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Heather Leister

Celebrate the Potato in September

September 2, 2017 by Heather Leister

September is the special month of the year that is set aside to celebrate the wonderfully dependable, always reliable potato.  This solid side dish performer works with almost any meal and if you planted potato starters in the spring then you should have a harvest ready to be served up this the fall. Mashed potatoes are always a solid side dish but if you’re looking for something different here are six ideas for side dishes this month as you celebrate the potato!

Hashbrowns – Who says that hashbrowns have to stay put on the breakfast menu? Try serving them at dinner and adding in bell peppers, onions, and your favorite spices for flavor. Serve the hash browns with a traditional dinner menu or make it an evening of breakfast. It’s always a good time for pancakes and bacon!

Funeral Potatoes – A Utah classic, funeral potatoes are a satisfying comfort dish for any occasion, even a weeknight family dinner. Potatoes can be diced, sliced, or shredded before you add them to the recipe. This potato dish can be as simple or as elaborate as you want to make it, the varieties are endless. Here’s a basic funeral potato recipe from Lil’ Luna to get you started if you’ve never baked this comfort food before!

Baked – You can’t deny the simple, great taste of a baked potato. Toss the potatoes in olive oil and kosher salt before baking and they’ll come out of the oven crisp on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. The beauty of the baked potato is that each family member can create their own. Whether it’s with simple butter and salt or fully loaded with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and green onions, everyone will have a say in how this potato dish is made.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Grilled – While the weather is still warm outside you may not be in the mood to use your oven to cook potatoes. If that’s the case you can always grill them. Grilled potatoes are an excellent choice when you’re already planning on grilling meat for dinner. Slice or dice the potatoes and then put them in a foil packet. Don’t forget to spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the sides.  Add in bell peppers and onions or cheese and bacon, depending on your taste preference. Seal up the foil packets and place them on the grill earlier than your meat as the potatoes will take longer to cook.

 

Photo Credit: Food Network

Potato Salad – Potato salad isn’t only a dish for summer potlucks! If you find yourself in the mood for a potato side dish but want something a little lighter, try a potato salad. You can stick with the traditional recipes or try one that’s eggless, or a version that uses red potatoes and vinegar.

Potato Wedges – Celebrate the potato with homemade potato wedges.  They are about as family friendly as you can get. Wedges can be served with simple, kid friendly main dishes or fancier adult fare. While cutting the potatoes can seem like a chore, in the end the homemade taste will be worth it! Try this recipe from Our Best Bites for oven fries and experiment with the different seasoning. 

Photo Credit: Pixabay

 

Enjoy the month with your homegrown potatoes, but if you didn’t grow any, plan ahead for next spring.  Western Gardens carries in the spring a variety of only the best potatoes to grow in your own garden.  You will be able to celebrate the potato even more next September.

Other Delicious Potato Recipes and Information:

Ranch Roasted Potatoes

Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Smashed Potatoes

Planting Potatoes

 

Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes, Vegetables Tagged With: Gardening, potato recipes, potatoes, recipes

Five Green Veggies for Fall Gardens

July 28, 2017 by Heather Leister

five green veggies for fall gardensThe calendar may still say “Summer” but believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking about planting your fall garden!  I tend to think of planting my garden as a springtime activity but there are many plants that thrive in cooler conditions and will produce a harvest of healthy foods. Here are five green veggies that you can plant now and enjoy when sweater weather truly kicks in!

Broccoli- Broccoli is a cool weather crop that can take approximately 50-70 days to mature. It grows well in areas that get at least six hours of daily sunlight and have well-drained soil.  Broccoli does very well when it is planted in late summer and allowed to grow through the fall.

