Landscaping Tips

Our expert garden center staff knows all the insider secrets for easy, successful landscapes and gardens. And – of course — they’re always eager to share!
 
As we ease into the beautiful Northern Utah autumn season, we thought this was the ideal time to share our five best no-fail gardening hacks with you.
 
No. 1: Healthier Rose Bushes in Four Simple Words
 
“Clear out the center.”
 
When the center of the rose bush becomes dense with foliage, the plant holds excess moisture. This moisture causes a myriad of problems including mold and black spots. When you prune out the center, the sun shines in, the moisture dries up and your rose bushes will thrive.
 
No. 2: Create a Memory Book of Garden Info
 
You know that one perennial flowering plant you put in two years ago, that you no longer remember what it’s even called, let alone where you bought it or how to care for it?
 
That will never happen again when you create a memory book for your garden.
 
Use a notebook, empty scrapbook or journal and, whenever you add plants, tape or glue their receipt, info and care tags into your memory book. You can also record when you last fertilized, or what type of bulbs you planted in the side yard last fall.
 
Place your memory book in a large. plastic zip-top baggie and store it with your garden tools. That way, it’s always handy – and dry — when you need it.
 
No. 3: Never Clean Garden Tools Again with These Hacks
 
This is a garden center favorite from years back.
 
If you’re tired of cleaning dirt and debris from your garden tools, start by spraying them non-stick cooking spray or bicycle chain lubricant. You can use this trick for loppers, shears, hoes, shovels and even bypass pruners. This will also help prevent rust.
 
Now, store your tools in pots filled with clean play sand. The abrasive action will clean off any remaining dirt and keep rust away all year long.
 
No. 4: Improve Your Spring Lawn with One Simple Autumn Hack
 
If you overseed your lawn’s turfgrass now, you’ll save time, money and hassle next spring.
 
By overseeding in the fall, when the temperatures turn cool, you’ll outsmart the weed growing cycle. By spring, your lawn will be healthy enough to fight off those pesky weeds by itself and to resist drought conditions.
 
Visit our garden center now to pick up the supplies you’ll need.
 
No. 5: Fertilize Now to Save Money and Time Later
 
When summer’s heat fades, your garden soil manages to hold onto its warmth for a few weeks. By fertilizing your garden beds in the fall, you can take advantage of this climate cycle to help encourage robust root growth for all of your garden plants and perennial flowers.
 
Come spring, your plants will be much stronger, requiring significantly less water and fertilizer next year. Stop in and ask one of our garden center experts to recommend a fertilizer that specifically encourages root growth.
 
Here at Millcreek Gardens, we love putting our knowledge and expertise to work for you. Our expansive Salt Lake City garden center has all of the tools, supplies, trees, shrubs and plants you need to create the perfect landscape all year long. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is always on hand with the answers and expertise you need.
 
Come out and see us this weekend, so you can take full advantage of our pro tips and expert garden center advice.