Creative Ideas Spring 2008.pdf

SPRING 2008

creative

SPRING!

4 Signs of the Season 18 Rain Gardens 22 Plant a Tree

WELCOME BACK

FROM OUR GARDEN

LOWE’S GARDEN CLUB SELECT

LET’S GROW SOMETHING

TOGETHER

This distinctive flower

adds eye-catching color

to planting beds and

floral arrangements.

GERBERA

If you’re a gardener, you know that working

the dirt is only part of creating a beautiful

outdoor environment. Hardscaping—decks,

patios, pergolas, and walkways—provides a

showcase for your landscaping, with its rich

color and texture. Both elements add up to

comfortable, beautiful outdoor spaces that

work almost like rooms inside your house. We

have recently changed our name to Lowe’s

Creative Ideas for Outdoor Living to reflect

that relationship. You’ll still see nuts-and-bolts

gardening information, but we’ll also include

stories on outdoor decorating and entertaining.

I hope you enjoy everything that this refreshed

newsletter offers to enrich your life outdoors.

Let us hear from you! Fill out a quick survey

at LowesCreativeIdeas.com/OLSurvey, and

you’ll have a chance to receive a $100 Lowe’s

gift card. Hurry, the survey ends April 11, 2008.

DAISY

Planting: In spring add plants

to planting beds and outdoor pots

when danger of frost is past. Choose

plants with at least one bloom to

make sure you get the hue you want.

To avoid crown rot, place each plant

crown—where the roots join the top

structure—slightly above the soil line.

Soil: Plant in compost-enriched soil

with excellent drainage. In containers,

use a special mix such as Miracle-Gro

Enriched Potting Mix (#93762).

Watering: Gerbera daisies require

moist soil but are susceptible to crown

rot, so avoid overwatering. Keep soil

consistently moist, but not soaking wet.

Consider using drip irrigation to avoid

splashing water on foliage. Otherwise,

try to water plants early in the day.

Fertilizing: Feed plants consistently,

every two to three weeks, with a bloom-

booster fertilizer. Yellow foliage may

signal a lack of fertilizer.

Flowers: Open blossoms measure

4 to 5 inches across. During the long

blooming season—from midspring to

midfall—flowers lure butterflies, birds,

and bees. Gerbera daisies make good

cut flowers, lasting up to 14 days in a

vase. Use a commercial fresh-flower food

to avoid petal-tip burn from fluoride in

metropolitan water supplies.

Special considerations: Good

drainage is a must for plants to overwinter.

Mulch with a layer of pine straw or hay

as plants die down. Remove dead foliage

to avoid fungal diseases.

P. S . Lowe’s is teaming

up with Learn2Grow, a

Web site that educates

consumers about topics

such as planting gardens,

fertilizing lawns, dealing

with pests, and building

raised beds. Registered

users can participate in

gardening forums with

experts and other users,

search for plant care and

maintenance information

in the plant database, and

take in-depth gardening

courses for a fee. Visit

Lowes.com/Learn2Grow

to discover more about

this resource.

BOTANICAL NAME:

Gerbera

jamesonii

The colorful gerbera daisies

on the cover signify spring.

Wherever you might see

the gerbera daisy in stores

or in this newsletter, you’ll

find tips and products for

enjoying the season. Visit

Lowes.com/Spring to

learn more.

COLOR:

Bright green,

toothed leaves grow

in a clump; flowers in

shades of white,

red, pink, orange,

and yellow

MELISSA BIRDSONG

VICE PRESIDENT, TREND, DESIGN & BRAND

LOWE’S COMPANIES, INC.

Al ternate Selections

HARDINESS:

Zones 9–10

common cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) :

annual; pink, red, or white; 24–36 inches

tall, 18 –24 inches wide

‘Indian Summer’ black-eyed Susan

(Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’):

annual; golden yellow petals, black

center; 6–8-inch flowers; 36–48 inches

tall, 12–14 inches wide

melampodium (Melampodium

paludosum) : annual; yellow; 18–24

inches tall, 12–14 inches wide

Summersong marguerite

( Argyranthemum frutescens Summersong

Series): annual; yellow, rose, white; 18–24

inches tall, 15–18 inches wide

Gulliver bacopa ( Sutera grandifolia

Scopia Gulliver Series): annual;

white, lavender; 2–5 inches tall, 10–17

inches wide

OUR GIFT TO YOU:

Simply bring this magazine in

to your local Lowe’s and have

the bar code scanned.

Offer is valid April 1–30, 2008.

Discount applies to a single-receipt purchase of $50 or more

of live nursery items. This offer is only valid for shrubs, trees,

annuals, perennials, houseplants, and patio plants. Coupon is

not redeemable for cash, is nontransferable, and cannot be

used in conjunction with any other coupon or discount. Void

if copied, transferred, or sold through any online auctions.

Limit one coupon per household.

