After weeks of summer heat and frequent rain, gardens across Bergen County, Rockland County, and the Hudson Valley may be showing signs of stress and not looking as vibrant as they did in spring. Fortunately, a few simple maintenance tasks can help revive flower beds, containers and landscapes while adding fresh color for the rest of the summer.
Tips to Refresh Your Garden
The experts at Down to Earth Living Garden Center in Pomona recommend these easy tips to keep your garden looking its best:
- Cut or pinch off dead flowers to encourage more blooms.
- Feed flowering plants with a bloom booster fertilizer to promote continued flowering.
- Prune spring-flowering shrubs that have already bloomed.
- Refresh garden beds and containers with colorful Black-Eyed Susans, Zinnias, Hydrangeas, and hanging baskets.
- Plant milkweed to support monarch butterflies, which rely on it as the only plant where they lay their eggs.
- Provide a water source for birds, butterflies, and bees with a bird bath or shallow dish of fresh water.
- Check hanging baskets and containers regularly, as they may need more frequent watering during hot weather, or replace those that are past their peak flowering season.
Summer Is a Great Time to Update Outdoor Spaces
Mid to late summer is also one of the best times to shop for outdoor furniture and décor. With seasonal sales underway, homeowners can often find significant savings on patio furniture, umbrellas, outdoor décor, and statuary while giving their backyard entertaining spaces a fresh new look.
With a few simple updates, homeowners can keep their gardens and backyard entertainment areas colorful into late summer through fall and extend the enjoyment time.
Get Personalized Garden Advice
Down to Earth Living Garden Center encourages customers to bring inspiration, such as online images, magazine clippings, or photos of their outdoor space, for personalized guidance. The experienced team can help select the right plants, shrubs, containers, and statuary to achieve the desired look.
The garden center’s expanded indoor plant showroom is open for the summer season, and free repotting is available with the purchase of any plant or pot.
About Down to Earth Living
Now in its 56th year, Down to Earth Living Garden Center serves Rockland, Bergen, and Orange counties, as well as the Hudson Valley. The 12.5-acre garden center is filled with perennials, flowers, shrubs, and trees, with new plants arriving weekly.
Its 10,000-square-foot showroom features contemporary, classic, traditional, and transitional teak, aluminum, and all-weather dining and deep-seated outdoor furniture.
Down to Earth Living is located a short distance from Bergen County at 1040 Route 45, Pomona, NY. For more information, call 845-354-8500 or visit www.dteliving.com.
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