Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

Crystal Rennicke

Memorial Day weekend is approaching and that means grilling and outdoor parties. Make sure your backyard is ready for entertaining guests with fabulous containers filled with container-friendly plants.

Then, submit your best container combination for your chance to win plants from Proven Winners. Click here for more details.

Happy Gardening!
—Crystal

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READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Question of the Month
• Frugal Backyard Tip
• Submit Your Story

Proven Winners

Plant of the Month

Pretty Much Picasso™ Supertunia®
This colorful new petunia will be a hit in your containers this season.
Botanical name: Petunia hybrid
Bloom Time: Spring to hard frost.
Hardiness: Annual, except in zones 10-11.
Flowers: Unique violet purple flowers edged in lime green.
Size: Height: 8 to 12 inches; trails up to 36 inches.
Growing Advice: Incorporate a slow-release fertilizer as you plant, following package directions.

Click here for our Top Ten list of Container Plants.

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RDA-GID

Yard Smarts

Window Box Redux
Dress up a plain old window box with some pieces of wood cut to look like picket fencing for a cottage look that will add interest to your containers.

For more ideas to dress up a window box, click here.

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Question of the Month

RDA-GID

Hip to the Birds
Q: Do rose hips grow on only certain types of roses? I have never seen them on my floribunda or hybrid tea roses, and I’d like to provide some for the birds to eat. –Debbie West, DeWitt, Arkansas

Melinda: There is a way to encourage your roses to form hips. All you have to do is stop cutting and deadheading the flowers in fall. This allows the plants to switch from flowering mode to fruit formation.
   Most rose hips (right) are red and vary in size, depending on the species of plant. Shrub roses generally form more and showier fruit than their hybrid counterparts. The Dog rose (Rosa canina) and rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa) are known for their large, showy hips that are high in Vitamin C.

For more answers from Melinda, click here.

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Frugal Gardener Tip

Overheard from our Thrifty Backyards discussion panel…
I found a baby gate for free at the local dump that was in perfect condition. I mounted it in my garden with bamboo poles and had a perfect trellis for my cucumbers! It would work well for peas, also. –chickadeeme

Click here to join the chat on our Thrifty Backyards community.

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Submit Your Story

We’re looking for funny photos that need witty captions for our section “Just for Fun.” Send us your best photos by using the Submit Your Story form.

Submit your story»

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