June eNewsletter 
How's Your Gardening Progressing?
Today's busy lifestyles have many people behind in basic chores around the home and gardening is no exception. Fear not, Mayflower still has ample stocks of garden favorites as well as many of the unique and unusual items we're known for. Plants purchased at this time of the year will catch up quickly to those planted earlier because of the increased heat and day length. The only things you may have to be concerned about are the possibility that plants have become root bound or that we're experiencing an unusually dry period.
Root Bound Plants
If you bought plants, but couldn't get them in the ground right away, or you're buying mature plants from the greenhouse now, take a look at the roots when you release the plants from their temporary containers. If lots of roots are visible and they're matted together, take care to tease out the roots from their congested state. Then give them just a little extra TLC in the first few days until new roots begin to form.
Dry Periods
As far as unusually dry periods go, you just have to develop a little empathy with your plants, check soil moisture daily until they get established and water as needed - preferably in the morning before you head off to work so your babies will have all the water they need as they head into the heat of the day.
Late Spring Shopping - See Unusual New Varieties at Their Prime
Another plus to late spring shopping at Mayflower is that some of those unusual new varieties that you may not be familiar with might now be coming into bloom on the greenhouse bench. You can see first hand some of the outstanding floral characteristics we saw in our travels that convinced us to stock these new items.
Patio Vegetables
If you haven't yet jumped on the patio vegetable bandwagon, there's still time to do so. Mayflower still has good stocks of a number of the new varieties bred for compact size for use in container culture. Nothing beats picking a fresh tomato while you sit on your chase sipping a refreshing summer cooler.
Fill in Garden Blank Spaces with Annuals
Now that the perennials in your perennial border have filled out to their full size, fill in the blank spaces with some annuals of a complementing texture, habit or color.
Road Trip!
Now is the time to schedule some road trips to the region's many fine public gardens. Nothing helps you be a better gardener like seeing how the pros use and creatively combine the numerous varieties of plants you find at places like Mayflower. Public gardens also tend to be on the cutting edge when it comes to new introductions so take notes when you see something you like - get the botanical and common name as well as the cultivar name and then let us know if you think we should handle it next season. Our favorite stops are the Chicago Botanic Garden, Ball Horticultural in West Chicago, Rotary Gardens in Janesville, Olbrich Gardens in Madison and, of course, our own Green Bay Botanical Garden (see photo above right).
Mayflower has gardens and paths for you to walk, as well, (see photo left) so come and explore ways to transform your yard with the many colors and textures of Mayflower's high quality plants.
Happy Gardening,
Jan Wos
Owner
Mayflower Greenhouse
