Combine winter annuals for colorful planters throughout the season.
It is time to freshen up your pots with colorful cold-tolerant flowers that will bloom throughout winter into late spring. We started with a classic purple and yellow “jump-up” viola and followed that color pallet to create a container garden that is sure to brighten up any garden!
Dianella Flax lily – This plant’s tall, brightly variegated leaves make a great thriller for containers. Flax lilies are cold and heat-tolerant, as well as deer resistant. They are excellent border plants preferring full to partial sun.
Snapdragons – These classic bedding flowers come in various colors and sizes. They are a winter annual here in NE Florida. They look fantastic in groupings, are sun-loving, and grow best with consistent watering.
Flowering Kale Songbird – As the temperatures cool, ornamental kale comes into its full glory. The color intensifies with the cold, bringing shades of red and purple to the garden. Beautiful when partnered with pansies in containers or beds by the house.
Nemesia Ecsential® Strawberry– Extremely scented bloomer, covered with flowers and full of color! This HEAT AND COLD tolerant variety should last all winter into late spring!
Viola Jump Up – A smaller relative to the pansy, these full-sun flowers are easy-care and bloom from late fall through spring. They come in a variety of colors and combinations as well.
Sign up for updates!
Sign up to receive exclusive offers, event notifications and announcements.
Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
Aeration and Top Dressing
Water Features, Koi Ponds,
Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
Garden Center & Pond Supply Store
General Services Areas
Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee
Best Practice Tips for Maintaining Milkweed for Monarchs
Monarch butterfly caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed, which Earth Works garden center provides along with best practice tips for maintaining milkweed for Monarchs. As one of the most recognized and beloved of North American native insects, thousands of people provide them habitat and feed them along their migratory path. This is only possible with large amounts of milkweed being available for planting. However, Earth Works also encourages awareness of the benefits of cutting back milkweed in Fall and warm winters to prevent Monarchs from overwintering here rather than joining more healthy populations that migrate back to Mexico.
Monarch Population Decline Scientists point to a variety of reasons for a decline in Monarch populations, including deforestation, changing agricultural practices, weather extremes, unregulated eco-tourism, fire, and disease.
The good news is that our efforts at providing food and habitat help. “It is likely that monarch numbers would be even lower without the efforts of dedicated individuals throughout North America, but current numbers show us that we need to increase our efforts,” according to Karen Oberhauser, UW-Madison Arboretum.
How the Monarchs are Counted Monarch population numbers have been assessed yearly since 1994 at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) in Mexico. Scientists at the MBBR estimate Monarch numbers based on the amount of land the butterflies are roosting on each winter. Since the Mexican overwintering count began, the population estimate of Mexican overwintering Monarchs peaked at one billion in 1996, with the lowest count being 20 million in 2013/2014.
The population numbers have bounced up and down, but mostly down. For instance, the Mexican overwintering Monarch population estimate was up 35% for Winter 2021/2022, but down 26% the prior year. “Scientists estimate that at least 6 hectares is necessary for a sustainable population of eastern monarchs,” according to Monarch Joint Venture. Monarch populations have only met that threshold for sustainability approximately four times in the past twenty years. However, there are growing numbers of Monarchs overwintering in North America that has proved to be unhealthy for them.
Monarchs Milkweed Choices and Preferences Even though there are over 100 native milkweed species in North America, we are typically only able to supply one or two native species, such as Swamp milkweed, Asclepius perennis due to a lack of commercial growers. The most commonly available species is the Mexican Tropical Milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, as it’s easy to propagate and fast-growing. We encourage homeowners maintaining milkweed for monarchs to provide as much diversity of milkweed species as possible.
A 2018 USDA-funded study found that Monarchs will lay more eggs where they have more milkweed species choices. “It is important to note that monarchs use multiple different milkweed hosts each year throughout their annual cycle,” according to Ecosphere. “Although these milkweed species appear on the landscape in different proportions, monarchs do not specialize on one milkweed species even when both have co-evolved within a smaller region (e.g., eastern vs. western North America). Monarchs from both the eastern and western populations exhibited the same oviposition preferences when given access to milkweed species from both eastern and western North America.”
