun. Stir them up every few days to turn them over. Once the leaves feel crisp, you can store them in an airtight container for later use.

One of the great things about the fall season is that it presents the opportunity to enjoy the vivid color of chrysanthemums, helping gardeners to achieve four-season interest in their gardens. Chrysanthemum flowers are also a favorite of florists for arrangements, due to the longevity of their blooms.

Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The flower was introduced into Japan in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. Today there is still a "Festival of Happiness" in Japan celebrating the flower. Mums were brought to Europe in the 17th century and the rest of the world has enjoyed them ever since.

Modern chrysanthemums are much more showy than their wild relatives. The flowers occur in many flower forms, and can be daisy-like, decorative, pompons or buttons. Chrysanthemums come in a wide variety of colors, including white, off-white, yellow, gold, bronze, red, burgundy, pink, lavender and purple.

Chrysanthemum plants can grow to be 2-3 feet high, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions. There are "hardy mums" and "florist mums." Hardy mums put out stolons. Florist mums put out few or no stolons, which makes them less likely to over-winter in cold regions. They look best planted in a mass but for good health, don't overcrowd, since good air circulation reduces the chance of disease.

Plant chrysanthemum flowers in full sun and well-drained soil, enriched with a soil conditioner. Chrysanthemums are "photoperiodic," meaning they bloom in response to the shorter days and longer nights experienced in fall. Therefore, do not plant chrysanthemum flowers near street lights or night lights: the artificial lighting may wreak havoc with the chrysanthemums' cycle.

We invite you to visit us and take some hardy mums home for your garden to enjoy during the fall season. Chrysanthemums also make great housewarming gifts, and your friends will thank you for thinking about them. So remember, mum's the word!

Perhaps no other single plant or tree can add as much value to a garden landscape as a Japanese maple. They look great planted as a centerpiece in mounds or garden islands. Japanese maples are also used quite extensively as bonsai specimens.

What makes this tree so popular is that it is available in many sizes, colors, leaf shapes, and growing habits. The color of Japanese maples ranges from bright green and variegated to shades of orange, red, and purple. The fall foliage on most varieties is beautiful. You can find single-stemmed specimens, multi-trunk, and low-growing mounded varieties.

This versatile tree can be planted any time of the year in most regions of the U.S., as long as the soil is not soggy. They require a location with good drainage and prefer protection from the wind. Avoid planting them in lawn areas, because lawns receive more frequent watering than Japanese maples require. Use red- and purple-shaded varieties against light-colored fences and walls, or to set off other plants. Use green-leafed varieties in shadier areas, against plain fences or darker shaded walls.

Most Japanese maples prefer a morning sun/afternoon shade or full shade location but will acclimate quite well after a few years planted in full sun, provided the soil around them is kept consistently moist. The key to watering Japanese maples is slow, deep and regular waterings. Never let the tree dry out. The soil should be kept moist, not wet.

Japanese maples are not heavy feeders, and can burn from too much or too strong a plant food. We recommend feeding twice a year during the growing season. It is important not to cultivate around the root zone. A 2" layer of mulch will help keep the upper layer of soil moist and help prevent soil crusting and weeds.

Pay us a visit and let one of our nursery experts help you pick the perfect Japanese maple tree for your garden.

With our days getting cooler, many trees are beginning to show their spectacular fall color. Autumn is a great time to plant trees because the ground is still warm enough to promote root growth without the stress of summer heat watering requirements. Plus, a tree planted in fall will be able to take advantage of winter and spring rains and be fully established by next summer, enabling you to benefit from the cooling effect its provided by its shade.

When planting your tree, consider how it might provide the maximum shade effect for your home. A shade tree planted on the east side of your home will block the heat from the morning sun. Planting on the west and/or southwest side of your home shields the hot afternoon sun. And finally, a tree planted on the south side of your home can provide year-round sunblock protection. All three examples will help to keep your home cooler in the summertime.

If you select a deciduous tree, you will benefit in the winter from the opposite sun shielding effect. Minus the foliage, the sun's rays can shine through the empty branches and help you warm the inside of your home. You certainly can't argue with that!

Along with the energy benefits, shade trees provide beauty to your landscape year-round. They offer habitats to birds, squirrels and other backyard urban creatures. Trees increase the value of our homes and the beauty of our neighborhoods. They also give back oxygen to our environment. If you choose a deciduous tree, pick one with majestic winter form.

When you plant your shade tree, do not plant it too close to your home, patio or walls. Remember, many of the best shade trees grow to heights of 30-50 feet and taller, which means they will also have a good spread and substantial root systems. So come on in, and our staff of nursery experts will help you pick out the perfect shade tree(s) for your home. Then get ready to enjoy their fall foliage and the pleasing shade they will provide for many summers to come!

Earwigs are the brownish/black insects (about ¾ inch long) with pointed pincers on the rear of their abdomens. Earwigs' lifelong pursuit is to be active member of the insect cleanup crew of the garden. They chew up plant debris and turn it into humus. For this job, earwigs are considered beneficial insects. You rarely see this insect out in the open, but rather under leaves, under low growing foliage plants or in a woodpile. Creating humus is part of the earwig "career" that is a positive thing for any garden.

However, they also have a liking for new tender foliage and this is what gets them into trouble with gardeners. When they eat tender foliage, they are considered a pest.

There are a number of different earwig management techniques. Earwigs like dark, damp places in the yard. In these locations, place rolled up newspapers or low-sided cans coated with oil. The earwigs will crawl inside of either of these traps, and you can simply throw them away. If, however, you have an infestation of earwigs eating too much of the new foliage, you may find it necessary to apply an earwig bait like Bayer Complete. A follow up application two weeks later usually takes care of any stragglers.

Ultimately, the best way to prevent earwig infestations is to keep the garden clean and to remove potential earwig hiding spots. A few here and there are more helpful than harmful to your gardens, but if they're making a meal out of your prized plants don't hesitate to pull out the bait!

Fall is the time to plant spring blooming bulbs for that wonderful first show of spring that we all love! When you think of spring, daffodils (Narcissus) or maybe crocus come to mind, but there are many other bulbs for fall planting to bring gorgeous color to your spring garden. Some of these even have bloom times that extend into the early summer. These bulbs are originally from all parts of the world. Aren't we lucky that we can grow them here, too!

Preparing your soil for bulb planting is simple. Amend with a good planting mix like Bumper Crop where you intend to plant your bulbs. As you dig each hole for the bulbs, add a bulb food like Dr. Earth Bulb Food. Each bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber requires a different planting depth. Follow the packaging instructions or ask one of us for help.

Following this preparation and giving your bulbs the sun/shade and watering that they require will bring you a vividly colorful spring garden.

Click here to see our gallery of some of our spring-blooming bulbs.