Port Coquitlam
1300 Dominion Ave.
604-942-7518 • 1-800-417-5591
Store Hours:
Monday - Friday 9am - 9pm,
Saturday & Sunday 9am - 6pm
POCO
FALL STARS IN THE GARDEN
Fall can be (and should be!) a glorious display of colour in your garden. There is so much interesting bloomers to choose from that there is no excuse for not having a stunning array of blossoms in your own garden.
This article concentrates on a few varieties of perennials that shine during the months of August and September. Lets begin with crocosmia. Upright, arching stalks of flowers make a great splash of colour in the late summer border, over a clump of green, gladiola-like leaves. We are proud to offer varieties such as Lucifer (brilliant flame-red), Emberglow (also red), Solfaterre (yellow), George Davidson (orange), and Jenny Bloom (yellow).
Next, we have the rudbeckia group. Among the best border perennials available, this is a selection of one of our native North American wildflowers. Plants make a bushy upright clump with a profuse display of brown-eyed daisies from midsummer through the Fall. The seddheads have good winter interest. Growing 2 to 2 ½ feet, we are offering two varieties; Goldstrum (yellow) and Cherry Brandy (deep maroon).
The most diverse group is the echinaceas. We carry 7 varieties that grow from 12 inches to 36 inches tall, and can be double or single blooms. Colours also range from pale yellows to deep pinks. Plants are strong and bushy in habit, ideal for summy borders and growing in mixed containers. Come check out varieties Firebird, Sunrise, Sundown, Twilight, Harvest Moon and Pixie Meadowbrite.
Lastly, you must see the new Shasta daisy Broadway Lights. A remarkable introduction form the Netherlands, this produces daisies in a gorgeous butter-yellow shade fading to ivory, giving a multicoloured effect. It forms a midsized mound of leathery green leaves, ideal for a sunny border. Excellent as a cut flower, its height is from 1 ½ feet to 2 feet tall, zones 5-9.
Success in the Shade
Thinking beyond Hostas
and Ferns
Some of my favourite places in my garden are the shady ones. There is a sense of peacefulness and calm in the coolness under the trees. In part that sense of calm has been brought about by accepting the limitations and adaptations that are necessary to achieve any degree of gardening success in shady areas. [read more]
Home Grown Always The Best!
Why would you want to grow your own vegetables and herbs?
*Cost - whether you start from seed or from started plants, your home grown veggies will cost less than the produce you buy at the supermarket. Having said that it is important to chose which veggies to grow in the space you havejust because you can grow a multitude of veggies at home doesnt make them all cost-effective choices. [read more]
August “To-Do” list in the Garden
We hope you are getting time to spend in your yards during this month. Remember there well be many a day in the upcoming dreary winter when we will wish we could have August in our garden back even if only for a day. So, in that vein of enjoyment, we have kept the chore list to a minimum, allowing you to relax in your oasis as much as possible.
WATERING More attention should be paid to this task than anything else. Its important to know that established plantings need consistent watering as well as new plantings. If your yard has cedar hedging, we highly recommend using soaker or weeper hoses. This cuts down on the time you spend hand watering and ensures adequate moister at the root level. Cedars are in no way drought tolerant and suffer dramatically during hot, dry spells. We offer Gilmour Soaker and Weeper Hoses at $19.99 per 50 feet.
FEEDING Annuals still benefit from
bi-weekly applications of fertilizers such as
ART KNAPP 20-20-20, ($9.99 per 500g package). Be diligent in your deadheading of spent blooms as this pays off in longer blooming times extending into the fall.
ROSES Due to the cool, wet spring, fungal diseases will continue to be a concern. Even though the weather has since warmed and dried, once diseases like powdery mildew and black spot have taken hold, they wont disappear on their own. We suggest spraying with products such as SAFERS DEFENDER ($12.99 per 1 litre bottle) regularly and maintaining good garden hygiene (removing affected leaves and raking under the bushes). Deadheading consistently is a must.
LAWNS A midsummer feed for your lawn is a good idea as it will carry you into the fall. We suggest ART KNAPPS FABULAWN
24-4-16 ($29.99 per 10kg bag). Always water lawn fertilizers in well so keep this in mind if you are on water restrictions. Apply on your allotted watering day.
PERENNIALS This is a great month for perennials as many only now start coming into their own. We have fresh stock of sedums, chrysanthemums, echinaceas, gallardias and rudbeckias. These are the stars of the perennial gardens for the months of August and September. Be sure to include some in your home gardens. For those flowering perennials already in your garden, deadheading, staking and seed collecting are this months tasks.
PLANTS THAT ATTRACT HUMMINGBIRDS
Abelia grandiflora 3-6 ft. Abelia is a very durable and adaptable shrub with dense, glossy
dark green foliage. It produces hundreds of 1 funnel shaped flowers from early summer until the first frost.
Aster novae-angliae 12-24 Asters grow into a dense mound of light green foliage. In May and through June, the plant will become covered with soft, 1 1/2 white, purple, pink or red flowers.
Azalea Rhododendron 1-8 ft. Azaleas must be grown in an acid soil, with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. The buds for next years blooms will be formed this year, so it important that the faded blooms are removed
Bearded Iris Iris germanica 6-48 Bearded Iris are a rhizomous type of Iris should be planted fertile, well drained soil where they will receive 5-8 hours of sun each day. They are available in almost every color imaginable.
Bee Balm Monarda didyma 2-4 ft. Like other members of the Mint Family, Bee Balm can become invasive. The plant should be divided every 3 years to keep it tidy. Stimulate a second flowering in the same year by cutting the bright crimson flowers right after they bloom
Bougainvillea 2-15 ft. Bougainvilles produce some of the showiest display of colors of all vines. Most cultivars have an upright growth habit, but there are many shrubby varieties and creeping types as well
Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii 6-15 ft. The Butterfly Bush is a fast growing, profuse blooming, deciduous shrub that will grow in almost any type of soil. Prune hard in early spring and remove spent flowers promptly.
[read more]
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