Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

Crystal Rennicke

Do you make your own garden bouquets at home? We just love this idea of using flowering shrubs to make a beautiful bouquet. It’s so simple, yet elegant.

I’m also excited because Birds & Blooms is now available on the Nook—making it easy for everyone to read even more gardening treasures!

Happy Gardening!
–Crystal

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

Regional Report

It’s hard to believe that August is almost here, but there’s still a lot of summer left to enjoy. Our bloggers will keep you informed on what’s going on in your area on our Birds & Blooms blog.

• Southwest
• Midwest
• Northeast
• Northwest
• South Central
• Southeast

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provenwinners.com

Plant of the Month

Plant of the Month
Superbells® Coralberry Punch calibrachoa
One of our favorite calibrachoa varieties, this charming plant will surprise you with its vigor and durability from spring through frost. Its bright coral color will pop in containers and goes well with just about anything.

Botanical name: Calibrachoa ‘Superbells® Coralberry Punch’
Hardiness: Annual. 
Size: 8 to 12 inches high and wide.   
Flowers: Salmony-coral flowers. Flowers from late June until frost. 
Light needs: Full sun. 
Growing Advice: Calibrachoa do very well in containers. If planting in the ground, be sure to supply good drainage.
Prize picks: In the Superbells® Series, try Blackberry Punch and Strawberry Punch.     

Looking for more container-friendly flowers? Try these container champions.

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RDA-GID

Yard Smarts

More Tomatoes, Less Work
When you prune the side branches off your tomato plants, save them to plant in your garden. The cuttings will root easily. And when your first tomato plants are finished producing, the cuttings will carry on where they left off. –Marsha Melder, Shreveport, Louisiana

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Question of the Month

Question of the Month
Cracking the Case
This “egg” plant was a lot of fun for my mother and me last summer. We saved the seeds to pass on to others next spring. What is this plant and how should we preserve the seeds?  –Laura Welu, Davenport, Iowa

Melinda: Your mystery plant is a white-fruited eggplant. Often sold as an ornamental, it is also edible. People love eggplant for its colorful and unusually shaped fruit.

You can save the seeds (as long as it is not a patented variety) to replant, though there is no guarantee a new plant will produce the same size and color of fruit as the parent. For the best results, allow several fruits to dry on the plant. The fruit will eventually drop off so you know the seeds are ripe. Cut the fruit, removing the flesh and section that holds the seeds. Put the rest in a bowl, working it with your fingers as you add water. The seeds will separate and sink to the bottom. Once clean, spread the seeds on a paper towel to dry. Then store them in an opaque, airtight container in a cool place over the winter until planting time arrives.

For answers to your gardening questions, click here.

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Frugal Backyard Tip

Tripod Trellis

Tripods used for floral and cemetery displays make ideal supports for peppers, eggplants and tall flowers. Place a tripod over a pepper plant when it’s small and tie the stems to the supports with panty hose.  —Diane Covington, Winterville, Georgia

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Submit Your Story

Have you committed a backyard blunder? Send us your funny story using our Submit Your Story form.

Submit your story»

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