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.
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!
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.
Well, my plants are up to no good as far as I can tell. My arborvitae are buried in snow and I haven’t had the time or motivation to dig them out. AND, I’m certain the rabbits will be sneaking up on them for a morning meal in the near future. I never did wrap, spray or cover my yews which always get a little winter burn each year, so I’m preparing myself to have to prune them hard this spring. My house plants are dry and dusty and all could benefit from an expedition to the shower. Maybe a damp cloth and a steady hand will suffice for now.
Until then, it’s book time for me. Flower books, gardening books, and of course leisure reads. The shrubbery can wait.
Light – Place it near a sunny window. South, east or west facing windows are preferable to a north facing window. Poinsettias are tropicals and will appreciate as much direct sunlight as you can provide.
Heat – To keep the poinsettia in bloom as long as possible, maintain a temperature of 65 – 75 degrees F. during the day. Dropping the temperature to about 60 degrees F. at night will not hurt the plant. However, cold drafts or allowing the leaves to touch a cold window ca injure the leaves and cause premature leaf drop. If you’ve ever see a gangly poinsettia in bloom, with only a couple of sad looking leaves hanging on, it was probably exposed to temperatures that were too cool or extreme shifts in temperature.
Water – Water the plant whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. Water until it drains out the bottom, but don’t let the plant sit in water. Wilting is another common cause of leaf drop. A wilted plant can be revived and salvaged, but it will take another season to improve its appearance.
If you’re looking for a way to prevent your evergreens from becoming a winter salad bar for deer and rabbits, we recommend using Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent. This is an All Natural spray repellent that can be used year round and is rain (snow) resistant. Liquid Fence works on scent, creating a natural aversive smell for rabbits and deer. We like this product since it contains natural ingredients, is not harmful to pets, plants or humans. We carry the Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent in an easy spray bottle form, it sprays even when held upside down. This is a great product for keeping your evergreens full, especially those bottom branches that are just in snacking reach of rabbits, especially if deer are uncommon in your neighborhood.
So, I think this means that mum season is officially over. Really.
I’m not sure this is what we all wanted, but alas, here it is. And like the hearty Minnesotans that we are we will make the transition into this longest season of the year. We will swap in our winter coats to the front hall closet, reintroduce the cars to the garage, throw away the pumpkins on the front step, and go to the garden store (Sunnyside preferred) and buy our winter greens.
Now, some folks are really on the ball; seasonal lights are up, garland is hung, and winter containers are done. (I know these people, they’re brilliant!) But for the rest of us, the thought of seasonal decorating has barely crossed our minds. No worries, we are here to help. Sunnyside has containers made and ready to set out for display, the landscape staff has a handful of busy bees who will come out and decorate your doorstep for you and if you insist on doing it yourself, we have a very helpful in store staff ready to help you with product selection and design.
Embrace it! The longest season of the year is here! Wahoo to the snow and to winter!
Yes, the Birch poles are here. But better than that, we’ve decided to offer a variety of sizes to suit all of your container design and doorway decorating needs.
The Sunnyside Gardens staff is working like crazy in preparation for the winter decorating season. We are rejoicing in the warmth of the sun this first week of November and hoping that our customers are feeling inspired to do a little work in the yard too. Tree top pots seem to be the focus for our in store and custom potting clients. We are selling through bunches of spruce tips faster than we can keep them stocked.
Late October is a delightful time here at Sunnyside – we tuck our perennials in for their winter slumber, JR brings back his infamous Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, we help kids find their perfect Halloween pumpkin, and, of course, the fun, silly and much anticipated Pumpkin Derby. A tradition started years ago, the derby involved staff decorating pumpkins, figuring out how to attach wheels and racing them down a large ramp to see whose pumpkin could roll the furthest. Over the years we’ve seen many creative entries, from pumpkin trucks to pumpkin birds, some of them functional, some not, but always had a great time.
This year we would like to invite all our awesome and creative customers to join us for the derby which will be held Saturday October 23 at 3:00. Bring in a pumpkin you decorate and figure out how to attach wheels so the pumpkin will roll down a ramp (hint: the pumpkins that roll straight are usually the top performers.) Skateboard wheels, toy trucks, shopping carts are good examples or easy to find derby parts, but use your imagination – the joy of the derby isn’t who wins but the creativity and fun going into making your pumpkin (although there will be prizes for the derby winner and the most creative entries).
