Tips for Instant Container Style

We love nothing more than a beautiful container overflowing with colorful plants. It serves as the perfect decor for porches, patios and balconies. Costa Farms makes coordinating plants for containers simple and fun. 

The new “Grow Gorgeous Container Gardens” ebook from Costa Farms covers all of the basics. It helps gardeners and outdoor decorators learn how to choose, plant and care for potted gardens for every season.

Here are some expert tips.

Tips for Growing Berry Shrubs in Small Spaces from Fall Creek Farm & Nursery

Fresh blueberries and raspberries have never been easier to grow. With new BrazelBerries, all that is needed is a sunny spot big enough for a container. Patios, decks, front steps and urban balconies are perfect choices.

These revolutionary berry shrubs are changing where fruit is grown. They’re as decorative as they are tasty, offering compact, gorgeous foliage for any small outdoor space. And, all BrazelBerries are self-pollinating, so only one bush is needed to produce fruit.

Why are BrazelBerries different? “They’ve been selected to be simple to grow, beautiful in landscapes, and delicious to eat,” says berry expert Amelie Brazelton Aust, a second-generation owner at Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, whose family’s breeding program has been focused on finding berry plants for the home gardener for more than two decades.

A Fun and Simple Do-It-Yourself Project from NativeCast

If you enjoy DIY projects, especially garden related, you're going to love NativeCast’s DIY Cast Your Own Kit. This DIY kit is a simple introduction to making your own container garden and is the perfect rainy day project for kids and adults.

This DIY project is quick and easy from start to finish. So if you don’t have the time or patience for most projects, this is the ideal one for you.

Each kit is comprised of NativeCast’s custom eco-concrete mix, a shaped mold box, organic potting mix and seeds. It includes step-by-step instructions on how to make your own container. If you’re a visual learner, NativeCast also has a great instructional video that can help you create a masterpiece of your own.

The Cast Your Own line has more shapes and sizes to choose from, like circles, squares, rectangles and even stars and hexagons.

How to build your own eco-concrete garden:

1. Wet the mold box
2.  Place the mix in a disposable container and add 2 ounces of water to the mix
3. Stir in water
4. Apply wet concrete to the interior surfaces of the mold box
5. Let concrete dry for 24 hours and then carefully tear or cut away mold box
6. Insert organic starter soil and plant seeds
7. Add water to soil, keep damp until seeds sprout

What do you think? Would you make this DIY garden planter?

NativeCast is known for unique and modern garden planters that are designed and handcast by Ricky Giacco in his Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania studio. Giacco works with recycled concrete and other materials native to the Mid-Atlantic, like shells, sand and pine needles. His planters are durable, surprisingly lightweight, and easy on the planet.

If DIY isn’t your thing, check out NativeCast's wide variety of eco-planters that modernize any living space.  

~Leah
Garden Media Group

GMG's Friday Find: Porch Foraging

We talk a lot in our office about gardening trends, like small space gardening, and combination gardening.

I decided to give it a go, and cleared out an area just beyond the house and planted spring lettuce, a variety of tomato plants, peppers (hot and cool colors), and tri-colored beans among the roses. I armed my precious produce with a Havahart Spray Away to keep the deer from my buffet. It has kept the deer out, and even a couple friends who accidentally stepped in the way.

I planted container herbs including French tarragon, lemon balm melissa, salvia, summer savory, Greek oregano, chives, dill, rosemary, lime golden thyme, fringed french lavender (fancy, eh?), parsley and stevia. Clipping these herbs to spice up sauteés and sauces is fun and adds incredible flavor. I plan on drying some of these for winter use, at least that’s the plan.

Seeding, thinning, planting, watering, and tending for home grown food is amazingly satisfying. When you pick that juicy red tomato, that spicy hot pepper and those snappy beans, you understand the joy of growing your own. Nature is nurturing and front yard (or back) farming is fun. .

What have you grown in a small space? We’d love to see your DIY vine to table delights!

~Peggy

Garden Media Group

A Garden Check-up

I was so happy with my container garden this year. Lusty looking, bountiful flowers perched on willowy stems framed by lush green foliage all cobbled together against a faded picket fence.

