Spring flowering bulbs are a must for every garden. They provide cheerful early-season color at a time when it is most needed, both in the landscape and by our winter weary souls. Daffodils are some of the most delightful Spring flowering bulbs! What makes them so delightful is their ease of care, diversity in their flower color, size, shape and fragrance, resistance to pests and disease, and their carefree ability to increase and return year after year, with little effort.

Daffodil Selection

Did you know that there are over 32,000 registered cultivars of daffodils? This number gives us some indication of the immense diversity of this flowering bulb with some varieties being easier to find than others. As you become more familiar with, and addicted to delightful daffodils, you will never get tired of adding more of these intriguing bulbs to your collection, possibly seeking out a few hard-to-find ones as well.

Note: All daffodils are narcissus, but not all narcissus are daffodils. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to all narcissus and daffodils mentioned in this article as daffodils. Their care is the same and separating them will only complicate matters.

Daffodils require a cold period to bloom. Most daffodils will flower best in USDA Hardiness Zone 7 and lower. If you live in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 and higher, there are some daffodils that will do well in your area, or you may purchase pre-chilled bulbs. It will help to work with your local garden center to determine which daffodils do best in your particular area.

All daffodils bloom in the Spring. Within the Spring season, some will bloom early, mid-season, and late. Knowing when a particular daffodil flowers, will allow you to plant varieties for a succession of blooms to extend the whole season. As you begin growing daffodils, it may be easiest to choose some of the most popular and easy-to-find varieties

Early-season Bloomers

• Barrette Browning – white petals with small orange cup, 1 to 2 feet tall, lightly fragrant.
• Rijnveld – golden yellow, 15 inches tall, delightfully fragrant.
• Tete a Tete – buttercup yellow, multi-flowering, miniature at 6 to 8 inches tall, fragrant.

Mid-season Bloomers

• Dutch Master – large, golden-yellow daffodil, 1 to 2 feet tall, lightly fragrant.
• Ice Follies – creamy white petals with a pale-yellow cup, 20 inches tall, lightly scented.
• Pink Charm – ivory petals with a coral-colored cup, 18 inches tall, fragrant.
• Professor Einstein – snow white petals with a reddish-orange cup, 16 to 18 inches tall, fragrant.

Late-season Bloomers

• Acetaea – pure white petals with a small gold cup rimmed in red, 1 to 1 ½ feet tall, fragrant.
• Cheerfulness – small flowering, multi-flowering and multi-stemmed, white double flowers with pale yellow flecks, 1 to 2 feet tall, very fragrant.
• Tahiti – large, double flowering daffodil, bright golden-yellow with bright orange ruffled cup, 16 inches tall, fragrant.
• Thalia – downward facing, pure white flowers with 2 to 3 flowers per stem, 1 foot tall, very fragrant.

Planting Daffodils

Daffodils are purchased and planted in the Fall for Spring blooms and are extremely easy to plant…. easy as dig, drop and done!

• Plant daffodils in a sunny to part-shady, well-drained site.
• Daffodils may be planted in single holes, rows, or in groupings.
• Place daffodil bulbs 6 inches deep, pointy side up.
• If the native soil is of poor quality or does not drain well, consider amending the soil with a quality compost.
• Add bone meal to the planting area, to stimulate strong root development, before backfilling the area or holes with soil.
• No need for deer or rodent protection, these bulbs are pest proof!
• Water area after planting daffodils and wait for Spring!

With such wide diversity in one group of flowering bulbs, considerable beauty, ample fragrance, significant bloom time, and substantial pest resistance, wouldn’t you agree that daffodils are delightful?

No flower is more iconic of autumn than the chrysanthemum, and these beautiful mounding perennials are ideal for fall flowerbeds, pots, window boxes, borders, and many other uses. How will you get creative with chrysanthemums this fall?

