Patriotic Plants

Learn easy ways to save water and still have a head-turning landscape. Use an Adjustable Sprinkler Conserving water in the landscape starts with re-thinking the ways you use and apply water to plantings. Trade in a non-adjustable oscillating sprinkler for one that offers multiple watering patterns. By sliding levers or pushing buttons, adjustable sprinklers let you direct water to where it’s needed — and avoid wasteful runoff. Install Drip Irrigation One of the best ways to water plants efficiently is with drip irrigation. DIY drip irrigation systems combine professional grade materials with simple installation. The result is water being delivered directly to the root zone of plants, eliminating runoff and losses through evaporation. Don’t want to do it yourself? We offer irrigation services! Click here to contact Landscaping Services and schedule your FREE consultation!  Choose Water Saving Containers Choose containers with low water use in mind. Glazed terra cotta containers don’t just look great, they also don’t lose water through the pot sides, thus requiring infrequent watering. Harvest Rain With Cisterns Cisterns provide a large water storage option for roof runoff. Think of them like a rain barrel on steroids. A covered cistern eliminates insect issues that can develop with open rain barrels. Most large cisterns include a pump to speed water flow from the tanks. Add Mulch Cover bare soil with mulch to help slow water evaporation. A mulch layer that’s 2 to 3 inches deep helps retain soil moisture and reduce weed sprouting. Water Pots in the Afternoon Water plants at the right time of day: in-ground plantings in the morning and containers in the afternoon. Research has shown that watering container gardens late in the day leads to healthier plants. Replace or Reduce Lawn Replace part of a water-guzzling lawn with outdoor living and dining rooms. Modern building materials make it possible to design a deck that fits into the tightest spaces. We can design a complete outdoor living environment for you to enjoy life outdoors! Build a Rain Garden Include a rain garden on your property to slow down and help filter pollutants from storm runoff. Rain gardens can be large or small and designed to include plants that appeal to your home’s design aesthetic. Choose Native Plants Native plants are famous for their carefree personalities and ability to thrive on rainfall. Recycle Household Water Catch and save water from household chores to use in the garden. Keep empty five-gallon buckets on hand to catch water from a dehumidifier. Use plastic milk jugs to save cold water that typically runs down the drain while you wait for hot. Mow Your Lawn High How you mow has a huge impact on how thirsty your lawn is. Mowing turf high encourages roots to sink deep, which means the lawn won’t need watering as often. A sharp mower blade cuts grass cleanly, which reduces water loss per grass blade. Plant in Blocks Arrange vegetable gardens in small blocks instead of rows. Watering a block of plants is a more efficient option than spraying water over a long row. Design blocks with a maximum 3-foot width to provide easy, reachable access. Consider Permeable Pavers Choose water-permeable building materials for hardscape surfaces including driveways, walks and patios. Permeable pavers allow water to percolate through the surface, which reduces rainwater runoff. Install Porous Hardscape Consider porous materials when designing outdoor living areas. Gravel or pebble patios combine good looks with low-maintenance upkeep that’s also easy on the environment. Porous surfaces allow water to drain freely, instead of creating storm runoff. Make Your Own Compost Compost is one of the best additives to soil because it helps to retain water in sandy soils and improve drainage in clay soils. Making compost is easy, and adding compost to soil fosters a healthy soil-food web. Replace Hose Washers Check washers – in hoses and attachments – at the start of each season. Water Slopes Carefully Set irrigation systems to run for more, but shorter cycles on sloping sites. By letting the system run for a bit and then shut off, you give the ground time to absorb the water, helping to reduce runoff. Space Plantings Tightly Arranging plants tightly not only creates a full design, it also helps to shade soil. Plants that grow shoulder to shoulder act like living mulch, helping to suppress weeds and slow water evaporation from soil. Group Plants by Water Needs Arrange plantings in zones based on water use. Group thirsty plants together, including things like bedding plants and lawn. Keep lower water use plants like shrubs and drought tolerant perennials in a separate area. Install an irrigation system controller that supports zone watering to enjoy state-of-the-art water savings. Select Low Water Use Plants Swap water guzzling plants for low water use beauties. Many drought tolerant plants feature leaves that are silver, spiny or succulent (thick) in nature. We can help you make the right selections! Install a Water Timer Make watering a hands-free affair with a programmable timer. Look for a model with a soil moisture sensor that detects how wet soil is and helps prevent overwatering. Focus on Drought Tolerant Perennials When designing planting areas, focus on drought tolerant plants that won’t guzzle water. We can help you select the right plants! Add a Rain Gauge You don’t need fancy equipment to water based on weather. Keep track of rainfall with a simple rain gauge so you can avoid watering when storms have provided sufficient moisture. For most landscape and vegetable plantings in average soils, about an inch of water per week provides enough moisture for strong growth. Water Based on Weather Update your irrigation system to include a smart sensor that detects local weather conditions, rainfall and soil moisture and adjusts water delivery accordingly. The result is significantly less water waste and healthier plants that are watered only when they need it. Recycle Rainfall Give your home a green outlook by harvesting rain water. A rain barrel is easy to set up, and the water you collect can easily be recycled on container or landscape plantings. A rain barrel also reduces the amount of rainwater runoff your property produces. In some municipalities, that can lead to a reduced utility bill.

