Utah

June Gardening To-Do List

June 8, 2017 by Western Gardens

Welcome gardening friends! So glad you stopped by!

Do you love to work in your yard, but aren’t sure of all the things you should be doing? Then you’re in luck! We’ve put together a list of things to do in June!

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have a cherry tree, you won’t need to worry about treating for Cherry Fruit Flies. Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

June Gardening To-Do List

➺Plant shrubs, trees and evergreens

➺Fertilize vegetables every 4 weeks with a slow-release fertilizer, and
fertilize roses

➺Watch For Insects show a sample in a clear plastic bag to a garden expert if you suspect a problem

➺Fertilize Lawns and apply iron sulfate if needed (to green up your grass)

➺Watch For Insects like grasshoppers, potato bettle, squash bug & spider mites. If you suspect a problem, take a sample in a clear plastic bag to a garden expert.

➺Thin Out fruit trees for a better yield

➺Control Powdery Mildew on apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines,
grapes, peas, roses & euonymous

➺Treat For Cherry Fruit Fly when cherries begin to turn pink, unless already
using fruit tree spray

➺Control Peach Twig Borer once a month with spinosad

➺Watch For Slugs & Snails control with bait or other techniques

➺Adjust Sprinklers if needed, for increasing heat

➺Move And Replant Bulbs if the foliage has died down

➺Watch For Lawn Insects and treat as necessary

➺Prune & Fertilize flowering shrubs

➺Watch For Signs Of Lawn Disease take a sample to a garden expert if you
suspect a problem

➺Control tobacco budworm on geraniums & petunias

➺Control Weeds before they set & disperse seed

➺Plant Outside
Until June 15th: carrots & endive
Until July 1st: cauliflower, parsley, swiss chard, rutabaga
Until July 15th: beets & broccoli
Until Sept 1st: radishes

*This is not an exhaustive list. If we’ve overlooked something important, feel free to leave a comment and we will add it to the list!

If you’re local to the Salt Lake area, come in to any of our locations with questions or samples!

July Gardening To-Do List

June 27, 2016 by Western Gardens

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

If you’re excited to work in your garden, but not sure what to do in the summer heat of July, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together a list of things to do in your yard and garden throughout the month.

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have iris planted in your yard, then you won’t need to dig, divide and replant it. Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

Mike from our Sandy location was just featured on KUTV 2 News, teaching how to keep your plants healthy and happy in the summer heat, plus some veggies you can plant now for a second crop this season!

July Gardening To-Do List

➺Thin & Fertilize veggies

➺Fertilize lawn, if needed

➺Treat Corn Silks to prevent corn earworms

➺Control peach twig borer and all stone pit fruits with spinosad

➺Dig, Divide & Replant iris

➺Control Codling Moth on apples & pears

➺Fertilize potatoes with nitrogen

➺Remove faded blossoms on roses and ground cover

➺Watch for insect invasions

➺Adjust Sprinklers if necessary, for increasing heat

➺Cut Back & Fertilize annuals for longer bloom

➺Provide An Even Supply of water to tomatoes, to prevent blossom end rot

➺Summer Watering Is Critical for birch trees

➺Things To Keep Away From Tree Trunks: weeds, grass, mowers and trimmers

➺Remember—water lawn early in the morning or at night

➺Plant Outside
Until July 15th: beets & broccoli
Until Sept 1st: radishes

*This is not an exhaustive list. If we’ve overlooked something important, feel free to leave a comment and we will add it to the list!

If you’re local to the Salt Lake area, come in to any of our locations with questions or samples!

DIY Tabletop Terra Cotta Fire Pit

June 7, 2016 by Sydney Anderson

Hi there, thanks for stopping by today!

Do you love camping with your family in the summer? Roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire with the people you enjoy most? Me too!

Some of my favorite memories are of camping in the mountains, at the lake, in the desert, and even in the backyard! I can’t wait to make the same memories with my boys…but since I’m 20+ weeks pregnant, sleeping on the ground isn’t very appealing.

