Sweet peas are an old-fashioned annual that has delighted gardeners for ages. Said Keats, sweet peas have "taper fingers catching at all things, to bind them all about with tiny rings."

Sweet Peas have been a popular favorite for generations, since they are simple to grow and provide a great supply of cut flowers. Cultivated for their vivid colors of red, pink, blue, white and lavender, the fluttering blossoms of this plant almost appear to be folded over their stems, like delicate butterflies. Old-fashioned sweet peas have been cultivated for their striking color and strong fragrance since Victorian times. These climbers can grow as high as 6 to 8 feet or more where suitable support like a fence or trellis is available to them.

Sweet peas are usually grown from seed. Greenhouse Garden Center is proud to carry Renee's Garden sweet pea seeds, in the 'Velvet Elegance', 'Royal Wedding', 'Perfume Delight', 'Painted Lady', 'Garden Orchids', 'Electric Blue', 'April in Paris', and 'Color Palette Cupid' varieties. Although some varieties are not as fragrant, any of these sweet peas will enjoy a long season of bloom.

After amending the soil well with compost or other fertilizer, plant seeds about ¼ inch deep and 3 inches apart. After planting, water the soil well but don't water again until sprouts appear.

Sweet peas will blossom from late spring into summer, but blooming is curtailed by heat; they prefer regular watering during summer months and bloom best in cooler, mild climates. If they are planted in rich, moist soil with a heavy mulch, their roots can keep cool enough to survive even the hottest days of summer in warmer areas.

Sweet peas can be grown on trellises or tripods, alone or mixed with pole beans or green peas, and are often grown in vegetable gardens. In cooler climates, sweet peas can bloom from spring through to the fall. Check with one of our knowledgeable staff to see what varieties will work best in your specific garden.

For novices, sweet peas offer almost fool-proof results. For experienced, even expert gardeners, sweet peas are good looking workhorses of the garden, attracting bees and other pollinators needed for anything to grow.

Come on in, we have a great selection of sweet peas varieties in stock right now and conditions are perfect for planting.

If you’re like this writer, you come blasting into spring with plans to completely re-seed over an acre of lawn. Of course, life and all of the other to-do's on a gardener’s list usually eat up the short curtain of time between the final snow melt and too-warm temperatures. And if like most northern lawns, yours consists of bluegrass, fescue, and perennial rye grass, they don’t germinate until the ground reaches a temperature of 59 degrees F. Unfortunately, dormant weeds such as crabgrass, dandelions, lambs quarters, and curly dock, germinate at 55 degrees F. But there is a “miracle cure” out there that is becoming more and more popular.

Ignore that nagging voice insisting that a fall seeding is the only time to begin your lawn. If you've procrastinated, or fall clean-up has pushed back the time to best re-seed your lawn, feel free to lightly overseed later in the fall, particularly if it is past mid-August through September, the optimal time during which to seed. Then plan on applying corn gluten meal to your lawn in early spring, typically close to the germination time of the weeds that you're targeting. Corn gluten meal is a protein-rich by-product of corn processing, and is commonly sold as feed material for livestock. It contains amino acids that make it a natural pre-emergent herbicide; its nutrients make your grass healthier and stronger, in time suppressing weeds as they are crowded out by a happy, healthy lawn. It is also a natural fertilizer that contains 10 per cent slow-release nitrogen by weight. Then you may re-seed bare spots the following fall.

One caveat--during the 4-6 weeks following application, do not re-seed, as the corn gluten will prevent all seed germination. Compared to synthetic products, corn gluten meal is more expensive, and tends to offer somewhat less weed control. But despite these few drawbacks, corn gluten offers us a simple and safe approach to lawn care. Horticulturists suggest applying 10-20 lbs. of it per 1,000 sq. ft. twice yearly, once in the spring to prevent summer weeds from sprouting, and once in the fall, around Labor Day, for winter weed control and fertilization. Apply the granulated form with a conventional spreader, and gently water it in to activate.

This worthy weed-and-feed product can be found at garden centers under several different brand names. Just ask your nursery representative for assistance.

Proper spring rose care will help you ensure a glorious blooming season. One of the most important parts of rose care is pruning.

Why should we prune roses? Because pruning encourages new growth and bloom, improves air circulation, and helps to shape the plant. It also brings you up close and personal with your plants, giving you warning to wash off aphids with a water blast at first sign.

Pruning time is often dictated by the blooming of the forsythia bush. If you haven't any nearby forsythia bushes, watch instead for when the leaf buds begin to swell and redden on your rose plants. After pruning is the time to begin feeding and insect prevention.

We've answered the "why" of spring pruning, but now we'd like to deal with the specific needs of each class.