Broccoli is one of our five green veggies for planting in your fall garden

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Cabbage –  Another cool weather vegetable, cabbage varieties can take anywhere from 55-100 days to grow to maturity. When choosing your variety, it’s important to look at your growing window and the predicted frost dates for your area. Like broccoli, cabbage does best in locations with sunlight and well-drained soil.

cabbage is a good green vegetable with lots of nutrients

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Lettuce – Lettuce is a quick growing vegetable that thrives, and often tastes better, when grown in the fall.  Lettuce plants will grow the fastest in full sunlight but unlike other fall garden vegetables, they can also tolerate shade. Lettuce can be grown in small spaces or containers but it’s important to make sure the soil is well-drained

five green veggies for fall planting includes lettuce

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Spinach – Spinach is another cool weather crop that does well in the Utah fall. Spinach plants prefer full sunlight but will tolerate partial shade. Spinach is a fast growing plant and will yield many leaves in the mild, cool, fall weather. 

spinach should be planted in cool weather

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Swiss Chard – Swiss Chard is a plant that can be left in your garden without worry when light frost begins to appear. The leaves from Swiss Chard will add interest to your fall salads. Growing the plant in cooler weather, instead of in the high heat of summer, helps the plant avoid gaining a bitter taste.

swiss chard is a wonderful green veggie to plant in fall weather

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Your local independent garden centers, like Western Gardens in Salt Lake City and West Valley, Utah, will have the varieties of seeds and seedlings that will do well in the Utah climate.  Plan now and come see us.

independent garden centers know the best

Shop your local independent garden center!

Filed Under: Gardening, Vegetables Tagged With: broccoli, cool crop garden, fall planting, green vegetables, lettuce, swiss chard, Utah gardening, vegetables

Vegetables to Plant in July and August in Your Garden

July 20, 2017 by Heather Leister

Welcome Gardening Friend! Glad you dropped in.

It's not too late to plant a vegetable garden in July and August.

Was 2017 the year that you planned to finally get your family garden up and running? Maybe now you’re realizing that it’s July and all you have is a bare patch of soil and good intentions? Not to fear! You still have time to enjoy a fall harvest and make it a family affair! Here are some ideas of vegetables to plant in July and August in your garden.

Here are four fruits and vegetables that are fun to grow, yield a quick crop, and make gardening with the family easy and fun!

Tomatoes: Since tomatoes need to be planted after the danger of frost has passed they’re a possible choice for mid-summer planting. When July’s summer heat kicks into high gear, you’ll want to take precautions to protect the plants from the hottest part of the day, plus plant on a cloudy day or in the evening after the worst heat. Shade coverings, mulch, and adequate & consistent watering will help your tomato plants take off. When starting tomatoes later in the summer it’s also important to select a “short season” variety, one that will be ready for harvest before the fall frost arrives.  There are also some heat tolerant varieties as well, like Grape, Heat Wave II or Fourth of July.

Some varieties of tomatoes are good vegetables to plant in July and August in your garden.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Peppers: Although pepper plants take longer to mature than other vegetables, their fruits can be fun for children (and adults!) to watch as they grow and change color. You’ll find varieties of pepper plants that have Days to Maturity time of 60-70 days.  Examples:  Orange Blaze, Gold Standard, Jalapeno Gigante, or Big Guy. Chick here for more.  Your garden center will also have some seeds and maybe some plants still available to browse through.  Find one that your family will enjoy eating, as well as watching! Remember that some varieties of peppers must be handled with care as they leave a residue on the skin that will cause irritation.

Find a fast maturing pepper to plant later in the season.

Photo Credit: Wiki Media

Pumpkins: Plant pumpkin seeds now and reap some jack-o-lanterns in the fall! But you better hurry!  Pumpkins generally require 75-100 days to maturity. Check the variety!  Hopefully we won’t have a frost until late October.  Your children can watch as the seeds grow into vines that will creep throughout your garden. When selecting your pumpkin seeds, think about the size of your available garden space. You’ll want to choose between between a variety of tiny pumpkins or larger ones that are best suited for carving jack-o-lanterns. No matter what you decide, pumpkins are fun and easy to grow and their seeds make a delicious, roasted treat in the fall.

pumpkins take a longer time to mature.

Photo Credit: Public Domain Pictures

Radishes: Radishes are a terrific addition to the family garden because they are colorful, quick growers. Children can expect to pull up their first crop just a few short weeks after planting the seeds – a very quick garden turnaround! Your family will enjoy watching as the tops of the radish greens emerge from the soil. When they are about one week ole, radish plants should be thinned to approximately two inches apart a job that children can do after some instruction and coaching. Fast growing spring varieties of radishes should be planted when the weather is still cool. However, winter radishes can be planted later in the summer as late as mid-August.  They take longer to grow but will still provide your family with the satisfaction of planting a seed in the ground and pulling a vegetable out of the dirt!