My perfect garden. Before the record setting high temperatures hit for weeks on end, my plants were thriving and showing off their glorious colors. 

But the sustained temperatures of high 90's and 100's followed by sporadic downpours that blasted my flowers like a power washer were problematic.

This morning as I went out to check on their status, I was sickened by the "sign" ... yellowing leaves and that acrid, pungent tell-tale smell of pending plant annihilation.

My white spider flower was in trouble.

I panicked. I reached into the belly of the beast of soupy potting soil too saturated to maintain its boundaries. Even though the container had drain holes, I had fallen into the trap of overwatering during this monstrous heatwave.

I went into resuscitation mode of repotting and coaxing my beautiful white spider flower to survive my watering debacle. Will she make it? Only time will tell.

My attention shifted to the dazzling berry colored Lantana that has dropped flowers, withering under the relentless heat and blistering sun. And the new Geranium hybrid has yet to put out her violet-blue blooms. Is she unhappy in her spot?  I considered moving her from her companions and giving her breathing room.

Happiest of all is a new eastern wood fern that's forming a tidy clump and should be tolerant of drought conditions. We'll see.

Avoid the pratfalls of "mothering" nature with a bit too much love and don't over-water! Or underwater.Or put too many plants in one large container that need breathing room and are competing for their piece of turf.

Let me know how your plants are handling this scorching heat. Losing veggies or flowering plants? Or are your plants thriving and you'd like to share a tip, photo and success story? Are you planting more drought-tolerant plants? We'd love to hear from you!

Meanwhile, enjoy your garden and send some positive thoughts my way for ALL my beauties to make it!
Lynne
Garden Media Group

A "Royal" kitchen garden

For those of you fortunate to travel to England this year in May, be sure to check out the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from May 22-26th. The display gardens look like works of art and inspirational guide posts  to help you transform your patch of earth into a masterpiece.

Among the award-winning exhibits from last year's show, the M &G Garden stands out as a "modern take on a traditional garden."

To watch a video of this garden, click here...

It could be the playful and artful blend of ornamentals and edible plants, with French lavender underplanting potted citrus tees. Or perhaps it's the graceful cabbages and beans happily mingling with clematis and roses. No matter. Pure delight.

Whatever your fruit, veggie, flower or herb preference, this garden is a working model for those of us not so inclined to add "Royal" to our names (as Royals are apt to do when they visit Chelsea.)

Whether you have a large garden or a small balcony garden, add  herbs for color, fragrace, health and beauty. Plus, they fit nicely in any size container, border or space. Tuck in some veggies and adorn with berries and flowers and voila!- you'll have a garden that's fit for a King or Queen!

Enjoy!
Lynne, Garden Media Group

GARDEN MEDIA GROUP HIRES NYC FASHION PR PROFESSIONAL

For years, one of our goals here at Garden Media Group has been to make gardening en vogue. We've gotten out clients in hip media like In-Style, Elle Decor and Apartment Therapy.

Today we are excited to let you in on our latest development to help take our clients and gardening to the next level.

We have expanded by strategically hiring New York City PR fashionista Katie Dubow, who most recently was marketing manager of Monet jewelry, a division of Liz Claiborne in Manhattan, where she was a member of the Liz Social Media Council.

And secondly, we’re adding a typical Gen X consumer who will guide our seasoned PR staff to better understand, tap into and converse with this growing consumer segment. She is our "new consumer". She and her husband are “apartment gardeners” and enjoy growing herbs, vegetables and flowers in containers on their “front steps”.

Katie has contacts with style influencers at People Magazine, O Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, Real Simple, and Lucky, to name just a few, and has interfaced with several New York fashion PR firms.

Prior to joining the Liz Claiborne organization, she worked at CBS Television in New York and The Boston Celtics organization in Boston. Katie has her degree in communications from Northeastern University, where she was a member of its Division I Crew Team. She is an avid runner, traveler and reader.

With her New York public relations experience, energy and youthfulness, Katie is ready to help grow our clients, gardening and our famous GMG Garden Trends Report© to new heights in 2012.