Milkweed Routine Maintenance in the Fall Native North American milkweed species are more likely to die back in Fall than the Mexican Tropical Milkweed variety that, during warm winters, can continue to produce foliage and blooms. “Jim Edson, a geology professor at the University of Arkansas, said, “one research project offered five kinds of milkweed to monarchs,” according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “Butterfly weed was least liked and tropical was preferred. But scientists fear that what the monarchs like the most may be bad for them.”
Since the Monarchs enjoy Mexican Tropical milkweed found here, it’s become challenging to get them to migrate back to Mexico. Scientists are concerned that the suitable areas where Tropical milkweed can survive the winter from the Carolinas to California keep Monarchs here year-round. The problem with this is that Monarch populations that don’t return to Mexico have higher infection rates of the naturally occurring protozoan Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), which causes deformities and death.
Rate of Infection & Impacts According to a University of Georgia study, in the wild, in the western US, about 30% of all wild Monarch butterflies have HEAVY OE spore loads,” wrote Butterfly Fun Facts. “In the eastern US, less than 8% of Monarch butterflies have a HEAVY spore load. In the southern tip of Florida, where Monarchs fly and lay eggs all year, more than 70% have HEAVY OE. Experts estimate that nearly 100% of wild Monarchs in the Miami/Dade area of Florida are infected with OE, from mild to heavy infection. If OE was super deadly in the wild, the southern tip of Florida would not continue to have a large population of Monarch butterflies.”
Scientists Are Seeking Solutions And although infected Monarchs can spread OE’s spores via any milkweed species, there is still little progress in finding a cure, although, for those rearing them, there are recommendations for reducing the spread. “We have worked out a way to control this parasite that we hope will not be too difficult,” according to Scientists at MonarchWatch.org. “Our method requires cleaning up your rearing operation; we have not yet found a way to “cure” a larva once it has eaten the spores, although at the University of Kansas we are continuing to look for such a solution using drugs that have been shown to work on related organisms. We have had limited success with attempts to surface-decontaminate eggs once they have been laid, although this does lower the incidence of the disease. Thus, the only way to solve the problem, and to prevent more releases of contaminated butterflies, is to make sure that the larvae you rear are never exposed to the parasite. There are four steps you will need to take. ” Learn more at Monarch Watch.
Scientists have found OE to be transmitted in three ways: infected females spreading spores onto their eggs, by contact with milkweed that infects others Monarchs, and during mating. “Monarchs that acquire spores as adults are temporary carriers, and themselves do not experience detrimental effects of the parasite,” according to their research published at the National Library of Medicine.
We at Earth Works hope this information benefits your understanding of best practices for maintaining milkweed for monarchs. Visit our garden center and speak to staff about the availability of milkweed and the many nectar plants available for them and other pollinators in Northeast Florida.
Happy Gardening!
Sign up for updates!
Sign up to receive exclusive offers, event notifications and announcements.
Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
Aeration and Top Dressing
Water Features, Koi Ponds,
Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
Garden Center & Pond Supply Store
General Services Areas
Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee
December lawn & garden tips begin with recognition that this is a predictably cool & dry weather month that’s great for planting large shrubs and palms and for working on landscape designs and projects. As the weather can change rapidly keep up to date with weather forecasts and be prepared to protect your tender plants and pets well ahead of frost and freezing temperatures.
The National Weather Service predicts below-average precipitation throughout the Southern United States in December. While drying out is suitable for reducing the threat of lawn fungus that’s at its worst on cool, humid nights, too little water and watering at the wrong time of day can also cause problems.
BE PREPARED TO SUPPLEMENT WITH ADDITIONAL WATERING IN DECEMBER
Earth Works recommends two lawn watering events per week in December. If you don’t get two rain events per week supplement with irrigation and hand watering. New lawns and landscapes require daily watering the first month to get established. Irrigation is restricted to once per week in Jacksonville, coinciding with a return to Standard Time that began on November 6.
Duval County watering ordinance includes:
1) No watering from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2) Odd number addresses, or addresses ending with letters N-Z, or no address may water only on Saturday.
3) Even number addresses or those ending with A-M may water only on Sunday.
4) Non-residential addresses may water only on Tuesday and
5) Apply up to ¾-inch or less of water one time per week.
