Hi teresa,

Based on what you’ve described, it seems as though good old geraniums would thrive as well as an assortment of trailing foliage vines like sweet potato or vinca.  Sometimes that hot afternoon sun, even in small doses, can be powerful enough to allow you to grow many of the sun annuals on the market.  So don’t shy away from wave petunias or sun coleus if you think you get at least 4 hours of hot afternoon sun.

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Hi Jill,

Sunnyside Gardens offers…

Repellex Systemic Pellets: Brand-new systemic deer and rabbit repellent!

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Hi Lorna,

Repels-All by Bonide lists cats on their animal repellent.  I’ve also heard of people deterring the pets by simply applying a layer of shredded mulch to their planters and gardens.  It seems that the cats don’t like to scratch wood chips like they would soil or sand.

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Hi Jane,

You can add the shake and feed at any time.  The slow release fertilizer is pretty mild and will not burn your plants.

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Now is a great time to add that top dressing to your beautiful garden beds.  We’ll help get you going by offering free local delivery of bags of mulch when you buy 10 bags or more. 
Sunnyside has the following varieties of mulch available:
Cypress, Cedar, Cocoa Shell, Brown, Red, Mini Pine Bark, and Regular Pine Bark.
All mulch comes in 2 cubic feet bags.
Wondering how many bags you would need for your yard?
Here are some approximations:
Bag Volume= 2 cubic feet
1 cubic yard= 27 cubic feet
1/2 Yard @1″ Depth= 7 bags covers 160 square feet
1/2 Yard @2″ Depth= 7 bags covers 80 square feet
1 Yard @1″ Depth=14 bags covers 320 square feet
1 Yard @2″ Depth= 14 bags covers 160 square feet

Mulch will help keep the weeds down, retain moisture in the soil and give your garden the finished backdrop to make your plants POP!

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What I mess.  I’ve got something similar going on in my garden.  Unfortunately, there is no good “kill” solution to this problem.  What I can suggest is this, if you can’t pull the weed by hand, then you should consider trying to remove sections of your ground cover with a sharp shovel.  Cut manageable sized squares, three inches deep, pick up the slice and weed out the unwanted vegetation over a wheelbarrow while you let loose dirt fall.  Then transplant the pachysandra back into your garden.  This is a very tedious process, but may be worth it considering the amount of ground cover you have established.

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 “Trying to describe the many colors of Coleus is like trying to describe the Grand Canyon. You can’t do it justice in words alone, it is one of those things you really have to see for yourself.” – Chris

Looking for that perfect foliage plant for your container?  Or a splash of serious color in your garden?  Or an instant solution to that tired looking focal point in your garden?  Think Sun Coleus.  With our huge selection of Sun Coleus here at Sunnyside, we have a serious color solution for any gardener. 

Discovered by Karl Blume in the 1820’s on the Dutch colonial island of Java, Coleus (Solenostemon) quickly became popular in Victorian English gardens – where excitement over new varieties led to exorbitant prices at plant auctions.    Unfortunately the early Coleus trend waned as gardeners lost interest in the limited varieties, and Coleus became relegated to the shade garden, where the Wizard Series of Coleus has become a popular mainstay.  That is until now!

Beginning in the early 1990’s the explosion of new varieties in the Sun Coleus family has grown exponentially and with the wide array of color choices available Coleus has once again assumed its rightful place as a versatile and sought after plant choice for gardeners.  From the bright colored Coleus that electrify a border or containers to darker colors that add depth and contrast, Sun Coleus offers a little of everything for the gardener. 

Coleus are easy to grow – they require well-drained soil and a semi-regular watering regimen, but beyond that work in a variety of situations – from the container to the border, as a single specimen plant that also looks great in mass plantings.   Sun Coleus will grow in shady areas, but the colors become more enhanced and vibrant in the sun. 

Come check out our huge selection of Coleus and find the right color choice for your unique gardening style.  Fair warning though – it will be tough to leave with just one!

Pictured: Just a few of the varities Sunnyside is excited to carry.

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Keep the weeds from winning this season by applying a dose of Preen weed prevention.  No, I don’t get paid to say that, but maybe I should!  There are some easy ways to make gardening more enjoyable and/or to lower your garden maintenance bills, Preen is one of those inventions that I can’t do without in my garden.

Picture an imaginary saran wrap layer covering your plant beds.  That’s what Preen and Corn Gluten can provide, a blanket of protection that keeps weeds down.

(Next: Stop Japanese Beatles before they get a chance to get going.)

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Hi Linda,

Do assist your plants!  They would benefit from some staking and supplemental support.  Be sure to use garden tie or chafing free twine that won’t damage the bark of your arborvitae.

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Hi Nancy,

I usually recommend customers replace the top few inches of soil in their containers to encourage and support the root systems of plants for the new season.  Any effort you put into breaking up the existing soil will help too.  Old soil tends to be lacking in nutrients, so you will benefit from the addition of a slow release fertilizer like Miracle Gro Shake and Feed or Osmocote!

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Spring is almost here (I promise), and while the weather forecaster stubbornly predicts more snow and grizzly nighttime temps, our garden beds are slowly awakening.  With a few nice days lined up in our forecast, its a great time to get a jump start on your garden.  A little time in Spring to do these three simple tasks will yield enormous dividends later in the season, as you sip lemonade and watch your neighbor toil in the weeds.

