The Red Geranium

Hydrangea season is here, and if you want lush green foliage and beautiful blooms year after year, a little TLC goes a long way.

My biggest tip? I feed my hydrangeas with Espoma Holly-tone® twice a year…once in April and again around the Fourth of July. That slow-release feeding helps support healthy growth and abundant blooms throughout the season. (And, just so you know, I am not getting any sort of payment in exchange for this endorsement. I just love the product, and truly believe it gives me the most beautiful hydrangeas every season.)

A few other summer hydrangea tips:

🌿 Water deeply during dry spells, especially during hot weather.

🌿 Add 2–3 inches of mulch to help retain moisture and keep roots cool.

🌿 Remove spent blooms if you prefer a tidier look, but don’t cut back stems unless you know what type of hydrangea you have.

🌿 Watch for wilting during afternoon heat. Hydrangeas often perk back up in the evening, but consistent wilting usually means it’s time to water.

🌿 Avoid heavy fertilizing late in the season, which can encourage tender new growth before fall.

I’ve been feeding mine with Holly-tone in early to mid-April and again around the Fourth of July for years, and it’s one of the simplest things I do to keep them looking their best.

Are hydrangeas a must in your garden? Here in Georgia, the limelights are getting ready to bloom soon. Can’t wait!!

We’re sharing our professional tips so you can have polished looking planters.

On of the easiest ways to up your container game is to add a topper or a “dressing.”

We love using moss, mini pine bark nuggets, and soil conditioner. We used to exclusively use moss in all of our containers, but it has gotten cost prohibitive. So we reserve moss for entryway planters, or containers that are placed in high traffic areas. And of course, we have some discerning clients that request moss in all of their containers. It really does provide the most beautifully polished, natural, and understated finish.

Mini pine bark nuggets are great for large containers, and soil conditioner is most suitable for smaller containers. We love using it around our planted ground covers and flower beds, as well.

One thing to note about using soil conditioner in your planted areas is that it can sometimes get washed away in a heavy rain,especially on a hillside. So in those situations, we prefer the mini pine bark nuggets or the shredded brown mulch.

Mini pine bark nuggets and soil conditioner are very cost-effective ways to protect the soil and help keep nutrients in your container. They also keep the soil cooler and preserve moisture.

We have seen some people using stones or rocks as a topping in containers and flower gardens. We definitely advise against this, as the rocks will increase the temperature of the soil exponentiallv. and will quite literally bake your plants.

Let us know if you have any questions about soil coverings. We find that using them really does help set your planters apart, and who doesn’t want to have have the prettiest planters on the block?

When you have 76,000 photos on your camera, and more than 70% of them are of flowers, then you know it’s become an obsession. 😉

And I don’t know about you, but I have very good intentions when I go to delete photos. But then I go down a rabbit hole looking at all past photos of flowers, friends, family, and before you know it, three hours have passed, and I’ve deleted 2.5 photos.🤦🏼‍♀️

Anyone else?🙋‍♀️

It’s been our busiest season yet, and we have some fun installs still on the books here in NW Georgia. Now, if only we could get mother nature to cooperate and stop bringing us three months worth of rain in two weeks, that would be great. ☔️🫤

Stay tuned for more flower shenanigans. And please tell the sun that we miss her.😎