Why We Love Chrysanthemums

Just when many other flowers are fading at the end of summer, chrysanthemums, or mums, are coming into their glory with a range of stunning autumn colors. Depending on the cultivar, these plants sport yellow, white, red, orange, bronze, pink, peach, wine, purple, and bicolored blooms. The flowers range from small, button-like blossoms to larger blooms reminiscent of daisies. Mum blooms are long-lasting when cut and they’re just as lovely in floral arrangements and bouquets as they are planted in containers, flowerbeds, and the landscape. This makes mums extremely useful for all manner of autumn décor.

Chrysanthemums are native to east Asia and northern Europe and were first domestically cultivated in China nearly 600 years ago. Today, there are more than 20,000 chrysanthemum cultivars worldwide. They are deer- and rabbit-resistant, making them a hardy option for landscaping beds, and with a bit of thoughtful care, these tender perennials can be a wonderful addition to any flower garden or fall containers.

Caring for Chrysanthemums

The hardiness of chrysanthemums depends on the cultivar as well as the local climate and even the microclimate in your landscape. These flowers prefer well-drained, rich soil with a neutral pH, so it is best to use a good quality potting soil in containers. When planting chrysanthemums in the garden or landscape, mixing compost or peat moss in the planting hole will help increase drainage and nourish the soil to promote the best blooms. A good rule of thumb is that if soil is good for vegetables, it will also be good for mums – making them a wonderful choice to refresh a garden after the summer harvest has finished.

Chrysanthemums grow best in full sun requiring a minimum of six hours per day. If mums are planted in containers, consider using a mobile plant cart or a stand with casters so  that the pots may be moved to brighter areas, if needed, as the season progresses.

Chrysanthemums prefer evenly moist, but not soggy, soil. Because of their thick, mounding habit, it is best to water mums from below suing a soaker hose or irrigation drip system in garden beds. In pots, mums should again be watered from below the plant but above the soil line. A watering wand will make this job direct and easy. Be sure to drain excess water from saucers after watering so the roots do not remain continually wet.

Fertilizing chrysanthemums every month through the spring and early summer, with a balanced fertilizer, will help them grow and bloom well, but if mums are planted in the Fall, they should not need extra feeding as long as they were planted in rich, nutritious soil. Deadheading spent blooms by pinching them back can encourage more flowering and help mums maintain their compact, mounding habit.

Decorating with Fall Mums

Chrysanthemums are a beautiful choice not only in the garden, but are equally lovely in welcoming porch pots, deck or patio containers, or even small indoor pots and arrangements. Add an extra touch of fall with rustic containers, such as wine barrels, baskets, or terra cotta pots, or glam up your mums in hammered copper or bronze pots that will accentuate their color. A burlap ribbon or bow can be a charming accent, and you can give more seasonal flair to mum arrangements or flowerbeds by adding pumpkins and gourds as fun decorations. Indoors, use small pails or pots for petit mum arrangements, or add them to larger arrangements with grain sprigs, dried pods, colorful leaves, or twists of grapevine for additional texture.

Fall chrysanthemums can be a pleasant burst of autumn color, whether they are part of the landscape or are used in containers, pots, or arrangements and we carry a wide selection to make your fall home suit the season!

Richly flavorful and packed with health benefits, garlic is a great ingredient for all your favorite savory dishes. Growing garlic is very easy and helps you keep a ready supply of this root vegetable (often also referred to as an herb or spice) on hand for quick access and instant flavoring.

Health Benefits of Garlic

Garlic, which is related to onions, shallots, and leeks, has many documented health benefits, making it a worthwhile addition to your diet. This bulb vegetable is segmented into cloves, and may yield 10-20 cloves per bulb. Just a clove or two added to different dishes can…

• Boost immune function, minimizing colds and other minor ailments
• Reduce blood pressure to improve cardiovascular health
• Lower bad cholesterol levels and the risk of heart attack or stroke
• Reduce bone loss risk, particularly in older women
• Lower inflammation to improve arthritis and joint function

The health benefits of garlic are so well known that the plant has featured prominently in the medical treatments of different cultures for centuries, including the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese. Today, many doctors continue to promote garlic as part of a healthy diet.

