Garden Center at St Cloud West #6350

Shop Our 4th of July Sale
Welcome Independence Day with a yard that's dressed to impress. Our big 4th of July Sale can help you do it. We carry outdoor power equipment, including lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, and string trimmers, to keep your grass and trees in shape. Fresh fertilizer and another round of mulch might be just what your garden needs. Continue watering to enjoy a stunning summer garden. With such a beautiful yard and garden, it's easy to create holiday memories to look back on.



As summer rolls in, your garden and landscaping will weather more heat and sun than earlier in the year. You'll want to consider how to keep things cool with shade, proper tending, and irrigation. Just like we can get sunburned, garden flowers and grass can dry out, and trees can lose their leaves prematurely. Let us help. At The Home Depot St Cloud West Garden Center, we've got what you need to make the most of summer.

Grow a Healthy Lawn
If you're worried that your lawn has dried-out and brown 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 heat of the summer. If that's the case, it'll be brown, but not in 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 probably dead and will need to be replaced with new sod or grass seed. If the piece of grass doesn't come right out, it's dormant. That means it's resting but still alive beneath the surface. Water dormant grass deeply once or twice every 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, more or less, each week. Be careful not to overwater, and allow the lawn to dry out after heavy rains before you get out the hose or sprinkler again. Water your yard 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 extreme hot spells. It's ok to let the grass grow taller this time of the year, as cutting your lawn too short isn't healthy for it.

Care for Your Trees and Shrubs
When you're making sure your garden is watered, don't forget about the trees and shrubs. 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 trees and shrubs — just 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 bushes, trees, 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 bark or leaves, or strange raised scars on the bark. When your leaves look like lace, caterpillars or insects are eating them. Spots may indicate several 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 all or part of your trees or bushes.

Vertical Vegetable Gardening
Grow produce vertically to conserve space. 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 stem or branches.

Fasten your plant to a fence, trellis, or pole with string, plant ties and wires, garden wire, or fabric strips. Be sure to tie each plant loosely. Then the leaves and branches can sway in the breeze and the stem has room to grow wider. Strawberry, watermelon, squash, cucumber, and tomato plants need support as they bear fruit. Melons and squash require hammocks made of old nylons, string, a sling, or other stretchy fabric to support the heavy produce. These plants take up less space on the ground when grown vertically, 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 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.

A house framed by beautiful trees can seem picture-perfect, but research the specific trees you want before planting them. Consider 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 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 significant storm 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 the leaves rustling in the breeze and dappled shade sooner rather than later.

Find Your Summertime Supplies Today
No matter if your perfect summer includes grilling, gardening, relaxing, or knocking out those 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 St Cloud West store.