So we’re bringing my favorite part of camping right to our front porch—campfires!

There’s nothing better than sitting around a camp fire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores and just spending time together, laughing and telling stories. Currently we live in a great little townhome community— without a backyard—so building a fire pit was out of the question.

I couldn’t let that stop me!

I took matters into my own hands and made a mini fire pit out of a terra cotta pot for our front porch! I took my husband, who is definitely the brains of our family, into Western Gardens and he picked out this terra cotta pot with holes in the bottom. The holes allow more oxygen to enter the pot (just like on a charcoal grill), which will let the fire burn longer.

Longer lasting fires are perfect for those summer nights when the kids are playing, grown ups are chatting and you want to be able to make more s’mores when you get that craving (which happens a lot when you’re pregnant!).

Click NEXT to get the simple instructions!

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Cool Season Vegetables vs. Warm Season Vegetables

May 19, 2016 by Vanessa Myers

Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here!

Are you itching for beautiful weather so you can get your veggies planted? You are not alone! Fresh vegetables are the highlight of most gardens, with fresh, healthy and delicious produce. Just make sure to plant the right veggies at the right time to get the best results!

Vegetable garden season is upon us and many gardeners are happily planning out their shopping trips to the nursery. It’s tempting to put out every kind of vegetable that you want to grow, all at the same time.

However, it’s important to know whether the types you are planting are cool season vegetables or warm season vegetables so that you can plant them at the appropriate times and help ensure the best crop possible.

Click NEXT to see the Cool Season Veggies and when to plant them!

Image by *Jay~bay* under a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives License

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Best Plants for Window Boxes

April 23, 2016 by Jenn Crookston

Welcome! I’m so glad you stopped by!

Are you looking for the best plants that will really stand out in your window boxes this year? Flowers that will thrive, even in uncertain Spring weather? Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m sharing 6 of my favorite picks for gorgeous window boxes.

Those who know me well know that my house and I just aren’t best friends. I probably couldn’t have picked a house with an exterior that I like less! But since an all-new exterior isn’t in the plans, I have to do what I can to make it as pretty as possible.

A few years ago I finally convinced my husband that we needed flower boxes for the windows. We’ve had varying degrees of success, so this year I am determined to get these window flower boxes prize-worthy! You know what I’m talking about, right? Jaw-dropping window boxes like this one from The Lily Pad Cottage.

Isn’t it just beautiful? I’m in awe.

I needed some advice to start out right in my quest for gorgeous window boxes, so I headed to Western Gardens to get some help. Andrea answered all my questions and gave me some great tips that I can’t wait to share with you!

Prep Your Boxes Correctly:

Replace the liners in each flower box. I was amazed at what this did to make everything look better immediately!
Fill the liners a little less than half full with styrofoam packing peanuts. This will reduce weight and save potting soil, and allow more air and water to get to the roots.
Fill the rest of the liner with fresh potting soil, like Gardner’s Gold.
Plan out your flowers. I planted earlier in the spring than normal, so I made sure to choose flowers that were all cold-tolerant (since April snow is a thing here!)
Ensure you have doubles of every flower, if you need to make matching boxes like I did.
Don’t overfill your boxes. Let your flowers get established before you fill in gaps.

Window Box Flowers (left to right, repeated in each box):

Pansy Frizzle Sizzle Mix
Primrose Danova Mix
Vinca Bowles Cunningham Periwinkle
Ranunculus Bloomingdale Mix
Pansy Delta Premium Beaconsfield
Pansy Matrix Lemon
Pansy Frizzle Sizzle Mix

The same rules apply to window boxes as porch pots. To create a truly awe-inspiring display, you need a filler, a spiller, and a thriller. See my tips for porch pots if you’re not sure what this means!

Pansies and primrose are great fillers with a lot of wonderful color. The Vinca will spill beautifully over the sides, and the tall, red Ranunculus is currently thrilling my boxes!

As these flowers grow and spread, they will fill the boxes nicely. These flowers should all last several months, depending on how quickly our Utah weather turns hot.