Fall is coming, and you are encouraged to add new plants to your landscape at this time of year. There’s no better horticultural time than now. Fall is upon us, so it's time to add those new plants to your landscape. You may think spring is the best time of the year for planting, but it is NOW! By planting in the fall, it takes advantage of the amazing opportunity to get plants established. The first priority after planting is root growth. This occurs best during the fall and winters in Louisiana when shoots and flowers grow slowly. FOCUSED ENERGY Think of the springtime-leaves and limbs growing, flowers erupting, new plants getting established in their new home. It’s a busy time for plants. They have a lot of work to do and they have to do it all at once! It’s like your boss giving you 10 jobs to accomplish all at once. A plant’s energy is pulled into many directions simultaneously. Fall is a different matter. A new tree has only one job to do in the fall-grow new roots. This is exactly what you want a new plant to do for it’s long-term health. A tree will grow roots until the ground freezes in the winter, establishing a strong foundation for it’s future. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS What season follows spring? Summer. Hot, dry summer. A spring-planted tree will require careful maintenance to insure its immediate health. It is a stressful time for plants, particularly newly-planted ones. Fall planting is less stressful for trees and shrubs. The growth processes are slowing down as the tree goes dormant. This allows the tree to conserve its energy into root production as talked about already. The cooler temperatures and fewer leaves mean that the tree isn’t using as much water which translates into less maintenance for you. Can you successfully plant trees in other seasons? Of course! But the focused energy and the environmental conditions of fall allow for less transplanting shock on newly-planted trees. A tree that is not stressed is a happy, healthy tree. Which translates into less work for you. More time for you to enjoy a cup of coffee on the porch on the upcoming crisp mornings. In Louisiana, trees can be planted until the second week in January. There are several excellent LSU Ag Center recommendations, Louisiana Super Plants, like Shoal Creek vitex, sweetbay magnolia, willow oak & southern sugar maple. These are some of our favorites, too! Shrubs, roses and flowering perennials also do great when planted now. Shrubs are the "bones" of a landscape. There are many selections to plant now, and by following proper planting procedures and care will lead to success. Popular shrubs for our area are: azaleas; camellias; hydrangeas; Indian hawthorns; loropetalums; viburnum; cleyera; gardenia; and more! A well planned landscape most often contains both deciduous and evergreen plants. Using both types help to accent seasonal changes. A landscape can be refreshed by using a variety of plants! Contrast with texture and color. Did you know we offer FREE consultations "tes for landscaping & landscaping maintenance? We want you to fall in love with a new landscape or your existing landscape cleaned up and ready for the seasons! Contact us here to schedule your free consultation! Most people plant trees, shrubs and ground covers in spring, but fall is really the best time to plant. By planting in fall – October through mid-December – we take advantage of the great opportunity we have to get plants established. Root growth, which is the first priority after planting, occurs during fall and winter in Louisiana when shoots and flowers grow slowly. Trees can be planted in the next few months until around Arbor Day, the second Friday in January in Louisiana. Consider trees that the AgCenter has named Louisiana Super Plants, like Shoal Creek vitex, evergreen sweetbay magnolia, willow oak and southern sugar maple. Other good Louisiana landscape trees are Southern live oak, Southern magnolia (our state flower), bald cypress (our state tree), crape myrtles, other deciduous oaks (nuttall, southern red, shumard), southern sugar maple, Savannah hollies, oriental magnolia and pines. Shrubs also can be added to your landscape now. Roses and flowering perennials do great when planted in fall. You can also add cool-season bedding plants in the landscape or in containers or planter boxes to enhance patios and outdoor living areas. Try the Belinda’s Dream and Drift series roses or the legendary Homestead Purple verbena, a Louisiana Super Plant for this fall. Many home gardeners plant shrubs during spring because that’s when most of us think about gardening and when garden centers have the best selections. Shrubs are the “bones” of a