Posted by Sarah on December 21st 2011 in blog
The Sunnyside gang would like to thank you all for another wonderful year. As we prepare to close down for the season we are already excited for the 2012 season – anticipating another great gardening year with some tantalizing new ideas. Happy Holidays! We look forward to seeing you come March.
Posted by Sarah on December 9th 2011 in blog
Globe ice lanterns are all the rage in Minneapolis thanks to Jennifer Hedberg and her now famous installations around town. Local businesses in proximity to us in the Linden Hills neighborhood have embraced the winter light displays for the warming, wonderful feeling they exhibit on chilly winter nights.
After making several here at the store we’ve concluded that ice lantern creation is really fun and suitable for folks of all ages. Enjoy!
Posted by Andy on October 10th 2011 in blog
A common question circulating around the garden center these days is “when, and how, do I prune my hydrangeas?” Luckily hydrangea care is pretty easy, as long as you follow hydrangea rule #1 – know your hydrangea.
There are three basic types of hydrangeas grown in our climate, and when and how you prune them is directly related to which hydrangea you are pruning:
Smooth hydrangeas (hydrangea aborescens), which include popular varieties such the ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Invincibelle’ Spirit hydrangeas should be pruned in early spring, right before new growth begins. Because flowers form on the new seasons growth you’ll want to prune them about ½” above the first pair of buds as they emerge in early spring.
Panicle Hydrangeas (hydrangea paniculata) is a large hydrangea family that encompasses such favorites like ‘Limelight,’ ‘Quickfire,’ ‘Tardiva,’ ‘Pink Diamond’ and the stellar new ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ hydrangea. With this family of hydrangea you will want to prune in the fall, after you hydrangea is done blooming. You also have the option of thinning out your hydrangea by pruning out some of the branches – this will result in fewer, but larger, flowers.
Big-leaf Hydrangea (hydrangea macrophylla) are known exclusively in this climate as the ‘Endless Summer’ series of hydrangeas. This group includes the blue/pink blooming classic, along with newer varieties like ‘Blushing Bride’ and ‘Twist n Shout.’ These hydrangeas bloom on old and new wood and rarely require any pruning, save removing some of the dead branches in spring.
Another common hydrangea question is a little trickier – ‘why isn’t my hydrangea blooming?”
There are several answers to this question, and a few are, frustratingly, beyond the gardener’s control. Almost all of the non-blooming hydrangeas people inquire about are Big-leaf Hydrangeas (hydrangea macrophylla). The first thing you should check for is sun. Hydrangeas (save the Annabelle) need a generous amount of sun to bloom. If your hydrangea is in the shade try moving it to a sunnier location. Another reason for a non-blooming hydrangea could be our unreasonable Old Man Winter. Because the flower buds for hydrangea macrophylla form in the fall, after the current season blooms are spent, these buds will have to tough out an entire winter. Sometimes they succumb to a harsh winter season and are unable to recoup for the season, resulting in what is basically a year off from flowering. And, since the flower buds emerge in fall they are susceptible to being pruned off by even the most well-intentioned gardener. Although the ‘Endless Summer’ series blooms on old and new wood they still should be treated as if the blooms come from old growth and fall pruning should be done carefully, if at all. If all else fails, try a hydrangea in another family that is known for blooming on new growth – these will result in less winter problems and are generally more prolific bloomers.
Posted by Sarah on September 26th 2011 in Ask the Expert
Hi, Do I need to take extra precautions to protect my lavender over the winter, or will it winter ok here?
Thanks Dylan
—Dyan
Hi Dyan,
Lavender isn’t considered a Minnesota hardy perennial, so we usually recommend taking extra care to make sure the plant is planted in the ground, not in a container, and covered with several inches of insulation. The recommended cover is clean leaf or grass mulch, or a hay or straw cover. (And, since the plant isn’t too tall, try cover the plant to the top.) The best time to cover is after we’ve had a hard frost and the night temperatures are below freezing, around mid November. Good luck!
Posted by Sarah on September 25th 2011 in Ask the Expert
Should you split and transplant Hostas in the spring or can you also do it in the fall?
—Connie Braun
Hi Connie,
Hosta splitting can go on any time, either spring or fall. Hostas are really quite hardy plants and can tolerate the splitting as long as you are sure to water. Even this late in the season it’s possible to damage your plants by not watering, especially a transplant or replant will require a little extra care giving on the part of you, the gardener. So go ahead and split away. The leaves may lay limp, but do leave them on to collect as much Autumn sun as possible.
