Patio tomatoes are a great way to get hassle free tomatoes. Patio tomatoes grow well and produce tomatoes in the pot they come in. No transplanting necessary! That being said, these tomatoes will do well if you do want to transplant them into a larger pot or into your garden for a head start on [...]
Here at Hook’s Greenhouse we have grown Blueberries and other perennial fruits for years at our garden center. Blueberries are great in the landscape or in straight rows in a blueberry patch. Blueberries are native to North America, hardy, easy to grow. These fruit bearing shrubs grow best in full sun and well-drained, organically rich, [...]
Starting a vegetable garden from scratch takes a lot of work but is fulfilling and worth all the effort put in in the end. Here is a quick and easy guide to the basics of planning, preparing and maintaining a vegetable garden. The first step in establishing a garden is picking out your plot. Be [...]
Trillium is a beautiful easy maintenance native perennial. Are you tired of tough gardening chores and plants that require constant attention? We are too! One way to decrease time working in the garden and increase time spent enjoying the garden is to pick plants that are adapted to the spaces available in your [...]
Different types of plants, just like different types of people, thrive in different conditions. Some plants, such as the Hibiscus, prefer wet soil while others, such as succulents, prefer dry. A few notable plants that have specific soil preferences are succulents, cacti, orchids, blueberries and hibiscuses. Succulents and cacti are native to arid climates and [...]
Every garden has at least one tricky spot where most plants do not perform well. These spots tend to be either too wet, too dry or too rocky. Luckily there are plants that not only can tolerate these unusual conditions but can thrive in them. Spaces in the garden that are constantly wet or tend [...]
Container gardening is different from planting in the ground. The space is limited which affects the amount of soil the plants roots can reach to absorb water and nutrients. Keeping this spatial limitation in mind there are a couple of important factors to take into account when container gardening including the size of the pot, [...]
When it comes to buying potting soil keep an eye out for labels that say fertilizer starter charge and slow release fertilizer included in the mix. These phrases sound similar but refer to an important often overlooked difference in potting soils. A soil labeled fertilizer starter charge contains a minimal amount of fertilizer mixed into [...]
It is time to delve into the dark dirty secrets of soils! This series of blogs are dedicated to demystifying the many varieties of soil and help you pick which one is best for your garden and budget. Here at Hook’s we know that choosing what type of soil to buy can be tricky considering [...]
Plants have specific nutrients needs for healthy growth and development, most of which are taken up from the soil by the plants roots. These nutrients are the building blocks for plant tissues. Overtime, watering leaches nutrients from soil and fertilizer is needed to replace them. This process happens especially fast in potted plants. There are [...]
It is time to start thinking about soil preparation for the spring planting season! We know soils can be tricky and with so many options to choose from it’s hard to know what works best. Here are our recommendations for how to prepare soil for a vegetable garden and for a flower garden. There are [...]
The base of any garden is its soil. While a few plants can thrive in clay or sandy soil conditions most plants prefer well draining nutrient rich soil. Here are our recommendations for amending clay or sandy soil conditions: Clay soil - 1/3 - ½ volume of sand to help with drainage as well as [...]
Hanging baskets are a great way to add instant color to a porch or garden. They last longer than cut flowers and with proper care can last the whole season. Here are a few tips to pass along to help keep hanging baskets looking great all summer long. Picking the right plants for the right [...]
Planting a Tea Planter so all your fresh herbs are right on your back porch! We planted Mojito Mint, Lemon Grass and Chocolate Mint all in the same container. With heavy shearing and consistent use, the mint will maintain good control in this planter.
Sometimes shady gardens seem like a curse but there are many fun and exciting plants that can be used in this location. When looking at the sight it is important to think about shade gardens for one of their finest attributes, the potential to look like a peaceful woodland sanctuary! There are many perennials that [...]