Some customers came up to me at the garden center today with a tropical hibiscus plant. “Are we just wasting our money to plant this on Cape Cod?” the man asked. “Well, if you’re asking if this plant will survive the winter,” I replied, “the answer is no, they won’t live through cold weather. But…

On our recent trip to Pleasant View Gardens in New Hampshire we were excited to see several wonderful new Proven Winners introductions for 2013.  Brenda Barnhart, who is Country Garden’s display and container design expert, was particularly attracted to the Watermelon Charm petunia. “It’s a really striking color,” she says. “I like the fact that…

Three members of our Country Garden Green Team visited Pleasant View Gardens in New Hampshire today. We toured the demonstration gardens and learned about several new introductions from Proven Winners. Some of the plants we’re excited about will be featured in upcoming blogs so check back soon for  a peak at some wonderful annuals that…

Here’s what you can do to keep your yard and garden looking good during the dog days of summer and beyond. Water deeply but not every day. Avoid hand watering except for newly placed or seeded plants…the reality is that hand watering doesn’t soak deeply or in a wide enough area to hydrate your plants.…

Here’s what gardeners are doing in late-July to keep their yards and gardens looking great: Perennials: Cutting less-than-attractive, early flowering perennials down to the ground. Early flowering perennials such as Nepeta, Salvia and Silver Mound Artemisia can get cut to the ground at this time of year. Many times the plant sends up new foliage…

A basket of flowers on the front porch, deck or patio is one of the summer’s pleasures. Hanging containers of annuals provide color that brightens all outdoor spaces. They can even add fragrance to your outdoor living areas or attract hummingbirds. But in order to keep your hanging plant looking its best, you need to…

Variegated boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Variegata’) is a lovely landscape plant that you will appreciate twelve months a year. This shrub thrives in full or part-sun and provides great foliage contrast and garden interest. Variegated boxwood is also attractive in a variety of landscape styles from formal to informal. Although slow growing, this shrub will get…

Many of our customers have perennial gardens that are heavily planted with early-summer flowers. Once this first flush of plants has finished, they wonder how to make their gardens look colorful and neat the rest of the season. Here are some tips for taking care of perennial gardens in July. Deadhead peonies by clipping old…

Do you want a summer-flowering shrub that grows well in hot sun? Would you like a plant that also attracts butterflies and hummingbirds? Then look for Vitex agnus-castus, aka Chaste tree. This plant is native to the Mediterranean regions and loves good drainage and at least six hours of sunlight. The Chaste Tree is a…

All summer. We want our Hydrangeas to stay lovely for as long as possible, right? Many of these wonderful shrubs are the most long-flowering plants we can grow, and there are things you can do to keep the blossoms in peak condition. 1. Hydrangea flowers last longer if the shrubs are shielded from the hot…

It’s a common question from our customers: “Is it too late to plant?”  Many people think that all annuals and vegetables have to be planted by Memorial Day, but this isn’t true. Annuals and most vegetables, not to mention shrubs, perennials, trees and herbs can all be planted throughout the summer. Here’s the low-down on…

Hyannis Country Garden announces that Independence House in Hyannis was chosen to receive a free planting of annuals and perennials. As part of the celebration of Proven Winners Weekend, Country Garden asked individuals to nominate a local non-profit organization that is a “proven winner for Cape Cod.” Sixteen individuals nominated a total of nine different…