Garden Center at Merriam #2202

Shop Our 4th of July Sale
Greet Independence Day with a yard that's dressed to impress. Our huge 4th of July Sale can help you do it. Freshly trimmed bushes, a beautiful lawn that's growing green and lush, 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 luxurious day of lounging on patio furniture or a day-long feast of food cooked up just right on a new charcoal grill.



As we stretch into summer, your garden and landscaping will weather more sun and heat than earlier in the year. 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, grass can get scorched, and trees can lose their leaves prematurely. We've got advice to make it through the hotter months.

Grow a Healthy Lawn
If you're worried that your lawn has crispy and brown blades of grass, don't panic just yet. It's possible that you've got a cool season grass that goes dormant and turns brown in the heat of the summer. If that's the case, it'll be an overall shade of brown, but not green with brown patches. Gently pull out a blade of grass to check if it's still got live roots: If it comes right out, the grass is likely dead and you'll need to replace it. If it doesn't pull right out, it's dormant. That means it's resting but still alive beneath the surface. Water dormant grass deeply once or twice each week, 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 each week. Avoid overwatering, and allow the lawn to dry out after heavy rains before you get out the sprinkler or garden hose again. If it's especially hot out, water when the top two inches of soil is dry to the touch. It's ok to let it grow taller this time of the year, as cutting your lawn too short isn't healthy for it.

Care for Your Shrubs and Trees
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 shrubs — just be sure to aim the water at the roots. It'll help prolong the greenery and keep it from turning yellow.

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 leaves full of holes, 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 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 they may ultimately end the life of your tree or shrub.

Grow Your Own Herbs
For fresh flavors to accent your homegrown produce, add herbs. 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 grow them in small decorative pots on a sunny window sill, porch, or even in wall planters. Herbs also work well in a hydroponic garden, which means they don't grow in soil. Instead, they grow in a mix of rock chips, sand, or perlite.

Trees as Natural Shade
Trees are the ultimate natural source of shade, 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, look into how to plant a tree, whether they're evergreens, deciduous tree 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 how far the roots extend outward, the full-grown size of the trees, 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. As majestic as trees are, it's essential to also consider how and where they'd fall if a significant storm or disease weakened them. If you've planned accordingly, found trees you love, and know the best 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 Landscaping Supplies Today
No matter if your perfect summer includes grilling, gardening, relaxing, or finishing outdoor DIY projects, we've got the supplies you need to keep your days flowing with ease. Make the most of these early mornings and lengthy evenings 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 Merriam store.