landscape. Selecting shrubs recommended for Louisiana, choosing a good-quality plant at your local garden center, following proper planting procedures and providing recommended follow-up care will lead to success. Popular shrubs planted in Louisiana landscapes include azaleas, camellias, sasanquas, hydrangeas, Indian hawthorns, loropetalums, viburnum, cleyera, dwarf yaupons and gardenias. Louisiana Super Plant shrubs to plant include Frostproof gardenia, ShiShi Gashira camellia, the fall-blooming Conversation Piece azalea and Aphrodite althea (rose of Sharon). Cool-season flowers include pansies, violas, dianthus, snapdragons, garden mums, calendula, ornamental kale and cabbage and many more. Perennial flowers like gaillardia, verbena, coneflowers, Louisiana iris, daylilies and rudbeckias establish well when planted in fall and will perform better next year if they’re planted now. A well-designed landscape most often contains both deciduous and evergreen plants. And using both types helps accent seasonal change. You can create or renew a landscape by using a variety of plants. This creates contrasting plant forms, textures and colors. Using best management practices to properly place deciduous and evergreen plants in a landscape also improves energy conservation during summer and winter. A recent news article from the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association says “the benefits of a well-planned landscape are many, from providing shade, privacy and color, to correcting drainage problems and creating outdoor living areas. Beautiful landscaping increases the value of your home by as much as 20 percent, according to some estimates.”  Fall is a great time to enhance your outdoor living spaces, and we have everything you need (even a full-service landscaping department) to get you growing! We offer FREE consultations "tes for landscaping & landscaping maintenance! We want you to fall in love with a new landscape or your existing landscape cleaned up and ready for the seasons! Contact us here to schedule your free consultation!

Plants like azaleas and camellias will benefit from a little extra water this month. Most established plants need about one inch of water per week to perform at their best. Water until you see run off, and the best time is between 6-10am. The morning hours are also the best for watering lawns. Turf will have time to dry before night, which will prevent disease. Mound up the mulch, too! Make sure all planting areas have a two-inch layer of mulch. Mulch helps to regulate soil temperature, conserve moisture in the soil and prevent weed development. -Apply Fungicide Lawn F-Stop to prevent Brown Patch & lawn fungus. -Prune drift and repeat flowering roses in mid-month. This stimulates vigorous growth for the fall blooming season. Cut the bushes back about one-third their height and remove any dead growth. -After pruning roses, fertilize with Bayer 3 in 1 or any good rose fertilizer. -Control pests on roses by using a recommended insecticide or miticide. We can help! -Prune off seedpods and any yellow or brown foliage on Louisiana irises since they are semi-dormant now in late summer. -Cut faded flowers and seed heads from flowering annuals & perennials. -Harvest mint, basil, rosemary, lemon balm and Mexican tarragon regularly to keep the plants controlled and shapely. -Transplant and/or divide Louisiana irises. -Stroll through your garden and make fresh cut flower arrangements with your garden blooms. -Don't forget to fertilize and water houseplants! -Keep birdbaths full of water and clean for the feathered flyers. -Keep hummingbird feeders clean and full of nectar: the Ruby-Throated hummingbirds begin arriving in mid-month. -Plant sunflowers to be ready for fall arrangements. Seeds usually take about 60-80 days from sowing until the first flower color. -For proper flowering, water bougainvillea only when wilted, provide full sun, very little fertilizer and let it become root bound in the container. Huh? Yes, bougainvillea produces an abundance of flowers if left alone. -Prune any citrus now that was damaged in winter. If pruned earlier, good “live” wood may have accidentally been removed. -If ferns are requiring a daily watering, consider dividing into two new plants. -You still have time to fertilize your lawn. Apply all granular material on a dry lawn and water very soon after application. St. Augustine grass may be fertilized up to three times during the growing season- April, June and Mid-August. Note: Small, yellow aphids on butterfly wee or milkweed will not damage the plants or affect the feeding of adult and larval monarch butterflies. Controlling them may adversely affect the caterpillars.