Tips for Growing Garlic

Fresh garlic has the most health benefits and is the most flavorful. It’s easy to grow garlic either in the garden – it is resistant to both deer and rabbits, making it ideal for borders to protect other produce – or in kitchen pots for easy access for all your cooking. To make the most of growing garlic…

• Choose organic or locally grown garlic to grow. These cloves won’t have chemical treatments that could inhibit growth, and you will be able to monitor exactly what care your garlic receives.
• Opt for hardneck garlic in northern climates because it is hardier, whereas softneck garlic can easily be grown in mild climates. If you will grow garlic indoors, either variety is suitable.
• Choose large, firm cloves without any signs of damage, softening, or bruising for the best growth and largest crop to harvest.
• Provide a cooling period of 6-8 weeks in the refrigerator for hardneck garlic, which requires a dormant period for optimal sprouting. Softneck garlic does not need as much cooling.
• Use a pot at least eight inches deep so cloves have plenty of room to develop, and the pot should have abundant drainage holes to prevent root rot.
• Space cloves at least 3-4 inches apart, or plant just one clove in each pot so the bulbs have adequate room for full development.
• Use organically rich potting soil, or amend garden soil with compost to nourish young garlic. The soil should be loose and well-draining so garlic bulbs aren’t cramped.
• Leave the papery skin on cloves for planting, and position cloves pointy-side up, 3 inches down into the soil. Cover the soil with a light layer of mulch or straw for protection.
• Position garlic where it will receive 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Indoors, a south- or west-facing window is ideal, or use a supplement grow light to help garlic grow best.
• Feed garlic carefully, using natural fertilizer, compost, or a high-phosphorus blend specially formulated for larger, healthy bulbs.
• Water garlic well. The soil should be uniformly moist but not overly soggy, or the bulbs will rot and be unable to flourish.
• If temperatures drop, protect garlic pots by wrapping them in insulating bubble wrap, carpet, or straw bales. For garden garlic, a layer of mulch will help keep soil temperatures even.

Harvesting Your Garlic

Garlic is slow-growing and will take 7-9 months before fresh bulbs can be harvested. When approximately 50-70 percent of the green tops of garlic plants begin to turn yellow or brown, the bulb is mature and ready to harvest. Use a hand rank or garden fork to carefully loosen soil around the garlic, gently lifting the bulb. Avoid bruising, scratching, or breaking the bulb, which would cause it to rot.

Gently wipe off excess dirt from the bulb, but leave the paper covering intact. Trim off the roots and stalks, and place the fresh bulbs loosely in paper bags in a cool, dry spot for 1-2 weeks. Air circulation should be good to cure the bulbs evenly, and garlic should be stored in a cool, dry place until it is ready to use, or until the best resulting cloves have been dormant long enough to plant and start the cycle over again for even more fresh garlic to enjoy.

Looking for a landscape design that delivers curb appeal without demanding your weekends? It might be time to discover the benefits of decorative stone! Stone, rock, and gravel offer practical, polished solutions that minimize upkeep, maximize style, and provide significant long-term savings. If you’re eager to take yard maintenance off your to-do list without sacrificing an attractive outdoor space, you’re in the right place! Hilltop Nursery is here to guide you through everything you need to know about creating a stunning, low-maintenance landscape with rock.

Why Choose Rock?

Decorative rock landscapes go far beyond simple aesthetics. When you invest in a rock-based design, you’re choosing function, longevity, and a welcome break from repetitive yard work. Here are some core reasons why more property owners are switching to rock:

Long-Lasting Impact

Unlike wood mulch, which decomposes and demands frequent replenishing, decorative stone persists for five years, a decade, or even longer. Rock holds its color, resists breakdown, and keeps your yard looking consistent year after year. This translates into more time and money saved on outdoor upkeep.

Excellent Weed Suppression

When properly installed over quality landscape fabric, decorative rock forms a powerful physical barrier that blocks most weeds from emerging. This simple step reduces your need for herbicides and slashes your time spent on hands-and-knees weeding.

