Menu

Heather O'Bryan

About Heather O'Bryan

Social Media Manager, Content Creator and Head Writer for Guilford Garden Center.

Posts by Heather O'Bryan:

Fall Blooming Perennials

Fall Blooming Perennials

It’s fall, Y’all, and many perennials have been developing their buds all summer, just in time to explode open in this cooler weather.  Although most people may think the colors of the season are in the orange, red and brown families, fall blooming perennials can be all colors of the rainbow!  Here are some fall bloomers to consider for your gardens.

Symphyotrichum – Also known as American aster, this classic fall blooming perennial sports bright purple flowers that are attractive to pollinators.  Aster is a North American native which makes it a great choice for the wildlife in your area. It is also deer resistant, which we can all use! To keep your aster compact and blooming in autumn, give it a haircut in early summer to encourage new growth.

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ – This beauty is easy to recognize by its dusty pink flower heads and fleshy, plump succulent leaves.  ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum will grow those flower heads all summer long, and you may think to yourself that they may never open up, but once the weather turns cooler they put on their flowery show!   ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum is a great fall pollinator supporter so expect to see many late butterflies and moths visiting them.

Rudbeckia – Black eyed Susan is a staple of the fall garden with its typical fall colors of yellow and orange.  Although this native perennial blooms in summer, if deadheaded, it can carry on the color party through early fall. After the blooms fade, leave the seed heads up through winter and it will feed many species of native birds during hard, cold times.

Canna – This tropical looking plant actually looks best in early fall.  Canna spends most of its time growing huge, upright leaves while late summer and early fall are when it starts to show its beautiful, brightly colored flowers.  Cannas come in a variety of leaf and flower colors and can make a very special addition to your landscape.

Chrysanthemum – This most sought after fall perennial is mostly treated as an annual nowadays. The mums you buy as annuals can indeed be planted in-ground, but remember they must be cut back in early summer so that they will not bloom early, before autumn.  If you leave them in their pots, they will most likely not make it through the winter. Mums come in a huge variety of colors including yellow, orange, purple, white, red and pink.

Grasses – Indeed, the feathery seed heads of grasses are considered blooms and can add a beautiful texture to the landscape.  There are all types of growth habits and bloom colors of grasses.  Some natives to consider are Muhly grass with its feathery pink seed heads and Panicum with its blue colored blades.

Eutrochium – Also known as Joe Pye Weed, this US native is a pollinator’s dream plant.  This plant is usually found near rivers and creeks, which means it is great for moist (but not soggy) areas.  Joe Pye Weed has a sweet fragrant, purple flower on long stalks.  It is perfect for a back of the border planting, but make sure to give it plenty of support for its tall growth habit.

Echinacea – Coneflowers are a gardener’s favorite flower and for good reason.  This plant comes in a wide variety of colors, including white, orange and even green. Echinacea is a US native and grows well in full sun and part shade.  It will bloom all summer, but to keep it blooming in fall, it will need to be deadheaded often.  Just like the black eyed Susan, leaving the seed heads up through the winter will feed many birds during the cold months.

Fall is a great time to plant perennials. The days are warm and the nights are cool, which promote root growth and retention of water making for a quick and easy establishment.  Always plant your perennials with compost, organic fertilizer, and soil enhancer if you have dense, clay soil.  These will ensure a happy and healthy plant.

You can get all these fall blooming perennials, and more, at Guilford Garden Center.  We look forward to seeing you!

Fall Garden Mum Care

Fall Garden Mum Care

Mums are all the rage in October.  They are a special plant prized for their fall-like colors and long blooming time.  Mums were first grown as perennials but nowadays are used as annuals to mark the beginning of autumn.

When shopping for mums, choosing the right one for your needs is important.  Consider what you’re using them for.  For example, if the purpose is to decorate for a gathering, look for mums with mostly open flowers.  These will dazzle your guests with fresh, bright blossoms on full, dense plants.