Radishes are great vegetables to plant in July and August in your garden.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

The 2nd Planting List:  Come on in to Western Gardens for an extensive list of  vegetables and herbs that can still be planted in July and August.  To name a few on the list:  arugula, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, and many many more.

 

Filed Under: Gardening, Kids in the Garden, Vegetables, Veggie Gardening Tagged With: august vegetable garden, Family Garden, july vegetable garden, kids in the garden, late planting, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, second planting, tomatoes, what to plant

Five Tips for Weed Control to Save Time When You Weed Your Garden

June 13, 2017 by Heather Leister

June 13th is National “Weed Your Garden Day”, a day that has been set aside for gardeners to spend an extra few minutes weeding their gardens. My ideal way of observing the day would be to watch my children weed the garden, but if I’m being realistic that would mean plants as well as weeds would get pulled up. So it’s very likely that I will either celebrate this day with some quality alone time, just me and my weeds, or I will enlist my family’s help and spend the time referring sibling fights while saving my plants from the weed bucket.

Five tips to help weed your garden

Photo Credit: Flickr

Actually, if I’m being completely honest, the way I’d really like to celebrate Weed Your Garden Day is by not weeding at all! If you’re feelings are similar, here are five ideas for weed control that will save you time in the garden later.

  • Mulch – Putting down mulch in your garden will help to keep weeds from growing up among your plants. Mulch also provides the benefit of retaining moisture in the soil, which will mean less watering for you! Newspaper, cardboard, and straw can be effective mulch in gardens. Quality local independent garden centers have many options of quality mulch and soil amendments.
  • Focused Watering – A drip watering system in the garden will ensure that you are watering your plants and not weeds.  With a drip system you can focus the water on specific areas in the garden instead of spraying it over one large area, preventing weed growth.

    Photo Credit: Public Domain Picture

  • Keep Plants Together – When possible, plant your plants close together. Less bare dirt in the garden means less space for weeds to grow.
  • Young Weeds – This one takes vigilance on your part, but if you can catch weeds when they’re young you’ll prevent them from spreading throughout your garden. It’s much easier to pull weeds when they’re young and their roots aren’t established in the ground. It is especially important to catch the weeds before they go to seed and spread throughout the garden.
  • Maintain Yard- Don’t neglect the yard that surrounds your garden. Keep your lawn mowed and your flower beds maintained so that weeds don’t invade from those location into the garden.
    weed your garden so that they don't rob your vegetables of nutrients and water!

    Photo Credit: Pixabay

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: garden, National Weed Your Garden Day, Tips to weed, Weed Control, weed your garden

Marvelous Garden Mulch

May 12, 2017 by Heather Leister

Welcome, Glad you stopped by!

Garden mulch makes a yard look well kept, but there are other excellent reasons why it is good to lay down a layer of this simple garden basic.

Reasons to use mulch in your flower beds

If you give me the choice between spending a Saturday working in the house or working in the yard, I will choose my yard every time. The reason? For me, there is something deeply satisfying in pulling weeds and neatening up flower beds. Yes, I know that the weeds will eventually grow back, but it takes them longer to return than it does the messes in my house. Those will reappear before the day is over!

After I finish weeding my yard, I like to put down fresh mulch. Not only does it make everything look tidy, it’s an important step in taking care of the yard. Mulch provides several key benefits for your yard. If you’ve never put it down before, consider the following benefits that it offers.

Mulch under perennials and stepping stones for a finished look

Image credit: Flickr

Weed control: A layer of mulch on your flower beds and around your trees will prevent weeds from germinating and growing.

Moderates soil temperature: Mulch will help prevent the temperature in your beds from fluctuating between too hot and too cold. It’s a good idea to apply your mulch after the soil has had a chance to warm up.

Retains moisture: Mulch prevents moisture from evaporating out of the soil. This benefits plant roots and leads to healthier growth.