• For modern floribundas that bloom once on new growth, prune hard (1/2 to 2/3 of the plant's height), removing old woody stems, and leaving 3 to 5 healthy canes evenly spaced around the plant. Cut these from 18-24" inches to encourage continuous blooming.
• Hybrid teas and grandifloras also are new wood bloomers. Prune them in early spring by removing dead and weak wood in an open vase shape, removing center stems. Reduce the remaining stems down to 18 to 24 inches. Whenever possible, cut on a 45 degree angle.
• Ramblers bloom only once, on old wood, and may be pruned right after flowering to remove winter damage and dead wood, or to shape.
• Although climbing roses are repeat bloomers, the above should be followed for them as well.
• Modern shrub roses are repeat bloomers on mature--not old--woody stems. Don't prune for the first two years, then each year remove one-third of the oldest canes.
• Bourbons will repeat bloom on both new and old wood. Prune to remove the dead wood prior to flowering; after the initial flowering you may perform a hard prune and shaping.
• Alba, centifolia, damask, gallica, and moss roses bloom only once, producing flowers on old wood; pruning is required only to remove dead wood and for shaping.
• Miniature roses require pruning only to shape.

When pruning is complete, carefully rake up and discard all pruned material, including leaves and old mulch, and toss all out with the trash; this will discourage diseases and insects.

If you have been troubled by fungus diseases on your roses, a spring spray of lime sulphur will kill the over-wintered spores of black spot and mildew.

During these difficult fiscal times, we can choose to throw our hands up in despair, or we can embrace the creativity, imagination, and determination of our predecessors who came together in adversity, and in so doing, made this country the great land that it is. During wartimes and depressions, Americans re-assessed their priorities and realized that so much of what makes life easier, also strips it of the very qualities that make it worth living.

Victory gardens are not a new concept, but have come back into favor as grocery store prices have skyrocketed. Ironically, the food that we grow in our own backyards has a richer, fuller flavor, with aromas that have been bred out of the pre-dried, pre-packaged foods to which so many of us have turned. This is particularly true of fruits and vegetables; tomatoes have been hybridized to make them symmetrical and red, with a long shelf life, and a durability to survive the rigors of automated harvesting and long-distance shipping.

But heirlooms, or heritage tomatoes, have become increasingly popular and available. Prized for their outstanding flavor, their unusual shapes and vast range of colors add to the plate as well as the palate. They range in color from purple to orange, green, white and even black, and many are every bit as hardy as hybrid varieties.

By definition, an heirloom tomato's seeds can be traced back at least a century, and reproduce through an open, or natural, pollination process. You may choose to grow your heirlooms from seed, but a quick visit to your garden center will probably yield starter plants such as the popular Brandywine tomato, or other varieties that are local favorites. Pick out healthy looking plants with no yellowing or speckling on the leaves. Check the tag, looking for a string of letters; these denote resistance to the following diseases:

• A--Alternaria leaf spot
• F--Fusarium wilt
• FF--Race 1 and Race 2 Fusarium
• L--Septoria leaf spot
• N--Nematodes
• T--Tobacco mosaic virus (never smoke around your tomatoes!!)
• V--Verticilium wilt.

Thus, a tag with the code of FFLT means that the plant is resistant to both common strains of fusarium wilt, septoria leaf spot, and tobacco mosaic virus.

There are two different types of tomato growth types, determinate and indeterminate. Which you go with will depend on where you plan to grow them (they love the sun!) and how much room you have. Determinates are compact and bushy, tend to be early growers, and are best suited for small gardens and container gardens. Indeterminates are vinier and will need support. They tend to fruit up later, so why not plant both for a constant supply?

Plant tomatoes approximately 2 to 3 feet apart from each other or in rows 3 feet apart with the plants spaced at a foot. You may plant when the temperature is a consistent 50 degrees F, but the plants won't begin to set fruit until the overnight low is regularly above 55 degrees F. Use soil amendment, and add water evenly for best results.

When your plants begin to need staking, consider twig or bamboo tripods, or trellising; your garden will not only prove delicious tasting, it will also look good!

Some gardens can be pretty, some can be manicured and some can look wild and woolly, but there's nothing like a fragrance garden to tickle the nose and stimulate the senses. Fragrance gardens can be created using many different garden design themes; the only requirements are using plants with flowers or foliage that are pleasingly fragrant.

You can go Cottage, Mediterranean, Victorian, Woodland or something in between, since all can benefit from the use of fragrant plants and flowers. A fragrance garden doesn't have to be just sweet and perfumed. It can also be soothingly aromatic, with both delicate and bold scents. You can even select when you want your garden to emit its fragrance, be it morning, mid-day or night time!

Most plants get their fragrance from essential oils in various parts of the plant foliage or flowers. Foliage fragrance is often released by touch, while flowers don't need an extra nudge to share their delights. Position foliage-fragrant plants along pathways borders or overhead on an arbor or trellis where their aroma will be released when you brush past them. Plant your garden using a good quality soil amendment like Pay Dirt and feed in the summer with Dr. Earth All Purpose to ensure healthy growth.