DECEMBER TURF NEEDS
Proper care of your lawn during dormancy will directly impact its health in Spring and Summer.
The three macro-nutrients listed on the label of all fertilizers are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, abbreviated as NPK.
If choosing a Winterizing lawn fertilizer, we only recommend an NPK with phosphorus and potassium. “Adding phosphorus to soil low in available phosphorus promotes root growth and winter hardiness, stimulates tillering, and often hastens maturity,” according to University of Nebraska Plant & Soil elibrary. “Potassium is a vital component of numerous plant functions, including nutrient absorption, respiration, transpiration, and enzyme activity.” Both phosphurus and potassium are essential for plant maintenance and support, according to the Noble Research Institute. For Winter we only recommend nitrogen-free formulations.
It’s also essential to know your soil pH when supplementing with fertilizers. These macro-nutrients are only fully bioavailable at a pH of 6.5 or above and decreasingly available below. “In a very acid soil of pH 5.0 only 40% of the nitrogen is available, 35% of the phosphorus and 50% of the potassium,” according to Allotment Garden.org. “Increasing to an average plot’s pH 5.5 takes the nitrogen and potassium up to 70% availability but the phosphorus is still only at 45% availability. It’s not until the pH hits 6.5 that all the big 3 nutrients are fully available to fuel the plants.”
Now is an excellent time to consider BOOKING soil AERATION & TOP DRESSING service for your lawn ahead of Spring with the Earth Works Lawn Care department. Contact us to get you scheduled.
WHICH VEGETABLES CAN I PLANT IN DECEMBER? December vegetable planting recommendations are the same for November and December, with a few additional veggies added to the soil in January. University of Florida IFAS Gardening Solutions recommendations for December include Arugula, Beets, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage, Celery, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mustard, Onions, Radish, Spinach, Strawberry, & Turnips.
Stop in and shop our herbs and veggies that our buyers selected especially for your Winter garden. If looking for the latest seed varieties to hit the market consider subscribing to some of our listed 60+ Free Seed Catalogs.
GARDENING SOIL PREPARATION Whether you have plans to use existing beds or containers we recommend turning your soil and mixing in a few amendments including Wild Earth Soil Mix for your raised beds or container gardening, a rich, light-weight compost mix available by the bag and yard. Plus, supplement with Espoma Organic Biotone Starter an excellent planting fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi root enhancers. Visit Earth Works Gardens and speak with a staff member about your specific needs. We carry everything from earthworm castings to bat guano for your specific planting soil amendment needs.
DECEMBER IS A TERRIFIC TIME TO PLANT TREES & ANNUALS As previously mentioned December’s cold and dry weather is perfect here in Northeast Florida for planting palms, citrus, and other trees. December and throughout the Winter months is also the time of year to introduce colorful annuals in an otherwise often dormant and bland landscape. Earth Works has a large selection of annuals for your garden beds including petunias, violas, snapdragons, lambs ear, decorative kale, and Dusty Miller. For December we also have beautiful varieties of poinsettias and Anthurium with their long-lasting, heart-shaped flowers in stock.
PREPARE YOUR TENDER PLANTS TO BRING INDOORS Become familiar with the cold tolerance of your plants and the threat of chilling temperatures above freezing for each. Learn more. Getting your plants acclimated to indoor living after being brought inside requires extra attention to their light and watering needs along with pest management. Our heating systems create far different conditions from those our outdoor plants are accustomed to. Inspect your plants from soil up through the leaves before bringing indoors. You don’t want a pest or disease problem with one plant to damage others by placing together indoors in tight quarters. Be prepared to adjust your plants watering needs, rotating to assure adequate lighting and away from drafts throughout the Winter period.
CONSIDER TAKING UP BONSAI OR ADDING TO YOUR BONSAI COLLECTION THIS WINTER Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing dwarf trees in pots that can start anytime and last for generations. These potted plants can be started indoors or out with as little as soil, a container, and plant. Earth Works Garden Center Manager Matthew Barlow has decades of experience growing, training, and caring for bonsai plants and is available to answer your specific questions about bonsai. Earth Works likewise has bonsai plants ready to add to your collection or share as gifts and all your specialty products required to start and florish within the bonsai hobby.