Prevents erosion: Mulch will also prevent soil from eroding when it rains. When it rains the water hits the mulch first and keeps the soil from washing away.

mulch and stepping stones

Image Credit: Pixabay

Adds nutrients to the soil: The definition of mulch is anything that you put down on your soil, but if you choose an organic mulch you will have the benefits of adding nutrients to your soil as your mulch decomposes. Even if you don’t select an organic mulch, the layer will prevent the soil’s nutrients from washing away.

Curb Appeal: Mulch gives your yard a polished look and the choices are endless. I prefer the look of a dark mulch, so we tend to use dark organic mixes that will decompose in our flower beds and around our trees. Other possibilities are rocks, compost, bark, wood chips, landscape fabric, or recycled rubber tires. Whatever you choose, pick something that complements your landscaping and gives your yard a finished look.  Western Gardens has a variety of quality mulch products to recommend.

Light colored mulch for a flower bed

Image credit: Pixabay

Filed Under: Gardening, Tips & How To's, Yard Care Tagged With: flower beds, Mulch, Utah gardening, why use mulch, Yard Care

National Zucchini Bread Day

April 20, 2017 by Heather Leister

Welcome Zucchini Lovers. Celebrate with us!

national zucchini bread day is April 25 - zucchini bread recipe

You are just in time for National Zucchini Bread Day!  If you included zucchini in last summer’s garden then there’s a good chance that your freezer is well stocked with leftovers from last year’s harvest. This easy to grow squash is notorious for producing more crop than gardeners know what to do with. If you still have a ziplock bag, or two, of frozen zucchini hanging around then you’re in luck! Now is the perfect time to defrost your zucchini leftovers because April 25th is National Zucchini Bread Day.

sliced zucchini bread for national food holiday

Photo Credit: Flickr Commons

Who doesn’t love an excuse to celebrate a national food day? With zucchini bread you have a way to satisfy your craving for warm carbohydrates while also getting in a serving of vegetables. Not to mention fiber! It’s always a plus when your fiber comes in the form of delicious bread. As an added bonus you’ll be able to either use up freezer leftovers or have an excellent excuse for finally starting your garden.

zucchini for national zucchini bread day

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

If you don’t already have zucchini in your freezer, don’t panic. Pick up the produce at your local store and use fresh zucchini in your bread recipe. Then head to the garden center for seeds and celebrate National Zucchini Bread Day by planting something that you will enjoy both in a few months time and at next year’s celebration!

several varieties of zucchini seed packets

Quality seeds for a successful crop! Choose varieties that will thrive in your area.

Mid May happens to be an excellent time to plant zucchini seeds because the ground has begun to warm up. You can also begin your seeds indoors, but if you want to direct-seed and avoid transplanting then it’s best to wait until the soil temperature measures around 60-degrees. Check with your local independent garden center to know when it is ideal for planting your seeds. In Utah along the Wasatch Front, gardeners remember Mother’s Day as the time when the rest of the garden can be planted.  Cold crops can be planted as early as March.  Zucchini is definitely not a cold crop.  

grate and freeze fresh zucchini for national zucchini bread day in april

Photo Credit: Flickr

In the fall, if your plants have done well, you will most likely find yourself giving away zucchini. To friends, neighbors, coworkers, maybe even strangers. Even after all that generosity you should still have plenty of zucchini left to freeze for the following year. Preserving the squash is easily done. Wash the zucchini in cold water, pat it dry, then cut off both ends. Use a cheese grater to grate the plant and then store the grated zucchini in a well-labeled ziplock bag in the freezer. The vegetable should keep in the freezer for approximately eight months. Which means you’ll be prepared and ready to bake when National Zucchini Bread Day comes around again!

Click next for a simple delicious Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip bread recipe.  It will please everyone!

Western Gardens | Utah

Filed Under: Eat from Garden - Recipes, Vegetables, Veggie Gardening Tagged With: Food Days, National food holidays, National Zucchini Bread Day, Squash, zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini recipes

10 Low-Maintenance Perennials

June 4, 2016 by Heather Leister

Hi there, thanks for stopping by!  

