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(773) 878-5915 | 5739 N Clark St, Chicago, IL | Contact Us
August ChecklistAUGUST 2008 CHECKLIST  ANNUALS: It’s not too late to add beauty, color and texture to your balcony, patio and backyard. The Annuals department is overflowing with beautiful and well cared for flowers, plants and grasses. Stop in today to replenish your garden, replace faded or spent blooms or get your late season containers started this month. A recommendation from the Annuals staff: If you like the way your summer containers are looking, we suggest that you take a few pictures of them now, while they are in full bloom. This way, when you bring the photos in next year, our Annuals staff will be able to help you reproduce this summer’s dazzling containers. We know that it’s difficult to remember all of the specific plant names, from one summer to the next, and photographing them will allow our Annuals staff to better assist you, and to make recommendations based on how your plants performed. A picture really is worth a thousand words! In August, it’s important to fertilize your annuals, if you haven’t already started, especially those growing in containers. Annuals planted in containers are in need of additional nutrients as the summer heats up. We recommend ‘Blooms Plus’ to provide the optimal mix of nutrients and fertilizers to keep your Annuals blooming all summer long. Also, continue to deadhead regularly, cutting off spent blooms, and allowing your plant to direct its energy to new growth and flowers.
Continue watering your perennials as necessary. Non-drought tolerant plants may need about 1” (one inch) of water each week. A rain gauge will help you monitor rain amount and the need for supplemental watering. In August, you can safely divide your Iris. Dig the clump out and separate the rhizomes. Replant new clumps and cut leaves to about one-third of their original height. Cut back your yarrow, catmint, coreopsis and veronica when plants stop flowering by 1/3 or more. New foliage and blooms will occur after you trim your plants back.
Pest problems to be on the lookout for in August include Japanese Beetles, which eat the leaf tissue of your woody plants, ornamentals, flower buds and fruit, but leave the veins behind. The attacked leaves look like lace which will soon wither and die. We recommend using an insecticide, such as Bonide Eight insecticidal spray. If you would like to schedule an appointment with our Tree & Shrub diagnosticians, please call, (773) 769-8217, to schedule an appointment with John or Fran. They ask that you bring in samples of the diseased and healthy branches or leaves, in a Ziploc bag for their review and diagnosis. We are now seeing signs of powdery mildew which has been developing on woody and herbaceous plants. Come in and talk with our Tree & Shrub staff members who will discuss options in treating the disease. We have been searching for organic solutions for fungicide and pesticide problems and have found an organic pesticide, Green Cure, which we have had great results with to date. This pesticide will provide you with an alternative to the more toxic fungicides currently on the market. In August, you should be deadheading the expired flowers on your woody plants, like rhododendrons and hydrangea. By deadheading the spent blooms, you redirect the plants energy to push out more foliage.
There’s a wide variety of blooming plants available in the Greenhouse this month, which make beautiful gifts for August birthdays and hostesses, check out the Super Gloxinia, hydrangea and the best assortment of orchids that you’ll find in the Chicago area. Mario has a wonderful sale going on in August that you will want to take advantage of, with 25% off all 10” and 12” Annual hanging baskets. Baskets overflowing with geraniums, petunias, million bells, fuchsia, impatiens, New Guinea impatiens, you are sure to find a hanging basket that will thrive in your sun or shade location. (Bougainvillea and houseplant hanging baskets are not included in the sale.) If you’ve been holding out on choosing your summer patio tropical plants, now is the time, at 20% - 50% off! Create your own tropical paradise on your balcony, porch or patio, with a wide variety of tall tropical’s to choose from, and then enhance your interior when you bring them indoors for winter.
The BIG statuary and container sale continues this month, with sale prices of 30% to 50% off, on glazed ceramic, concrete and iron containers. Plan next year’s garden design with containers purchased this month during the BIG statuary & container sale. August is “Treat your Fountain Water Month”, as temperatures and humidity continues to climb, this is premium algae forming conditions. Green or brown algae may gradually cover the wet surfaces of your fountain. Some people love the aged look it gives their fountains, others don’t care for it. If you are the latter, we recommend using Jungle Products, “No More Algae” or another product called “Fountec”. Do not use chlorine bleach. It is harmful to water plants and animals and will leave a blue/green chemical stain. It may also damage your pump. String algae are the stringy, mossy gunk that drapes from the surface of the fountain. Jungle products “No More Algae” or “Fountec” will also take care of this problem.