POND CARE CONCERNS FOR DECEMBER The main concerns involving koi in December revolve around water temperature. Rhonda King, Earth Works Garden Manager, discusses cold water concerns for koi ponds.
Helpful Cool Weather Tips for Pond Owners: -Keep a pond thermometer on hand. . -Switch to cold water food for koi as their digestive system slows down with cooler temperatures. -Now is the time to schedule your pond clean out before Spring.
SCHEDULE YOUR LANDSCAPE DESIGN CONSULTATION BEFORE SPRING Winter is the best time to schedule your landscape design consultation to prepare and plan and schedule your installation ahead of the busy Spring and Summer season. With a landscape design consultation and drawing you are better able to budget all or phases of your landscaping wants and needs from improved curb appeal to new plantings, water features and all that goes into making your yard perfect for your vision of high quality outdoor living. It can take weeks, even months, to schedule and implement your plan especially if you wait until the busiest times for the landscaping industry. Don’t wait too late to get your project designed and scheduled to meet your desired completion date.
December Lawn & Garden tips would not be complete without mentioning the availability of gift cards available in any denomination and to note that during the month of December 25% of gift card sales are donated to our local charity a downtown Jacksonville youth learning center the Sanctuary on 8th Street.
Oh I love Earth Works! If you need plants, Pond supplies, Koi fish, yard art, pots/ containers, stautes…this is a great place. Helpful, friendly employees & great variety. Sarah Cantor
Sign up for updates!
Sign up to receive exclusive offers, event notifications and announcements.
Lawn Care Services, Lawn Maintenance, Lawn Fertilization
Lawn Pest Control, Lawn Weed Control
Aeration and Top Dressing
Water Features, Koi Ponds,
Waterfalls, Bubbling Fountains
Garden Center & Pond Supply Store
General Services Areas
Jacksonville (Jax), Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Orange Park, St. Johns, Nocatee
There are pros and cons to pond water recycling this nutrient-rich water as a home brew of fish fertilizer. Unlike commercially available fish emulsion and hydrolysate fertilizers, your recycled pond and aquarium water has not gone through a process to preserve nutrients while removing impurities and contaminants. ‘Pond water is less than ideal for vegetable gardens,” according to Simplify Gardening. ‘The water can host microbes and potentially harmful pests that can make your plants sick, so it is imperative to check it before watering your plants. There are some advantages of using pond water, including nitrogen high water.’
The safest way to recycle pond water is to avoid using it on fruits and vegetables intended for consumption and use it instead on non-fruit-bearing trees, tropicals, ornamentals, and flowering annuals and perennials.
Commercially available Fish emulsion is an older process that relies on heat and creates a smelly product. In contrast, Fish Hydrolysate is a newer process involving the cold processing of fresh fish and fish byproducts.
‘Our unique cold process protects heat sensitive nutrients naturally found in fish, providing you with the best fertilizer available,’ according to Neptune’s Harvest. ‘Unlike fish emulsions, Neptune’s Harvest doesn’t remove the proteins or oils during processing and has no unpleasant odor.’ Earth Works Gardens shop stocks Neptunes’ Harvest Hydrolyzed Fertilizer.
Additional advantages of the hydrolyzed fish fertilizer over recycled water or fish emulsion, according to Laid Back Gardener include: – It quickly corrects nutrient deficiencies; – It encourages the proliferation of bacteria that are beneficial to the ecosystem; – It stimulates rooting and flowering; – It nourishes the soil with its rich nutrients; – It increases the Brix (amount of sugar) in fruits and vegetables.
Earth Works constructed ponds are designed with sufficient filtration not to require water changes when the fish load is ideal. However, this can change as clients’ fish grow in number and size. The amount of waste a koi releases as it ages from small fry to full-grown fish is not a linear increase based on length but exponential based on fish weight. The circumference, more so than the length of your koi, accounts for this dramatic increase in fish waste. Pond water recycling affords you some fertilization benefits that we recommend supplementing with Neptune’s Harvest Fish Hydrolysate.
Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Stop by our retail center or contact us online or by phone at 904-996-0712.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Aquascape Pond Detoxifier makes pond water safe for fish and plants, allowing you to spend more time enjoying your fish and less time worrying about them. Source water, including tap and well water, often contains chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals. It is essential to eliminate any toxins in your pond water to ensure the health of your ecosystem. Pond Detoxifier removes and detoxifies chlorine, neutralizes ammonia, and detoxifies and chelates copper and heavy metals that can harm pond fish and aquatic plants. Pond Detoxifier also allows some metals, like iron, to be used as a fertilizer, helping your plants to thrive.
Staple Fish Food
If you want happy and healthy pond fish, you need to feed them high-quality fish food. Aquascape Premium Staple Fish Food Pellets are formulated for everyday use and provide your pond fish with the nutrition they need to thrive at an affordable price. The mixed pellet sizes include small, medium, and large pellets, ideal for ponds containing a variety of fish sizes. All Aquascape fish foods contain probiotics that aid in digestion and reduce fish waste, while the included high-quality protein helps optimize growth rates. The floating pellets contain stabilized vitamin C and other quality ingredients and are scientifically formulated for all pond fish, including koi and goldfish. Aquascape fish food will not break apart during feeding, helping to maintain clear Premium water conditions.
Beneficial Bacteria
Aquascape Beneficial Bacteria in concentrated power formula or liquid water treatment helps to provide clean, clear, and healthy water conditions, significantly reducing pond maintenance. Each bottle of Beneficial Bacteria is packed full of eight pure strains of concentrated beneficial bacteria and is completely safe for fish, plants, pets, and wildlife. Our Beneficial Bacteria effectively reduce fish waste, organic plant material, sludge, and excess nutrients in your pond, allowing you to spend more time enjoying your water feature and less time maintaining it. Our bacteria contains a 1.5 billion CFU per ounce potency, ensuring consistently effective treatment. The included marigold and vitamin B help bring out your fish’s natural colors while maintaining proper fish health.
Adding marginal pond plants helps to reduce algae growth by competing with the algae for nutrients. Popular choices include bloody dock, pennywort, aquatic mint, corkscrew rush, pickerel, water iris, canna lily, and more. Providing shade on the pond’s surface by adding water lilies will help diminish the possibility of green water.
Canna Lily
Pennywort
Water Iris
Maintain
Aquascape Maintain for Ponds combines our most effective pond water treatments into one powerful formulation to successfully keep ponds clean, clear, healthy, and maintenance-free. This easy-to-use water treatment contains a powerful blend of beneficial bacteria, phosphate binder, flocculant, and pond detoxifier. The bacteria blend includes lithotrophic, heterotrophic, and photosynthetic bacteria strains, keeping pond water healthy, beautiful, and safe for pond fish. The included phosphate binder locks up excess nutrients that could otherwise cause issues with water quality, and the flocculant quickly clears cloudy water by clumping suspended debris. A pond water detoxifier is added to the formulation to remove and detoxify chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, and other toxins, making your pond water safe for fish and plants. The easy-to-use pump top accurately measures 100 gallons of treatment per pump. Maintain for Ponds is safe for fish, plants, pets, and wildlife.
The Aquascape Rapid Clear Fine Filter Pad helps speed up flocculated particles’ filtering. Smaller debris is often tricky to catch and remove from the pond. Therefore, using a finer disposable filter mat will allow you to capture particulate that is too fine for your mechanical filter mats. Place the mat inside the skimmer box and watch the impressive results. The Aquascape Rapid Clear Fine Filter Pad is best used in combination with Rapid Clear Flocculant water treatment to quickly enhance water clarity and quality.
When a pollen grain moves from the anther (male part) of a flower to the stigma (female part), pollination happens. This is the first step in a process that produces seeds, fruits, and the next generation of plants. This can happen through self-pollination, wind and water pollination, or through the work of vectors that move pollen within the flower and from bloom to bloom.
Why do we need pollinators?
Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce.
Pollinating animals travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies in a vital interaction that allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants – the very plants that
bring us countless fruits, vegetables, and nuts,
½ of the world’s oils, fibers, and raw materials;
prevent soil erosion,
and increase carbon sequestration
This nearly invisible ecosystem service is a precious resource that requires attention and support – – and in disturbing evidence found around the globe, is increasingly in jeopardy. Pollinator Partnership, 2021. “Pollinators need you. You need Pollinators.”