As we ride out this last stretch of summer, it’s time to start looking forward to fall gardening weather. Here is a list of what to do in the garden and landscape into September. Watering: Help struggling plants survive drought stress by watering them early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures are cooler. This reduces water loss due to evaporation and allows the plants to absorb water more effectively. Be sure to water deeply at the base of the plant. This encourages plants to develop deep root systems, making them more resilient to drought. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to deliver water directly to the soil at the base of the plants. This minimizes evaporation and helps prevent wetting the foliage, which can lead to fungal diseases. Establish a watering schedule to keep track during extended drought periods. Lastly, avoid fertilizing during periods of drought and heat stress, as this can increase water demand and stress the plants even further. Rose care: This is the time of year we typically recommend trimming ever-blooming roses by a third for new blooms in October and November. Pruning plants during a drought requires a more cautious approach. Pruning can have both positive and negative effects on plants during drought conditions, so it's important to assess the situation carefully. Pruning during drought can help reduce the water demand of the plant by decreasing the overall foliage and transpiration rate. Removing dead, damaged and nonessential growth allows the plant to allocate its limited resources more efficiently to the parts that matter most for its survival. But pruning during a drought period can also exacerbate the stress plants are experiencing due to water scarcity. Pruning can temporarily slow down growth and recovery. Some guidelines for pruning during drought conditions are to limit pruning to essential tasks such as removing dead, diseased and damaged canes. Avoid heavy pruning or shaping cuts that can lead to significant water loss through wounds. If you decide to prune, do so early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize stress on the plant. Keep a close eye on the pruned plants and be sure to water them appropriately. Newly pruned plants may require extra attention and care to recover. After removing canes from your roses, disinfect pruners to prevent disease spread. When removing diseased material, rinse your pruners in a 10% bleach solution and then in water before making any new cuts. This will help prevent the transfer of disease to other parts of the plant or other plants in the garden. Do not prune once-blooming roses, as you may reduce the blooms for next year. You may remove any dead or diseased canes, however. Hold off fertilizing until temperatures and rain become more consistent. Fungal disease prevention: Spray roses for blackspot and powdery mildew using appropriate fungicides. You may choose to use triforine, thiophanate methyl or copper oleate. Follow manufacturer’s directions carefully. Rake up and remove all fallen leaves to prevent further infection of rose bushes and dispose of them in the trash. Do not compost infected plant material. Bed maintenance: Trim and stake tall plants and deadhead annuals, perennials and vines. Remove tired plants and think about replacements for cooler weather. Start selecting cool-season annuals and perennials for the landscape. This is also a great time to start thinking about what trees and shrubs to plant in the fall. Lawn care: Watch for chinch bug damage, treating with insecticides if necessary. Fire ants are a problem on the lawn as well. Treat with granular baits if needed. Transplanting and vegetables: You can transfer fall tomato plants. Be sure to monitor for pests and diseases. You’ll be able to replace spent summer crops with broccoli, cabbage, kale and more in the upcoming months. Consider keeping productive spring plants like eggplants and peppers. Complete these tasks to ensure your garden thrives into the fall and remains resilient against drought and heat and the threat of hurricanes. Article by LSU Ag Center. Visit online here. 

When the heat cranks up here in Louisiana, knowing what to plant that will survive is key. An easy addition to the landscape or your potted combos is Purslane. The blooms are VIVID day in and day out, bright and cheery even in the brutal weather we get here. Characteristics: Dimensions: 4-6 inches tall and around a foot or so wide. Growth Habit: Spreading habit that trails. Foliage: Green, succulent type foliage that is oval-shaped. Blooms: Pinks, whites, yellows, reds and bi-color blooms that open each morning and close each evening. Hardiness: Considered annuals but can be moved indoors to winter over if desired. Care Requirements: Light: Purslane requires full sun (6 or more hours per day) in order to bloom. Water: Due to the succulent nature of the plant they don’t require much water once established. Soil: Well-drained soil is needed to plant; not tolerant of wet soils or boggy areas. Fertilizer: Liquid fertilizer or granular slow release fertilizer with high Phosphorous content is best to encourage blooming. Pruning: Pruning is not necessary with this plant as well as deadheading. Pretty easy. Uses: 1. In a sunny area in the landscape for virtually maintenance free color. 2. In potted combos or window boxes as a “spiller” cascading over the edge of the container. 3. Kid-friendly tool to encourage outdoor activity and learn the joys of gardening due to how easy they are to grow. This leads to simple success!  No matter the weather, Purslane is consistent and easy to grow. It blooms day in and day out each time the sun beats down. Tough, tolerant, maintenance free plants are a great source to keep you in your garden SUCCESSFULLY this summer. Try some in yours and you won’t be disappointed!