Minimal Watering

While organic mulch can help retain moisture, it often requires maintenance and doesn’t reduce the need for watering as much as you might think. Rock needs no watering at all. When paired with drought-tolerant plants, such as succulents, or xeriscaping, a rock landscape becomes a water-efficient solution offering both immediate and long-term environmental benefits.

No Decomposition or Pest Risk

Mulch is organic, which means it breaks down over time and can invite termites, ants, and pests. Rock, on the other hand, never decomposes, attracts fewer pests, and stays put even during heavy storms or wind. This results in a cleaner, more predictable landscape.

Fire Resistant & Durable

Decorative stone adds a layer of fire resistance to your property, which is especially critical in wildfire-prone regions. Rocks don’t burn, and they serve as a natural buffer near outbuildings, fences, or homes.

Where to Use Rock?

At Hilltop Nursery, we often hear customers ask, “Where exactly should I use decorative rock?” The answer is almost anywhere! Rock is one of the most versatile materials in landscaping, offering beauty and durability in every corner of your outdoor space.

Long-Term Garden Beds

Start by replacing mulch in your permanent garden beds. Decorative stone stays in place longer, resists fading, and won’t break down like wood chips, making it a significant upgrade around shrubs, trees, and perennials.

Patios, Paths, & Seating Areas

Rock is also ideal around patios, along walkways, and under outdoor seating or play areas where grass struggles to grow. It provides a smart, low-maintenance solution that maintains high curb appeal. It also performs beautifully in high-traffic zones, such as front entrances, signage beds, or along driveways, especially where you want a tidy, professional look without constant upkeep.

Types of Landscape Rock

With such variety in shape, color, and texture, landscape rock is more than just functional—it’s a stunning design element. Some popular options include:

• River Rock: Smooth, rounded stones available in multiple colors and sizes. Perfect for naturalistic designs, dry creek beds, and defining garden borders.
• Crushed Limestone: Clean and tightly compacting, making it ideal for driveways, walkways, and fire pit zones.
• Pea Gravel: Small pebbles that provide comfort underfoot. Excellent for patios, playgrounds, or paths.
• Slate Chips: Angular and modern, often used for high-contrast, contemporary beds and commercial plantings.
• Decomposed Granite: A firm, drainage-friendly surface that packs tightly for paths, patios, or even outdoor seating areas.
• Lava Rock: Lightweight, porous, and bold in color. Offers excellent drainage and a distinctive aesthetic for specific applications.

Selecting the right rock can enhance both function and visual appeal, so consider the colors and textures that harmonize with your home’s exterior or business brand.

Maintenance Tips

A landscape built with stone offers impressive reductions in maintenance, but a little effort goes a long way toward keeping it pristine. Consider these proven tips:

• Install High Quality Landscape Fabric: Always start with a professional-grade fabric beneath the stone. This keeps weeds at bay, allows rainwater through, and prevents rocks from mixing with the soil below.
• Refresh the Surface Layer Occasionally: Over time, tracks and settling may cause heavily trafficked areas to thin out. Adding a fresh top layer every few years will restore uniformity and color vibrancy.
• Use Proper Edging for Containment: Edge beds with steel, concrete, or stone borders to prevent rock migration into lawns or other planting areas.
• Keep Debris Under Control: Use a blower or light rake to clear leaves and organic matter in fall and spring.
• Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide: For added security against weeds, treat beds with pre-emergent product once or twice a year, or as needed.
• Rinse Rocks: If dust or mud builds up, rinse with a garden hose or use a pressure washer on the lowest setting to restore their natural look as needed.

How to Select the Right Materials

How does decorative stone compare with organic mulch or a turf-heavy yard? Here’s a breakdown:

If your goals include lasting impact, hassle-free ownership, or improved property value, rock is typically the standout choice.