If you are looking for mums to grace your porch for the remainder of the warmer weather, look for ones that have not opened their buds yet.  If you care about their color, find some with one or two buds showing.  This ensures that the mums will last all season until the frost comes to claim them, and you will have the colors you desire.

Once your mums have been chosen, it’s time to learn how to care for them.  Watering is essential, of course, but mums don’t like being watered from above as it can foster fungal infection on the leaves, effectively damaging the plant.  To avoid this, water at the base of the plant at the soil level when the first 2 inches of soil are dry.  The easiest way to check for soil dryness is with your index finger.  Just insert it into the soil 2 inches and see if the plant needs watering.

Sunlight is also a top priority for your mums, whether you have them in containers or in the ground. They must have 6-8 hours of sunlight to be happy and healthy.  Full sun is the only option for fall blooming garden mums.

To keep your mums blooming all season, it is important to deadhead regularly.  When blooms are spent, snip them off to allow lower buds to emerge and open.  This will keep them clean and colorful for the whole season.

If you decide to plant your mums in the ground, remember to include soil enhancer, compost and organic plant food to ensure a good establishment.  Protect your planted mums with at least 2 inches of mulch for insulation during winter.

Mums are a colorful and happy presence on porches and in gardens this time of year.  Taking care of them is top priority so that they last all the way through fall for optimum enjoyment.

We have many different mums available now at Guilford Garden Center, each with a different color and style to fit your fall flower needs.  See you soon!

Fall is the Best Time to Plant!

Fall is the Best Time to Plant!

, , ,

When the leaves begin to turn and the cool breezes begin to blow, that means plants are gearing up for an underground party!  When the leaves fall it would seem that plants and trees are going dormant, but that’s not the case at all!  In fact, the roots of plants are growing the most during the colder months, they’re just hiding it well.

One reason root growth is so prominent in autumn is due to the retention of water.  When the temperatures are cooler, moisture doesn’t evaporate as quickly, leaving it in the ground for plants to take up and hydrate after a long hot summer.  Water retention in the soil can also help roots find their way through the hard clay soils of North Carolina by softening them and filling air pockets.  

Another reason why fall is the best time to plant new trees, shrubs and even perennials, is due to the warmer days and cooler nights.  Cool nights take the pressure and stress off newly installed plants while the warm, sunny days promote root growth for a quicker establishment.    

Planting in autumn is easier on the gardener as well.  Without the summer sun heating up the day, gardeners can spend more time outside tending to their plants without overheating, but sunblock should still be used.

Dividing perennials is a good fall task to take on.  After splitting the plant into 3 sections, the new plants can now be installed separately without too much worry about stress.

Many pests and diseases are taking a break during the cool seasons making plants healthier and less stressed.  Breezy days keep disease from settling on plants while insects have done most of their damage and are now preparing to overwinter.  

Autumn is a wonderfully beautiful and complex season, full of wonder and surprisingly, growth.  Come visit us at Guilford Garden Center to pick up some trees, shrubs and perennials now so your garden can flourish this spring!

Fall Veggie Planting Guide

Fall Veggie Planting Guide

, , , ,

September is the perfect time to start cleaning up the summer veggie garden and start planting fall crops.  Since the Greensboro area has moved into the 8B planting zone, the growing seasons are extended with a first frost date of October 31.  There are plenty of fall veggies that can be grown in two months time and some that can even grow after the frost date.  Here are a few veggies that should be put in-ground now for a fall harvest. 

Lettuces – Since the only thing you need to harvest from lettuce is the leaves, it stands to reason that this crop is quickly grown and quickly harvested.  Choose varieties that are considered “cut and come again” like ‘Buttercrunch’ and ‘Black Seeded Simpson’.  Lettuces that grow heads, such as icebergs and romain style, may not finish growing in time before frost.

Spinach – Another leafy veggie, this cool weather loving plant will flourish in the chilly evenings in fall.  There are even varieties, such as ‘Bloomsdale Long Standing’, that will grow throughout winter.  For more tender spinach, look for ‘Baby’s Leaf’ and the hybrid, ‘Double Choice’. Spinach is  a cut and come again crop, but can be planted in succession all through the cool and colder months for a quicker harvesting time.