Find Your Products

By relying on regional and local

growers for quality plants and

products, Lowe’s is able to provide

you with selections that are best

suited to your climate. The plants

mentioned and shown in this issue

may not always be available at your

local Lowe’s, but your Lowe’s Trained

Nursery Specialist will be glad to

help you find comparable selections.

And if your perennials, houseplants,

trees, or shrubs don’t survive a year,

just bring the plants and your receipt

in to your local Lowe’s, and they’ll be

replaced at no charge.

PLANT TYPE:

Reliable perennial in

Zones 9–10; tender

perennial in

Zone 8; annual in

other zones

OFF WHEN

YOU PURCHASE

$50 OR MORE

OF LOWE’S LIVE

NURSERY ITEMS. *

SIZE:

6–18 inches high,

9–15 inches wide

EXPOSURE:

Full sun in northern

zones; partial shade

in southern regions;

morning sun ideal

in all zones

Lowe’s Creative Ideas for Outdoor Living ™ is published by SPC Custom Publishing, Inc., 2100 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209. Copyright 2008 SPC Custom Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in

any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. Lowe’s ® , the gable design, and Creative Ideas for Outdoor Living ™ are registered trademarks of LF, LLC. All rights reserved. Address all correspondence to Lowe’s

Creative Ideas for Outdoor Living, Attn.: Sandy Culver, P.O. Box 523-G, Birmingham, AL 35201. Lowe’s Creative Ideas for Outdoor Living is staff produced and cannot be held responsible for any unsolicited material. Printed in the U.S.A.

To find your planting

zone, see “If You Live

Here” on page 23.

Visit LowesCreative Ideas.com/

OutdoorLiving to see photos of

alternate selections.

2 Outdoor Living SPRING 2008

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM BARNES

LowesCreativeIdeas.com/OutdoorLiving

Add a daisy-style bloomer to your

planting beds and pots this season.

GARDENING

Show y 'Annabelle'

smooth hydrangea

dries beautifully

and is great for

indoor flower

arrangements.

“The hummingbirds begin to linger.”

After danger of frost has

passed, Connie sows

zinnia and Mexican

sunflower seeds directly

into her beds. Zinnias

make great cut flowers,

and butterflies love them.

After years of watching the

hummingbirds just passing

through, Connie has finally

convinced some of them to

stay awhile. When they do,

she knows that spring has

come to her garden.

“Winters here are very

cold. We really have only

four months maximum for

gardening season,” Connie

says. “It begins with a frenzy

a round May 15.”

Her medium-size suburban

yard—bright and sunny in the

front, shady in the back—is

filled with flowerbeds and

rustic antiques. She especially

enjoys growing roses, which

she feels are worth the extra

care they sometimes need.

Her casual, cottage-style

garden is also filled with

more than enough hand

trowels—her tool of choice.

“I have many of them

scattered throughout the

garden in hopes that I can

always find one when I need

it,” she explains.

Connie’ s Rose Recommendations

WELCOME BACK

Feed regularly. Fertilize roses every four to six weeks

during the growing season, beginning in early spring.

Bayer Advanced 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower

Care granules (#67672) feed the flowers while

protecting them from insects.

SPRING !

Toss the peels outside. Connie gives her

rosebushes an extra treat by digging in banana

peels around the base of the plant. The roses get

a boost from the potassium.

Three gardeners tell us

how they know spring has

arrived where they live.

Provide more vitamins and minerals. Roses

also benefit from magnesium. In early spring when leaves

are forming on the bushes, Connie sprinkles a couple of

teaspoons of Epsom salts at the base of each rosebush,

scratches the salt in a little, and waters well.

O T

Let them sunbathe. Plant roses in a sunny location—the

more sun the better, but at least six hours each day of direct

sun in the morning or afternoon.

Give them some space. Benefiting from air circulation,

roses do best with a little room to breathe.

E P

4 Outdoor Living SPRING 2008

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHAS CAMPBELL

LowesCreativeIdeas.com/OutdoorLiving

Minnesota

ZONES 4–5

Connie Erickson

GARDENING

“The rain turns warmer.”

“Bunnies suddenly multiply!”

Washin gton

ZONE 8

Florida

ZO N E S 9 –10

A wisteria-laden arbor

shades a gravel path

lined with perennials.

Aly and her husband

transformed this

formerly sunken, unused

corner of their yard. They

created a patio, planting

a dwarf selection of

mondo grass between

the pavers.

While warmer spring rain

is a good clue, Peggy also

knows her gardening season

has begun when the crocus

bloom. In her region of the

Pacific Northwest, this usually

happens in late January.

Peggy and her husband

own about five acres and

actively maintain two. Their

rural property’s location—

near Puget Sound and on the

western foothills of Mount

Rainier—offers moderate

weather, making it easy to

grow a variety of plants.

After successful careers

in computer software, the

Franklins realized their true

passion and became owners

of a large landscape company,

Lifestyle Landscapes, Inc.