There’s no need to completely rework your summer containers to give them fall flair. Instead, here’s some ideas for updating existing container gardens (or, if you’re inspired, potting up new ones), including one plant to add for instant drama, and a zero-effort, lazy-gardener’s trick for covering a bare spot. 1. Add bold foliage plants. Swap tired warm-season flowers for richly colored foliage plants, leaving mature evergreens and long-lasting perennials in place. Add height to the design, with brightly colored foliage plants providing seasonal interest. Plants you may have in your container, like coleus and sweet potato vine, that are not winter-hardy, could be traded for dianthus and petunias moving into the holidays. 2. Tuck in cool-season flowers. After removing summer annuals past their prime, fill in the gaps with cool-season bloomers in fall colors. Although they may look tender and delicate, pansies are actually some of the most cold-tolerant annual flowers. We advise waiting until the nighttime temperatures stay consistently in the 60s for planting pansies. For a rich autumn color palette, choose pansies in vibrant hues like orange, gold, red and deep purple or bicolored combinations, avoiding pastel pinks, blues and pale yellows. Combine them with coral bells, another cool-season favorite, for a long-lasting display. 3. Plant an ornamental grass for instant drama. To give some serious pizazz to existing container gardens by adding just one plant, reach for Purple Fountain Grass. The dramatic ornamental grass can reach 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide (although usually smaller in containers) with a vase-like shape topped with fuzzy purple seed heads. 4. Play up texture. Consider adding one or more textural ingredients like plants with berries, twiggy branches, grassy leaves or broad foliage. Even easier: Add texture without planting by sticking dried curly willow branches or ornamental seedpods from floral displays into the pot.  5. Pop in late-blooming perennials. We have plenty of late-summer and fall-blooming perennials. Just adding a few coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, or chrysanthemums can transform existing container displays. The flowers will add color through fall and come back in spring for another bloom period. 6. Incorporate dark foliage. Deepen existing container designs with the addition of one or more cool-tolerant, dark-leaved plants, like an ornamental pepper Black Olive variety. 7. Cover a bare patch with a pumpkin. It’s a great gardener’s hack! If you’ve pulled out some tired-looking summer annuals but don’t have the time to hunt down a replacement plant, plunk a pumpkin down to cover the bare spot. 8. Reshuffle your container layout. Sometimes all containers need is a regrouping, rather than a replanting, for a fresh perspective. Take stock of all your potted plants and see which ones could work together as part of a fall container vignette. Do you have ornamental grasses in one pot that complement the leaf tones of a plant in a container across the yard? If the light requirements of the plants match, move the containers together as a combination. 9. Change the underplanting. Update the look of containers with shrubs, small trees or mature vines without any major repotting by changing any low-growing plants beneath them.

