Dog Days Sale

Our biggest sale of the year is quickly approaching. The Dog Days Sale will be here in just a few more days. We can thank our friends at Home Rule for starting this sale years ago. The MidCity Business Association now runs it and it has turned in to such a huge event. Everybody knows about it...

I really like what it has turned into: a huge event to get things on sale and see lots of people having a great time in the dog days summer. When it's Hot! Hot! Hot! Luv the heat!

Here's what we're planning to have on sale:
10% off all durable goods such as fertilizers, mulch, soil, etc...
15% off trees, shrubs, fountains and interior plants
25% off pottery and tools
35% off annuals and perennials

Come fill up your garden with plants at a great value from us. Focus on perennials, trees and shrubs. Plant them and they will stick around in your garden for years to come.

To see all the stores participating and see special offers visit http://www.dogdaysdc.com.

Rainbows and Plants that Attract Butterflies

Summer just keeps getting better. It's definitely time to water (in the mornings); your pots will probably need it everyday when it gets well over ninety. I spent a good half hour watering on Sunday. Funny thing was, I can't believe how many rainbows I made during the process. It was fantastic! They're so cheery.

After my rainbow making, it was off to work to discuss butterfly gardening with Deana. Oh, btw, one of my favorite butterflies landed on me while I was watering. I love that. Anyway, Deana, our weekend morning store designer, brought some great information I'd like to share about attracting butterflies to your garden.

The four basics are:
1) Pesticide-free environment
2) Plenty of sunshine
3) Flowers to provide nectar for the adult butterflies
4) Host plants to provide food for the butterfly larvae, caterpillars

That morning Deanna made a butterfly display garden at the shop using these plants. All are in stock now.

Nectar plants
Caryopteris (Bluebeard), Buddleai (Butterfly Bush), Aster, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Gaillardia, Gaura, Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan) Sedum, and Verbena

Butterfly larvae host plants
Eastern Redbud, Viburnum, Aster, Panicum (switchgrass)

I like the idea of creating theme gardens at the shop, particularly during the summer months. Here are a few more options you might see soon at the store: a beach garden or plants that can tolerate salt, native plants garden, an all green evergreen garden (this is what I have at my house), and a Victorian (period) garden.

If you have any ideas for a theme garden, please send me your comments.