News Archives
Not Just Cottage
Posted August 15, 2010
Well, yes, we are called the "Cottage Gardeners"; however, our designers are experts in creating ANY style of garden! Our clients range from comfortable & traditional to uber modern, and sometimes even weird and unusual. While staying architecturally appropriate, we work closely with our clients to help them achieve their perfect garden through the use of color, creativity and experience.
August To-Do's for Your Garden
Posted August 02, 2010
August heat is rough on most of us, and your gardens are no exception. Many plants don't grow much during extreme heat and often begin to look ratty and stressed. This is a good time to cut back, or cut down plants that don't look their best. After the heat subsides, a fresh mound of foliage usually bursts out, creating a neat and tidy garden for the Fall.
Watch out for pests! When your plants are stressed, bugs and diseases can easily attack. Catching the problem early and treating it immediately is the key. This reduces chemical use, and keeps your plants healthier at the same time. I like to wander around my garden in the morning with my cup of coffee and "scout" for potential pest and disease problems. Easy and relaxing!
On the bright side, tomatoes, peppers and other fruits and veggies are ripening!
Plant of the Month
Posted August 02, 2010
Sedums may be one of the easiest plants to care for in the world. They will grow anywhere! Sun, good drainage and a bit of water is all that is required. Sedums may also be one of the most beautiful plants in the world too! They come in every color, pattern, shape, size and growth habit imaginable. These succulents are one of the few perennials that stay gorgeous through our hot dry summer. Another great feature is how easily they propagate! Break off a piece of stem and toss it on the soil. Soon it will send out roots and form a whole new plant! (Be careful not to propagate plants under patents.)
July Open House
Posted July 05, 2010
Join us Saturday, July 17th from 9am-12pm for our monthly Open House! We have great annuals, perennials, herbs, shrubs & planted containers for sale at clearance prices! Or, just stop by for refreshments, and see all the flowers blooming in our front garden beds. It is hard to believe that just last Fall, the beds were dead, brown grass patches!
Plant of the Month
Posted July 05, 2010
Achillea (Yarrow) is often thought of as a smelly weed that grows wild all throughout Idaho. And it is. But Yarrow has also become a very popular garden plant, thanks in part to the development of new flower colors, and yarrow’s ability to thrive beautifully in our hot, dry climate. Achillea prefers full sun and well drained soil, but adapts easily to poor soil and harsh locations. Aside from being a beautiful and carefree plant, it is also valued for its medicinal purposes and makes excellent cut and dried flowers. When Achillea finally stops blooming, the frilly, fern-like foliage keeps looking gorgeous for the rest of the season! How could we not make this the plant of the month!?
June To-Do’s For Your Garden
Posted June 23, 2010
Watering:
Watering sounds like such an easy thing to do! But in reality, it is the cause of many common gardening issues. It is a balancing act between too much and too little. Improper watering creates weak plants, causes disease, and can result in instant plant death. We recommend watering deeply and less often to promote deep root systems. The water soaks deep into the soil, and the roots stretch down to retrieve it. This also reduces the amount of water on the foliage, which causes diseases like powdery mildew. It is important to set up a consistent watering schedule. Try setting your sprinklers to water an area for three fifteen-minute intervals in one morning, with a break in between each watering. This will allow the water time to soak in to the soil, rather than run off and be wasted. (I simply program my sprinkler system to cycle 3 times.) Start this schedule three times a week, and reduce to twice a week as your plants develop deep, healthy root systems. It is important to watch your plants and lawn, and water according to their needs.
Cutting back:
Some perennials like nepeta and salvia will re-bloom if you cut them down to the ground immediately after flowering. Other perennials won’t re-bloom, but can really benefit from being cut down after flowering. They will produce a nice, lush mound of foliage rather than remaining awkwardly cut stems for the rest of the season.
Deadheading:
Deadheading is removing spent flowers from a plant. After blooming, a plant switches its energy to producing seed in that flower. If you remove the flower, the plant will continuously create more flowers in an attempt to reproduce. Annuals and roses especially will bloom all summer long if you deadhead them regularly.
Pinching:
Have you ever had plants that become very long and leggy? One way to avoid this is by “pinching”. Pinching is removing the growing tip to cause a plant to “bush out”. The growing tip (bud) controls the growth of the entire stem, and selfishly directs most of the plant’s energy to itself! This results in one long stem with a flower at the tip. When you remove the tip, it causes buds all along the sides of the stem to begin growing. This results in a shorter stem with multiple branches and flowers. Almost all annuals need pinching, as well as many perennials that become tall and floppy.
Plant of the Month
Posted June 02, 2010
What a cool, wet spring we are having! Despite the cold and dreary weather, we are so amazed by our Oriental Poppies that we decided to make them the plant of the month! They are SPECTACULAR! This cool weather makes the blooms on our perennials last longer than they usually would, and the poppies just won’t stop! Oriental Poppies bloom profusely in the Spring with huge, vibrant blossoms, and then die back completely once the weather turns hot. This allows them to survive extreme drought. Once the weather turns cool again, the leaves will re-emerge to form a lush, green mound. Oriental Poppies do not tolerate overwatering, and don’t handle transplanting well, so take a little extra care. Otherwise, they are very low maintenance. The poppy pictured is ‘Türkenlouis’, one of our favorites because the petals are very fringed.
Annual Plant Sale!
Posted May 02, 2010
600 N. Latah, Boise, ID
Sunday, June 13th
10am to 3pm
Every year we always have extra perennials, annuals and shrubs that we don't use at our design jobs, and we need to get rid of them! Stop by for GREAT deals on premium plants. We will also have beautfiul herb and flower pots for sale for instant color without the work!
Welcome to our website!