Beets – These root veggies are a staple in cool season gardens and are easy to plant by seed.  In fact, it’s the preferred method to plant any root vegetable by seed so they can establish quicker.  Some of the best beet varieties include ‘Golden Detroit’, ‘Chiogga” and ‘Detroit Dark Red’.  Beets can be left in the ground through winter, if properly mulched, until ready to eat, so plant now and harvest at will throughout the cold months.

Cole Crops – This heading includes several different vegetables that are in the mustard family such as kale, kohlrabi, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and collards.  All of these veggies prefer cooler weather to grow and therefore are great fall and spring crops.  Some, such as kale, are hardy after the frost date and can continue to produce well into the winter.  Cole crops grow a bit slower so plant them as veggie starts instead of seeds now so they have plenty of time to grow to harvest size before the frost.

Radish – Beginning gardeners rejoice!  Radish is the absolute easiest vegetable to grow and is highly recommended for first time gardeners.  Harvest turn-around time for this simple crop is very fast so you can plant multiple times before the frost arrives. Since radish is a root vegetable, plant as seeds and watch the magic happen.

Carrots – Carrots are a simple crop to grow, although because their roots are what is eaten, it takes some time for them to grow.  To harvest earlier, before the last frost date, try growing shorter carrots such as ‘Little Finger’ or ‘Short N Sweet’.  These carrots have much shorter days to maturity making them perfect for fall gardening.  Always plant carrots as seeds due to their fast growing taproot.

Fall is usually a time of plants going dormant and losing leaves to prepare for winter, but in the vegetable garden there is plenty of growing to be had.  We challenge you to start your own fall

How to Have a Luscious Lawn

How to Have a Luscious Lawn

, , , ,

With fall around the corner, now is the time to start contemplating how to seed your lawn.  Cooler temps combined with more rain make the perfect environment to start grass seed.  Here are a few things to consider when planning to bulk up your turf.  

Sunlight – Grass is a plant and therefore needs the same light conditions as the other plants in your yard.  To completely know your sun exposure throughout your yard, make a rudimentary map of where you’d like to build up the grass.  Make note, every 2 hours, if there is sun, dappled shade or complete shade in the areas throughout the day.  This knowledge will be useful when choosing the right seed mix for the areas.  If you have a full shade area with less than 4 hours of sun, know that grass will not thrive in that space.

Soil Health – Making sure to test your soil before seeding can be the difference between success and failure.  The North Carolina Cooperative Extension has a thorough soil test that is free, unless you are testing at peak season (December through March).  They will test for minerals specific for turf, such as the main macronutrients Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK).  These three nutrients are critical to the health of all plants.  Nitrogen helps with healthy, green leaf growth.  Phosphorus helps with root development and promotes efficient photosynthesis.  Potassium toughtens the plant, helping it to stay alive during drought. If these need adjusting, a soil test will tell you. The test results may also include recommendations to add lime to lower acidic soils, which is prominent in North Carolina clay.  Iron may also be suggested to help quickly green up any brown grass presently in your lawn. 

Aeration – Since NC has mostly dense, clay soils, compaction can be an issue. Aeration is a great way to break up the soil while also providing air, water and nutrients to seeds and existing root systems alike. There are multiple ways to aerate your lawn including hand pulling plugs or renting an aerator that can be pulled behind your lawn mower. 

Overseeding – Like mentioned above, grass is a plant and is grown for its leaves.  Some are annual and some are perennial.  A good mix of both can help during times of stressful weather to keep your lawn looking full.  Each seed can put up to 10 leaves (also known as blades), which in the turf world, is not much.  Overseeding ensures that there are more than enough seeds to make a lush carpet of turf grass.

Once you are prepared for seeding your lawn it is time to choose the right blend for your  particular plot of land.  The Greensboro area is considered a “Transition Zone” when it comes to grasses, meaning we are between the areas of the country that prefer cool season and warm season grasses, therefore seed blends are more important than ever for this area.  Seed mixes include multiple species that do well in certain sun, heat and water conditions. Here are some blends we carry, which are specific to the North Carolina region.