Stunning Results with Minimal Effort

A well-designed rock landscape offers lasting beauty with minimal work. The right mix of stones can add dynamic texture, highlight architectural features, and give your property a cohesive, professional appearance. By making smart choices up front, you can achieve eye-catching curb appeal and enjoy true low-maintenance living for years to come.

Hilltop Nursery provides an extensive range of landscape stone, from classic river rock to dramatic granite chips. Our staff is ready to help you calculate quantities, select complementary rock types, and even assist you with installation. Whether you’re revamping a single bed or tackling a multi-acre project, we’re here to help every step of the way.

It’s a bittersweet time of year. Frost has put to rest another growing season. It is a time for endings as we clean up the garden and jot down this year’s successes and failures. It is also a time for new beginnings, such as planning and anticipating next year’s garden. 

For those who love gardening, the season does not have to end when the cold arrives. The chilly, late-season air is perfect for getting outside and beginning garden projects like building a raised bed garden. A little work now will go a long way come spring.

Why Raised Beds

Just about any plant that is grown in an in-ground garden may be cultivated in a raised bed; this includes flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Raised bed gardening offers several advantages over growing in the ground; these include:

• Improved soil conditions
• Earlier planting
• Easier maintenance
• Decreased garden pests
• Higher crop yield

Building a Simple Raised Bed

Raised beds are available in various styles, materials, and sizes. They may be purchased complete or in DIY kits. If, however, you are adventuresome and thrifty, building your own raised garden bed from scratch is the way to go. 

A home-built raised bed can be made to any size you choose; however, it is best to build the bed no wider than 4 feet. Optimal for ease of planting and maintaining, a raised garden of 4 feet wide will ensure you will never have to stretch further than 2 feet into the bed, a comfortable reach for most.

Materials for a Simple DIY 4’ x 8’ Raised Bed

A 4’ x 8’ raised garden bed is a perfect size. It will provide plenty of room to grow a variety of vegetables, including peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and more. Whereas lettuce only requires a 6-inch soil depth to accommodate its root system, tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, squash, and zucchini need about 16 inches. We recommend building your bed at least 18 inches deep to accommodate plants with a heftier root system.

Note: All wood is not equal. For your bed’s longevity, we recommend using either cedar or white oak. We do not recommend using pressure-treated lumber for a raised bed where edibles will be grown. 

Materials

6 pieces of 2” x 10” x 8’ boards

4 pieces of 2” x 2” x 24’ wooden stakes

Deck screws

Table Saw

Electric Drill 

Electric Screwdriver

Let’s Prepare

• Gather your supplies and tools, borrowing tools if necessary.
• Select a full sun site with level ground convenient to a water source.
• If the selected site is lawn, mow it short and cover it with landscape fabric or a thick layer of cardboard or newspaper to help suppress weeds.
• To save time and energy, work directly in the area where the raised bed will be situated. 

 Let’s Build

• Cut 2 of the boards in half, creating four 4’ pieces. Leave the remaining four boards uncut at 8’.
• Form a rectangular frame with 2 of the 4’ boards and 2 of the 8’ boards.
• Pre-drill screw holes that will be used to secure the corners – 4 per corner.
• Fasten the boards together with the deck screws. 
• Repeat with the remaining boards.
• Lay one frame over the selected site.
• Mark the 2” x 2” x 24” stakes with a line 8 inches from the pointed tip of the stake.
• On the inside of one of the corners of the frame, pound a 2” x 2” stake into the ground up to the 8” line. This will leave 16 inches above the ground.
• Insert a stake directly inside the frame at the remaining three corners of the bed and pound them into the ground at the 8” line.
• With the deck screws and drill, secure the frame to the stakes.

Preparing The Raised Bed

Fill

Now is not only the perfect time to build a raised bed but to fill it as well with high-quality topsoil amended with plenty of compost. YOUR GARDEN CENTER will assist you in calculating the amount of soil your specific bed size requires. 

Feed

Organic fertilizers are naturally slow-release. Fertilize your raised bed at soil filling time, and it will be perfect for planting come spring. Select a fertilizer specifically recommended for the crop that you will be growing. 

