When it comes to starting seeds indoors, timing is everything. In February our customers frequently want to know if it’s too early to start their tomato seeds. They ask if it’s OK to begin to grow other vegetable plants and flowers inside. Some seeds can be started quite early indoors while others are best left…

If you’ve had trouble germinating seeds or rooting cuttings in the past, your soil might have been too cold. Soil temperatures are actually more important than room temperatures for seed sprouting, and a heat mat that’s made for plants can help. Heat mats are designed to be on 24 hours a day and keep flats…

I was cooking with a friend a few years back and touched my thumb to a pan that had just come out of the oven. I held the minor burn under cold water for a time, and then asked my friend for ice. To my surprise, she brought me not only an ice cube, but…

I spoke to a man today who was planning on planting a vegetable garden in 2018 for the first time. He wondered what he should be thinking about now that might help him jumpstart this project. “What does the new vegetable grower need to know?” What a great question…the information applies not only to the…

Many of our customers worry that the green fuzz that is on the branches of their shrubs and trees is hurting their plants. People often notice that the tops of a tree have died and there are greenish, furry looking growths on those branches. This is lichen and many wonder if they should be scraping…

Have you ever gotten together with a group of friends on an occasion when everyone is in the kitchen creating some part of a meal? If so, you’ve undoubtedly discovered the simple pleasure of talking, laughing and cooking in a group. In such events we learn that sometimes the best celebrations are when we come…

There are so many reasons that we love paperwhite Narcissus, but many people ask “How do I keep narcissus foliage upright?” At the time of year when the days are short and it’s getting cold it’s uplifting to have something that we can watch grow. Paperwhites sprout and grow quickly even when planted on a shallow layer…

Two weeks ago we gave you a few ideas for your gift list.  Here are a few more suggestions for some of those hard-to-buy-for people and others. For your mother who was plagued by rabbits all last summer. They ate her flowers, herbs and vegetables and so she felt bombarded by bunnies through the entire…

Or, “Why did my…..turn brown and look dead so suddenly this fall?” I’ve gotten emails, phone calls and text messages from all over Cape Cod with this question. For many it’s their Japanese maples or Hydrangea shrubs that are in question. But others ask about Viburnum, Weigelia, burning bush, beech trees and other shrubs or…

In the holiday season we can easily figure out gifts for some of our friends and family members. But others are more challenging to shop for. Here is part 1 of the Country Garden Present Problem Solver...our suggestions for interesting, unexpected, but oh-so-appreciated gifts.  For The Person Who Doesn’t Need “More Stuff”  For Your Favorite…

One of the things our custom department does at the holidays is to make boxwood and mixed greens trees in oasis. We sell plain trees for those who want to decorate one themselves, and we offer pre-decorated trees in assorted styles. These trees are fun to make and every year we offer workshops and teach…

I was having fun in the garden center today getting ready for Christmas. I’ve done arrangements and wreaths in our custom department for over 15 years now, and I’ve seen that our customers love the holidays and Cape Cod. They appreciate decorations that celebrate Christmas and this seaside region. Many of the wreaths we make have shells, netting and…