We all love to see daffodils showing their faces in spring. Customers come rushing in wanting to plant the bulbs of yellow flowers. But we are forced to tell them, "Sorry, it's too late." Fall is the time to plan ahead for spring bulb color.

Tulips, crocus and daffodils are the traditional standby bulbs. But for those that like the unusual, there are many spectacular varieties to choose from. They can be layered in containers or in your flower bed so that the colors just keep popping up. Crocus are the earliest blooming. Throw them into a flower bed and plant them where they land. Tulips are great in containers to show off your favorite pot in early spring. For a great show and color display, plant 8-10 daffodil bulbs in the same large hole.

Lilies, narcissus and hyacinths need to be planted in the fall as well. Don't forget that hyacinths and oriental lilies are fragrant. Plant them where your nose as well as eyes can appreciate their beauty.

And last but not least, fall is the time to plant garlic. Planning ahead for a summer garlic harvest requires putting the bulbs in the ground in the fall. For a mild flavor try elephant garlic. The bulbs are larger but just as easy to grow as regular garlic.

Don't be disappointed when your neighbors have daffodils and crocus popping up in the yard next spring and you have bare ground. Plan and plant ahead! Choose your bulbs now and plant in the fall.

One of the most useful additions you can make in your garden is to plant a tree. A tree adds scale and structure to a garden and pulls together the various elements that create the overall look and feel. The tree's foliage throughout the seasons, and flowers when they are significant, will also add impact to your garden design.

Yet today, many gardens do not have the space for large spreading trees (along with their imposing trunks). But most of us have a small garden--or even a courtyard--that still can use a smaller tree to give balance to the landscape.

Sometimes gardening isn't limited by space, but by time and interest. If you love the idea of being surrounded by a garden, but you can't see yourself spending countless hours with a pruning shear in your hands, a wonderful option is to create a garden paradise on your patio or terrace in containers. And small trees will add balance and make a great addition to any patio collection. If you plant in containers, be sure to use a high-quality potting soil like Gardner and Bloome Potting Soil for best results.

Small trees are sometimes called patio trees and are usually defined as slower-growing and ranging in height from six to fifteen feet. Most produce an incredible display of blooms at some time of the year, and have non-invasive roots as an added landscape benefit.

When selecting a patio tree, allow adequate width to keep walkways, entryways, driveways or buildings clear of overhanging branches. Many small trees, although short, can spread as much laterally as vertically.

We offer a large selection of small-space trees that will be perfect for that special place in your garden or patio. Come on in and look them over--we are sure to have some you'll love!

Do all of your garden plants look like statues or mounds? If your garden looks somewhat mundane and doesn't excite you anymore, it might be time to add a little motion to your garden. Plants that sway in the breeze not only soften the look of one's landscape, they also add movement that helps remove the stiffness of many background and foundation plants.

There are a number of ways that flexible plants can soften up the landscape. Some perennials like buddleia, daylilies, salvias and penstemon offer flowers on long stems that move in the wind. With other plants, such as grasses and fine-foliaged plants, the entire plant sways. Some trees also have foliage that not only moves but even shimmers in the wind.

The key to softening up your landscape is to strategically place these swaying beauties where their movement can be seen and enjoyed from many angles. The idea is to break up your landscape and use these plants as focal points to draw attention. Unless they are trees, never use these in the background, because their softening effect will be lost to the eye.

Even if you have shady areas you can still add character to your garden with plants such as ferns and heuchera when they bloom in spring and summer. We have many great plants that will add movement to your garden. Just click on this link to see pictures of some of our favorites. Gardens don't have to be boring, so add a little excitement to your landscape today!

By Tamara Galbraith

We see the term in plant care descriptions all the time: "Must have well-draining soil."

So, just what does "well-draining" mean, and how do we know if we have it?

In a nutshell, well-drained soil can be said to exist where water is removed from the soil readily (but not rapidly) and soils are not wet for significant periods of time. The best well-draining garden soil will consist of a nice balance of sand, clay, silt and organic matter.

But how do you tell if your soil is in need of improvement? Try this test in various locations in your garden when conditions are dry: dig holes one foot deep by two feet wide. Fill the hole to the top with water, then time how long it takes for the water to completely drain. The ideal time should be between 10 and 30 minutes.

If the water drains in less than 10 minutes, it's likely that your soil has a lot of sand in it. Adding organic matter will help immensely. Either till it into the soil or just add it on top in the fall or spring and allow nature to take its course.

On the flip side, if the water takes 30 minutes or more to drain from the holes you dug, you probably have soil that is heavy on the clay side. As with a sandy situation, organic matter will do wonders for your soil. So will raised beds comprised of a balanced garden soil.

Two things to stay away from in amending clay soil, however: rototillers and sand. A tiller will be a total waste of time in a bed heavy with clay. As a resident of an area with heavy clay soil (and former tiller owner), take my word for it.