Posted by Sarah on September 21st 2011 in blog
The new bags are here! Aspen, Co inspired designs made from recycled yoga mats and colorful fabrics. Made to last and with a great story to boot!
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Posted by Sarah on September 5th 2011 in Ask the Expert
When should I start planting bulbs?
—Amy
Hi Amy,
You can plant your bulbs as soon as now, early September. It is important to get them in the ground before a hard frost to give them an opportunity to root in.
All of our bulbs come direct from Holland via the Netherland Bulb Company. I’ve included their link below to offer more insight into bulb planting. They are the bulb experts!
Posted by Andy on September 3rd 2011 in Ask the Expert
What type of bug is pictured on your website under the "Ask the Expert" logo? I have them in my flowers and would like to treat my flower beds to get rid of them. Thank you.
Beth
—Beth
Hi Beth,
That is an Earwig. They live in cool moist places and love mulch and such that provides cool and moist. You can treat the soil with the Home Defense insecticide from ORTHO.
Posted by Andy on September 3rd 2011 in Ask the Expert
Next year, I SWEAR I'm going to mulch my gardens. I've seen some very pretty coconut shell (I think) mulch -- dark brown, almost like dirt, and they don't discolor?
My questions: Should we wait until spring to add mulch? Am I right about the coconut shell mulch? Is there a reason to use one mulch over another? What cost difference are we talking about here? Many thanks --
—Maureen
Hi Maureen,
Mulching is a great idea for any season. Applying a 3″ or deeper cover in the spring will help prevent weeds from coming up all season and will aid in keeping moisture in the ground. Mulching in Summer and Fall can help to maintain a nice looking garden and home and keep all the fall seeds that are flying around from germinating. Personally, I tend to mulch whenever I have time to! I prefer any shredded mulch, like a cypress or cedar, I feel like these types of mulch keep sunlight from reaching the soil layer and stay put better. Having said that, most people just choose what they like to look at. Bark mulch and COCO mulch are just as popular here in the store and priced about the same.
COCO would add the most nutrients to the soil as is breaks down, but it will break down sooner than a wood-based mulch. *COCO mulch is poisonous to dogs too, so be careful.
Posted by Sarah on September 1st 2011 in Ask the Expert, Uncategorized
I have a beautiful 35 yr old sugar maple in my front yard. I have been told that it is suffering from verticillum wilt. I would LOVE to save this tree is there anything I can do now that might save it next spring? I am so sad to loose this beautiful tree. Thank you in advance.
—Bev Haw
Posted by Sarah on August 15th 2011 in Ask the Expert
Two summers ago I purchased 3 gorgeous peony plants from Sunnyside Gardens. This year they are covered with powdery mildew. What is the best course of action to treat the plant? I'd hate to lose them! Thank you for your help.
—Melissa Lally
Hi Melissa,
The mildew on your peony plants is ugly, but rest assured, isn’t going to do too much damage. I would recommend spraying with a fungicide and fertilizing with a liquid fertilizer. By fall you will want to cut back the peonies and discard the leaves away from your compost pile as they are covered in spores (a spray of fungicide now will help to kill those spores, but some may linger). Applying fertilizer now will help ensure the damaged, stressed leaves can produce enough energy to be strong next season. Odds are good that your plants will recover nicely as they come up fresh next season.
Posted by Sarah on July 29th 2011 in Ask the Expert
What's the best way to stop the Japanese Beetles from destroying my grapevine. I tried the soap in the bucket pick them and drown them technique but guess I was too late. I have lots of grapes will they survive if I just let the beetles eat the leaves?
—Amanda Powell
Hi Amanda,
I have a grape vine at home too and every year I choose not to treat the beetles. Every year I have a pretty poor fruit yield, but a yield non the less, and the leaves usually become absolutely destroyed. If I were to treat the Beetles I’d try to treat the grubs in the soil first and let the current round of adults die off. If you wanted to treat the adults there are some safer products on the shelf that you can use with produce.
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Posted by Sarah on July 28th 2011 in blog
Japanese Beetles are in town! Have you noticed some of your garden plants may look chewed and lacey? Or have you seen clusters of flying beetles settled on certain ornamentals? More than likely you have Japanese Beetles. They emerged from the ground in the last few weeks to wreck havoc in the garden.
