Back in the “old days” it used to be that once we hit late July and the month of August, planting season was over. Other than a few annuals, garden centers were essentially out of stock when it came to shrubs and trees.

Nothing could be farther from the truth these days.

There are lots of wonderful July blooming shrubs that you can choose from when it comes to adding color and excitement to your yard, but probably the most popular one of all is the hydrangea - in all of its many variations.  

It seems a bit trivial to complain about the weather considering all the political upheaval, pandemic, and social injustices that currently abound in our world; but the plain truth is that gardeners live and die by the weather, and to that end, June 2020 will go down in the record books as a real stinker.

Last year my wife and I decided it was time to move out of our 80+ year old farm house, located on the nursery property, and into a more age appropriate (not quite convalescent, but certainly geriatric) residence that had only one floor and a smaller foot print (I think this is what they call downsizing). 

This is the time of the year that every nursery professional has been waiting for. A year ago, we carefully planned our orders from a half dozen different suppliers. We drooled over colorful glossy photos of all the new introductions. We agonized over which roses we would have room for this year.

Gardening with perennials can be tricky. Unlike annuals that will bloom all summer long, perennials have their own specific blooming seasons - ranging from late winter to early spring, early summer, late summer, and even fall and winter. 

Well, we’ve managed to survive one more month of “sheltering in,” and based on the increase in business at the nursery, I think it is a fair conclusion that many of you made the most of your time by working in your yards.

Good for you! That time spent in April will save you lots of labor later in the year.