Garden Center at Long Island City #1255

Shop Our 4th of July Sale
Welcome the Fourth with a yard that's dressed to impress. Our huge 4th of July Sale can help you do it. Freshly trimmed hedges, a gorgeous lawn that's growing green, and cheerful flowers punctuating your gardens can make your great outdoors feel like home. It's time to enjoy the festivities with your family and friends. Take the time to make 4th of July memories — whether it's a day-long feast of food cooked up just right on a new grill or a luxurious day of lounging on patio furniture.



As the calendar turns to summer, your garden and landscaping will weather more intense heat and UV rays than earlier in the year. You'll need to consider how to keep things cool. You might also need ways to beat the heat. We've got advice to help your lawn, your garden, and your family make it through the hotter months.

Grow a Healthy Lawn
If you're worried that your lawn has straw-like blades of grass, don't panic. It's possible that you've got a cool season grass that goes dormant and turns brown in the summertime heat. If that's the case, it'll be brown overall instead of in patches. Give a grass blade a gentle tug to check if it's still got live roots: If it comes right out, the grass is probably dead and you'll need to replace it with sod or grass seed. If it doesn't pull right out, it's dormant. That means it's growing and resting beneath the surface. Dormant grass should be watered deeply once or twice a week — if it doesn't rain — but don't fertilize it.

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 per week. Avoid overwatering, and let the lawn dry out after heavy rains before you get out the garden hose or sprinkler again. Water your lawn when the top two inches of soil is dry to the touch. You can test with your finger. This might happen quicker than you'd think during drought. It's ok to let it grow taller this time of the year, as cutting it too short isn't healthy for this kind of lawn.

Care for Your Shrubs and Trees
When you're making sure your garden is watered, don't forget about the shrubs and trees. They may need less watering than vegetable plants, but they can still get parched and dry in the summer heat. It's not hard to learn how to water shrubs and trees — just be sure to aim the water at the roots. It'll help grow strong leaves and flowers. If it's a fruiting tree, it'll also help give it enough moisture to put out blossoms and fruit and keep it from turning yellow.

Also, check for damaged areas on the bushes and trees. Pests can wreak havoc on your greenery if you don't catch them in time. Look for holes in leaves, spots on leaves or bark, or a network of raised lines on tree bark. When your leaves look like lace, caterpillars or insects are eating them. Spots may indicate many issues ranging from bugs to fungus. 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 all or part of your shrub or tree.

Vertical Edible Gardening
If you like to grow your own food, take it vertical and consider growing organically. Many vegetable plants are vines and well-suited to climb a trellis or fence, so plant them next to one. Support the stem itself, as well as the junctions just below where the branches grow off the stem. This is so the weight of the plant doesn't snap the branches or stem.

Fasten the plant to a tomato cage or pole with string, plant ties and wires, garden wire, or fabric strips. Be sure to tie each plant loosely. Then the branches and leaves can sway in the breeze and the stem has room to grow wider. Strawberry, cantaloupe, squash, cucumber, and tomato plants need support as they bear fruit. Melons and squash require hammocks made of string, old nylons, a sling, or other stretchy fabric to support the heavy produce. All of these plants take up less space on the ground this way, which allows you to fit even more plants or have walking room in between.

Trees as Natural Shade
Trees are a stunning and natural source of shade, and they can change the look of your yard. Whether you plant a few trees or a small forest, remember this is a long-term commitment. Trees live many decades when they're healthy. Before you shop, plan so you know 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. Consider the full-grown size of the trees, how far the root ball extends outward and how deep the taproots go. Plant your trees far from underground plumbing, as their strong roots will seek water and wend into piping to get it. As majestic as trees are, it's important to also consider how and where they'd fall if disease or a severe storm weakened them. If you've planned accordingly, found trees you love, and know the perfect 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 Lawn Care Supplies Today
No matter if your perfect summer includes relaxing, gardening, grilling, or finishing 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 mobile app anywhere you like, or in the aisles of your Long Island City store.