Published by Pollinator Partnership, San Francisco, USA. pollinators.org
Pollinator facts:
Our pollinators are in trouble with declining numbers worldwide. There are multiple causes including, habitat loss, pesticide use, invasive plants, climate change, and diseases.
In Florida, we have 300 native bees, 160 butterfly species that breed here and about 200 species that migrate through the state, and 3 commonly seen hummingbird species.
Bees are our most efficient pollinators. Practicing “flower Constancy,” searching for certain plants on their foraging trips. They go to and from the same species of flower. Pollinating a third of the world’s food supply.
Searching for nectar, butterflies pick up pollen and accidentally pollinate, not quite as efficient as the honeybee. Yet, several plant species, like milkweed and other wildflowers, depend on butterflies to transfer their pollen.
Hummingbirds are hungry creatures feeding most of the day. This makes them perfect pollinators for many flowers. Certain flower varieties have evolved to become even more appealing to these tiny birds.
Gardening for Pollinators in your own yard can help! As natural habitats are being destroyed to accommodate new development, the importance of gardening to assist bee and butterfly populations is growing. Planting a pollinator garden in your yard helps combat this loss of natural habitats.
Selecting the right plants for your Pollinator Garden
BEES: Honeybees prefer white, yellow, purple, and blue flowers — they can’t even see the color red! Bees also need a nice-sized landing pad, so broad petal, daisy-like flowers are best. Finally, they need both pollen and nectar to feed the hive. So fruit-producing trees and shrubs, as well as native plants, fill the bill.
BUTTERFLIES: If you want a well-attended butterfly party in your yard, invite your local butterfly species by planting their favorite host plants! Butterflies require specific host plant species to lay their eggs on, along with food and shelter. Then add some nectar plants, preferably with red, orange, yellow, and pink trumpet-shaped flowers, to feed your guest.
HUMMINGBIRDS: Brightly colored, preferably red, tubular flowers that hold the most nectar are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. Plant these sugar-rich plants near and around your home and patio areas for the best opportunity to view these elusive and amazing birds.
Bees on gaillardia
Black-Eyed Susan
Coral Honeysuckle
Marigolds
Lavender
Purple Coneflower
Milkweed
Coreopsis
Gaillardia
Dune Sunflower
Blue-Eyed Grass
Liatris
Alyssum
Agastache Bee Balm
Monarch Butterfly on flowers 1
Lantana
Penta
Buddleia
Firebush
Salvia
Porterweed
Sweet Almond Bush
Firespike
Black-Eyed Susan
Purple Coneflower
Milkweed
Coreopsis
Gaillardia Dune Sunflower
Hummingbird drinking from cigar plant
Firebush
Coral honeysuckle
Coralbean
Tropical Sage
Crossvine
Cardinal flower
Necklace Pod
Cigar Plant
Bat face Cuphea
Salvia
Jatropha
Bottlebrush
Shrimp plant Soap Aloe
Important Tips:
Avoid using insecticides and other harmful chemicals in your garden.
Shop the garden centers at different times to select plants that bloom in different seasons.
Fertilize with organic plant foods, like compost and fish fertilizer.
Choose plants for butterflies that will provide food for caterpillars.
Butterfly adults need more than nectar from flowers. Try setting out a dish full of fruit scraps. Fill the bottom with a very shallow layer of water mixed with sea salt and watch which butterflies hang around for a snack.
A classic recipe for creating a beautiful arrangement uses this theory of combining plants with different heights, textures, and growth patterns.
Thriller: Anything you choose that will act as a focal point. Choose something dramatic and flashy. It could be anything that draws the eye. This is also usually the tallest plant in the mix.
Filler: Choose plants that won’t get as tall as the Thriller but will either contrast or complement it and fill in the middle space
Spiller: Pick one or several plants that will drape and spill over the container.
Design Possibilities:
Monochromatic design–Pick plants that flower in similar colors.
A centered layout – If your planter is seen from all sides, you should center your tallest plant and fill in around it so it looks beautiful from every angle.
