Garden Center at Ocean City #2578

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



As the calendar turns to summer, your landscaping and garden will weather more heat and sun than earlier in the year. That means you'll want to consider how to keep things cool with irrigation and proper tending. Just like we can get sunburned, grass can get scorched, plants can dry out, and trees can lose their leaves prematurely. We've got advice to make it through the hotter months with flying colors.

Grow a Healthy Lawn
If you're worried that your lawn has brown and crispy blades of grass, don't panic just yet. It's possible that you've got a cool season grass that's going to go dormant and turn brown in the summertime heat. 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 likely dead and will need to be replaced with new grass seed or sod. If the blade of grass doesn't come right out, it's dormant. That means it's resting but still growing beneath the surface. Water dormant grass deeply once or twice per 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, each week. Avoid overwatering, and let the lawn dry out after heavy rains before you get out the garden hose or sprinkler again. Water your yard 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 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 shrubs and trees. They may need less watering than vegetable plants or delicate flowers, but they can still get dry and parched in the summer heat. It's not hard to learn how to water trees — just be sure to aim the water at the roots. It'll help prolong the greenery and blooms 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 spots on leaves or bark, holes in leaves, or strange raised scars on the bark. When your leaves look like lace, something is eating them. Spots may indicate a number of 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 they may ultimately end the life of your bushes or trees.

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 fence or trellis, so plant them next to one and watch them climb. Support the stem itself, as well as the junctions right below where the branches grow off the stem. This is so the weight of the plant doesn't snap the branches or stem.

Fasten your plant to a pole, fence, or trellis 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. Strawberries, tomatoes, squash, watermelon and cucumbers need support as they bear fruit. Squash and melons require hammocks made of string, old nylons, a sling, or other stretchy fabric to support the weighty produce. These plants take up less space on the ground this way, which allows you to have walking room in between plants or fit more of them.

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 or a forest, keep in mind this is a long-term commitment. When they're healthy, trees live many decades — and some for hundreds of years. Before you shop, plan so you know how to plant a tree, whether they're deciduous trees, evergreen saplings, or more mature trees.

A backyard forest can be the stuff of dreams, but research the trees you're planting beforehand. Think about how deep the taproots go, how far the root ball extends outward, and the full-grown size of the trees you want. Plant your trees far from water pipes, as their strong roots will seek water and wend into piping to get it. 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 best places to put them, get planting. That way, you can enjoy the leaves rustling in the breeze and dappled shade sooner rather than later.

Find Your Summertime Garden Supplies Today
No matter if your perfect summer includes relaxing, grilling, gardening, or finishing your 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 Ocean City store.