Protect

Soil should never be left exposed to the elements. Be sure to cover your prepared raised bed soil during the winter. Place a thick layer of salt marsh hay, straw, or leaves atop your soil and leave it in place until ready to plant in the spring. 

Late fall and early winter are the perfect times to build and fill a raised bed. Addressing this late-season chore will keep you gardening in the colder months, assuring that your muscles remain active and will leave you with a lighter workload when spring arrives.

Looking to add extra appeal to the fall and winter landscape? This year, try ornamental cabbage and kale! Planted alongside chrysanthemums and winter pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale add distinctive bold texture and vibrant seasonal color to the late-season landscape.

Foliage not Flower

Frequently called ‘flowering’ cabbage & kale, these fall favorites are not flowers at all, but large, dense rosettes of colorful, frilly foliage richly variegated with cream, white, green, pink, rose, and purple – the perfect fall palette.

• Kale leaves are frilly-edged and sometimes deeply cut or lobed. 
• Cabbage leaves tend to have a smoother appearance with a wavy leaf edge. 

While the typical large ornamental cabbage and kale varieties are readily available at this time of year, you can also try more unusual options, including dwarf varieties, suitable for planters, and upright, tall, long-stemmed varieties that are useful in fall floral arrangements.

Unlike most other fall ornamentals, these cold-tolerant annuals improve in appearance after a frost or two, bringing out more intense and brilliant colors in their foliage – perfect for use as both an autumn accent plant mixed with other fall favorites or as a specimen plant, commanding all the attention. Initially select your ornamental cabbage and kale for the leaf texture as the true leaf color will not be recognized until after temperatures have cooled down quite a bit. 

Our favorite tried and true varieties include:

Cabbages

• Color Up 
  Grows upright with green leaves surrounding a center of white, pink, or magenta.

• Osaka Cabbage 
  A compact plant with large, smooth, wavy leaves boasting a center of white, pink, or jewel-toned purple.

Kales

• Crane  
  When grown close together, Crane is a tall variety, perfect for cutting and using in floral arrangements.

• Peacock
  This extra fancy variety sports deeply cut, frilly, loose leaves in purple, magenta, and white.

Planting 

Popular in fall borders, grouped in planting drifts, or planted in containers for the deck or patio, ornamental cabbage and kale typically grow to 12-18” high and wide, depending on the cultivar. Plant these fall jewels in September and early October, at least 12” apart, depending on the variety, in an area with full sun that has rich, moist, well-drained soil. 

• In Ground 
  If planting in the ground, add a shovel full of compost to each planting hole to enrich the native soil. Also, sprinkle in a small handful of starter fertilizer to get your cabbage and kale off to a healthy start.

• In Containers
  When planting in pots, planters, urns, and window boxes, it is best to plant using lightweight, nutritious potting soil. Don’t forget the fertilizer! A slow-release fertilizer will feed your plants, with no additional effort, all season long. 

Cabbage and Kale Tip

While these plants are quite similar to the cabbage and kale cooked in the kitchen and consumed in salads, soups, and stews, it is important to note that ornamental varieties are cultivated for color and shape rather than taste. If you’d like to use them in the kitchen, use them as a garnish only. They are more attractive than tasty, and their proper place is in the garden.  

Enjoy your ornamental cabbage and kale during the cold months of the year as once they begin to bolt in the spring, sending up their flower stalks, it is time to pull them up and replace them with late spring and summer flowering annuals. This fall, however, try several new varieties planted in both containers and directly into the garden. You’ll love the long-lasting color that they’ll bring to your surroundings.

Many gardeners believe garden gloves are easy to do without. Those of us who love gardening enjoy the feel of soil running through our fingers, and we don’t mind the line of dirt under our fingernails. We prefer to not have anything impede the dexterity needed to sow small seeds or pinch a plant, and we like the textures of the plants we cultivate. We would rather spend our budgeted gardening dollars on the latest herbaceous sensation rather than unnecessary gloves, and, frankly, nobody likes sweaty hands.