So bring your creativity, silliness and pumpkins, or just come as a spectator – either way it will be a rockin’ good time. October is a lively time at Sillyside, I mean Sunnyside.
Here are some useful tips for fall gardening in October.
-Wrap all young trees with tree wrap
-Tip tender garden roses by late October
-Water all of your trees, shrubs, and evergreens thoroughly before the ground freezes
-Prep your garden for next spring by adding peat, compost, and other soil amendments
-Keep mowing your lawn to prevent snow mold next spring
-Empty clay, terra cotta, and glazed pots to prevent frost cracking and store in a dry place
-Store pesticides and herbicides in airtight containers and keep in a spot that will not freeze
-Collect and recycle fall leaves to avoid excess phosphorus from being introduced into our lakes and rivers
-Plant your pots and window boxes with spruce tips and other greenery before the ground freezes
I love basil – the smell reminds me of my great-grandmother’s kitchen and always makes me hungry. Yet, aside from a couple caprese salads, I never seem to use much and always end up cutting down a giant plant in the fall. Last year, after reminding myself how much fresh basil costs at the supermarket, I decided to make a giant batch of pesto pasta sauce. Having cheap, delicious, easy to make suppers throughout the winter was well worth the little time I put into making the sauce, and I highly recommend using your unused basil in a pesto.
Pesto freezes remarkable well, so make as much as you want. The general rule for making pesto is to use 2 cups of fresh basil leaves along with ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese and a clove of garlic. If you have a food processor simply toss those ingredients together, hit start, and pesto! Making pesto also works in an ordinary blender, although you may have to add more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Some pesto lovers fry pine nuts in a little olive oil and add them to the food processor, but I prefer to fry them and keep them whole and add to the pasta when prepared.
Pesto pasta is simple, easy and healthy. To boost the good-for-you factor try adding broccoli and snow peas to get your daily injection of veggies.
And now for another installment of the Procrastinating Gardener. Last week I talked about some perennials I use to accent my flower beds in the summer. This week I’d like to write a few words about some shrubs that have caught my eye.
My one constant wish, no matter where I live, is always for a bigger yard so I can plant more shrubs and trees. Yet despite my limited confines I somehow manage to plant a couple new shrubs every year and lucky for us procrastinators summer is a perfect time to do large shrub and tree installation. Not only will planting this time of year help the plant become established and acclimated the garden, next year the shrubs will come up bigger and ready to pack an even bigger flower punch. In particular, as I bike around town and check out some of the great gardens in this neighborhood, I’ve got an acute hydrangea envy. Nothing looks better against a house that a flowering ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea, with its masses of huge white pom-pom flowers, and although they take some watering, few plants can match the appeal of a flowering hydrangea. Barberry is another great shrub that adds season long color, and there are plenty of colors to chose – from the deep dark burgundy of ‘Royal Burgundy’ to the intense yellow of the ‘Sunsation’ Japanese Barberry.
If you’ve finished all your gardening for the year have a glass of lemonade, relax and enjoy your hard work – but if you’re like me there is nothing more rewarding that spending the wonderful Minnesota summers outside, working in the gardening, and creating a living work of art to share with your friends and neighbors. And if gardening can seem like a never-ending project that you keep pushing back, join me and the rest of the procrastinators and take it one spot of the garden at a time or even one plant at a time. Trust me, not only is it worth it for the finished product, the true and fulfilling joy is working outside, in the dirt, with the sun on your back and your creativity at the forefront of your mind.
7 cups sliced cucumbers(unpeeled), 1 cup green peppers diced, 1 cup onion slivers, 1 tsp celery seed, 2 T salt, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup white vinegar. Dump all together and refrigerate…stir or tip the sealed bowl over now and then. Add cucumbers to the brine as you eat them.
For several weeks now Turnip Rock CSA has been dropping off veggies at Sunnyside for our local CSA subscribers. Friends know me best as a pretty unrestrained eater, so as a result I have taken a very active role in trying to find new ways to consume all the lovely organic veggies that keep landing in my fridge. Recently I have a been craving red cabbage and find myself hoarding the heads of red that come each week. What do I do with them?? Well, it’s been cabbage soup. Lots and lots of cabbage soup.
