Ah! Summer!  It has arrived with no hurry this year and now it is time to use that backyard as your oasis.

Here are some tips to help keep your yard looking nice throughout the summer.
Look for words in green as they signify an eco-friendly or "green" choice to gardening.

Planter Pots:

Containers of annuals are a quick way to add some color to your yard without having to worry about planting them and waiting for them to show their color.

Arrangements can be made using heavy clay planter pots or eco-friendly rice hull pots that are 100% bio-degradable. The following annuals are some of the many types of plants that would brighten any corner of your yard:


Coleus
Image used by permission from Babikow Greenhouse


Vinca

Another way to add some depth to planter pots is by adding ornamental grasses such as the following:


Dwarf Fountain Grass

Image used by permission from Babikow Greenhouse

Many of the grasses will change color in the fall and give a new hue of color to your planter pots.

All of these can be planted by themselves directly into the ground or into a planter pot.  Make sure that they have plenty of water and sun if needed!

Pests:

Whether in a pot or gathered in a planting bed around your house remember that when plants become larger they tend to have less circulation between them and insects, such as aphids or white flies, become more rampant.  To keep these pests at bay spray the upper and lower leaves with pyola, an insecticide that has an immediate affect on the pests or neem oil, a natural oil that confuses the insects so that they don't lay eggs or eat, thus killing them slowly.  Spraying the leaves should be done every 7-10 days to keep the bugs under control.

Useful Websites:

http://www.jamslandscape.com

http://www.greeneem.com

http://www.gardensalive.com

http://www.olivebarn.com

Enjoy your summer! 

Jen Stephens
Jams Lawn and Gardening, Inc.