All the crazy weather we have had this summer across the country serves as a great reminder to make sure to address any slope erosion problems before they arise. And fall is a great time of year to plant shrubs and ground covers that can help to prevent a hillside from slipping away.

Consider that the upcoming cool months provide a time when plant roots grow fast and the need for water is less apparent for new plantings. You and your newly planted stock now have an advantage over the hot summer sun or cold winter nights.

To see if you have a potential hillside erosion problem, be alert for these tell-tale signs:

• Bare spots anywhere on your property
• Tree roots exposed above ground
• Small stones or rocks appearing on the ground surface
• Small rills or gullies beginning to form
• Build-up of silt in certain areas
• Soil splashed on windows and outside walls
• Soil washout along driveways

A number of excellent plant and groundcover choices not only thrive with the good drainage conditions of most hillsides but will also go a long way in providing protection from heavy rains. The key is to plant a mixture of plant types. You want to have layers of vegetation for rainfall to hit, so it will be diffused before it reaches the ground. Generally the larger the plant grows, the deeper its roots, so don't neglect the larger, slower-growing plants.

Click here to see our gallery of some ideas.

Are you tired of serving up a nightly buffet of your prized garden plants to your neighborhood deer? Then we have the cure for you! We highly recommend Liquid Fence. It works not only by smell but also by taste. The smell isn't strong enough to bother people, but it sure offends the deer! Once they associate bad taste and smells with your garden, they will leave your plants alone.

Liquid Fence is also effective against other pesky nibbling critters such as rabbits, raccoons and groundhogs. For best results, we recommend that you apply Liquid Fence every 4-6 weeks until your furry friends stay away. So don't delay, pick up some Liquid Fence today!

Perhaps nothing is a greater challenge to home gardeners than creating a deer-resistant landscape. Deer will eat almost anything, especially in the spring when plants are producing lush and tender new growth, and in fall and winter when natural food sources dry up and disappear.

To make matters worse, what deer in one area won't touch, others will devour in a different area. How prolific and available local natural food sources are for deer also plays a role in how often they will venture into neighborhoods. That said, some plants are definitely less "desirable" than other plants.

The key is to "camouflage" your garden by using plants that contain natural chemicals or have characteristics that deter deer from wanting to eat them. You can create a scent barrier by using a variety of strongly aromatic plants, shrubs, and herbs throughout your garden. Deer rely on their sense of smell to determine what is safe or desirable to eat. By using plants with a wide variety of strong odors, you can confuse the deer and they will usually leave the area and go to a landscape where they can clearly identify what they are eating.

Deer are also lazy and will often pass on a garden if the first plants they encounter taste bitter, have tough, coarse, hairy, or prickly foliage--or if they exude a sticky, milky sap when broken. Deer rarely eat these types of plants unless they are desperate. Another natural solution is to use plants that grow fast and can recover quickly from nibble damage.

Young trees can be damaged by deer two different ways: they can eat the foliage up to the browse line (usually no higher than 6' from the ground), plus bucks will often try to polish their antlers on trunks under 3" in diameter. So, we suggest either planting more mature trees or protecting them with a wire cage or scent barrier until the trees mature.

Until you have a chance to get your deer-resistant garden in, there are also non-toxic chemical solutions to deterring deer from your landscape. Some deer repellents work by making plants smell bad. Others use deer predator scents to trick the deer into thinking your garden is unsafe. A third kind of repellent works by making the foliage of your plants taste bad. These repellents can be varied occasionally and should be used until deer associate your yard with bad tastes and smells. (Unfortunately, you may get new deer coming by after the old ones leave, so a better long-term solution is to plant things they don't like.)

Stop by and one of our nursery experts will help you plan the perfect deer-resistant garden, one with plants that you will love--and the deer will hate.

Native to northeast Asia, hostas have come a long way in foliage varieties in the last 20 years, thanks to a rabid interest among hybridizers to create and introduce new varieties. Today, hostas can be found in a multitude of color variations to please even the most discriminating gardener's palette.