Posted May 01, 2010
As you can see from this picture, we are all about COLOR! We specialize in flower gardens, from design, to planting and maintenance. Please check us out and let us know if you have any projects we might be able to help with. Thank you for visiting Cottage Gardeners! We hope to hear from you!
Plant of the Month
Posted May 01, 2010
Catmint (Nepeta) is Cottage Gardeners all time favorite perennial, and for good reason! It is so gorgeous, versatile and tough, it works in almost any garden situation. Nepeta starts blooming in May and will re-bloom until late Summer if cut back right after flowering. A member of the mint family, it is drought tolerant once established, is an excellent cut flower, and attracts bees and butterflies. Our favorite varieties are ‘Walkers Low’, which won the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year Award, and ‘Dropmore’ which has larger flowers, and toothed leaves. Catmint is related to catnip, but catmint does not have the same draw for most cats as its cousin.
May Pot Party!
Posted April 19, 2010
May 15th, 10am & 1pm, 600 N. Latah
Bring your pots and hanging baskets to plant up with "Pat the Pot Lady", who designed our pots for over 12 years! We will have potting soil and gorgeous local plants for sale. RSVP to (208) 342-5195 to reserve a spot!
"Summer Pots" Open House
Posted April 19, 2010
May 15th, 10-2pm, 600 N. Latah
Container planting is a large part of our business. Stop by to see a showcase of our pots and speak with our designers about a custom planting! If you just need some instant color, we will have pre-planted pots for sale in all sizes and colors, and a great selection of plants for you to plant yourself!
April Open House!
Posted April 09, 2010
Want year round COLOR in your garden? We can help with that. Our monthly Open Houses focus on bringing premium plants and great garden design to everyone! Stop by, have a cup of coffee, and check out what we have to offer!
-Our favorite plants that are currently in bloom
-Planted containers (We will also have herb pots this month!)
-Discount plants
-New and used garden tools
Saturday, April 17th, 10am-2pm
600 N. Latah St., Boise, ID 83706
Plant of the Month
Posted April 01, 2010
Talk about glowing! This bleeding heart is our absolute favorite, especially during the dark, rainy month of April. It appreciates a moist (but not wet) location, and a bit of morning sun, to keep the leaves bright chartreuse. Though prized mainly for its foliage, Dicentra ‘Gold Heart’ blooms all spring with the usual pink, heart-shaped flowers. We love how the maroon stems that emerge in early Spring contrast with the lime leaves! Contact us anytime if you are interested in purchasing this plant for your garden.
Upcoming Class: Waking Your Garden & Roses
Posted April 01, 2010
Saturday, April 17th, 10am-12pm, 600 N Latah, 83706. Learn our methods of cleaning and preparing your beds in spring. Along with perennial and soil care, we will also cover:
- Light shrub & tree pruning
- Our Spring 'Plant Picks'
- Rose pruning and care
- Rose selection and favorite picks for our area
Cost is $10. Weather permitting. Please call our office to register (208-342-5195). * Please bring your pruners if you have a pair. We will have some available for use.
"And Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast rose from the dreams of its wintry rest."
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"
It's Never Too Early!
Posted March 17, 2010
Our gardeners have been out since early February cleaning up beds, pruning trees and shrubs, and planting spring flowers! You really can have a beautiful garden all year round, just give us a call! Thanks to our client, Suzie, for this cute picture of her pansies in the snow!
Plant of the Month
Posted March 02, 2010
Our featured plant for March is Heuchera, commonly known as 'Coral Bells'. They are one of the most beautiful and versatile perennials available! With foliage from bright orange to jet black, and every color in between, they really provide interest for shady beds and pots. Heucheras are one of our favorite early spring pot plants because they provide color and texture not usually found early in the season. Heucheras are beautiful plants from spring through fall, and even during winter in protected beds. New varieties are more sun and heat tolerant, but in general, they prefer shade to part-shade, in a moist, well-draining location.
Meet the Gardeners
Posted March 01, 2010
Front row (left to right): Bonnie (Maintenance Manager), Lauren, Nancy (Owner), Lisa (Operations); Back row (left to right): Carly (Nursery Manager), Charlotte, Brooke, Marilyn, Kim, Taylor (Installation), Cyrese (Installation Manager), Uriah (Installation), Linda
Upcoming Class - canceled
Posted February 28, 2010
Our March class is titled “Spring Pot Planting 101”. Our design supervisor, Lisa, will teach you the basics of using spring bulbs, pansies and other foliage plants to create beautiful early spring pots. Bring your own pot to plant along with us! The class will be held Saturday, March 20th from 10:00-11:30am, and will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $10 and includes potting soil and refreshments. Discounted plant material will be available for purchase at the time of the class. Call for questions or to register: 342-5195.
Plant of the Month
Posted February 02, 2010
Our featured plant for February is the Hellebore. Also known as the 'Christmas Rose', this plant flowers through the winter and spring months, giving us color even before most bulbs pop up. The leathery, dark green leaves remain attractive for the rest of the year, and are often evergreen. Hellebore prefers part shade and rich soil, and is usually drought tolerant once established. Recently they have become available to home gardeners in more and more colors and shapes. Check your local garden centers NOW for these beautiful, easy to grow perennials!
Upcoming Classes
Posted February 02, 2010
In the coming months we will be offering some really fun classes on a variety of subjects. Our first class will be on Saturday, February 27th from 10:00am-11:00am at our location on Latah. The class is titled "Secrets of Starting Seeds Indoors (using common items from around the house)", Green AND Cheap! The class will be taught by our Nursery Manager, Carly. Cost: $10 (includes seeds, supplies, and refreshments). Please call 342-5195 to register, or to ask any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!