Love having a beautiful yard, but don't have a lot of time? You need these 10 low-maintanence perennials! They will make your yard beautiful and your life easier!

Do you love beautiful flowers?  Do you also love NOT spending a lot of time in the garden to keep them beautiful?  Then I have the perfect answer for you!  10 low-maintenance perennials that will thrive in your yard and produce beautiful foliage and blooms all season long.

Between kids, job, house, husband (and everything else that falls through the cracks), I don’t have time for high-maintenance anything in my life right now. Especially in my yard!  Plants have to meet two requirements before they go in the ground here.

  1. They must be a perennial
  2. They must be low maintenance

I’ve learned over the years that anything else won’t survive my crazy schedule and sometimes inattentive care.

At one point or another I have had each of the following plants in my yard, and they have all thrived.

10 Low-Maintenance Perennials:

cone-flower1. Coneflower – A hardy flowering perennial, the Coneflower will bloom from early summer to fall. The Coneflower does well in drought conditions and will grow to approximately three feet tall.

iris12. Iris – The Iris is a multiplying wonder! Its bulbs will increase each year, and you will quickly end up with a mass of gorgeous flowers on tall green stalks. Once they are established, Irises require little care, and bulbs can be split and replanted in other areas of your yard. 

mums13. Chrysanthemum – Chrysanthemums are an easy-to-grow perennial that will provide fall color in your yard. There are several different types of Mums, so make sure to select a garden variety mum that is suitable for your zone. 

sedum4. Sedum – Sedum is a wonderfully reliable groundcover. It can withstand heat, disease, and drought – and  still continue to grow and spread. I currently have Sedum in a rock wall and it is thriving, even without a dedicated water source. As it spreads, divide it every few years, replanting it in different areas of your yard or gifting it to friends.

yarrow5. Yarrow – Yarrow is an extremely hardy perennial, and does well in cold, heat, and drought conditions. This plant is also deer resistant, so I have planted it throughout my yard!  If deer are a problem in your yard, then don’t miss my favorite 10 deer-resistant plants!

daylily pinterest6. Daylily –  The Daylily is a workhorse of a perennial. These plants will reward you year after year with luscious green foliage and bright yellow flowers. Daylilies require little attention, and they are predictable plants that can also be divided and replanted as they spread. One of the best gifts that I ever received was a bag of Daylily plants that had been divided from mature plants in a friend’s backyard.

coralbells17. Coralbells – Coralbells are a showy, yet very low maintenance plant. They do well in a location that is partially shaded. This plant has unusual foliage and tiny bell-shaped flowers that bloom on tall, thin spikes. Coralbells spread well, and the flowers shoots give it height.

hostas landscape8. Hosta – Hosta thrives in the shade, and comes in a variety of sizes. I’m partial to Hosta with large, bright green leafs and I love having plants that come back bigger and better each year. My last yard was filled with Hostas, but I have had less success with them in my current yard, because the local deer enjoy them as a snack. Hostas are very easy to grow, but be mindful of pests that will damage the plants.russian sage19. Russian Sage – Russian Sage has light colored, silver foliage and spiky lavender flowers that will cover the leaves from late spring until autumn. This perennial prefers dry conditions, making it a plant that is definitely low maintenance. peony10. Peony –When I planted my first Peony bush, I was surprised that such a resilient plant could produce such gorgeous flowers. Peony blossoms appear late spring to early summer and their beauty is tough to beat. Peonies comes back year after year, with bigger, showier flowers, and it requires minimal care, making this my favorite perennial!

Do you have any of these perennials in your yard?  Which is your favorite?  Tell us in the comments below!

Image Credits:
Peony, Hostas, Yarrow, Sedum, Coneflower: Pixabay
Russian Sage, Coralbells, Daylily, Chrysanthemum, Iris: Flickr

Filed Under: Flowers, Gardening, Perennials Tagged With: Easy Care, Lists, Low Maintenance, Perennials

DIY Solar Lantern

May 31, 2016 by Heather Leister

Do you love the look of solar lanterns, but not the cost? Make your own ! They're cheap, easy and fast. Check out the simple instructions!

Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here!