Suzi
Garden Media Group

Campania's Wall of Fame

For several years, Campania has been posting placements on the wall at the world headquarters in Quakertown. Here is Stacey, GMG's buzzmeister for Campania, holding three cover shots in front of the "Wall of Fame"!

Suzi

Garden Media Group

Hot Tomatoes!

Yay!! We received our test samples of the new grafted SuperNaturals Mighty 'Mato tomatoes last week.

GardenLife sent us one 'Big Beef' (non-grafted) and one of the new grafted 'Big Beef ' Mighty 'Matoes. And I can't wait to "test" and see how they compare. Yum.

Some are available in two different varieties on one plant!

The above image shows a side-by-side of 'Big Beef ' on the left and Mighty 'Mato 'Big Beef ' on the right. Wow. And the image below is an example of red and yellow pear tomatoes from the same Mighty 'Mato plant.

Best of all, they're pest and disease resistant and have a greater tolerance to environmental stresses like excessive heat - (good news around our neck of the woods, lately!)

This year they were in limited supply and are sold online at GardenLife but check with them to see if they may still have some available through this week, only. No promises, but worth the look-see!

Currently, for all you lucky people living on the West Coast, you can find SuperNaturals Mighty 'Matoes at garden centers. Next year you'll find them at retailers nationwide and have the happy decision of heirloom or hybrid.

BTW, for those with small spaces, one plant is all you need. You'll get bigger, better and double the amount of tomatoes per plant!

I'm going to keep track of mine (and our other test plants) and post images from time-to-time throughout the summer...that is, if I don't eat all of them first! Maybe I should have a "tomato stand" in my front yard...hmm.
~Lynne
GMG

Orchid Tree Shows Off Tropical Beauties

My friend Sandy Mills loves orchids. She has them all over her 19th century Chester County farmhouse which has been a bed and breakfast for more than 25 years.

Sandy is a wonderful hostess, cook and gardener . . . and has a very handy husband.

When Sandy wanted to move her orchids outside, Tom suggested he make wire baskets so she could hang them in the shade of the tree in their front yard.

They are happy as if they are in some tropical jungle, look fabulous as you drive up and are lovely to enjoy from inside the house.

Orchids are really easy to grow. Here are a the ABC's of orchid care from our friends at Costa Farms:
A - Always wait until the bark or moss is almost completely dry before watering. And never leave your orchid in standing water.
B - Be sure to keep your orchid out of direct sunlight. Place them in a well-lit area, but not in direct sunlight. I didn't know this: the larger the leaf of an orchid variety, the less lights it needs.
C - Confidence that you will be successful in growing your own orchids. They love a little neglect and to be out of the spotlight.

For more tips on growing these and other easy care orchids or to find a retailer near you, visit Orchids Are Easy.


Suzi, Garden Media Group

Garden Writers Early Spring Survey Results: Garden Spending Drops But Retailers Maintain Head-to-Head Competition

Looks like we may have spent more on our gardens this year. According to the 2011 Early Spring Gardening Trends Research Report from Garden Writes Association Foundation, we planned to spend 23% less -- from an average $600 in 2010 to a projected $469 for 2011.

GWAF says it's a sign of the economic times. But it was a pretty cool, wet spring in the northeast this year, which may have dampend enthusiasm in the early part of the year.

These are just projections, and I’ve always wondered who spends only $469 on their garden. I spent way more than that just getting my veggie garden refurbished – and that doesn’t count plants, soil or other goodies!

Anyway, there are some other interesting trends I saw that are not in the report I thought I’d share:

• Front yard gardening is up 3% from last year. It appears there’s a slight shift as backyard gardening is down 3%. GMG predicted this trend several years ago in our annual Garden Trends Report.


• Container gardening is up 5% from 2009, but slightly down (1%) from last year.
  


• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of those who have a garden plan to grow their own vegetables this year, but it’s down 2% since last year.


• And the size of the vegetable garden is shrinking. Some 6% more are opting for smaller 10’X10’ plots while 9% are opting out of 20’X20’ or bigger gardens.
  