Why Gloves Matter

Despite the prejudice against covering our hands, gloves are the single most important piece of garden clothing that a person should own. In addition to the fact that they come in every color and pattern under the sun, making them an attractive and matching accessory to your garden wardrobe, garden gloves provide many benefits, such as…

• Improving your grip on tools, minimizing accidental drops that can damage expensive tools.
• Keeping hands warm in cold weather so we can garden in comfort even in early spring or late fall.
• Keeping hands dry in wet weather to prevent skin irritation and problems that could limit our gardening.
• Preventing contact with animal waste that may carry bacteria, mites or other pests that could harbor diseases.
• Helping avert calluses and blisters that can make even simple gardening tasks painful and unpleasant.
• Protecting hands from cuts, splinters and thorn pricks from aggressive plants so we aren’t limited in our gardening choices.
• Preventing contact with poisonous plant oils that cause rashes and allergic dermatitis.
• Keeping nails clean and help prevent nail breakage so our hands can be as beautiful as our garden.
• Protecting from soil borne fungal and bacterial infections that could be spread around the garden easily.

With so many great reasons to use garden gloves, which ones should you choose?

Selecting Gloves

Gardening gloves come in an almost limitless array of colors, styles and patterns. Features may include…

• Different types of fabric or weave densities that affect air circulation to keep hands cool and comfortable
• Anti-slip grips or rubber palms and fingers for excellent traction in all types of gardening conditions
• Broad, wide cuffs for an easy fit or snug, form-fitting cuffs for a secure fit that won’t let in any dirt or debris
• Different sizes and proportions to suit men, women and children

With so many gloves on the market there’s a style available for every garden chore, season, weather condition, hand size and preference. Check out our selection today. We are happy to help you choose a pair or two that work best for you and your gardening needs.

Fall is an excellent time to start a compost pile with all of the leaves falling, and if you develop compost now, you will have a rich source of organic material for your garden and flowerbeds in spring. Getting started with compost is fairly simple if you keep in mind the following…

• Size Matters
  Smaller particles break down faster than larger chunks. Shredding or mulching garden wastes will help speed up the process and develop usable compost faster. Chop up larger pieces of household materials before adding them to your compost pile to speed up their decomposition.
• Take a Turn for the Better
  Turning helps aerate the pile and shifts outer parts closer to the center where they can heat and decompose more effectively. A well-mixed pile will also have better consistency and more evenly distributed nutrients. Use a pitchfork, spade or rake to gently turn your pile periodically, such as once every 1-2 weeks or whenever you add a large amount of new material to the pile.
• Know What to Compost
  Materials that can be composted are sod, grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw, manure, chopped corncobs, corn stalks, sawdust, shredded newspaper, wood ashes, hedge clippings and many kinds of plant refuse from the garden. Some household waste, such as coffee grounds, banana peels, eggshells and vegetable peelings are also ideal for a compost pile and will reduce the trash you accumulate.
• Avoid Unwanted Materials
  Materials to avoid composting are large amounts of weeds, grease, fat, meat scraps and bones, cheese, coal ashes, diseased plants, cut weeds and charcoal. These materials do not decompose readily and can create poor quality compost. For example, meat, grease or dairy products in your compost will begin to smell strongly, which could attract rats, raccoons or other unwanted visitors. Diseased plants or weeds can survive in a compost pile, contaminating your garden when you add the compost to the soil in spring.
• Cover as Needed
  Covering your compost pile with a tarp or large piece of carpet can help preserve the heat and moisture essential to promote appropriate decomposition. The cover can also keep the pile from freezing or getting too wet in winter conditions, and it can easily be removed to add new material or turn the pile as needed.

Before you toss out your next bag of trash, check for compost material and start your pile today! Your garden will thank you tomorrow.

All containerized plants that are considered hardy in your zone can spend the winter outdoors, but you do need to take a little special care to keep them safe and comfortable as temperatures drop. Despite their hardiness, winter is still a challenging season, but it is possible to keep your container plants healthy until the days grow longer and warmer again.