They have installed various

gardens on their land, and

all are wheelchair-accessible.

“I am happy to say that a

person in a wheelchair can

enjoy every part of my garden

complex, even our fire pit and

water feature,” Peggy says.

Because Aly describes the

style of her suburban yard as

“tropical meets petting zoo,”

it’s no wonder that for her,

spring’s arrival has nothing to

do with plants, which flourish

in her area almost year-round.

Her four children care for an

astonishing variety of pets

in the midst of the family’s

gardening projects.

“We garden all year long,

so I get to play all the time,”

she says. Spring planting in

her part of Florida cranks up

around March. Winters there

have only the occasional cold

snap, so most foliage is green

in all seasons, and tropical

plants overwinter easily.

Aly’s handiest tool in the

garden is her scissors: she

uses them for clipping and

trimming small branches

that she turns into decorative

arrangements. And what is

the best gardening advice

she ever received?

“My mom said, ‘Just try it.

You can always move it.’”

Creating an Accessible Garden

Aly ' s Tips for Tropicals

Down the garden path. Consider all levels of mobility

when designing garden paths and entryways. Make sure

paths, gates, and entries are wide enough (around 3 feet)

to accommodate a wheelchair. To allow a wheelchair to

turn around comfortably, the path must be around 5 feet

wide. Minimize uphill or downhill slopes in paths, and use

materials that are firm and slip-free.

Inside or out. Citrus selections love the outdoors in warm

weather. When the weather starts to cool, bring them inside.

Wipe dirt and dust from leaves using a soft, damp cloth.

A drink of water. Most tropicals are fairly drought

tolerant, but they prefer moisture, and indoor air during the

winter can be too dry. Set pots atop saucers of pebbles and

fill with water—this will add humidity.

Easy grows it. Choose low-maintenance plants, and

consider placing them in raised beds, which minimize

bending and stooping. Place plants at the right height for

any person by gardening vertically—mount hanging baskets

on fences, walls, or trellises.

Let the sun shine in. Citrus plants love sunlight. When

you have them inside, place them no farther than 6 feet

away from a sunny window.

Feed me. Give citrus and tropical plants soil and fertilizer

that are made just for them. Try Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm &

Citrus Soil (#248406) and Miracle-Gro Fruit & Citrus Tree

Fertilizer Spikes (#69689*).

Hands-free watering. Have an

irrigation system installed, and set its

watering patterns with an electronic

water timer (#172428). This device

can be programmed for specified

days of the week, times of day, and

lengths of time.

Go for bulbs. Plant tropical summer-

blooming bulbs after danger of frost

has passed. Canna, lily-of-the-nile,

elephant's ear, and fancy-leafed

caladium do well in most regions.

*Available only in Florida and California.

6 Outdoor Living SPRING 2008

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES R. ANDERSON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLEN ROKACH

LowesCreativeIdeas.com/OutdoorLiving

Peggy Franklin

Aly Evans

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Good To Know

Check into native plants to

discover drought-tolerant

beauties that thrive with little

care or rainfall. Many natives

unfurl nectar-rich blooms

that attract butterflies, bees,

and hummingbirds.

EXTREME

Natural events grabbed headlines last

GARDENS

year as communities from coast to coast

grappled with drought and wildfire.

Drought destroyed crops and gardens

throughout the southern regions, and

fire consumed millions of acres nation-

wide. For water conservation purposes,

as well as regulated water supplies and

the threat of wildfire, many of our urban

and suburban landscapes—lawns and

gardens, for example—can benefit from

being updated to thrive under extreme

growing conditions.

To begin planning your own yard

and garden’s “herb-an” renewal, you

should consider potential risks. Do

you live in an area prone to wildfires?

Is your region presently in the grip of

a prolonged drought? Or is it common

for your locale to experience drought

on a seasonal basis? Be realistic in

your evaluation. For instance, even if you

live outside the West, realize that any

area where drought reigns also will be

susceptible to wildfire.

After you appraise your region’s

risks, it is time to determine the best

ways to outfit your yard for beauty and

survival. Start by embracing growing

practices that are environmentally savvy.

These techniques consider all aspects

of landscaping, from soil preparation to

plant selection, and they yield beautiful

scenery that not only survives on limited

rainfall but also forms an effective fire-

break around your home.

Mix drought-proof

annuals and perennials

for season-long drifts

of color. This planting

features ‘Indigo

Spires’ sage.

Rock mulch warms soil in

spring, conserves soil

moisture in summer, and

provides an ideal habitat

for creeping plants such

as ‘Aureum’ gold moss.

Grouping plants

that have similar

watering needs

will increase the

overall efficiency

of irrigation.

O T

8 Outdoor Living SPRING 2008

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES R. ANDERSON AND BRIAN FRANCIS

LowesCreativeIdeas.com/OutdoorLiving

Plan a drought-tolerant,

fire-resistant landscape.

E P

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