Two final tips for healthy window boxes:

Check the water regularly. The heat from the house may increase your boxes’ water needs.
Fertilize regularly for the best blooms. I use ferti-lome blooming and rooting soluble plant food, which is perfect for big, beautiful blooms. Click here to see why I recommend this one!

I can’t wait to share how my window boxes progress this summer. Here’s to growing gorgeous!

While I’m waiting for my flower boxes to fill out, I’ll be enjoying these delicious recipes with my family:

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies ~ Spinach Salad w/Poppy Seed Dressing ~ Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

5 Plants for Utah Porch Pots

April 12, 2016 by Heather Leister

Welcome, gardening friends! We’re so glad you’re here.

Do you love having beautiful flowers on your porch? But have you grown tired of the same old geraniums and gerbera daisies that you plant year after year? If you’re ready to try something new in your flower pots this spring, then you’ve come to the right place!

We’re sharing five gorgeous plants that you should add to your gardening arsenal. If you’re in Utah like us, these plants will thrive because they are native to our area. They are perfect for planting in your containers, so give these beauties a try!

1. Bee Balm

Bee Balm is a showy, native wildflower that will add color and excitement to your flower pots. The plant requires well-drained soil, so you will need to ensure that your container is large enough to accommodate the plant’s growth. Bee Balm attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, making it the perfect centerpiece for a container.

2. Silvery Lupine

Need some beautiful, new plants for your porch pots? Try these native Utah plants to freshen up your outdoor decor!

This native perennial can grow up to 1-2 feet tall. Silvery leaves and spikes are covered with small showy flowers. The height of the Silvery Lupine makes it an ideal showpiece in a pot.

3. Four O’Clock

four o'clock 2

The Four O’Clock is a fragrant, colorful flower that will thrive in dry soil. The Four O’Clock opens in the late afternoon, or on cloudy days, so it’s ornamental blossoms will complement your daytime blooming plants.

4. Wasatch Penstemon

wasatch pestemon 2

The Wasatch Penstemon is a familiar fixture in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. The small plant blooms in a gorgeous blue, but it may take two years for flowers to appear. Seeds should be planted in the late fall, which means you’re going to have to plan ahead. It will be worth it in the end, when spring arrives you’ll have a mountain valley in a pot on your porch.

5. Prairie Aster

Need some beautiful, new plants for your porch pots? Try these native Utah plants to freshen up your outdoor decor!

The Prairie Aster is an upright perennial that thrives in the desert and will require little watering or attention. The flowers resemble daisies and are tiny and elegant. Once it blooms the Prairie Aster will attract butterflies and birds, bringing excitement to your flower pots.

If you can’t decide which Utah native plants to put in your containers, or you want more information, we can help! At Western Gardens we carry a large selection of Utah native plants, and our staff knows exactly what grows here. Bring us your questions, we’re here to help you figure out exactly what you need for your flower pots or yard.

Images:
Prairie Aster, Wasatch Penstemon – Flickr
Bee Balm, Silvery Lupine, Four O’clock – commons.wikimedia.org

How to Calculate Mulch

April 2, 2016 by Western Gardens

Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here!

Are you looking for a simple way to calculate how much mulch to buy for your garden this year? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Need mulch for your flower beds, but don't know how much to get? Here's a quick & easy way to figure it out!

We’re making it easy for you to calculate just how much mulch you’ll need to get the correct coverage for your garden. This simple formula will make it quick and painless for you to figure out how much to buy without the headache of getting way too much or coming up short.

But wait! Do you really need to worry about mulch? Can’t you just skip it?

Putting mulch on your garden beds is important for several reasons:

It provides nutrients to the soil that last year’s plants took
It helps with weed control (and who doesn’t need that?!)
It reduces soil heat by 10°
It gives your beds a fresh look

To calculate how much mulch you should buy for your garden, we need to use a little bit of math. Don’t let this scare you! It’s actually really simple, and we’re going to break it down so you know exactly what numbers you need and what to do with them.