1. Clean Up – Lightly rake out your garden beds, removing leaves, sticks and other debris that may have accumulated over the long winter.   Not only will raking improve the aesthetic appearance of your garden bed, it will also increase air circulation and sunlight to your plants.  Take a little time to clean and cut back your perennials if you neglected the chore in fall, and remove dead growth.

2. Mulch – Mulch your garden beds before the weeds have a chance to gain strength and spread.  Mulching is probably the single most important and beneficial task you can do for your garden.  Mulching not only discourages weeds from germinating (crushing the competition for your plants and eliminating the need for herbicides) , it also helps the soil retain moisture (cutting down the need for constant watering), protects root systems from blistering summer heat, and encourages the growth of worms and other beneficial organisms that can help improve soil quality.  And did I mention that a well mulched garden bed looks great too?

3. Preen with Fertilizer – Preen is a wonderful product for those who enjoy a weed-free garden without the toil and backache.  Preen creates a gaseous layer in the garden bed that prohibits weeds from germinating yet causes no ill effect to your existing plants.  In addition , Preen Weed and Feed contains fertilizer, providing nutrients to your plants.  When using Preen with mulch (which I call the weed prevention double Whammy) apply Preen after you mulch.

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Houseplant and Succulents are here 

Houseplants

• While our outdoor space awaits the welcome warming breath of spring, our greenhouse is full of life – houseplants, foliage plants and a cool collection of succulents.   Our houseplants run the gamut in color and size and not only brighten up any room, but actually improve the quality of your indoor air.   According to recent studies, NASA recommends 15 to 18 good sized houseplants for an average 1,800 square foot house to remove everyday pollutants in your air – so come in and check out our awesome array of houseplants (for more on the air cleaning effect of houseplants click here)  We are also excited about our collection of succulent plants.  These amazing water holding plants come in a range of color and offer a great foliage look all season long.

Fresh Paint, Fresh Look 

Freshly Painted Awnings

 Here at Sunnyside we are always experimenting with color.   With ten gallons of empty paint cans, we’ve added a little color everywhere – from freshly painted greenhouse walls to the exciting ‘Aztec Brick’ color of our freshly painted awnings.  We hope that in addition to all the great plants, either here or on their way, our new look will create warmer, vibrant shopping experience for you!

New Greenhouse

Joe building new benches in the New Greenhouse

Every garden center battles with space constraints, but here at Sunnyside we have been thinking hard about maximizing the retail potential of our existing space.  This year we are excited to open a brand new greenhouse on the west side of our lot.  As biggest standing greenhouse on the lot, we are practically salivating in anticipation of all the awesome plants we can display within.   More space = More room for plants = A larger selection for our customer base. 

Coming soon to Sunnyside – Pansymonium!  Bring on Spring!

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You don’t have to wait for warmer weather to start gardening. In fact, if you want to grow your own vegetables from seed, you can’t wait much longer.

There are basically two options for herb and vegetable gardening: start seedlings indoors and transplanting them to the garden, or buy plants that are already growing in containers. (These will be available in a few months.)

Starting vegetables indoors is easy. You’ll save money and you won’t believe the number of varieties available when you’re buying seeds.

Here’s what you need to know:

Containers: Pick up some plastic cell packs or small peat pots (which can be planted directly into the ground later).

Soil: Seedlings are sensitive to infection and need lots of moisture and nutrition, so look for special “seed starter” soil which will be sterilized, light and airy.

Planting: Plant seeds to the depth specified on your seed packet.

Water: Water with a fine mesh watering can or spritz with a spray bottle. Too much water will wash your seeds away.
Put the containers in another tray filled with pebbles to keep the containers up out of the excess water.

Light: In Minnesota, even a south-facing window probably won’t give enough light. Hang a fluorescent light about four inches above the seedlings.

Heat: Most seeds need a temperature of 68-70 degrees to germinate. To create more heat, you can place glass or plastic over the tops of your containers until the first sprouts emerge. Then remove the covering—the seedlings are now slightly more tolerant of temperature change.

Transplanting: Your plants need a little transition time before you put them into the garden. For a few days, place them outside for several hours in the shade. Then let them spend a night outside while still in the pots. This process of “hardening off” will prevent shock once your plant goes into the garden.

Timing: You need to get an early start, but too much time indoors isn’t good either. Your plants can become spindly and produce less.
Tomato seeds, for example, should be started indoors between April 1 and April 15. Then transplanted to the garden between May 15 and June 1.

Here’s a great link with dates for planting and transplanting your favorite herbs and vegetables in Minnesota gardens:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1422.html
Good luck!

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Hi Jacque,

This is a pretty common problem around town and to make things worse, I’m noticing the rabbits were able to do damage higher up on shrubs due to the high snow.  Evergreens typically won’t regrow in bare damaged spaces, but the new growth on existing branches may help to fill in and make the bare spots less noticeable.  For future care, you could consider spraying your shrubs in winter with a rabbit deterrent like Liquid Fence.  Liquid Fence lasts for weeks, even in the cold.  Fencing or wrapping the lower branches of the evergreens can be quite helpful as well.

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Hi Mark,

The average last frost date in the city is May 6-11, Mother’s Day. Last year proved to be a chilly one with a hard frost on the weekend of Mother’s Day, sending us in a flurry to get all the tender tropicals inside for protection.
The best time to start seed is about 6 weeks before the last frost date, so by the end of March here in Minneapolis.
Whatever you do, don’t rush to get your seedlings into the ground in early May.

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Watch Our Video.

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