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Important Things to Do in Your Garden Before Winter

garden care ideas — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

The fall season is upon us and winter is approaching fast. Inexperienced gardeners may think that means a lull in activity but more knowledgeable ones understand that there are still plenty of things to do to get ready for next year. Here are just a few suggestions for where to start:

Plant Bulbs – It is important to get these in the ground before it freezes so that the plants have some time to root and establish themselves. Then they will be ready for an early spring thaw and you will have flowers as early as possible.
Divide and Transplant – Similarly, transplanting is best done now so that the plants are acclimatized to their new environment and ready to bloom at the earliest possible time.
Fertilize the Lawn – Don’t forget your lawn. The winter months create a long hiatus when your grass won’t be receiving much nourishment. A little fertilizer in the fall will go a long way towards keeping your lawn green now and in the spring.

For more information on these and other garden care ideas, please visit us at Marvin Gardens.

Too Busy to Decorate? We Can Help!

holiday decorating — Source: Marvin Gardens

Life is so busy these days and now with the holidays right around the corner when are you going to find the time to shop, cook and decorate? We here at Marvin Gardens can help lessen your load by taking care of all your exterior decorating and interior arrangement needs.

From fresh garland to stringing rows of bright sparkly lights, let Marvin Gardens worry about untangling those strands and figuring out why that one bulb won’t work. We also can supply beautifully decorated fresh wreaths for hanging on doors, windows and over fireplaces and assist in designing an outdoor space for that perfect holiday look.

Now that summer blossoms have faded, let us fill those exterior decorative vessels with red berries, pine cones and other eye-catching holiday greenery. For the interior you can supply your own vases or just stop by, select a few from our large selection, we’ll create fabulous unique arrangements and deliver them to your home at your convenience. These will be perfect for a Thanksgiving centerpiece or as elegant tablescapes during those holiday brunches and cocktail parties.

Marvin Gardens is here for all your holiday decorating needs. Please visit us online today.

Festive Garden Design Ideas for the Holidays

Want to do something different this year with your yard and garden holiday decorating? Marvin Gardens has some wonderful ideas!

Place luminaries along the front walkway and then focus a single spotlight on the front door’s custom designed wreath.
Instead of trying to light all the trees and shrubs in the yard, decorate one single tree in white or clear lights. Combine this with the first suggestion above and you make a subtle but elegant statement.
When your summer plants succumb to Mother Nature’s cold blast don’t just store those pots and urns until next spring. Fill them with sprigs of holly, fluffy pine branches, red berries, pine cones and other greenery.
Don’t forget the mailbox. A couple short pieces of evergreen intertwined with glittering pine cones and anchored with a big red bow is so cheery and welcoming.
Fill window boxes with winter greenery. Change out summer cushions on the patio furniture with ones featuring more of a holiday theme. Use baskets of pine cones, oversized ornaments and sprigs of mistletoe and holly for outside tablescapes.

Marvin Gardens has everything you need for your garden design ideas. Please contact us today for more information.

Ideas for Decorating a Romantic Style Garden

If your personal design aesthetic trends toward a romantic style, you should definitely consider transforming your garden into a romantic escape. Consider the possibilities that are just outside your door. Simple changes and additions to your garden can extend the romantic design, including:

Vintage items. Metal watering cans, unique garden accessories, and iron wall hangings can all enhance the design of your garden. You may already have some of these items tucked away and just waiting to be used in your garden design.
Plenty of pots. Creating a container garden in terra cotta, painted, or glazed pots will bring color and visual interest to your garden. The pots can be displayed throughout the garden or clustered together to create interesting vignettes.
Picket fences. Many people consider pickets only in fencing. In fact, picket fencing can be used throughout a romantic garden. Consider backing a potting bench in picket fencing or using it against a wall to act as a trellis.

Contact the professionals at Marvin Gardens for more unique garden design ideas. We are committed to helping our customers transform their gardens into the spaces of their dreams.

Get Your Garden Ready for New England’s Winter

Just because winter is rapidly approaching doesn’t mean you should abandon your garden. Taking care of your garden before winter hits will protect your plants, help ensure a successful spring planting season, and promote the ongoing health of your garden.

Before winter hits make sure to:

Mulch around trees and shrubs. Adding mulch around the bases of shrubs and trees helps to moderate the temperature of the soil. Avoid piling the mulch and building it up against the base of the trunk. This creates the perfect spot for mice to nest.
Cut back shrubs and perennials. Different shrubs and perennials require different levels of pruning. For example, Black Eyed Susans can be cut back completely but lavender does best with a moderate cut back. Consult the professionals at Marvin Gardens for advice about cutting back your specific plants.
Water one last time. If the ground hasn’t frozen yet you should take the opportunity to liberally water one last time. This provides needed moisture for trees, plants, and shrubs during the cold winter season.

For more winter gardening tips contact our gardening experts at Marvin Gardens today.