Want to appeal to hummingbirds? Consider these flowers they love to visit. Little John Bottlebrush Hummingbirds love these red “bottle-brush-“ shaped blooms that pop out at the perfect time hummingbirds are fluttering fast through Acadiana. These are hardy evergreen dwarf shrubs that go great in any landscape. The “Hannah Ray” tree-form variety is a wispy focal point. Bee Balm Bee balm's blooms appear in mid to late summer, and can even remain into the fall. The striking flowers come in white, pink, red or purple, and complement the dark, aromatic foliage. This perennial is susceptible to powdery mildew, so plant in full sun to part shade and select resistant varieties. Bee balm likes medium to wet soil and works well in a wildlife garden. Bee balm is attractive to bees, but this bergamot is equally attractive to hummingbirds. Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii attracts butterflies with its blooms of lavender, pink, white, purple, red or yellow. These blooms can appear beginning in early spring and continue until first frost. In full sun, butterfly bush can grow up to 10 feet tall. Butterfly bush is an aggressive grower, and removing spent blooms will encourage more attractive, fragrant flowers for a long period. Grow in massed plantings in cottage gardens and butterfly gardens, and use in border plantings. Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis features reddish purple stems, bronzy leaves and scarlet flowers. A perennial, it can reach four feet tall and spread up to 36 inches wide. Cardinal flower appreciates full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Consider growing in a container in a wetlands setting, and water this plant often. Cardinal flower blooms beginning in mid summer through the first frost. Cigar Plant Cigar plant is slow to take off in spring, but by the time hummers arrive in fall, they are in full bloom! Many varieties are available, but the name comes from the orange variety with a purple-black tip on the tubular bloom, resembling a smoldering cigar. Pink and yellow varieties are also common. A related plant, the Bat-Face Cuphea, makes bright red blooms with two purple wings that resemble a bat’s ears. Hummers love them all equally. Delphinium Hummingbirds love delphinium, which blooms in early summer. Height for these perennials can average anywhere from 2 to 8 feet tall, depending on variety. Delphinium requires rich soil, and areas with relatively cool summers. ‘Diamonds Blue’ is a variety bred for the heat that will tolerate our weather much better. Foxglove If you’re thinking about adding a cottage-garden look, you may want to consider foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), which may extend up to 6 feet when in bloom, depending on the variety and growing conditions. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and full sun to medium shade. Its blossoms — in purple, pink, yellow and white — attract hummingbirds. Please note that all parts of the plant are poisonous to people, pets and livestock. Foxglove is considered invasive along the West Coast and in some parts of New England. Mexican Fire Bush This subshrub or perennial plant produces loads of orange tubular blooms that are a delight to hummingbirds. It will flower best in uninterrupted full sun, and doesn’t mind being a little dry. Flower time is from early summer all through fall. Though a variegated variety, ‘Lime Sizzler’ adds a wonderful chartreuse splash to tropical gardens, the old-fashioned standard will produce the most flowers. Porterweed Though each flower is very tiny and dainty, they are borne on long flowering stems, so plants are typically loaded with little purple flowers that hummers love. Porterweed is semi-tropical, and might not survive a sudden, hard freeze. Keep it in a pot that can be brought in on cold nights, or replant in spring. Though they are typically purple, red or coral varieties are also available. Salvia All salvia species are characterized by vertical spikes of vibrant flowers that can be found in hues of blue, red, pink or violet. Bloom time varies according to variety, and their flowers are a welcome sight for hummingbirds. Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' is an erect, clump forming perennial salvia that is noted for its compact form, long bloom period, purple stems and red and white flowers. Yarrow Varieties of the tough summer-blooming yarrow come in yellow, white, orange, red, pink and coral. Butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy its blooms, which start early in the season and can last into mid fall, depending on the species and variety. Yarrow grows best in well-drained, average to poor soil, and can reach up to 48 inches. Trumpet Vine A beautiful climber for any structure, this vine blooms trumpet-shaped coral flowers that are also known as “hummingbird vine” since they love it! The foliage is dense and evergreen, and it loves full sun to part shade. Please note- All Seasons may or may not have these plants in stock available to purchase at the time you come to purchase these. If you're ever looking for something specific, please call the garden center at 337.264.1418 or send an email question via this link prior to your shopping visit!