There are several ways to calculate cubic feet (which is what we’re after), so if you’ve used a different equation that you like better, keep using it! We’re sharing how we like to do it. The general equation we use looks like this: (AxD)/324.

Click NEXT to see how to work the equation!

Image courtesy of winnod at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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April Gardening To-Do List

March 30, 2016 by Western Gardens

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

If you’re excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure where to start now that Spring is here, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together a list for you of things to do throughout the month.

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have shade trees to fertilize or seedlings to harden off, skip over those items on the list. Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

April Gardening To-Do List

➺Plant all trees and shrubs

➺Fertilize lawns with a pre-emergent fertilizer to prevent weed seeds from germinating (if not done in March), repeat in 6 weeks if you had a difficult weed problem last year.

➺Fertilize lawns with a regular fertilizer if you plan to seed your lawn/bare patches
in your lawn (if not done in March), repeat every 6 weeks. See Westerns 4 step program for the season.

➺Fertilize trees and shrubs

➺Thin Out seedlings you began indoors

➺Harden Off Seedlings by moving them to a cool place like a garage for two
or three days before planting them outside

➺Fertilize seedlings with a root starter during/after transplant

➺Aerate Lawn if not done in the Fall. If you have a new lawn of 2 years or less, no need to aerate.

➺Water Lawn only if needed, or to water in fertilize, water early in the day or at night

➺Remove or Spray Weeds when they first appear

➺Seed Bare Patches in Lawn do NOT use a pre-emergent fertilizer, OR you can plan to lay seed in September if you have already used a pre-emergent. Not sure how? See our article on Seeding Bare Patches in a Lawn!

➺Spurge & Crabgrass Control if not already done

➺Drain Snow Blower Gas and run it until it quits

➺Lay Sod any time you can find it, you can plant it

➺Deep Soak Trees & Shrubs if rainfall is inadequate

➺Harden Off Tender Annuals before planting outside

➺Spray Fruit Trees for fungus and pests with Fertilome Fruit Tree Spray AFTER the
flowers have fallen off

➺Do a Second Planting of lettuce & radish

➺Transplant kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc

➺Plant Outside
Until May 1st: kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, potatoes, rhubarb, asparagus, cabbage, spinach, turnips
Until May 15th: onions & peas
Until June 15th: carrots & endive
Until July 1st: cauliflower, parsley, swiss chard
Until July 15th: beets & broccoli
Until Sept 1st: radishes

Be sure to check out our May Gardening To-Do List!

*This list is not exhaustive. If we have overlooked something you’d like to see on this list, tell us in a comment below!

History of Western Gardens

March 22, 2016 by Western Gardens

History of Western Gardens

Western Garden Centers (commonly known as Western Gardens to our customers) was established at the downtown location in 1957 by S.W. Clayton and Dwight Walton, who had previously managed the Porter-Walton Company, which began is 1905. We are the uninterrupted retail continuation of this original Porter-Walton Company. Today Western Gardens is owned and managed by three Utah gardeners (including S.W.’s son and grandson!) with the goal of being the preferred garden shop for Wasatch Front gardeners.

Our West Valley store opened in 1962, and in 1972 moved to 3033 West 3500 South. In November of 2000 we moved the West Valley Western Garden Center to 4050 West 4100 South, where we’re still gardening today.

Western Gardens in Sandy was opened in the Spring of 1979 at 9201 South 1300 East. The greenhouses there were previously used by a grower, and we converted the site to retail use. Our current building went up at the same location in 2007.

When we rebuilt the Sandy store in 2007, we added a wedding venue called Atrium Weddings. In 2011, we renovated our historic downtown location to create a second reception center called Ivy House Weddings. These beautiful facilities continue to grow in serving the wedding and event community with wonderful gathering places for families and businesses.

Western Gardens provides trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, gardening supplies, organic solutions and plant material for the urban garden and gardener. Our goal is to be the best customer to our suppliers (most of which are local Utah companies), create the most enjoyable workspace for our amazing staff, and offer the best products at the best prices for our wonderful customers. We are the Utah garden experts. We are Western Gardens, for what grows here.