Our designers’ advice is twofold for the month of August, first “Water, Water, Water” your new or existing garden. Give your plants root systems plenty to drink before they go dormant in the fall and winter. Second, if you have hardscape in your backyard, stones or brickwork on patios and walkways, our Designers recommend that you get rid of any weeds breaking through the surface. The weeds will quickly go to seed, hide in the cracks of your stone work over the winter and multiply in the spring. After weeding your hardscape, apply crushed limestone screening to any flagstone or bluestone patios, filling in the spaces that had been occupied by the weeds. If your surface is brick or pavers, spread sand across the patio, and then hose the sand down so it fills up all of the cracks and crevices, where the weeds had been.
Basil is the crown jewel of the summer herb garden with a mind boggling variety of different cultivars. Aside from the sweet basil that most are familiar with, there are varieties such as Lemon basil, Lime, Cinnamon, Licorice, Purple Leaf and Red Rubin to name but a few. Lemon and lime basils are excellent choices for use in fish, chicken, salads, snipped and sprinkled over fruit and even muddled as you would muddle mint to serve in drinks! Purple and red leafed varieties are beautiful to behold in the garden as well as providing a stunning presentation on your table. Try these in salads, for a delicious and satisfying visual statement. Provide your basils with six hours of sun, kept evenly moist in well drained soil to keep them happiest. Plants that are allowed to droop in the heat will have poor quality leaves and invite insect pests. Pinch back the tips of flowers when they start to appear to keep the leaves in full production. Try something new! Instead of throwing away the flowers, use them to make a delicious and aromatic tea! Once your plants have fully entered this flowering stage, leaf growth slows and this stage cannot be reversed. By planting new plants every 3-4 weeks fresh, large basil leaves are always available. We carry an extensive selection of basil even at this time. Basil plants also make a great gift! We have some huge sweet basil plants in 8” pots that would make any cook’s mouth water in anticipation of its culinary delights. Your vegetable gardens should be going strong, with tomato plants beginning to yield. A caution for those of you growing tomatoes in containers! Monitor your plants daily, watering as needed. Tomatoes grown in containers need far more watering than those in the ground. They also require the calcium in the soil, which is only accessible to them through uptake in water. If the calcium is not available when needed, or the plant is allowed to become dry, the resulting conditions could cause Blossom End Rot. Throw away the spoiled fruit and going forward, water consistently.
Also, do a final deadheading to encourage a new flush of blooms. After this allow rosehips to form for fall and winter interest, feeding the birds and signaling to your rose that it’s time to harden up for winter. Powdery mildew has arrived! Keep your roses well watered during hot, humid weather – as dry roots encourage powdery mildew. You can also treat your roses with a neem based insecticidal soap, (Bon-Neem) or Victoria’s favorite household recipe, 1 part skim milk to 9 parts water, sprayed in the morning. Add some liquefied seaweed to the mix for an extra immunity booster!
Eve recommends Garden Safe House Plant and Garden Insect Killer. This product is safe for use on houseplants and vegetables, and can be used indoors and outdoors. A second recommendation is Monterey 70% Neem Oil. This insecticide/fungicide has been approved for organic production by the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute). It is safe to use on indoor and outdoor plants, as well as vegetables. In fact this product can be used on your vegetables up to the day of harvest. 70% Neem Oil stops powdery mildew and blackspot on roses, as well as killing eggs, larvae and adult insects. Eva cautions that when using any type of insecticide always read instructions carefully. Keep an eye on your tropical’s through the month of August. If you plan to bring them indoors for the fall and winter, you should be treating them for insects through the month of August and September. It’s easier on the plant if you treat them outdoors. Spray early in the morning and avoid direct sunlight while treating them.
Many items are on sale in the month of August, including Window Clings, which transform your bare windows to stained glass at 40% off. All summer silk florals are on sale at 30% off. A limited supply of black & tan Courtesan indoor/outdoor area rugs are on sale for 40% off, and Mary Carol cream & black dishware is on sale at 40% off. New merchandise for Fall is arriving daily, drop in and see what’s new in the Garden and Home décor shop today!
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