Create a Table Centerpiece From Your Garden

garden design accessories — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and there is a lot to do before your friends and family sit down to dinner. You can cross one thing off your to-do list by creating a Thanksgiving table centerpiece from your garden. Pairing design accessories with items from your garden makes for a unique and meaningful table centerpiece.

Our favorite ideas include using:

Acorns and leaves. Look to the ground for acorns and leaves that will add color and texture to the table. A small sprig of leaves and a few acorns are perfect set against a cluster of roses.
Greenery. Pieces of greenery from pine, spruce, or noble trees can be collected and used in centerpieces. These garden items can be added to floral arrangements in vases or circled around candles.
Fall-blooming flowers. If you have mums or other fall blooming flowers in your garden you can use these in your holiday celebration. Choose a vessel that your guests can see over and consider wrapping it in burlap or raffia reminiscent of the harvest.

If you’d like to learn more about creative ways to decorate for Thanksgiving using things items from your garden contact the professionals at Marvin Gardens.

What Not to Do in Your Garden

gardening tips — Source: Marvin Garden Facebook

Gardening is a great way to relax, and many people that try it find a lifelong hobby. However, when you’re new to gardening it’s easy to make simple mistakes that can harm your plants. Use this guide to avoid big mistakes that are commonly made by beginning gardeners.

Using the Same Soil

Using the same type of soil for everything in your garden area can seem simple, and after all, soil is just soil, right? The short answer is no! When buying soil, especially if you’re going to use it for indoor plants, make sure you ask a garden professional for the right kind.

Staking All Trees

When planting young trees in really windy areas, staking is a good idea to keep them from toppling to the ground. However, if you’re not in a windy area, allowing the trees to sway actually helps roots grow deeper, making a stronger tree.

Always Using Mulch Rings

Not all trees need mulch rings. In fact, all they do for many varieties of trees is extend the drip line, making them need more water.

Visit us at Marvin Gardens for beautiful garden accessories to make your healthy garden even more beautiful.

Make the Most of Autumn Leaves When Gardening

Autumn brings with it the falling leaves, which are a rich source of nutrients that are often mistaken for a hassle rather then the opportunity they truly are. Leaves provide a rich source of nutrients that can easily be harnessed and used in garden care.

Mulch
Leaves provide a great mulch that can be stored or immediately used in gardens and lawns. Rather than tossing the leaves, use a lawn mower to chop them up. If you want to leave it on the lawn, remove the bag from the mower and let it blow out onto the lawn. Through the winter the pieces will settle into the lawn and disappear come spring thaw.
If the plan is to use it in the garden, you can place whole leaves or the chopped up leaves directly into the bed. Over winter they will decompose and come the spring they can easily be tilled into the soil.

Insulation
Piling leaves onto plants, even potted ones, is a great way to insulate the plants and pots from the winter months. Terracotta pots can be insulated well enough with leaves that they do not have to be moved indoors.

Great Container Plants That Survive Cold Weather

Gardening in the winter months can be tricky. Most plants can’t survive the frigid weather associated with the season, but there are some container plants that actually thrive in the cold and are perfect for keeping your green thumb active during the coldest part of the season.

The Autumn Fern

The autumn fern is one of those plants that can grow pretty much anywhere in the winter months – partly because it doesn’t have any flowers to get damaged by the snow, rain or any other kind of bad weather it could be exposed to. Best of all, it can easily be potted with more colorful plants to make a unique looking container suitable for small spaces.

Red Twig Dogwood

The red twig dogwood is perhaps the hardiest of all dogwoods, which means it can thrive in even the coldest climates and snowiest areas. Its beautiful copper-red foliage is also a sight for sore eyes in the winter months – especially in areas where big white patches of snow are the norm. Red twig dogwoods also pair well with ferns.

Contact Marvin Gardens for more information and to find garden design accessories and planters for your outdoor area.

Save Water by Planting Drought-Tolerant Plants Instead of Grass

designing an outdoor space — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Keeping a lawn lush and green throughout the hot summer months can be an expensive proposition. To cut down on water usage and monthly bills, some homeowners have replaced parts of their traditional lawns with drought-tolerant plants.

Here are some suggestions for attractive, hardy and water-stingy plants:

Grasses – The fine fescue and buffalo varieties of grass are extremely drought-tolerant. Both also thrive in direct sun and create a soft carpet of blades that is very enjoyable to walk on.
Shrubs – For the more colorfully-minded homeowner, a lawn space can be filled with ground cover such as creeping thyme and an array of colorful, drought-friendly shrubs like Spanish lavender.
Flowering plants – The variety of colorful, flowering plants that are also drought-tolerant is staggering. Even an average garden can include reds, yellows and purples with the planting of daylilies, smoke bush and blue fescue.

For more information on using these drought-tolerant plants or other creative ideas for designing an outdoor space, please contact us at Marvin Gardens. We can be found online at MarvinGardensUSA.com or reached directly at 203-544-2020.