Japanese Beetles, or Popillia Japonica, are metallic green beetles with bronze wing covers. They chew on shrubs, vines and many other ornamentals, skeletonizing or defoliating them completely. So, how do you get rid of them? The answer is two fold- control the adults, which you can see now and control the grubs, which you won’t see until next season. The adult beetles on your plants now are busy feeding and breeding. They lay eggs in the soil which grow into grubs that feed on the roots of your plants and grass. Treat your lawn and garden now or through early fall and you should see less beetles emerge from the ground in Summer 2012.
Stop by Sunnyside and our staff can recommend the right Japanese Beetle controls for you. We carry natural, organic and chemical controls that can save your plants from these pesky garden invaders.
Posted by Sarah on July 13th 2011 in Ask the Expert
Hi, I just purchased two new pee gee hydrangea trees a week ago. They are both showing some yellow leaves on the interior of the plant. They are planted in great soil and I have been watering them well while they adjust to their new location. One plant had a few yellow leaves when we bought it but it now has many more. Any ideas what this is and if I should be worried about the trees long term?
—Mike Levad
Hi Mike,
My advice to you is to keep up with the watering. The root ball of a newly planted tree can be difficult to saturate with water even with the newly amended ground holding water quite well. As a rule of thumb, we like to say that a shrub or tree won’t show signs of OVER watering until several weeks into an intense water schedule.
Posted by Sarah on June 28th 2011 in Ask the Expert
Dear Sunnyside: I am looking for a short, colorful perennial that does not get taller than 8-10 inches. I am planting in and around moneywort, otherwise known as lysimachia nummularia'Aurea.'It will be in a space around a lamp post, the diameter of which is approximately 4 feet. Thank you so much! Mrs. Corinne Klatzko
—corinne
Hi Corinne,
A perennial Geranium comes to mind. The variety ‘Max Frei’ is magenta pink and blooms for quite a long time. Otherwise there are some shorter Geum or Dianthus varieties that would work well too.
Posted by Andy on June 25th 2011 in Ask the Expert
I planted a couple of sweet potato vines in my big pots as a bright green accent to my flowers. Unfortunately I found out that the bright beautiful heart-shaped leaves have been damaged/chewed by some insects. I had looked into the pot and I did not find suspected insects although I really do not know what I suppose to look for. I am just wondering what I can do to prevent my sweet potato vine from this kind of damage?
—Rui
Hi Rui,
Sometimes tiny chew holes happen at night, or when we least expect it. Everything from June Bugs to Earwigs can be the culprit and they attack at night or in the early morning hours. The damage can happen over the course of a couple nights and then not again for the rest of the year.
If you don’t see any bug, it doesn’t make sense to spray an insecticide. However, I would recommend picking off the worst of the leaves and fertilizing with a liquid fertilizer. The sweet potato vine is pretty tough and can usually bounce back from even the worst attack.
I hope this helps!
Posted by Andy on June 25th 2011 in Ask the Expert
I saw a picture of this bug on your website. I have these and do not know what to use to get rid of them. Please help. What causes me to have them and do they cause any harm?
—Jamie
Hi Jamie,
Earwigs are a nighttime pest. They can hang around inside your home and in dark corners until night and then they find their way to nibble on foliage of garden plants and fruit trees. If you’re noticing them causing damage then consider spraying an insecticide at night with a flashlight. It’s the young earwigs that cause the most damage and they don’t stay in the adolescent stage for very long.
For inside the home, consider using an ortho product like Home Defense.
Posted by Sarah on June 18th 2011 in blog
The coolest trend on the West coast has made it’s way to the mid-West, Woolly Pockets. For the last few years a couple of friends from Berkeley have been marketing the idea that you can hang plants like you would a piece of art, on the wall. Beautiful living art that anyone can create, everyone can appreciate and no one needs to fuss over. Have a wall? If you answered, yes, then you are the perfect candidate for a Woolly Pocket. Like clean air? Spider plants clean indoor air spaces better than any other houseplant. So, why not plant a spider plant in a pocket in your kids room? Or make a decorative wall of ferns in a dark office space. The possibilities are endless.
Stop in to see our sample Woollys today!
Posted by Sarah on June 18th 2011 in Ask the Expert
What perennial would you suggest planting in a flower bed that is quite wet and shady? I have tried roses and rhododenron, but neither of them have survived. I would like something rather tall.
—v hayek
Hi v,
Best for wet and shady areas? Two things come to mind. First, the tallest goatsbeard is fast growing, extremely hardy and can grow up to four feet tall and wide. Second is the variegated dogwood or ivory halo dogwood. Dogwoods have a very fiberous root system and can handle wet ground quite well.
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