Costa Farms Offer 5 Tips to Energize Late-Season Gardens
Miami, FL (PRWEB) August 28, 2013 -- As summer comes to a close, gardeners across the country are delighting in every blossom before the change in seasons.
Fortunately, homeowners can plant now to ensure another burst of color in the garden before the trees turn color and the mums come out.
“Even though we’re at the end of August, you can still invigorate your yard,” advises Doug Jimerson, a garden editor and expert from Costa Farms. “The key to late-season planting is to cover all your bases, from color to structure restoring your wonderland of color,” Jimerson says.
Below, Jimerson recommends the best way to integrate late-summer and fall color into gardens.
Late-Blooming Perennials Add Color
As fall approaches, plant late-blooming perennials now to help carry the color show into the next season. Jimerson picks his favorite perennials for August and September bloom:
• New England aster
• Sedum
• Russian sage
• Hyssop
• Black-eyed Susan
• Daylily
• Butterfly bush
• Phlox
Ornamental Grasses Add Structure
“Ornamental grasses are ideal candidates for late-season planting,” Jimerson says. These tough beauties are at their best at this time of year. They bloom with spectacular flower spikes that stand all season long for winter interest. Some top grasses to plant now include:
• Switch grass
• Fountain grass
• Muhly grass
• Maiden grass
Groundcovers Solve Problems
Perk up a hard-to-plant location with groundcovers. These low-growing charmers are a snap to grow, and, over time, spread and beautify barren areas of your yard.
For quick-coverage results, plant groundcovers 6 to 10 inches apart. Jimerson recommends the following groundcovers:
• Hens-and-chicks
• Creeping phlox
• Creeping sedum
• Ice plant
• Mondo grass
Plan for Your Location
Before purchasing any plant, read the label first to ensure you can accommodate it. Sun lovers prefer a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun each day. If there's less light than that, consider perennials that prefer or tolerate partial sun.
Water, Mulch, and Enjoy
Once the perennials are in the ground, water them every few days -- especially if the weather is hot and dry, as it so often is in August.
Also, spread a thick mulch of shredded bark around the base of the new plants to cut back on weeds and help the soil hold moisture better while they adjust to their new home.
Now revel in the final days and colors of summer.
The Costa Farms family of companies is one of the largest producers of indoor houseplants in the world. Founded in 1961 by Jose Costa, Costa Farms is a third generation, family owned business that globally stretches over 3,800 acres and employs 2,800 people. Along with thriving indoor and bedding plant companies, the Costa Farms family of companies operate merchandising and transportation companies, with domestic operations in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, and abroad in the Dominican Republic and the Far East.
Stacey Pierson, Garden Media Group, http://www.gardenmediagroup.com, +1 6104443040, [email protected]
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