If you grow any vegetables at all, chances are that you want to raise a couple tomatoes. Since the flavor of a homegrown tomato far surpasses the store bought fruit, many choose to devote a sunny space to this plant. But raising great tomatoes can be challenging on Cape Cod, primarily due to early blight.…

We are coming out of a cold, wet spring and although the weather has improved at the end of May, it’s important to be aware that the consequences of the damp, cool conditions will be seen later in the summer. Here are a few things you’ll need to be aware of. In addition to the…

For many it’s a Mother’s Day tradition to buy a colorful hanging basket to celebrate the holiday and kick off the summer flower season. It’s a favorite time for our staff at the garden center because every hook and beam is filled with beautiful hanging plants. It’s a celebration of abundant bloom for everyone. Many…

In mid-May many people are wondering if it’s too late to prune their shrubs. Some have delayed spring cleanup because the weather has been so cold and damp while others just haven’t gotten to it yet. But here’s the good news: pruning is a great way to get outside and reconnected with nature, and you…

We frequently hear our customers ask about what fertilizer they should use, so I asked a few staff members to recommend their favorites. Here are their picks for lawns, planting, houseplants and established gardens. Lawn/Turf Fertilizer recommended by Chris Stokes, Garden Department Manager: Espoma Organic All Season Lawn Food Established Landscape and Gardens Fertilizer recommended…

Buying potted, forced bulbs in the early spring is a great way to reconnect with nature: we celebrate the return of bright colors and flowers to the landscape and rejoice at the start of the growing season. After those bulbs finish flowering many wonder if it’s possible to place the plants in the soil so…

As I do design consultations for our customers, a frequent question is “When can I plant these?” or “What’s the best time to plant?” and at this time of year the answer is “Whenever the plants are available in the garden center.” In the spring we have trucks rolling in daily, and the plants immediately…

There are several ways that planting cold-hardy vegetables help people to discover wellness. First, putting these plants in the garden in early spring lifts our spirits and gets our bodies moving. We are finally out and about in the natural world, and this alone is beneficial. Secondly, in our gardens we can grow food that…

It’s the beginning of April and we’re all anxious to get outside to see growth and flowers. But on Cape Cod April can be as cold, or even colder than March. We are stuck at the intersection of Winter and Planting Season. Plants that we can put in containers and in the ground right now…

At Country Garden we know that plants, gardens, and beautiful landscapes are healing, life-supporting places. So we were very pleased to see an article in the New York Times this week on how many hospitals are including plants and gardens in the healing therapy programs for their patients. We are aware, however, that you don’t…

March is a great month for advance planning, but when we think about what we’ll plant this spring and summer, don’t forget to access how your landscape looks now. I don’t know about you, but the view out some of my windows in the winter and early spring is of tree trunks, oak leaves, and random…

I find that the early spring is a great time to repot houseplants. Since the days are getting longer this is giving all plants the signal that it’s time to grow, and if you put some of your plants out for “summer camp” in late May, they will be well adjusted to their new digs…