• Almost twice as many grow their own veggies for quality, taste and nutrition (86%) not because they feel it is cheaper than buying them in the grocery store (46%).


• GWA also discovered the competition between independent garden centers and mass merchants is expected to remain evenly split this spring. When GWAF first started tracking consumers gardening preferences in 2005, only 40% planned to buy most of their spring plants at garden centers compared to 51% who favored mass merchants. Today, the April survey found garden centers have a slight edge over mass merchants (46% to 44%).

For more results, check out the 2011 Early Spring Gardening Trends Research Report, the first of four national consumer attitude surveys on gardening to be conducted this year by the GWAF. The survey statistically represents the attitudes of over 100 million households with an accuracy of 95%.

Suzi, Garden Media Group

Trendy Roofs!

Earth Day. The chatter, buzz, blogs, TV segments, Twitter and oh, so many green celebs praising and promoting the "green" message is building. All welcome news!

The message that we're all caretakers of the earth and gardening with a purpose is gaining steam, and for many, becoming an ingrained life-style.

From planting with natives, composting, and growing water wise plants, to vertical gardens and sharing your garden harvest with neighbors, friends and family, the move to connect with nature (biophilia) in this techno-crazed world, is BACK!

For urbanites craving the soothing connectivity with plants and wildlife, rooftop gardens let you get your hands dirty and dig in the earth and plant something.

Plus, the sheer bliss of relaxing surrounded by ornamental plants, flowers and yes, containers full of colorful, fragrant herbs- and plucking ripe tomatoes and fresh lettuce and basil for a fresh salad, satisfies even the crustiest of curmudgeons.

C'mon- it's hard to say, "bah, humbug" - with a fresh cherry tomato you grew stuffed in your mouth.

But not all roof tops are created equal.

Whereas rooftop gardens are generally for aesthetics, entertaining, and growing your own produce, green roofs on buildings are primarily built for more utilitarian purposes: they cover a larger space and help provide a barrier to heat and solar radiation and reduce rain run-off.

Panels used to support the plants vary in depth but with an eye toward weight, and need to be more tolerant to heat and changeable weather conditions.

It's nice to see that buildings in crowded urban cities and towns are slowly getting onboard to help "green" their cities by adding a green roof to cool things down and help give back to Mother Nature. Ah, now that's an Earth Day message we can all get behind!

~Lynne
GMG

Photo credits: Rockefeller Center, David Shankbone, Garden Visit; Community Garden of Denver (Wikipedia Commons) and Rooftop Garden at Rockefeller Center (Wikipedia Commons)

Organic Mechanics Soil and American Beauties Native Plants on CBS Early Show

William Moss was on CBS Early Show this morning talking about seed starting and used Organic Mechanics Soil and American Beauties Native Plants. William has great tips as always...Watch it here...

-Karen GMG

Costa Farms Social Summit Blooms

Costa Farms Social Summit held in Miami earlier this month was a huge hit. Everyone was blown away by seeing hundreds of thousands of orchids, ferns, succulents, cacti and other tropical plants in one location.

Here are what a few of our friends had to say about their visit:

Justin Hancock, BHG.com editor, pictured here in orchid heaven, had this to say: "Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to Costa Farms, one of the coolest companies in the horticultural industry."

Justin says the the Costa Farms trial gardens, which are open to the public, are "definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. "

Martha Stewart Living senior associate garden editor Stacey Hirvela (pictured here with me) wrote two blog posts. In her first post "Meet Maria Costa Smith, Stacey told us about Costa Farms' sustainable initiatives. "Maria told us about some of the things that they are doing to be a smarter, better source for plants. While they are working on addressing all of the sustainability issues I mentioned, it is the packaging that gardeners will notice most." Click here to read more and take Stacey's packaging survey.

In the second post, entitled "Sublime Reputation", Stacey talks more about the plants. "When I was down in Miami visiting Costa Farms, one of the most stunning sights was the sheer quantity and precision of their growing ranges. It's pretty unbelievable to be standing in a room with nearly three quarters of a million orchids, or 60 acres of nothing but Boston ferns." Stacey posted lots of great pictures to give you an idea of the scope of the Florida nursery.