Carolina All Purpose Blend –  This blend from Wyatt-Quarles is tailored for the heat and humidity of the southern US.  It is drought tolerant and can grow in full sun to part shade with ease.  The turfs in this blend sport a vibrant green color and are soft, yet tough, making the lawn hardy and beautiful.   

Shady Nook Lawn Mix – Wyatt-Quarles Shady Nook is a mixture of perennial grasses that perform well in part shade or full sun and is adaptable to the Piedmont and mountains of North Carolina. Shady Nook contains turf-type fescues, creeping red fescue, and improved heat tolerant Bluegrass. 

Top Choice Landscapers Mix – This premium turf-type tall fescue blend is formulated for the Southern homeowner. It utilizes varieties that are proven winners in national and regional trials. It boasts exceptional density and color, is great for high traffic performance and is drought tolerant. This seed grows well in sun and shade. The tall fescue prefers warmer soil for germination, typically 55°F to 58°F. In the “Transition Zone” this is typically early spring and early fall.

Having a beautiful lawn that your neighbors envy is not too hard.  Just follow these steps and choose the right seed blend for your sun exposure and you will have a lush carpet of green in your yard in no time.  We have everything you need to get started at Guilford Garden Center!

All You Need to Know About Cottage Gardens

All You Need to Know About Cottage Gardens

, , ,

One of the hottest trends in the plant world at the moment is cottage gardens.  These gardens are perfect for beginner and more advanced gardeners alike because they utilize both perennials, which are easy to grow and return every year, and annuals, which bring instant color and enjoyment to garden spaces.

Cottage gardens are known for their wild and often unruly look, but in truth, they are planned and executed to the gardeners’ desire.  Here are some tips to design and implement your first cottage garden, just in time for fall annuals.

Start Small – When starting your cottage garden, create your first plan in a small area that is easily contained.  Starting small can be the difference between success and failure.  

Choose the corner where your driveway meets the yard, or maybe a small section of your foundation garden.   

Choose Your Favorites – Since Cottage gardens are a mix of all sorts of flowers and colors, make a list of your favorites.  Research different varieties of your favorites.  You may find new colors or flower styles you haven’t seen before.  Don’t limit your plan to just one color or variety of your favorites.  You can have it all in a cottage garden!

Plant Wisely – When planting your flowers, make sure to plan for the adult size of the plant. Give room for the plant to grow and receive the light it needs and good airflow to keep disease at bay.  This will also ensure that flowers do not crowd eachother and you can enjoy seeing them all.

Mix Them Well – Cottage gardens are particularly lovely when the annuals and perennials are mixed together in unpredictable ways.  Although not a hard and fast rule, try not to let two of the same plant be next to eachother.  This will give the wildflower effect that is so prized in these garden styles.

Replace Annuals – When the annuals in your cottage garden start to wither, replace them with ones that are more suitable to the weather.  For example, pansies are a great choice for early spring, petunias for summer and mums for fall.  There are of course others available for the seasons, choose your favorites.

Cottage gardens can be a great way to bring lots of floral color into the landscape and the upcoming autumn season is a perfect time to implement them.  Planting perennials in fall is the preferred time due to the cooler weather and less dry conditions.  Annuals are happy to thrive in these conditions as well.  

If you would like a cottage garden in your landscape, but are not sure where to begin, let us help you at Guilford Garden Center with our DIY Design service, where we can work together to make a beautiful garden for your space.   

Cut Flower Gardens

Cut Flower Gardens

, ,

The summer flowers are putting on a show before they turn to seed in autumn.  It’s a great time to harvest them for the purpose of bringing their beauty indoors.  Cut flower bouquets are a wonderful way to enjoy the flowers that adorn the landscape..  Here are some great flowers to grow for their beauty outside and in.