In mid-August, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are back in our area for their fall migration! Since you can expect to see increasing numbers of them, stock your feeders and yard with plants to attract & fuel them for their long journey south! The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, the East Coast’s most common hummingbird, is certainly one of the most fantastic creatures in Gulf Coast gardens. These garden jewels will stay with us until they begin to migrate further South, usually in mid-October. To understand why we see so many hummingbirds in spring and fall, and very few or none in summer or winter, let’s learn a little bit about these fascinating friends. Considered the acrobats of the natural world, hummingbirds are an endless source of amazement. Not requiring forward thrust to maintain flight, the peerless hummingbird can hover in place, perform somersaults, or even fly backwards and upside down! Their behavior is also quite spirited. Hummingbirds are extremely active, territorial, and even aggressive, behaving much like tiny little warriors, competing for the best food and shelter. And all this from the smallest feathered animals on earth. The metabolism of a hummingbird is extraordinary. Their hearts beat a staggering 1,200 times per minute, whereas in full flight – up to 50 mph – their wings may beat as many as 200 times per second! You can clearly hear a hummingbird in flight, oftentimes before you ever see it. This astounding capability helps to explain their diminutive size – a larger bird would never be able to power such thrust. They hold virtually every record on being tiny, from lightest bodyweight to shortest beak-to-tail length to lightest eggs, all in support of that Olympian speed and endurance. It is a wonder that such tiny things can explode with such energy, but there is at least an easy answer as to how that’s possible – hummingbirds are voracious eaters. They are so territorial over food resources because their very lives depend on a steady intake of calories to maintain that movement. Seeds are simply too heavy and slowly digested to do the hummingbird any good. Hummingbirds will feed up to ten times per hour on straight sugar – in the form of plant nectar, of course – just to keep themselves in the air. Insects & spiders are also an important source of protein and minerals. The plant in turn gets pollinated by the hummingbird, so the act of feeding is mutually beneficial, and is one of the most fascinating relationships in nature. The showy petals exist exclusively to attract insects and birds to the plants; otherwise we would not have any beautiful flowers at all. Hummingbirds are so dependent on a steady diet of nectar that they are particularly attuned to the seasons. The places on earth that provide a food source year round are few, so they migrate vast distances (4,000 miles for the west-coast Rufous Hummingbird) to follow the sequential spring and fall bloom of plants, from tropical Central America all the way up to Canada and back. They cannot afford for a plant to stop blooming before moving on to find more food, so they probably use the duration of daylight to determine when it is time to start moving south. Their lean build comes at the expense of sparse reserves of fat. It is impossible for hummingbirds to endure times without a food source. Another hardship of the hummingbird is that its short, stout wings are not made for gliding flight. They flap their wings for every inch of the 25 or so miles per day they may travel. In fall, many Ruby Throats congregate along the Gulf Coast to store up enough energy for one final burst across the Gulf of Mexico or across arid portions of Mexico before reaching the rainforests of the equatorial zone. When we have mild winters, it is becoming more and more common for some hummers to stay along the coast instead of braving ahead to Mexico, including some western species we would not otherwise see! Winter sightings in Louisiana have included the Rufous, Black-Chinned, Buff-Bellied, Calliope, and Allen’s and Anna’s hummingbirds. So, what can we do to get more hummers in our yard every year? The main ways to attract them to your garden/landscape are to accommodate them with food and water. Of course, hummingbird plants are a must! The aptly named Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) hits a peak bloom in the fall, but any variety of Salvia will be a hummingbird favorite. A number of other tubular blooms are great nectar plants for hummingbirds, from Porterweed to Cigar Plant to Mexican Fire Bush to Cat’s Whiskers. Bottlebrush is a shrub that blooms in spring and fall and is another favorite. If you have a large area for a big, woody vine, Trumpet Creeper is an absolute hummingbird magnet! See an associate at the Garden Center for a more planting ideas! Of course, hummingbird feeders provide an easily maintained source of nectar – stir 1 part white sugar into 4 parts hot water, and always let it cool before filling your feeder. Don’t want to make it yourself? We sell already made, pour and go nectar! Always keep hummingbird feeders clean and free of mildew with a pipe cleaner. Hummingbirds, with their high metabolism, also like a place to perch nearby for frequent breaks. Small trees or large hedges are ideal, but a metal or wooden perch can be hung on a shepherd’s hook, as well. Bird baths should be kept clean and full for hummingbirds and other migratory birds, especially at this time. Last but not least – please do not spray your hummingbird plants with chemicals or systemic insecticides. If insecticides are needed, use horticultural oils or insecticidal soap! An amazing fact is that a hummingbird that feeds in your yard one year will return to that food source every year! So, if you’ve seen them in your yard before, make sure to keep up your supply for them. If you don’t get as many or any, come over and let us help you change that for this season! If you use nectar, it’s important to always keep it clean and fresh. Hummingbirds stay clear of fermented nectar, which supports deadly mold growth. Feeders should be cleaned twice once a week in our hot weather. This prevents harmful microorganisms from forming. Summer Plants to Attract Hummingbirds Want to appeal to hummingbirds? Consider these flowers they love to visit during their fall migration: For further growing information on each one, come visit us! We’d love to tell you all about these, and send them home with you! Bee Balm Bottlebrush Butterfly Bush Canna Lily Cardinal Flower Cleome Cigar Plant Compact Fire Bush Pentas Lantana Daylilies Flowering Tobacco Impatiens Porterweed Salvia Verbena Hummingbird Fun Facts: During their migrations, they fly 500 miles nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico! To make that journey, they need to weigh 1.5x their usual weight. Bring on the nectar! Flying speeds can reach up to 60mph! They can fly forward, backward, up, down, upside down briefly, and even sideways! However, flying is their only mode of transport- they cannot walk. Hummingbirds beat their wings 78 times per second! When diving, it more than triples to 200 times per second! Their heart beat 1,260 times and they take about 250 breaths per minute. Their tongues can reach out over 2-3’’! Perfect for trumpet-shaped flowers! They live an average of 3-5 years. For more migration information, click here!  Come see us to stock up on everything you’ll need to supply our quick-winged friends for their journey! Good luck viewing hummingbirds in your own back yard!

