When planting a new garden, perennial or otherwise, get ready to get your hands dirty! Yes, you will need to prepare the soil. Before putting all your new plants into the ground, this is your best opportunity to loosen the soil, break up the clumps (especially if you have clay soil), and remove rocks. Next, add organic matter by mixing a good amendment such as Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost together with your native soil. This is the perfect time, prior to planting, to add in an organic starter fertilizer like Dr. Earth. Be sure to work rock phosphate or some other source of phosphorus down into the root zone. Phosphorus, an essential nutrient required by plants, is primarily responsible for healthy root development and fruit and flower production. This nutrient does not move well in the soil, so now is the time to put it where it is needed.

Few gardeners pay attention to the pH level in their perennial garden. Though most perennials prefer a pH of about 6.5, some, including dianthus, salvia, linum, and gypsophila, have a distinct preference for more alkaline soils. Others prefer a more acidic soil. If you are interested in the pH of your soil, do a soil test before you begin. We sell pH kits. and the test is very simple to do. Your soil is an entire complex ecosystem below ground, with possible variability in the pH within only a few feet. So check random areas of your new flowerbed to obtain a complete "pH picture" of the soil. If your soil is highly acidic (below 6.0) or highly alkaline (above 7.0), you may need to consult with us about pH adjustors to add to the garden before your planting.

Keep newly transplanted perennials watered for the first few weeks. Water deeply to saturate the entire root ball and establish good contact between the roots and the surrounding soil. It is during this time period that you might not see much above-ground growth. Know why? Because the roots of the new plantings are busy getting established. This is a good thing. No need to fertilize beyond that starter fertilizer--not yet, anyway!

Once your new plants are carefully planted: Mulch, Mulch, Mulch. That's right, put a 2-3 inch layer of garden mulch, small bark or forest products, cocoa mulch or shredded leaves around them. This will blanket the soil and keep the newly planted roots warm, as well as help with moisture maintenance and keep weeds to a minimum.

As your new perennial flowerbed begins to grow and bloom, bloom and grow, then you will know it is a good time to feed with with Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Food. This will help to promote good plant health and increased blooms.

Sick plants attract bugs like a magnet. If your plants look stressed during the growing season, or if you see disease or insect damage, feed your plants with a quick-release organic fertilizer (try a blend of seaweed and fish emulsion). If this doesn't help, begin again with a new plant. Your garden will thank you!

Perennials last for a number of seasons, but they don't last forever. Some may seem to want to last forever, but they have lost their beauty. If a plant performs poorly, try moving it to a different location. If it still is not happy, send it to the compost pile! Since there are so many outstanding perennial plants to choose from, you should not make do with poor performers.

When designing a perennial garden, think about how you will be able to access your plants to weed, deadhead, or divide them. Perhaps your bed is narrow (up to 3 feet), in which case, you can reach from the edge of the garden without a problem for these chores. If your garden is wider than this, plan a way to access your plants without trampling them and compacting your soil around the plants. This may mean a stepping stone path through the middle, or at least to those unreachable plants. Created at the back of a border, a walkway will be hidden during the growing season, but will make the bed accessible.

And don't forget to mulch.

Hostas are an indispensable foliage plant for shade gardens (zones 3-8). Goodness, that description just doesn’t say enough--they are not only indispensable, they are absolutely beautiful! The broad leaves are pleated or puckered, and the many different varieties offer a large range of colors, color combinations, sizes and shapes.

In one garden bed you can have a front row of low-growing hostas only 6 inches tall surrounded by other varieties that grow up to 3 feet or taller. What a dramatic effect in your garden!

Hostas help you create a lush multi-green foliage, woodland look in your backyard. Plant them together with rhododendrons, astilbe, sweet violets, impatiens or other shade plants of your choice.

And fabulous foliage is not their only attribute! Hostas also send up beautiful plumes/spikes of white and lavender blooms in summer.

Hostas love moist, humus rich soils, although they can adapt to dry soil conditions. They love part to full shade and filtered sun. If exposed to full sun, they will not perform as well, and will not have the beautiful foliage colors that we desire.

Plant using a good planting mix like Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost. As your hostas become established, you can divide them. Late summer is the best time to do this.

Yes, there are a couple of pests that haunt hostas everywhere: snails and slugs. Frequent scattering of a slug and snail killer such as Sluggo, will do the trick for you.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to plant hostas in your gardens. We've got a great selection here at Westwood Gardens. Come in to see us soon. We'll meet you in the shade area!

Colorful bracelets decorating your windows--Window Boxes!

Actually, window boxes, window baskets, window shelves with pots: you name it, they will spice up a window every day of the year! Anyone can have a floral window display. Some of you may be apartment, condo or loft dwellers, and the only space that you have available is off your window! No problem! We have the perfect products for you to begin your window garden design.

First you must start with the container choice that will become home to your small urban garden. We have a fabulous selection available for you--wire baskets, steel baskets, wooden boxes, window ledge-width glazed, clay or metal pots!

If you choose a wire or steel basket, we have coir mat liners for the natural look. Also, we carry moss, which will hold the soils in, but let water drain from the basket. Plus, with wire baskets, you can have plants on all outer surfaces. These baskets are simply beautiful!

Whatever your container choice, you will be creating your own garden masterpiece right outside of your window. You may want to have seasonal flower color to cheer you up each day. Or instead, multi-color and -texture foliage plants to last the entire year. And vegetable gardeners or avid cooks: of course you can create your very own herb garden, ready and waiting right outside your window!

Next, think about the design of your new garden. You will want plants that are upright, plants that are billowy, plants that are spiky and plants that will trail downward. The key elements of garden design for your window gardens remain the same as in a landscape.

Remember, you must select a high quality potting mix such as our Gardner & Bloome Blue Ribbon Potting Soil, and do not forget to mix in a controlled release fertilizer like Fertilome Start-n-Grow. Also, remember that moisture retention is frequently a problem with containers, so mix in a soil polymer (we recommend Zeba Quench) that will hold on to the moisture between watering.

Now who needs a plot of land? Not necessary at all. Just create your own flowering or foliage window garden design. Now is the time to begin. You’ll bring a garden to your view each time you gaze out your windows! Lucky you. We’ll be waiting for you, here in our gardens!