Zinnia – Bright and colorful, these flowers are tall and plentiful.  Cutting them back encourages double the regrowth and double the flowers!  Zinnias are best planted by seed, although they do come in annual packs as well.  If you leave the dead stalks over the winter, they will not only feed birds but also reseed and return the next year.  Zinnas prefer full sun.

Hydrangea – The big, large, fluffy blooms of the hydrangea shrub make beautiful bouquets. The shrubs are so plentiful with flowers that cutting several for a vase of water will not affect the overall look of the bush.  Hydrangea are available in bot shae and sun loving.  

Dahlia – Oh the lovely large blossoms of the dahlia.  There are so many colors and flower shapes.  Dahlias are mostly bought and planted by tubers, just after the last frost.  Most will need to be dug up and overwintered in a cool, dry place.  Although they can be tricky to grow, the outcome is spectacular with some of the best cut flowers out there.  Dahlias prefer full sun.

Peony – These spring bloomers sport huge, fluffy, beautifully colored flowers that are just begging for a gorgeous vase to reside.  Peonies are easy to grow but do suffer from powdery mildew so make sure to have treatment on hand for the disease.  Plant peonies in full sun so they can produce many fragrant and colorful flowers.  

Pennisetum – Grasses can make great cut flowers as well, adding more texture to a bouquet of blooms.  Use either the actual blades of the grass or the fluffy seed heads in your next bouquet.  Pennisetum prefers full sun.  

These are just 5 choices for cut flower gardens.  There are many more annuals, perennials and shrubs that can be used in making a beautiful flower arrangement.  Come check out our selection at Guilford Garden Center and ask one of our associates about the best cut flowers we have in stock!

If you don’t have these plants in your garden now, consider coming to our workshop tomorrow where we will be learning to make cut flower arrangements with Deep River Flower Farm!  Register Here.

Pruning Hydrangeas: The Ultimate Guide

Pruning Hydrangeas: The Ultimate Guide

, ,

Pruning Hydrangeas
Pruning Hydrangeas: The Ultimate Guide

When fall begins to arrive, many turn to maintenance endeavors in the garden.  Cleaning of the vegetable garden, dividing perennials and pruning back shrubs.  But not all shrubs should be pruned this time of year.  Hydrangeas, for example,  are a staple in the southern garden but not all are alike.  In fact, there are 3 main types of hydrangeas and each has different rules for pruning.  

The big leaf hydrangea is the shade loving shrub with colorful balls of blooms, usually shades of blue or pink, that grandmothers and their grandmother have grown for generations.  Most of these old varieties of hydrangeas bloom in spring on “old wood”, meaning stems and branches that were there on the shrub the previous year. Buds are formed on these branches quite soon after the current year’s blooms fade and dry, so prune after they bloom, typically in May or June.

Paniculata are newer cultivars of the genus hydrangea, also called “Pee Gee”.  These shrubs prefer mostly sun and sport more cone shaped blossom clusters which show up in mid summer.  They are not as particular about soil conditions as the big leaf hydrangeas and thus can withstand many different soil qualities and textures.  Panicle hydrangeas typically bloom on “new wood”, which means the new growth produces buds and eventually blossoms.  Pruning these hydrangeas are a bit easier due to this fact.  They can be cut back in fall through early spring, many preferring to prune in December or January while dormant.

The third type of hydrangea to consider is the smooth hydrangea.  This shrub blooms on new wood, but typically has very large, heavy mop-head flower clusters.  These shrubs should be pruned in early spring before the new growth occurs.  Pruning heavily, to one foot from the ground, is suggested to encourage shorter and more stout stems for the heavy blooms.   

There are several other hydrangeas to consider.  For example Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood and must be pruned when their flowers begin to fade.  There are also climbing hydrangeas which may need to be trimmed from time to time to keep their unruly vines neat and tidy, which is best done in early spring. 

If any of your hydrangeas have dead branches, they can be pruned out at any time.  Cold snaps may also be an issue with hydrangeas that bloom on old wood, so keep any eye on the weather in early spring. If temps dip below the 30s, cover your shrubs with frost protection to ensure buds will stay intact.  