Butterfly attractor pot – Combine several nectar plants
Salsa Pot – Pick a favorite tomato variety, a jalapeno, or even a hotter variety of pepper with a cilantro herb to have all your ingredients for delicious fresh
Evergreen collection – Try combining three different size planters in a unifying color or texture, each with just one beautiful evergreen shrub plant.
Be sure to choose plants with similar water and light needs when combining them. Also, please take into consideration the amount of space each plant will need when they a full-grown
Proper container planting steps:
Pots over 18” deep should have a minimum of 3” of gravel placed in the bottom. (Add 3” of additional stone for every 18” of pot height.)
Fill pots with premium Fox Farm potting soil up to the point of the depth of the plants that are going to be installed. Image of fox farm
A few easy steps will ensure your plants have an advantage. Add rich Compost and Bio-charged organic soil amendments.
After selecting the placement of your plants, follow these easy steps:
1–7 gallon plants: Water the plant(s) gently.
1. Dig a hole several inches wider and deeper than the size of the pot holding the plant.
Measuring the size of your pot for hole size
2. Remove the plastic pot from the root ball.
3. Inspect to make sure there are no large roots circling around the edges. If so, gently pull roots away.
placing plant in the hole
4. Add Wild Earth Mix and Bio-Tone to the hole. Enough so that when the plant is sitting in the hole the top surface of the plant’s soil is a quarter of an inch above ground level.
Adding in Biotone to hole
Back filling the hole with soil
15-gallon plants and larger
Follow the steps above. (1-4)
5. Then, after back-filling with Wild Earth Mix, use the native soil that was removed to make the hole to create a ring around the tree or shrub. The ring should be on the surface of the soil at the edges of the circumference of the plant’s roots. Pack the soil with the backside of the shovel on the interior and exterior sides of the ring. Adjust hose flow to run at a gentle trickle and fill the ring with water for several minutes. Keep the flow rate slow enough to keep the ring filled with water but not overflowing.
Protect your investment by giving your plants a huge advantage.
Harness the power of nature and Bio-Boost your soil.
Earth Works proven success kit will reduce heat stress, water needs, and transplant shock.
Organic ingredients guaranteed not to burn the plant’s root system
Beneficial bacteria and Fungi come to life in the soil and work to energize root systems
Slow-release natural fertilizer feeds for months
3 Easy Steps!
1.
Just dig your hole
2.
Coat the inside with Bio-Tone
3.
Backfill with Wild Earth Mix #3
Don’t forget that freshly installed plants may need water once a day when temperatures are in the mid-’70s and above. Check Daily if the soil below the surface is dry; hand water as needed. Never water plants if the soil is wet or moist.
Bio-Tone
For everything you plant. Use when planting all flowers, vegetables, trees, and shrubs.
Use at the planting time to help produce large root systems very quickly. This will help ensure that new plantings get maximum water and nutrients from the soil to minimize transplant loss.
Planting Beds: Mix into the top 4-6″ of the soil before planting.
Trees & Shrubs: Mix into the soil used to backfill the planting hole.
Potting Mixes: Mix thoroughly into the soil mix before planting.
Wild Earth Mix #3
A highly organic growing medium for vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs. Wild Earth Mix #3 is a blend of wheat straw, chicken litter, cottonseed hulls, gypsum, organic compost, kelp, humates, and pine products. It was amended with an organic nutrition package with macro and minor elements that enrich the soil for a full 26 weeks and more prolonged. Wild Earth Mix #3 has been trusted by competitive Rosarians and commercial and home gardeners for over 20 years.
• Great for gardens, raised beds, containers, new landscape installations, or refreshing older plantings.
• The USDA has approved all the components in Wild Earth Mix #3 for organic crop production.
Jack’s Classic Bloom Booster
Blossom Booster 10-30-20 is a Professional formula designed to produce more flowers and brighter colors on all indoor and outdoor plants. Feeds through both the roots and the leaves. This is the Original Blossom Booster with the proven 1:3:2 nutrient ratio– the quality is unmatched in the home gardener market. Trusted by many professional growers as a tool to fill out a blooming container. This formula will produce the same GREAT results for you at home.
