2019 Garden Superstars - New Plants and Products for Spring

The best way to reverse those winter blues is to get back in the garden. To get you excited for spring, Garden Media Group has released its 2019 Garden Superstars for Spring. This year’s list features delicious edible plants, safe garden food and innovative products.

These Garden Superstars will transform any patio or backyard and make gardening easier

Grow your own homegrown nutritious blueberries. This spring try two new varieties from the Bushel and Berry® collection that are perfect for warmer climates and self-pollinating. Blueberry Buckle™, a quick growing blueberry that stays compact with white bell-shaped flowers that appear in spring and produce sweet, dark blueberries. Southern Bluebelle™ will be a charming addition to your patio or landscape. This petite blueberry plant produces plump, juicy blueberries in late summer and displays bright red, emerging foliage that turns emer­ald green as it matures. For more information on these and other berries, visit www.bushelandberry.com.

Summer Bulb of 2019. Get blooms all summer in fiery shades of red, orange and yellow with Crocosmia. Requiring little care, they combine well with ornamental grasses to create a beautiful scene in your yard. Crocosmia is a hummingbird magnet, makes outstanding cut flowers and can provide a vivid splash of color to containers. Plus, they’re deer resistant too! Visit your local garden center to find more summer flowering bulbs. For more information, visit Bulb.com.

Small Space Gardening. The new Collapsible Watering Can and Collapsible Watering Bucket from Centurion were created with storage and mobility in mind. Their heavy duty, non-porous silicone material offers superior strength, while the foldable and detachable parts allow freedom to use these products in any space. The Watering Bucket is perfect for gardening, boating and camping while the Watering Can doubles as a storage container. For more information visit CenturionBrands.com.

Better fruits and veggies. The Espoma Company’s new Tomato! Liquid fertilizer and Berry-Tone granular fertilizer provide just the right nutrients to these timeless favorites. Tomato! comes in a colorful 8 oz. bottle with a user-friendly cap that measures just the right amount of plant food to encourage plump and juicy tomatoes. For berry gardeners, Espoma’s new Berry-tone provides a long-lasting, slow-release of nutrients. Feed plants in early spring to encourage growth and more berries. Find Berry-Tone and other Espoma products at your local garden center or at Espoma.com.

Grow a Hanging Garden. Fresh herbs in the kitchen? Yes, please! This rustic herb kit from Bloem comes with a real wood back and comes with three 6” Ariana planters in black. Write the name of your favorite herbs on the planter holders, and grow vertically! Perfect for growing herbs indoors so you can enjoy the freshest ingredients all year long! Find this and other beautiful containers at BloemLiving.com.

For more exciting new plants and garden products for spring 2019, visit gardenmediagroup.com.

New Infographic from Longfield Gardens Illustrates How to Enjoy up to 60 Days of Spring Flowers

As fall approaches, gardeners are making plans to plant flower bulbs for brighter spring gardens, landscapes and bouquets. With a little understanding and forethought, gardeners can extend their flowering season by choosing the right bulbs that bloom one right after another, filling spring with flowers for months.

“Bulb gardening is very easy by nature. Just dig up some dirt, put in some bulbs and wait,” said Marlene Thompson, creative director for Longfield Gardens.

“Our new infographic further simplifies the bulb gardening process by helping gardeners understand spring’s four ‘sub-seasons’ – very early spring, early spring, mid-spring and late spring. If you plant the right bulbs, you will have a succession of blooms and enjoy a season full of color.”

GMG's Friday Find: Gardening Deals for Cyber Monday

What's better than dragging yourself around the day after Thanksgiving from store to store trying to get the best deal on a holiday gift?  Relaxing, that's what.

Cyber Monday offerings are only a click away from the comfort of your home or office and with the Cyber Monday Steals for gardeners we've uncovered. They're guaranteed to impress any bargain hunter and
green thumb.

Discount Flower Bulbs plus Free Gift: 

Online flower bulb store Longfield Gardens is offering 20% off site wide. And as a bonus with any order, you will receive five free paperwhite bulbs.

Paperwhites are one of the easiest bulbs to force indoors.  Simply plant them in soil or water and within four weeks you'll have beautiful blooms that are wonderfully fragrant, and will last through the holiday season and beyond.  This is a perfect hostess or thank you gift, or keep them for yourself as a TMLM (to me, love me) gift.  Save even more with free shipping for orders over $50.

Turn Kitchen Scraps Into Landscapes with the Green Cycler: 

A great gift for gardeners, kids, and backyard chicken farmers, the Green Cycler counter top composter is offering 20% off and free shipping for Cyber Monday only.

A compost bin on steroids, the Green Cycler shreds kitchen scraps into small pieces, turning them into precious 'black gold' to feed shrubs, trees and garden beds. For anyone already composting or just starting out, this new kitchen appliance will streamline the composting process so you can enjoy the benefits of rich, organic soil.

Take advantage of these Cyber Monday specials and save a lot of green on these great deals.  

~Peggy
Garden Media

GMG's Friday Find: Grow a Cutting Garden to Create Gorgeous Bouquets!

One of the hottest home décor trends is the "slow flower" movement, using locally grown flowers and other garden materials for beautiful bouquets. There's just something about being able to walk outside, snip fresh flowers and greenery to create an instant arrangement that can brighten any space in your home.

According to Debra Prinzing, author of The 50 Mile Bouquet and Slow Flowers, flowers are not just a luxury or a frivolous expense for special occasions. “A vase of flowers is like a little garden, connecting us with nature and reminding us of the way things grow - slowly. Each bouquet tells a story about one moment in time. Those are the intangible gifts of bringing flowers into our lives.”

With a renewed interest in cutting gardens, you may wonder how to start your own cutting garden. One of the easiest ways to begin is with quality flower bulbs from Longfield Gardens because they provide a kaleidoscope of color, have huge flowers and are simple to grow. From spring tulips and narcissus to summer dahlias, hyacinths and gladiolas, there is a shape, size and color to suit anyone’s taste. A variety of bulbs can provide you with spring to fall cutting options that continually add diversity and beauty for your in-home arrangements.

Here are some tips for cutting longer lasting blooms:

• Cut your flowers first thing in the morning after the dew has dried. Early morning flowers are well rested from the previous day.
• Select the flowers that are just beginning to bloom but are still days away from full bloom.  These will continue to open and last longer in your vase.
• Head outside with a bucket of cold water and put your freshly snipped flowers into it to lessen the shock of being cut.  This also keeps the flowers hydrated until they're brought inside.
• Once the flowers are inside, remove any spotted leaves or leaves that become submerged when placed in the vase.
• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, make one more angle cut at the bottom of the stem while it is submerged in the water.  This allows more water to be drawn up, extending the life of the blooms in your vase.

Here are some tips for arranging and maintaining your flowers:

• Use odd numbers of flowers, as in 3, 5, or 7. Our eyes are naturally drawn to this symmetry.
• Create some variety in height with some large and some small stems.  Keep in mind whether the bouquet will be seen from just one side, or many angles, arranging the flowers for optimum viewing pleasure.
• Place your bouquet in indirect light.
• Change the water at least every other day.  Flowers love fresh water.
• Remove spent leaves and blooms to prolong the life of the arrangement and also to keep the appearance fresh and beautiful.

Freshly cut flowers from a home garden can last for weeks, and it certainly is an economical way to enjoy the fragrance and beauty a home-made arrangement can bring to your indoor spaces. Use a variety of flowers, or go with a bunch of same kind of flowers for a WOW look.  Planting bulbs is easy and the benefits are abundant.  Happy flower cutting!

~Peggy
Garden Media Group