allisonJune is Perennial Month

Perennials, perennials everywhere…but what exactly are they?

I used to think of them as immortal leafy plants that flower when it’s hot, then vanish without a trace at bulb planting time. Hmmm…where did I plant those perennials?

Definition time. I’ll be quick!

ANNUAL: lasting one growing season – seed, germinate, grow, set seed, die.

BIENNIAL: lasting two growing seasons.

PERENNIAL: lasting THREE growing seasons or MORE.

There you have it. Three seasons or more. While lots of plants will grace your garden for many years, public perception sees perennials as eternal. This is not the case. While peonies may live 50 years or more, scabiosa melts away at 3-5 years. This is nature’s way, genetic destiny if you will. Instead of moping around saddened by your losses, do what real gardeners do – experiment with new plants! Each plant you grow adds to your knowledge base. Now that you are an informed gardener, you can smile and plant long-lived and short-lived perennials skillfully and without tears.

Examples

Long-Lived: Hosta, peony, daylily, hellebore, black-eyed susan. (10 years or more for some)

Short-Lived: Columbine, scabiosa, geum, blanket flower, delphinium. (3-5 years typically)

Bring your questions and imagination to Ken Matthews Garden Center and browse our perennial collection.

Allison Gurdin
Perennial Lover

Check This Out!

Hydrangeas
Did you know hydrangea bloom color can change depending on the composition of your soil?
If pink is your color, use Encap Fast-Acting Lime. If blue is your favorite, use Bonide Aluminum Sulfate. However, white hydrangeas will always be white.

Bud and Bloom is a fertilizer with a HUGE middle number-52. That number represents the phosphorus content in the fertilizer and encourages blossoms.

Phosphorus is a part of the photosynthesis process that produces food for the plant by converting sunlight to plant sugars. In addition to sugars, phosphorus helps create starches and oils. Blooming requires a lot of energy and phosphorus helps the plant supply that energy. Besides encouraging blooms, it also helps form a strong root system and sturdy plant structure.

Calendar of Events

June 1-5
Perennial Sale
Buy 3 for $15
Regularly $5.99/each
Father’s Day Weekend
Sat June 15 10 AM – 2 PM
Mustang & Classic Car Display

Mustangs provided by Peninsula Mustang Enthusiast and classic cars provided by Classic Cruisers Club.

Chili Cook Off
Come and taste the chili recipes prepared by our staff.
Sun, June 16
Father’s Day
June 20-26
Hydrangea Mania
Every garden has room for this Southern garden favorite!
June 28-30
Water Garden Weekend
Sat June 29
Free Water Testing
10 AM Seminar
Speaker – Teresa Cummings
Topic: Water Gardening Basics with a Question and Answer Session Seminar Participants will receive free water gardening product.
Queen Jake….
Our Doitsu Chagoi Queen
Our Ken Matthews Garden Center Family had some unexpected news this morning. Our beloved girl, Jake, passed away sometime during the night.
Please take a moment to remember her and celebrate our magnificent Queen of Ken Matthews Garden Center. Jake lived an amazing life (27 years!) and was extraordinarily loved by all. We will miss her!
 Tips for the Garden
Prevent Japanese Beetles from damaging your plants, veggies and trees with Bonide Organic Japanese Beetle Killer. This ready to spray treatment will also control other insects such as aphids, cabbageworms, diamondback moth larvae, and stink bugs on roses, vegetable gardens, flower gardens, ornamental plants, trees, and shrubs. Treat as soon as insects appear and repeat application every seven days, or as necessary, to maintain control. This insecticide may be applied up to the day of harvest, and can also be used on house plants.

The Praying Mantids

These alien-looking creatures eat a wide variety of insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grubs, aphids, grasshoppers, crickets and many more. And since they don’t fly, they stay right in the area where they are released. Praying Mantids are completely harmless to people, pets and the environment. In fact, they are so much fun that sometimes people buy them for pets. Each egg case, about the size of a ping pong ball, contains about 200 eggs, which hatch when the weather becomes warm. Each container we sell includes one egg case per cup.

The Ladybug

A favorite “good bug” and an alternative to chemicals, ladybugs are an integral part of our environment by being a natural predator to a ton of “bad bugs”. When released at sundown (because they don’t fly at night), ladybugs eat aphids, mealy bugs, scale, leaf hoppers, various plant-eating worms and other destructive soft-bodied pests. And they keep on eating until the “bad guys” are gone, all the while laying their own eggs in the process. When new pests arrive, fresh ladybugs will be waiting! Each container we sell includes 1,500 live ladybugs.