One large yellow onion chopped
4-6 cups of thinly chopped cabbage
Lots of pepper
2-6 small potatoes
Some carrots sliced into thin wheels
Salt to taste
–Sautee all and add water to cover the veggies by about 1″-2″ Cook for 20min or until potatoes are soft.
OK, so this is really good for you and this is something that can be heated and reheated over and over again. My girlfriend, Kari and I found that adding a spoonful of sour cream (loaded with chives and garlic scapes) can turn the plain ole cabbage soup into something absolutely unbelievable.
Try it and let me know what you think! Also check out the Turnip rock blog to find out what’s in the box.
And now for another installment of the Procrastinating Gardner, a little late perhaps, but what did you expect? In my last blog I wrote about adding some easy color to the garden via summer blooming annuals. In this entry I’d like to talk a little about some of the summer blooming perennials that I’m using and admiring.
It’s time for me to tweak my perennial beds and the name of the game is great summer color. I’m in love with two perennials in particular: Rudbeckia ‘Goldstrum’ and Perovskia/Russian Sage, and I believe that every Minnesota garden should have at least one of these stellar summer flowering perennials. ‘Goldstrum’ also known as the hardiest ‘Black-eyed Susan’ boasts a ton of large, deep yellow flowers with black eyes that bloom now and well through the summer. Russian Sage is a great perennial for the height it adds (nearly 4 feet), extremely long lasting blue blooms, and its tough tolerance of the summer heat. I am also fairly addicted to Pomegranates – whether in juice form, tea form or plant form. That’s right – now I can have pomegranate in my garden with the awesome summer blooming ‘Pomegranate’ Yarrow, which feature triumphant large pomegranate red flower clusters that are notable long lasting and intensely colorful. Also be sure to check out some of our Minnesota native perennials, from the funky purple Liatris to the bodacious orange Asclepias that are just starting to show their color now.
Lastly, lets not forget Sedum, one of the most exciting perennial plant families -whether it’s the standard and always stellar Autumn Joy Sedum or some of the funkier new varieties, Sedum remains the king of the late blooming perennials. With so many cool varieties out there it would be impossible to list them all here, but I’d like to highlight a few that I am especially excited about. Mr. Goodbud Sedum, in addition to having one of the hippest names, is a great new introduction to the Sedum family – smoky, grey-blue foliage make it stand out amongst the green in the garden and in late summer the plant is covered in light, ruby red blooms that have no equal in impact. I’m also super excited about all the new ground-cover Sedums that are making their way here to Sunnyside. The Blue Spruce Sedum in particular caught my eye and earned an instant place in my garden – short stalks of sky blue foliage that truly resemble the foliage of a spruce cover the ground and produce larger stalks topped with freakish yellow blooms in late summer. I’m so Sedum crazy this year I even planted an all Sedum garden next to my garage which seems to have the driest and toughest soil in my yard (oh, yeah, did I mention that Sedums are the most drought tolerant perennial?)
I could go on and on about perennials, but I’d rather have you come visit, check them out and chat with me about gardening. I have a few more ideas about planting shrubs but it the spirit of my procrastination I’ll save it for later.
Hey, I have an excuse, right? I work long hours in the spring, unloading trucks and helping people construct gardens that are sure to be the envy of their neighbors. I simply don’t have the time to get working in my garden in spring when my perennials are coming up and all my neighbors are installing annuals and designing their pots. But maybe I should be honest with myself – considering my study habits in college and my penchant for putting things off I have to admit I am a first class procrastinator. I’d like to think that I’m not the only one out there who puts off their gardening until the summer months. So, just in case there are other procrastinators out there like me, I’d like to share some of my mid-seasoning gardening ideas.