Most hostas are broken down into three distinct color categories that include shades of blue, green and variegated. Some varieties have puckered leaf surfaces that add interest to the overall plant, while the variegated forms can be striped with shades of white and gold. There are also varieties that feature a mixture of both blue and green leaf shades on the same leaf.

Hostas range in size from small miniature varieties that grow 1 ft. high and wide to large varieties that can grow almost 3 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide. The flowers generally stand above the foliage another 12-18 inches and last 4-8 weeks depending on the variety.

Although there are a few varieties that can tolerant full sun, most hostas are happiest in a morning sun-afternoon shade or full shade location. They do best in moist, rich, well draining soil. They only require to be fed once in the spring and summer to keep them healthy.

When hostas go dormant in winter, they completely disappear. The foliage will take on a melting appearance after the first couple of frosts; at that time simply tear the foliage off above the soil. Your hosta will go to sleep and then re-appear the following year when the last frosts of spring are done.

We have an extensive selection of hostas that will please every individual taste. We invite you to visit us often to see the latest introductions of this wonderful plant!

Autumn is a good time to prepare your lawn for the year ahead, and the best time to tackle any long-term improvements. Tasks such as raking out lawn debris, eradicating moss, feeding, and aerating will improve the quality of your lawn greatly if carried out on a yearly basis.

Over the years, grass clippings and debris form a "thatch" on the surface of your lawn. This affects the growth of the grass and should be removed with a lawn rake. Raking also removes moss.

If grass growth is poor, aerate the lawn. You can do this by using a core aerater when the soil is moist. Use compost if the ground is poorly drained. Reseed any bare spots now; fall is an excellent time for reseeding.

If your lawn is in poor condition and needs reviving, apply an autumn lawn feed. It is essential that you use one formulated for autumn use, as spring and summer feeds will contain too much nitrogen. If the grass contains a lot of moss, apply a moss killer. Use one recommended for autumn use; the mixture known as lawn sand, sometimes used to kill moss, contains too much nitrogen.

You can (and should) tidy an uneven edge whenever it's necessary, but doing a full job of it in autumn will relieve the pressure at busier times of the year. Hold a half-moon edger against a board held in position with your feet.

How often should I water the plants in the ground in my garden?

Answer:
The simple answer would be however often it takes to keep your soil moist but not wet.

As a rule, the hotter it gets, the more you will have to water. In the cooler months, you only water between periods of extended dry weather or high wind, which can also stress or dry a plant out.

When it is hot, increase the length of time you water your plants, not the frequency of watering. Most plants need to be watered at least twice a week; new plants that have yet to be established should be checked every other day. Remember that checking does not necessarily mean watering! We recommend that the top couple of inches of ground dry out between waterings.

Using drip irrigation is the most effective method. It is also important to group plants with similar watering needs together.

If a plant is too dry, the foliage will have a wilted appearance or begin to burn on the outside leaf tips.

If a plant is too wet, it will lose its luster and quickly drop faded leaves, starting from the inside of the plant and working its way to the leaf tips.

Make sure not to use soft water on any plants. The salt in the water can burn or kill plants. Fluoridated water is fine, because your plants will look better when they smile.

Now the Knockout® Rose comes in a a powerful pink color! This carefree shrub rose is colored a vibrant shade of pink that will complement any color scheme. 

Knock Out® Roses are the answer for every gardener who loves roses but doesn't want to hassle with their maintenance. They maintain a continuous show of color from mid-spring to fall, with beautiful foliage almost year round. The plants are compact and upright growing with more winter hardiness and shade tolerance. Best of all, they thrive in humid areas where most other roses need spray maintenance.

Knock Out® Roses can be planted almost anywhere. They grow 3-4' tall and equally wide. They can be used as single specimens, as hedges, in mixed plantings or en masse for sweeps of color; you can even plant them in containers. Unlike traditional roses, they can bloom in moderate shade.

Knock Out® Roses have been bred to be "chemical free" so no pesticides are needed. Naturally resisting rust, mildew, blackspot, Japanese beetles and rose midge, they should perform extremely well in any North American garden, tolerating cold Wisconsin nights and hot Florida days.

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