Are you looking for an inexpensive way to light up your yard at night? Look no further! These easy DIY Solar Lanterns can be created with a quick trip to the dollar store.  They’re simple to make and add a fun element to your landscape.

All it takes is a few simple supplies and a few minutes of your time.  This is a project that kids love to help with too!  (or is it just my kids that enjoy taking things apart? 😉)

For this project you’ll need some empty mason jars (or other small decorative jars), inexpensive solar lights, canning jar rings (optional, but they do give them a nicer finished look), and some hot glue.

This simple DIY Solar Lantern will light up your yard and impress your neighbors! All it takes is a few inexpensive supplies and a few minutes to assemble. Great project to do with kids!!

Start with the mason (or other small decorative jar…I’ve used both and they work equally well). The key is to choose a jar with a small opening. If you use a wide-mouth canning jar, the solar light will fall through the opening to the bottom of the jar.

jar

Now is the perfect time to stock up on inexpensive solar yard lights for any DIY solar projects you might have planned. They can be found at the dollar store. Purchase the plainest, simplest solar light you can find. For this example I’m using a solar table lamp that I purchased at my local Dollar Tree.This simple DIY Solar Lantern will light up your yard and impress your neighbors! All it takes is a few inexpensive supplies and a few minutes to assemble. Great project to do with kids!!

If you (or your kids!) like tearing things apart, then you’ll enjoy this next step! Take apart the solar light, what you want is the black, round unit at the top. You will see the solar cells on the top, and the lights at the bottom. This is all you need for the project, so go ahead and recycle the rest of the light, or save it for another project.This simple DIY Solar Lantern will light up your yard and impress your neighbors! All it takes is a few inexpensive supplies and a few minutes to assemble. Great project to do with kids!!

Depending on the size of your jar, your light may fit down in its mouth, or it may sit on top. Either way, I like to secure the solar light to the jar with hot glue.This simple DIY Solar Lantern will light up your yard and impress your neighbors! All it takes is a few inexpensive supplies and a few minutes to assemble. Great project to do with kids!!

For a finishing touch, add a canning ring to the top of the jar. Again, a little hot glue works nicely.

This simple DIY Solar Lantern will light up your yard and impress your neighbors! All it takes is a few inexpensive supplies and a few minutes to assemble. Great project to do with kids!!

That’s it! Sit your lanterns on your porch or hang them on a shepherd’s hook in your yard and enjoy!

Click NEXT for the list of supplies and directions!

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Filed Under: Crafts, How To, Outdoors, Tips & How To's Tagged With: craft, DIY, garden, yard

How To Reseed Bare Patches in a Lawn

May 21, 2016 by Heather Leister

Welcome, thanks for stopping by!

Do you have bare patches in your lawn? Check out these easy steps for reseeding your grass!

landscape grass

Have you ever had bare patches in your lawn that you weren’t quite sure what to do with?  I’m here to help!  I’ve put together a list of easy instructions to help get your lawn back in shape.

I’ve decided that lawns, like people, have unique personalities. I’ve had lawns that were resilient, with turf that endured kids and a dog, yet still came back lush and full each spring.

Our current lawn is the exact opposite. It’s moody, and reactive, affected by the slightest change in the environment. We’ve reseeded every year, but our lawn is stubborn and resistant, always leaving just enough bare patches that we must repeat the practice the following year.

If you’re dealing with a stubborn, angsty lawn with bare patches, I’ve put together my best tips for reseeding it!

lawn topsoil

How To Reseed Bare Patches In A Lawn:

  • The best time to reseed and repair bare spots in the lawn is in the spring, when the ground temperature is approximately 52 degrees.
  • Before you lay down any seeds, make sure that fungi, grubs, or other pests aren’t the cause of your bare patches. If they are, then address those problems first.
  • After determining that the area is free from pests, use a spade to dig approximately 6” into the dirt where you you want to seed. Break up the soil and dirt clumps.
  • Mix a quality topsoil into the area. This will improve the soil quality and give the seeds a healthy head start.
  • Rake the soil and dirt together, then tamp it down so that the repair area is level with the rest of the lawn.
  • Apply your grass seed in a thin layer over the area. Seed may be applied on its own, or in combination with a fertilizer (do NOT use a pre-emergent fertilizer, it will prevent your seeds from germinating). You may also consider a lawn patch product that combines seed, fertilizer, and mulch in one.
  • If you apply seed on its own, cover it with mulch to retain moisture and protect it from birds. Straw is an excellent, inexpensive choice.
  • Water the area well.
  • Continue to water the area regularly, once or twice daily. You will want to keep the area moist, but not drenched.
  • After the new grass is well established, apply fertilizer.  When grass is approximately ⅓ higher than your normal mowing height, include the area in your lawn mowing routine.
  • Monitor the area for the rest of the season to ensure no further problems.lawn care