Secondly, although many people think the well-draining qualities of sand will balance out the heavy water retention of clay, the opposite is true. What you create when you add sand to clay soils is basically...cement. Don't do it. Again, dig in a good organic amendment or add it on top of your clay-ish beds each fall or spring and have some patience. The earthworms and Mother Nature will do their stuff in time.

As a kid, the arrival of Indian summer was the last summer hurrah! It was still light enough to play outside after dinner, and warm enough to wear shorts. Even though school had begun, you still had a couple of weeks of warm summertime fun. Well, now I realize that it was also a couple more weeks of summertime flower color for my parents to enjoy in their gardens! Somehow, I think they must have planned ahead to ensure that the gardens were beautiful.

That's right. Now is the time to tuck into your garden beds and patio paradise containers some of your favorite late summer and fall blooming perennials and shrubs. This list of flowering plants includes just about every flower color that you can imagine. You may be the type of gardener who has a complete plan of colors, sizes and shapes in mind. Or you might be a gardener that loves just to collect plants of all colors, sizes and forms. You know who you are and what your style is.

There are plenty of late summer and autumn bloomers to choose from. Check our gallery here for some examples. Our plant selection is a veritable treasure chest of Indian Summer colors. Come into the garden center and begin choosing today. Don't forget to pick up some Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost to amend your native soil. Oh yes, and to promote the non-stop blooms, feed with Dr. Earth All Purpose Fertilizer .

Then sit back on that Adirondack chair, chaise lounge, or hammock--and enjoy your Indian Summer garden in full bloom!

There's no sure way to protect your home from a raging fire, but there are some things you can do to minimize the risk. If you live near the woods, next to native brush, take these steps to protect your property.

• Keep the landscape close to your home well-watered. Don't grow flammable plants such as pine trees close to your home or allow them to overhang your roof. (Shrubs and trees with lush green leaves are recommended for green belts.)
• Don't mound shrubbery close to your house. Shrubs should be spaced apart from each other and kept low. For safety from fire when houses are close together, it's best to have no shrubbery between them.
• Create a buffer zone. A well-watered green area of low-growing plants or grass lawn can act as a firebreak between you and wilderness. The buffer zone should be at least 30 feet wide on flat ground and progressively wider as slopes get steeper. Walls, rocks, patios, rustic seats, and wandering paths can be part of the landscaping. Use plant materials that have proven their ability to withstand some fires. (Ask your local state Cooperative Extension Office or Department of Forestry for additional information and plant lists.)
• Manage the existing brush. Remove the fuel load from inside the plant. The buildup of dead leaves, twigs, branches and weeds in the understory is what makes the hottest fires. Cut out and haul away or chip and compost all of the dead stuff that builds up inside native shrubs. Leave all the green growth on the outside. When you're finished, you'll have a wonderland of usable space for birds and other wildlife that inhabit the local countryside.

There are several things you can do to ease your plants through a dry summer and even improve your landscape at the same time. While installing and using a drip system is a no-brainer, there are other steps you can take if you find yourself in a real pinch. Here’s how to make every drop of water count.

First of all, irrigate slowly, deeply and less frequently. Slow soaking limits runoff and encourages plants to develop deep root systems that are better able to tolerate drought. To minimize evaporation, irrigate in the early morning or evening. If you have to use a hose for watering, build soil berms around young trees and shrubs such as roses to concentrate water on the root zones. Fill the basin so the water soaks in.

It's also important to check the soil moisture occasionally between waterings to make sure the plants actually need to be watered as frequently as they are. Dig down one foot with a trowel or spade and feel a handful of soil. Another way to test moisture is to use a metal sampling tube to "read " the soil. Simply push it into the ground and twist it back out. It will show a 10-12" cross section of soil, showing how wet or dry the soil actually is. If the top 2 inches of the soil sample are dry, it's time to water.

If you don't have a drip irrigation system, consider using soaker hoses or root irrigators to concentrate water in specific areas. You can also be water-wise with pots by using glazed, foam or plastic pots, which are less porous and hold moisture better. Nesting smaller pots inside of larger ones will also create extra insulation.

If you have a grass lawn, raise your mower height. Taller grass shades the soil and will help reduce evaporation. Instead of high-nitrogen lawn food, apply a low-nitrogen iron product like Natural Guard Soil Activator to help prevent excessive growth and improve the lawn's tolerance to heat stress.

Consider applying mulch to your garden. It helps reduce evaporation, insulates the roots from hot temperatures, helps prevent weeds and just plain makes a garden look better. We recommend applying a 2" layer of Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compound for best results.

If you face a real pinch in water availability, survey your landscape and give the highest priority to established trees and foundation shrubs, because they would be the hardest to replace. With just a little extra diligence, most gardens will make it through a drought period just fine.