The Groovy Garden Gazette

~from the English Gardener Team

Garden Guidance

Those Vigorous Vines

Clematis, one of many popular climbing vines, leaps to life in May and June. You can and should twine, stake, and guide this vine early, to help it be all it wants to be. Caution: If you act too late, the prostrate vine will take all afternoon (or longer) to fully unravel before you can begin to properly train it.

Other climbing vines include lonicera (honeysuckle), wisteria, climbing roses, and trumpet vine. These last two will demand careful attention, because they can overstep their bounds and quickly spread if not managed closely.

One final tip: Vines will climb quite nicely on a wooden or metal lattice, but in our experience most store-bought lattice simply isn’t up to the task. In that regard, if you’re looking for something a little sturdier and perhaps more esthetically pleasing, The English Gardener can help!

Hardscape Happenings

Those Perfect Pergolas

As earth’s axis tilts sunward in summertime, and the warming effect of the sun increases, many of us seek a source of outdoor shade. One way to take advantage of shade’s cooling comfort is with the use of a pergola (pronounced PER-go-la). Whether constructed from classic wood or modern fiberglass, pergolas make any outdoor space feel like a room—which is why they often create a perfect venue for alfresco dining.

A pergola can be safely built on cut or irregular flagstone, Banas stone, or pavers. Banas stone, which we don’t hear about as frequently, is a natural stone that is well suited for both patios and pergolas.

Featured Friends and Family: C. J. Krantz Organics

Since planting and mulching time is upon us, we thought it appropriate to feature one of THE best suppliers of organic topsoil, mulch, and compost in the Western New York area. Meet C. J. Krantz Organics!

For 80 years, C. J. Krantz has been providing Buffalo and all of Western New York with fast deliveries of premium grade soils, stones, and mulches, matching their great customer service with great products. Their knowledgeable delivery guys are prompt and personable, and dealing with their dispatch team is always a pleasure. C. J. Krantz Organics has been and continues to be exceptionally accommodating in this area’s ever- changing garden design and maintenance industry.

Groovy Garden Profile

After updating the interior of their home, our clients sought a new design for their outdoor space. The result? A plan that transformed their traditional landscape into a perennial, flower-powered garden.

A family member held a June wedding in this special outdoor space, and because perennials are slow bloomers at that time of year, we ordered and installed large, showy annual blooms. We now help them plan the installation of annuals each year that will add even more flower power to this fabulous space! Check out the photos below!

Where are the English Gardeners?

Bet you didn’t know: we visited The Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley Gardens for the Dahlia Show. Wisley Gardens is located in the English county of Surrey, south of London.

It’s June, and now’s the time to plant dahlia tubers for your own fancy show come September and October!

Here’s a little June inspiration!

Compliments of our friend, French Impressionist painter Claude Monét.