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10 Steps To Create A Beautiful Container Garden

         Now in her 34th year at Merrifield Garden Center, Peg Bier was one of the early proponents of the container gardening trend and helped popularize it at our nursery. She puts together many of the lovely displays at our Fair Oaks location.

         Here are Peg’s 10 steps to creating a beautiful container garden:

1 – Make sure the container has a drainage hole at the bottom.

2 - Cover the hole with landscape fabric.

3 – Place approximately one inch of pea gravel or 3/8” River Jacks, a smooth gravel, over the landscape fabric.

4 – Fill 2/3 of the container with Merrifield Potting Mix.

5 – Add Merrifield Flowering Plant Food, a slow release fertilizer.

6 – Add 1 teaspoon of Espoma Rock Phosphate to promote flowering.

7 – Insert your plants. Be sure to loosen the bottom of the roots first. For this display, Peg chose yellow petunias, white superbells, vinca and a variegated spike.

8 – Fill Merrifield Potting Mix around the plants to within one to two inches of the top of the container. Tamp down the soil around the plants to make sure they’re secure.

9 - Top with small gravel, which makes it easier to water and helps keep the soil in place.

10 – Water gently but thoroughly until all the soil in the container is completely wet.

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Summer Bulbs Are An Overlooked Gem

         Without a doubt, spring bulbs are the most popular type of bulbs. Their breathtaking flowers delight us with their beauty and their promise of spring.

         But don’t overlook summer bulbs, which offer a special charm of their own. These bulbs put out gorgeous flowers in the heat of summer at a time when many other plants begin to slowly fade into the background. Not only do they provide spectacular color, but summer bulbs boast big blooms that are sure to make an impact in your garden.

         At Merrifield Garden Center, we carry summer bulbs in the months of March, April and May. With the exception of hardy lilies, these bulbs shouldn’t be planted outdoors until all danger of a freeze has passed. Tender bulbs prefer warm temperatures and humid conditions, which is why they thrive during our summers here in the mid-Atlantic region.

         In our area, summer bulbs, such as caladiums, begonias, cannas and gladiolus, start blooming in June and continue until late October or early November when frost finishes the growing season. For the most part, summer bulbs can be used in the landscape in the same way as their spring counterparts. Plant them in beds, borders, containers, rock gardens, cutting beds and wherever you want to add masses of color and/or height.

         You’ll experience the greatest success with summer bulbs if you grow them in optimum conditions. They’ll flourish if you:

Add compost and Merrifield Starter Plant Food to the bed to enrich the soil and create good drainage.

Plant tender bulbs outdoors after all danger of a last frost, usually sometime in mid to late May. Check the extended forecast.

Make the planting holes the correct depth and space the bulbs apart as recommended. Summer bulbs aren’t planted as deep as spring bulbs. Depending on species, summer bulbs are planted in holes ranging from one- to five-inches deep.

Most of the summer bulbs prefer full sun. One exception is caladiums.

         Summer bulbs require the same routine care as spring bulbs. It’s important to deadhead, fertilize, water, mulch and provide weed, insect and disease control to extend their bloom times. Adopting good watering practices will go a long way toward guaranteeing the continued health and regeneration of summer bulbs. Watering thoroughly at planting time helps to activate root growth. During dry periods, summer bulbs need to be watered thoroughly and allowed to dry.

         Depending on the soil, the sun and other environmental factors, some of the taller and/or top-heavy bulbs, such as gladiolus, Asian lilies and lanky dahlias, may require staking and tying. If this is necessary, the simplest method is to tie them to single stakes, bamboo canes or attractive metal supports.

         Summer bulbs require a little more effort than spring bulbs. Since they’re tender, they must be dug out of the ground each year before the first freeze. Not everyone wants to do that. Some people choose to treat summer bulbs like annuals. They purchase the bulbs in plant form in our annuals section each spring and enjoy their beauty right away. Instead of digging up the bulbs and saving them after the season, they purchase new plants the following spring.

         Marginally hardy summer bulbs, such as agapanthus, canna and hybrid gladiolus, can be successfully overwintered in the ground in Zone 7 during a mild winter. However, they’ll need to be planted in soil that drains well and be mulched heavily with three inches of pine bark or six to eight inches of pine straw.

         If you’re planning to store tender bulbs and replant them the following year, lift them out of the ground and remove all soil. Discard any undersized, moldy or diseased bulbs. Dust the remaining healthy bulbs with a sulfur-based bulb dust and place in a cardboard box or wooden crate. Cover with several inches of dry peat or vermiculite. Store indoors in a cool environment where the temperature ranges between 50 and 60 degrees F.

         Tired of grilling basic hot dogs and hamburgers?

         Merrifield Garden Center Chef Lilienne Conklin offers two marinade recipes to help expand your barbequing repertoire.

         “Marinating meats and vegetables before you send them to the fire ensures that your finished product will be flavorful and moist,” says Chef Lilienne.

         One of Chef Lilienne’s favorite recipes is Grilled Lime Marinade Chicken. The lime and cilantro lend a bright citrus flavor to the chicken. You can also use this marinade with fish – it’s particularly tasty with shrimp.

         Sometimes Chef Lilienne opts to turn the grilled lime chicken into fajitas with grilled onions and peppers. If you try that, don't use all your marinade with the chicken. Be sure to put some of it aside so you can brush the onions and peppers with it.

         Chef Lilienne also likes to marinate Portobello mushrooms before grilling them. Here's her recipe for Grilled Portobello Mushroom Caps.

         “Meaty and tender, Portobello mushrooms are a wonderful alternative to beef,” Chef Lilienne says.

         Once they’re grilled, you can eat Portobello mushrooms like a burger in a bun, use them as a side dish or chill them to add to salads or sandwiches. The mushroom marinade works great with beef, too.

         Have fun trying these new recipes!!! Your friends and family will love the results.