This top-flowering and easy-to-grow tree or shrub is the queen of the South and great for summer color. Crape myrtles are hands down the mainstays of our Southern summer landscape. Whether you spell it crape or crepe (keep in mind that the Crape Myrtle Society of America uses the “a”) or play it safe with the universal Latin name Lagerstroemia, the versatile shrubs and trees are sturdy backbone plants that provide both lush summer flowers and striking winter texture; many have intense orange, yellow, or red fall colors as well. The leggy trunks of crape myrtles are satiny smooth and buff tan, which is revealed when the shaggy outer brown or grayish outer bark flakes off in large shards. What makes crape myrtles so irresistible are the spectacular late spring, summer, and fall flowers. The super frilly, crepe-like individual flowers of white, pink, lavender, or deep red – and even some bi-colors - are arranged at the ends of twigs in either small loose clusters or tight, heavy football-size panicles, and appear all season on new growth. After flowers fall, small round seedballs form, which can be left on or cut off to stimulate a strong flush of new flowering growth. Four-Season Beauties Crape Myrtles come in a wide array of sizes and shapes. Different varieties can be naturally rounded or upright and vase-shaped, and are easily pruned to accentuate either. Don’t Commit “Murder” When pruning them, take the proper steps to not commit what we call “crape murder”. When pruning, selectively remove whole limbs to thin out the inside of the plant. This allows for better air circulation and less disease issues. One of the most beautiful aspects of a Crape Myrtle is the artistic look of the trunk and branches in their natural growth habit as they age. If pruned incorrectly (severely pruned back or chopped off at the top) the look is ruined. Provide Proper Care Plant in a sunny location - Crape Myrtles need at least afternoon sun. When planted in a part shade environment, they tend to not bloom well and have disease and insect problems. Fertilize regularly - These hungry plants will grow even faster and bloom more if fertilized once in spring and at least once during the growing season. Here's a trick to get your Crape Myrtle to go through another complete bloom cycle. After they bloom out, trim back all the meristems (the tips) where the flower clusters are before they go to seeding and fertilize them. This will create immediate new growth which will bud and bloom another cycle. All Crape Myrtles can be planted year round but require a lot of moisture their first summer before they have developed a mature root system. Problems with crape myrtles include not flowering well or at all, usually caused by a combination of factors that include not enough sunshine, poorly-drained soil or other root damage, or excess fertilizers. Powdery mildew often encases and disfigures new growth with a white mold; while many new varieties are resistant to this disease, plenty of sunshine and good air movement will reduce its impact better than routine fungicide sprays. Aphids and leafhoppers suck sap from twigs and bottoms of leaves, and their sticky, plant-sugary dripping leads to the growth of a thin but unsightly black “sooty mold” on lower leaves and anything else underneath the trees, which can cause premature leaf drop. The only control is either regular spraying for aphids, soil-applied systemic insecticides, or simply rinsing the leaves with soapy water followed by clear water, which causes the mold to dry and flake off. If you ever run into problems, call us for the right plant health care. Versatile Grow crape myrtles as specimen and accents, narrow trees for fast shade, along streets or driveways, screens, or stately groups underplanted with groundcovers, bulbs, or small shrubs.