Garden Center at Downers Grove #1916

The Home Depot 4th of July Sale
Welcome the Fourth with a yard that's dressed to impress. Our huge 4th of July Sale can help you get it done. Freshly trimmed bushes, bright flowers flourishing in your gardens, and a beautiful lawn that's growing green and lush can make your great outdoors feel like home. It's time to enjoy the festivities with your family and friends. With a yard like this, it's easy to create holiday memories to look back on — whether it's a luxurious day of lounging on patio furniture or a day-long feast of food cooked up just right on a new grill.



As we stretch into summer, your landscaping and garden will weather more heat and sun than earlier in the year. That means you'll need to consider how to keep things cool with irrigation, shade, and proper tending. Just like we can get sunburned, annuals can dry out, trees can lose their leaves prematurely, and grass can get scorched. Let us help. At the Garden Center in Downers Grove, we've got what you need to make it through the hotter months.

Grow a Healthy Lawn
If you're concerned that your lawn has dried-out and brown blades of grass, don't worry just yet. It's possible that you've got a cool season grass that goes dormant and turns brown in the blazing summer sun. If that's the case, it won't be a patchy brown, but brown everywhere. Gently pull out a blade of grass to check if it's still got live roots: If it comes right out, the grass is probably dead and will need to be replaced with new sod or grass seed. If the blade of grass doesn't pull right out, it's dormant. That means it's growing and resting underground. Water dormant grass deeply once or twice every week, but avoid fertilizer.

For warm-season grass that stays green in the summer, water a bit every few days and deeply once a week. The amount of water should add up to about an inch, more or less, per week. Be careful not to overwater, and let the lawn dry out after heavy rains before you get out the sprinkler or hose again. Water your lawn when the top two inches of soil is dry to the touch. You can check with your finger. This might happen quicker than you'd think during heat waves or periods of drought. It's ok to let it grow a little taller this time of the year, as cutting it too short isn't healthy for this kind of lawn.

Care for Your Trees and Shrubs
When you're making sure your garden is watered, don't forget about the trees, and bushes. They may need less watering than vegetable plants or delicate flowers, but they can still get parched and dry in the summer heat. It's not hard to learn how to water trees and bushes — just make sure you aim the water at the roots. It'll help prolong the greenery and keep it from drying out.

Also, check for damaged areas on the trees, bushes, and shrubs. Pests can wreak havoc on your greenery if you don't catch them in time. Look for strange raised scars on tree bark, holes in leaves, or spots on leaves or bark. When your leaves look like lace, caterpillars or insects are eating them. Spots may indicate a number of issues ranging from fungus to bugs. Those scar-like lines on tree bark could mean your tree is infected with borers, an insect that lays eggs inside the bark and then burrows out after it hatches. Any of these issues should be researched and cared for as soon as possible, as a severe case may kill part or all of your bushes or trees.

Grow Your Own Herbs
For savory flavors to accent your homegrown produce, try herb gardening. They're generally low-maintenance. It's easy to learn how to grow herbs indoors, but you can raise herbs outdoors, too. If you grow herbs outdoors, stick to heat-loving herbs that'll endure the summer temperatures, and consider a hanging herb garden.

Planting herbs in the ground can be tricky, as many of them — especially mint — are invasive and will take over your yard. So keep them in small decorative pots on a sunny porch, window sill, or even in wall planters. Herbs also work well in a hydroponic garden, which means they don't grow in regular black dirt. Instead, they grow in a mixture of sand, rock chips, or perlite.

Trees as Natural Shade
Trees are the ultimate natural source of shade, and they can change the look of your yard. Whether you plant a few trees as accents, a few more to bear fruit, or a whole mini-forest, remember this is a long-term commitment. Trees live many decades when they're healthy. Before you shop, look into how to plant a tree, whether they're deciduous trees, evergreen saplings, or more mature trees.

Although trees framing a house may look picturesque, you should research the specifics of those trees before you plant them. Think about the full-grown size of the trees, how far the roots extend outward and how deep the taproots go. Trees will always find the most accessible source of water, so be sure to plant them away from your water pipes to avoid roots growing into them. A tree with a full canopy of leaves catches wind like a sail, so make sure it's planted a safe distance from your home. If you've planned accordingly, found trees you love, and know the ideal places to put them, get planting. That way, you can enjoy natural shade and the soothing sound of leaves rustling in the breeze sooner rather than later.

Find Your Summertime Supplies Today
No matter if your perfect summer includes gardening, grilling, relaxing, or starting outdoor DIY projects, we've got the supplies you need to keep your days flowing with ease. Make the most of these lengthy evenings and early mornings to enjoy all the season has to offer. Shop online at your leisure, on our Home Depot mobile app anywhere you like, or in the aisles of your Downers Grove store.