Have you ever had to reseed bare patches in your lawn?  Tell us about it in the comments below!

bare-feet-in-the-grass

Images:
Barefeet in Grass: Public Domain Pictures
Lawnmower & Grass: Pixabay
Topsoil on Grass: YouTube

Filed Under: How To, Yard Care Tagged With: lawn, Reseeding, Yard Care

10 Deer-Resistant Plants

April 27, 2016 by Heather Leister

Welcome, I’m so glad you stopped by!

Are deer eating everything you plant? Try these 10 deer-resistant plants, your landscape will thank you!

Do you have frequent visitors to your yard?  Visitors that may not be very welcome…because they’re eating your landscape?!  Oh, deer!  If you get these visitors like we do, we are here to help!  We’re sharing 10 beautiful plants you can add to your flower beds and containers, that deer will leave for you instead of taking for a snack.

Several years ago we moved to a new area with a well-known urban deer population. The city’s deer herd was notorious for visiting yards and sampling the local landscaping. In the beginning, being in the midst of the deer was a treat. We had never lived in an area with this much access to wildlife.

The novelty quickly wore off as our plants began to vanish.

Plants that had thrived for years in our old yard were no match for the deer’s appetites. It became clear that we had to adapt our landscaping or our yard would continue to serve as a 24-hour deer buffet.

Through research, trial and error, we found deer-resistant plants that grow in our area. There are still a few deer delicacies planted in the yard (I just can’t give up my hostas!) but for the most part we’ve been successful in keeping them away.

When looking for a deer-resistant plant, a good rule of thumb is to choose something fragrant, prickly, or poisonous to the deer. The deer won’t always obey this rule, especially if they’re hungry and food is scarce, but this is a good place to start. Here are 10 deer-resistant plants that thrive in a variety of environments.

10 Deer-Resistant Plants

FRAGRANT PLANTS

1. Lavender

Are deer eating everything you plant? Try these 10 plants that are deer-resistant, your landscape will thank you!

Lavender is always an excellent choice for a deer resistant plant. This hardy, fragrant perennial requires little water and maintenance.

2. Salvia

Are deer eating everything you plant? Try these 10 plants that are deer-resistant, your landscape will thank you!

Salvia is another perennial that produces a strong fragrance which deer find extremely unpleasant. The plant comes in a wide variety of colors and is a strong perennial that will be easy to care for year after year.

3. Yarrow

Are deer eating everything you plant? Try these 10 plants that are deer-resistant, your landscape will thank you!

Yarrow plants are not overly picky about soil requirements, making them an excellent choice for many people. Bright, colorful flowers bloom throughout the summer, but the deer won’t be tempted to snack thanks to the strong aroma produced by the yarrow leaves.

4. Butterfly Bush

Are deer eating everything you plant? Try these 10 plants that are deer-resistant, your landscape will thank you!

 Another fragrant, drought-resistant perennial, Butterfly Bush is an excellent choice if you are looking for a flowery, deer resistant shrub. It grows quickly, produces a large amount of blooms, and does well in almost any type of soil.

Click NEXT to see which beautiful prickly plants will keep deer away! Western Garden Centers | Salt Lake City | Sandy | West Valley UTAH

Salvia image courtesy of Rawich at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Lavender and Yarrow images courtesy of wikimedia commons
Butterfly Bush image courtesy of staticflickr

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Filed Under: Flowers, Gardening, Outdoors, Perennials, Tips & How To's, Yard Care Tagged With: flowers, Gardening, how to's, tips, Western Garden Centers

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