Back to work, fall, and containers

Summer seems to be ending and if feels good that fall is just around the corner. Washington really comes alive then for me. At Garden District, we have all returned from our summer holidays, and having everyone back makes it feel like it's time to garden again. Evan, our super model, left for romantic interest in Antarctica. We all wish her well. Everyone else has stayed. We will be hiring, however, two new people.

My summer break was wonderful. I was in Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Istanbul. Each place brought new adventure. When I travel, I look at architecture, colors, and textures. I people watch and I try to absorb as much as possible. I never take photos, but I record the detail in my head for later great storytelling... Travel refreshes me, inspires me, and makes me better able to serve you.

I'm back at work. We are gearing up for fall. I hope you will enjoy all the new ideas and products we will have available. After Labor Day is when all the new stuff starts to arrive. Some of our bulbs will be in for all the early shoppers. Please hold off planting them until close to the first real days of frost, and keep them in a fresh cool/dry place until then. November is actually a good time to plant bulbs.

However, you can and should get our early fall blooming bulbs. If you're looking for short, vivid blue in your garden this fall, we have something very special arriving soon for you.

I could go on and on about fall. It is one of my favorite seasons. It is definitely a great time to garden. This will be the time to divide your perennials, transplant, plant spring-blooming bulbs and to think about how the garden will look in winter. I will talk more about the winter garden in later writing to you.

As great as it is to be back in DC, I will be leaving for Europe again in mid-September to attend GLEE in Birmingham, England. GLEE is one of the largest trade/garden shows in the world. This will be my first time to attend and I do hope to come back with fresh ideas and new and exciting products for you to use. I'm really focused on lifestyle garden accessories, the things to develop the outside room or that which makes outdoor life that much more wonderful. GLEE will have it all, the latest too.

My friends I leave you with one garden tip that has been floating in my mind since Prague. While wondering the city streets, you could not help but notice the container gardens in Europe. There you see medium-sized evergreen shrubs in stylish planters. The overall feel is permanence and establishment. It identifies an entryway, making it feel special and "dressy."

Evergreen shrubs to use in your containers are Juniper and Spruce topiaries. We have them at Garden District in 3 ball form and many other Italian-inspired shapes, but don't forget something as simple as Nandina or Boxwood are great too. I particularly like strong round shapes in the container. So French... Bamboo looks real good in there too.

Remember when you are container gardening, you want your shrubs to live and thrive through winter. The key is to use plant material that can survive at least through zone 5. It is important because the roots are more exposed to the cold off the ground here in zone 7.