Some flowers can be enjoyed from far away, while others might require you to get close to inhale their sweet perfume. We have created a list of our favorite fragrant plants. Simply click on this link to discover more about them. Then stop by and give them the nose test in person. We're sure you'll find some scents you love among our selection.

There are many ways to add life to a dull garden. One is to add plants with different foliage textures; another is to add plants with unique colors or bold-shaped foliage. Sometimes all it takes is a few well-placed plants that have completely different foliage from the rest of your garden to make a dramatic impact on the look of your garden.

If your have a morning sun, afternoon shade or full shade location, consider plants such as acanthus with its large oak-shaped leaves and spikes of lilac flowers or alchemilla (lady's mantle) with its wavy foliage and yellow flowers. You might try the glossy-leafed bergenia with pink-red flowers or caladium, which comes in a multitude of different foliage patterns, or ligularia with its large-toothed foliage and spikes of lemony yellow flowers. If you are looking for something really different, consider the eye-catching marbled foliage of brunnera and hosta or the Weeping Mulberry

For sunny locations consider plants like the smoke bush (cotinus) with its burgundy purple foliage and wispy white blooms, Tricolor beech, the burgundy foliage of physocarpus (ninebark) or the unusual black foliage of 'Black Lace' sambucus. For something even more dramatic try a few burgundy or variegated foliage canna lilies, New Zealand flax or variegated weigela. For more height you can always plant a Southern magnolia (soulangeana).

Click here to get an idea of some the great plants we stock with bold foliage. A few placed in just the right strategic location will make the entire garden stand out and come alive!

Aphids come in a number of sizes and colors, winged and non-winged. All are pesky little insects to gardeners. Why are they considered a pest? Aphids are "suckers"-- they suck juices from the plant leaves and stems. Some can also transmit plant viruses via that sucking mouth-piece.

What else do we know about aphids? Well, they certainly are not Speedy Gonzales! They are slow-moving, soft-bodied insects that suck juices from our plants, and excrete a clear sugary liquid that we call "honeydew." Frequently, in the presence of an aphid-infected plant, you will notice a stream of ants working busily around the aphids. They are protecting the aphids because these ants want access to the honeydew.

Also, it is upon honeydew that sooty mold can grow and leave a black, sooty deposit on the foliage of the infected plant. Many customers have mentioned that they thought this deposit was pollution or dirt. It's not pollution or dirt--it's a fungal mold.

Aphids have many natural enemies in our gardens. Adult and larval forms of ladybugs and lacewings, syrphid flies, soldier beetles and parasitoid wasps (these guys are tiny, not your average wasp) all love to eat aphids. A good approach to aphid management begins with maintaining a healthy garden and encouraging these beneficial insects to make your garden their home. This is done through plant diversity and health.

Another very easy method of aphid removal is simply using water to knock them off the infected plant. If the aphid is in the process of probing/sucking a juicy stem when you knock it off--and it probably is doing just that--the mouthpiece will be broken and the aphid will no longer be able to eat. See what a simple pest control water can be--and a safe method at that?

We carry spray oils and other insecticides that can be used for more severe infestations--ask us which is best for your needs.

If there is any room available in your vegetable garden, fill it with early spring vegetables. Use either transplants of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, parsley, peas, and Swiss chard, or seeds of beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, radishes, and turnips.

Artichokes, asparagus, and horseradish can be bought bare root. Horseradish is well worth growing, but needs ample water plus plenty of room to grow. Confine it in a special place, such as a raised bed, or it can become quite invasive.

This is the best time of the year for lettuce. It's easy to grow and a great money saver. Plant either from transplants, which will give you faster harvest, or start in weekly batches from seeds, which will give you more lettuce over a longer period of time. Lettuce seeds germinate within a wide range of soil temperatures, but sprout more quickly at cooler temperatures than warm ones, so this is a good time to start them.

Growing from seeds also gives you more interesting varieties to choose from--especially pleasing to the gourmet.

What’s the best way to over-seed a lawn?

Answer:
That depends on whether it is the entire lawn or just a bare spot. The best time to over-seed is early spring and early fall.

For bare spots, make sure to remove any old dead growth that still exists. Then scratch the soil surface at least 1-2 inches deep and level off. Apply your seed and cover with 1/4 inch of top dressing. Make sure to keep the area moist at all times until the seed has germinated and rooted. You should be able to mow the spot (on a high level setting) three weeks after the seed germinates and is visible.

Before over-seeding an entire lawn, mow your lawn to half its normal height. We recommend dethatching your lawn and removing all thatch debris before applying new seed. Then over-seed at the recommended over-seeding rate on the package of your lawn seed.

Cover the entire lawn with a 1/4 inch layer of the same top dressing mentioned above. Switch your watering cycle to at least twice daily (short cycles) the first two weeks, once per day the second week, every second day the third week and then back to your normal watering cycle from then on.

Try not to mow for at least two weeks after applying seed. Then do so at a higher than normal level setting until the new grass is well established.