Hydrangeas are one of the most confusing plants when it comes to knowing when to cut them back.  Hopefully this information can help you have beautiful blooms for years to come!

Powdery Mildew Solutions

Powdery Mildew Solutions

, ,

Surely the signs of a few weeks of wet weather are starting to show in gardens and yards across the area.  Mushrooms popping up in yards, shelf fungus showing up on tree trunks, and powdery mildew plaguing the broadleaves of perennials and vegetable plants, alike.

Although powdery mildew is not necessarily caused by water, it does show up when evenings are cool and days are hot, which is what the rain storms have presented in these past few weeks of summer.  

Powdery mildew looks just as it sounds, powder-like, white blotches sprinkled all over plants with wide leaves.  It can affect both the leaves and flowers alike.  

Some plants susceptible to this fungal disease are bee balm, tall garden phlox, zinnia, peonies, sunflowers, crape myrtles, magnolias, and big-leaf hydrangeas.  Looking toward the vegetable garden, you may also notice powdery mildew on pumpkins, squashes, watermelons, and sometimes even tomatoes. 

Do not fret, there are ways of dealing with this pesky, but not deadly fungus.

The first culprit in inviting powdery mildew to your garden is overcrowding.  Make sure your plants have plenty of airflow between plants.  In the vegetable garden, take care to plant with the adult size in mind, giving lots of room between them to grow. In planting beds, dividing perennials can go a long way in combating overcrowding, making your plants healthier, and avoiding powdery mildew.  Dividing should be done every 3 years to ensure the best for your plants.  

Choosing disease-resistant varieties is another way to keep powdery mildew at bay.  Some examples of plants to look for are Natchez crape myrtle, Profusion zinnias, Itoh peony, and the Balmy line of bee balms.  

But if you already have powdery mildew-prone plants in your landscape and veggie garden, there is a way to take care of it; with organic fungicides that target the disease and eradicate it.  These fungicides can be from different sources, including copper, oils, soaps and, even bacteria that eat fungus for dinner.  Apply according to the directions for optimal performance.  

Ultimately powdery mildew is a nuisance more than anything else.  It is not dangerous to your plants and will not kill them, although it may stunt the growth for the season, but infected plants should bounce back, healthy and happy the following year.  

 

Solutions for Better Watering

Solutions for Better Watering

During the heat of summer, it’s important to set up a watering system that works for your lifestyle and your garden.  There are many ways to engineer this system.  It can be as easy as using a watering can or setting up an irrigation line through your vegetables.  Here are a few ways we can help make watering easier on your back and your garden.

Soaker Hose – These hoses are oh-so easy to use.  Just snake the hose through the garden at the root zone of your plants. If you need a longer hose, you can connect multiple soakers for optimal use.  Once set up, just turn your faucet on and let the hose go to work letting a controlled drip of water escape through its spongy exterior.  For a thorough watering, let your soaker hose run for 30 minutes to an hour.

Digital Water Timer – If you don’t want to turn your soaker hose on every day, we have a solution for that!  Using a digital water timer can save you time and save your garden! These water timers are great for those who aren’t home during the day to turn on the faucet.  You can even set them to go off twice a day, which is great in a heat wave where more water may be needed. 

Tree Gators – These slow water bags are perfect for newly planted, or young trees that need more root establishment.  They are easy to use and can be daisy-chained together for larger trees that may suffer in drought-like conditions.  Simply place the gator around the tree trunk and fill the bag according to the directions.  The bag will slowly drip the water over time and give the tree just the right amount of water.

Water Wands – The perfect hands-on watering is achieved with water wands.  These sprayers deliver massive amounts of water with a soft, airy flow that won’t damage fragile leaves.  Plus they come in a wide range of colors to choose from so you can express yourself in the garden.

Up your water game by implementing these tools in your garden and see how your plants flourish!  You can buy all of these items in our showroom at Guilford Garden Center.

 

Load More