Christopher Tidrick actually won a social media contest to attend, and we're glad he did. What a delight he is. He did a great post Plants with a Purpose, A Plantsman with Passion , calling the trip to the Costa Farms greenhouses "a visual experience so surreal, there aren't really words that can do it justice." But he found the words and really recapped everything -- from Costa Farms O2 for You educational program, to the Wall Street Journal's recent article to a wonderful profile of Mike Rimland.

Here we all are in our guayaberas, or Cuban wedding shirts for our closing dinner. What fun to be Cuban for a night!

Stacey, Garden Media Group

Dream On!

A cup of coffee, a plant catalog and a quiet morning -- I can usually get two of these three.... I just love looking at gardening catalogs - from bulbs to shrubs and trees I love them all. A catalog from Annie's Annuals just arrived in my mailbox - and it is a pleasure to leaf through. Last year I won some plants from Annie's and I am excited to see how they held up. More on that in a few months!

To keep me from going astray in the garden (as in buying everything I see and having a hodge podge landscape) I have invested in a landscape plan from a landscape designer in my area. But I do have a soft spot for bulbs. What is your favorite bulb catalog? Do tell...

Kathleen at GMG.

Martha Says -Grow Your Own

Are you ready for spring? I know I'm officially counting down the days until March 20th (40 as of today!). To really get myself in the planting mood, I love perusing all the latest special gardening issues that come into the office.

I was so excited when we received Martha Stewart's Special Gardening Issue, especially since Campania's lightweight containers are featured in a small-space gardening article.

The author, Stacey Hirvela, did a great job explaining and showcasing the types of vegetables that are suitable for containers as well as window boxes. Thanks to Stacey, I now have all the know-how to start planning my own container garden!

Check out the article below and don't forget to pick up the latest issue of Martha Stewart, which will get you spring inspired!

-Stacey

GMG

See Y'all in Louisville at The New ANLA Clinic

One of my favorite trade events is coming up this week: the ANLA Management Clinic Jan. 26-29 in Louisville. Billed as The New Clinic with interactive workshops and learning labs. Think more discussions, fewer PowerPoint slides with the lights down low. It's all about creating the right solutions for a garden center or nursery. It's focused on the L&G industry, not just any business.

The New Clinic has lightening SPEEDrounds, interactive QUICKbites discussions, and yes, even a few traditional presentations -- and, of course, great hospitality suites.

And I'm one of the "faculty" specialists drilling down on such topics as "practically radical", minding your brand and, of course my favorite, garden trends.

Corey Bordine, Bordine's, thinks the New Clinic fits today's needs perfectly. “The economy has changed, our industry’s needs have changed, and sitting through hours of lectures while being talked at is just not going to help us as green industry businesses remain innovative and competitive.”

For a full schedule of events and to register for ANLA, click here.

Suzi, Garden Media Group

The Big Time for Four Garden Media Group clients: Better Homes & Gardens

Public relations is an oxymoron -- an uncontrolled discipline. Until you actually see something materialize either in print, on air or online, you just never know if your hard work and perserverance will pay off.

But for four Garden Media Group clients, our wonderful staff's hard work paid off big time this month: Better Homes & Gardens. The magazine has a paid circulation of some 7.6 million! That translates into about 25 million readers -- and that doesn't count all those people reading it in their doctor's office. And its online reach is more is about 2 million. WOW!!!

The hot new 'Pink Lemonade' blueberry from Briggs Plant Propogators was a full page in the magazine and a great offer in the BH&G GardenStore.

Costa Farms, the largest grower of indoor plants in North America, got a nice plug for its O2 for You Houseplants with a Purpose educational campaign.

And the new SimpleGarden from Fertile Earth was featured in a full page spread about gardening indoors. Looks like it might be in a few upcoming books as well.

And Campania, one of BH&G's favorite container and outdoor accessories companies in the world, another hit this year.

A big thanks to our good friends at BH&G!

And way to go to the ever persistant Stacey, Lynne and Karen.

Suzi, Garden Media Group