The Online Garden Gossip
April 2009/Issue #34

Our favorite shrubs for shade It's easy to make a sunny spot in your yard look pretty, but gardening in the shade is a little more challenging.  You have to think more in terms of texture, foliage variegation, and plant height to create interest, because you're just not going to have the crazy flower power that you do in the sun. We've put together a list of our favorite shrubs that thrive in shade or part-shade (morning sun or dappled sun) conditions.  You don't have to settle for simply boxwood -- although they do have their place in the garden.  Look here for more information.   Mountain laurel 'Olympic Fire' To read other shade gardening articles, check out the shade section on our blog...

Mark your calendar: Our Home Harvest Festival kicks off Thursday, April 16

Learn how you can luxuriate in a bumper crop of tantalizing scents, vibrant colors, and delicious rewards. Experienced vegetable, fruit, and berry gardeners will be available to answer your questions and give you proven tips on fruit and vegetable gardening. We have a free talk, "Berry Delicious," scheduled Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. Peggy will show you techniques to create a beautiful haven of sweet fruits, luscious berries, tasty herbs, and mammoth juicy vegetables. (One free herb with any $10 purchase.)  We're also offering a free class about "Square Foot Gardening" on Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m.  Peggy will introduce this popular gardening method that can double your yields in half the space. You’ll see how gardening can be fun and easy, with less watering, weeding and maintenance. (Free premium vegetable with any $10 purchase.) Hope to see you there!

Now carrying the new
Sunny Knock Out Rose

• Low maintenance

• Drought-tolerant

• Disease-resistant

• Fragrant

• Self-cleaning

• For a complete list of our roses, look here.  Call for availability.

Hold on to your hats -- new this spring is a re-blooming LACECAP, the 'Twist-n-Shout' hydrangea. Grows 3'-5' tall and wide in part-sun/part-shade, coloring pink in neutral soil and blue in acid soil.  Not only is it a continuous bloomer, it features red foliage in fall.  Available at Sugar Creek Gardens now!

Our favorite products:  Preen now for effective weed prevention

To help battle weeds in your garden, apply a thick layer of mulch, and consider using Preen, a granular product that you sprinkle on flower and vegetable beds.  As it's watered in, it creates a chemical barrier that prevent weed seeds from germinating.

There's regular Preen, Preen with fertilizer, and now, organic Preen with corn gluten that is safe for vegetable gardens -- a natural way to keep seeds from germinating. Here's an interesting article that discusses the power of corn gluten for weed prevention in more detail.