Options to Overwinter Your Container Plants

• In the late summer or fall, removed the plant from its container and plant it in the ground while the soil is still warm. Another method is to bury the pot, with the plant in it, in the garden and remove the pot following spring. Both of these methods will help insulate the root system, preventing it from freezing solid and killing the root system.
• Place containerized plants in an unheated garage but along a heated wall. This is an excellent method for very large pots or porous pots that tend to break apart from the constant cycle of freezing and thawing, and so would not be very hardy if buried. For extra root protection and insulation, wrap the pots in plastic bubble wrap or wrap an old comforter or quilt around the pots.
• Group pots together along the sunny side of your house or shed. If this area is windy, create a windscreen with stakes and burlap. Place bales of straw or hay around the perimeter of the grouping up against the pots to further protect plants from cold winds. Fill in areas between pots with mulch, shredded leaves, grass clippings or hay for insulation. Lay evergreen branches or place a layer of mulch on top of the pots for additional protection.
• Use a cold frame covered with plastic or Reemay fabric to help control temperatures and reduce light as well, helping plants stay dormant in winter. It will still be necessary to use mulch, shredded leaves or hay around and in-between pots for insulation. Rodent control, such as Havahart traps, may be necessary when using this method.

Watering Container Plants in Winter

Make sure that plants go into the winter with moist soil so that there is water available to plant roots. Check soil moisture occasionally, never allowing it to dry completely. It is also a very good idea to spray needled and broadleaf evergreens with an anti-desiccant. This acts as a protective coating for plant foliage and stems as it helps them retain moisture.

With just a little care and forethought, you can easily prepare containers for winter without risking the plants and arrangements you have so carefully cultivated.

Fall is here and after hiding inside in the cool comfort of our air conditioning through the hottest, driest, buggiest time of the year, our interest in revisiting the outdoors is renewed. Reemerging from self-imposed exile into the garden, it is pure joy and a relief to witness the tenacity of late season bloomers that have had to bear, with no assistance or relief, the dog days of summer. One such plant, reliable and prolific, is Clematis virginiana, better known as Devil’s Darning Needle.

Devil’s Darning Needle – also called Devil’s Hair, Love Vine and Woodbine – is a North American native vine. It is very similar in habit and appearance to the Japanese native, Sweet Autumn Clematis (C. terniflora) that most of us are familiar with, yet Devil’s Darning Needle is not as aggressive and can be better controlled in the landscape. C. virginiana is a vigorous, twining, deciduous vine, growing about 15 feet in a season. This plant is in best form when planted next to a supporting structure such as an arbor, trellis, fence, tree or shrub. Its quick growth rate makes this an excellent choice where quick privacy is needed, such as along a fence, shielding a patio or forming a wall around a deck. If unsupported, it will sprawl along the ground.

What makes this plant so alluring is its annual, overwhelming display of 1 and 1/4 inch, highly fragrant, star-shaped, pure white blossoms produced in billowy masses in the fall followed by ornamental, silvery, plume-like seed heads. Both flowers and seed heads work well in floral arrangements. Either in the yard or in a vase, this prolific bloomer will not disappoint.

Devil’s Darning Needle is easy to grow. As a low-maintenance vine, it is rarely troubled by pests or disease. It performs well in moist to wet soil of average fertility and prefers full sun to part shade, although it will thrive and bloom in considerable shade. Supplemental watering may be necessary during times of drought. In late winter or early spring, prune C. virginiana back hard to about one foot from the ground to encourage spring growth, but be certain to leave at least two strong buds on each stem. During the growing season, monitor the vine if it is growing through a shrub to make certain that the shrub is not being overwhelmed. No special care is needed to trim it back to control size, but it can be pruned for shape if desired.

Devil’s Darning Needle can be an amazing addition to your landscape, and its late summer and early fall beauty is sure to delight just when other plants begin to fade.