Optimal Outdoor Solutions

Great color combos do not have to mean flowers, they can also mean texture and foliage. Look at the way the creeping jenny (groundcover) helps the Krossa Regal Hosta (upright blue plant) and vise versa.

If you live in the Southeast, this weekend is perfect for pruning your rose bushes, raspberry/blackberry bushes, ornamental grasses and other general clean-up. Its getting warmer during the day, so your perennials should be sending up new growth in the next few weeks. Also as a reminder, do not forget to fertilize your shrubbery by March 1. You want it applied before the new growth emerges!

Happy Valentine's Day! A dozen long stem roses are a perfect way to show that special person in your life that you love them. Here are a few simple tips to help keep those roses alive for days following: 1.) Cut the stems underwater at a 45° angle with a sharp pair of scissors/pruners. 2.) Be sure to use fresh water each and everyday by replacing the water in the vase daily. 3.) Remove all leaves that could be underwater while the rose stems are in the vase. 4.) Keep the roses in a cool, bright, indirect sunlight for as long as possible.