This time of the year my perennials are in full color mode, and aside from cutting back my Saliva and some serious weeding, the perennial beds are looking ok. Yet sometimes that’s just not enough. I find myself wishing for the color that only annuals can give. I’m a firm believer that it’s never too late to plant annuals – our season is so short in Minnesota that it’s worth installing some great mood-enhancing color anytime. Lucky for me (and all the procrastinators out there) there are some great annuals that are just coming into their brilliance this late in the year. Huge flowering ‘Dreamland’ Zinnias offer a multi-color solution to any spot in the garden that gets at least a half day of sun and needs a little shot of some serious flower power. Annual Saliva are also just coming into full form, offering an abundance of blue spiky flowers that are sure to liven up even the most tired spots of the garden. Celosia, one of my personal favorites, is another great infusion of color, with wicked red and yellow fuzzy flowers that look great planted en mass, along borders, or anywhere you just need to break up a sea of green. And don’t miss out on the most exciting introduction in annuals this year – ‘Fireworks’ Pennisetium grass. You simply have to see this one to believe it – deep red grass with slight variegation that provides an excellent alternative to the purple Rubrum grass and is sure to provoke lots of questions along the lines of, “what is that amazing grass and where did you get it?”
So… In the spirit of procrastination I will put off the rest untill later, but be sure to check back soon for some great ideas to spice up the perennial garden. I will get to it, soon, I promise.
Don’t let its name fool you – the wonderful perennial Baptisia Australias isn’t from Australia – it is actually a great winter hardy perennial native to Southern Canada and the northern United States. A member of the pea family, Baptisia gets its name from the Greek word ‘baptisis,’ meaning “immerse, soak or dry” and refers to the indigo-blue pigment obtained from its leaves and often used for dyes. Also called ‘false indigo’ or ‘blue indigo,’ in addition to its typical sublime blue, pea-shaped flowers, growers have also introduced striking white and yellow flowered varieties.
In my opinion Baptisias acclaim as this years perennial of the year is long overdue. Extremely easy to grow, Baptisia also is amazingly disease and pest free, tolerates drought and poor soil, attracts butterflies and deters plant eating deer. Baptisia even fixes nitrogen in the soil, benefiting surrounding plants in any garden bed. Baptisia performs best in full sun, although it will tolerate some shade (although in too much shade it may require some simple staking).
Shrub-like, Baptisia grows three to four feet tall at maturity and features interesting clusters of small flowers in summer. Puffy seed pods emerge from spent flowers and turn charcoal black in fall, and if left up provide great interest in the winter months. Children uses to pick these seeds pods in the fall and use them for rattles, as the seed make a surprising amount of noise when rattled around in the pods. Great companion plants include Echinacea and penstemon.
Now is the time of year to get ready for planting your kitchen garden. Sunnyside Gardens has a huge selection of starter plants and seeds for you to choose from. We have the veggies- tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, beans, peas, etc. AND the herbs- sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, and all the others to make a perfect compliment for healthy tasty meals. The easiest way to get a great garden kitchen growing is to start with a healthy soil foundation, make a plan, and start planting! Our starter plants are a simple way to get growing.
What are some of your favorite veggies to grow? What is your preference of tomato varieties? Do you like to grow a certain herb that really makes a knockout of your meals? Let us know, leave a comment!
You may notice something strange afoot at Sunnyside these days (week?) and no, it’s not just JR’s new hairdo. Everyone is sporting the stylish Pink, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Nitrle Touch gardening glove. The staff at Sunnyside is excited to raise awareness for breast cancer research (not to mention protect our hands from the daily blisters of gardening!). We are encouraging our customers to join our pink glove brigade and we have two fun ways to participate!
With any gift card purchased (minimum of $35), you will receive a pair of pink gloves for free! You can also contribute by simply buying the gloves. For each pair of gloves sold 70 cents will go directly to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the global leader in breast cancer research. A perennial top rated 4-star charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is praised by Charity Navigator as “consistently executing its mission in a fiscally responsible way and outperforming most other charities in America.” This stellar organization has invested nearly 1.5 billion dollars since its inception and shows no sign of letting up until a cure is finally found.
Hope abounds in the fight against breast cancer – the five year survival rate for breast cancer is now above 98%, compared with just 74% in 1982. However, without a clearly know cause or cure, the fight is now more relevant and monumental than ever. A startling one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer within their lifetimes.
Please join us in raising awareness and money in the fight against breast cancer. In a story I am sure a sad majority of people can relate to, I recently watched a friend battle with breast cancer. Thankfully in remission, after a terrifying year of financial woe and emotional uncertainty, her breast cancer and the hope for a cure is firmly planted in my mind. For her and the millions of others out there let’s fight this battle with them. And we can do it, one pair of pink gloves at a time.
The Gift Card and Glove Promotion runs May 1st through Mother’s Day (May 9th!).
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.
