Showing posts with label outdoor living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outdoor living. Show all posts

Thursday, March 23, 2023

The Lavender & Co. Spring Planting Monthly Calendar

We are positively fiending to get out into the garden and start planting! It's still a little cold here in New York, so we're planning our garden, hoarding plants, seeds, and bulbs, and waiting for the weather to warm up. 

Here's our handy monthly spring planting calendar - use it to plan your garden this year!


monthly spring planting calendar for zone 7

What to do in January and February in your garden: 

Here in the Northeast, there's not a lot you can do. This is a good time to plan: order your spring-planted bulbs and seeds. In late February, start your seeds in seed starter trays. 

What to do in your garden in March: 

Things start to thaw out a little bit in March. 
  • Once the buds start appearing on roses, you can begin pruning them. Make sure to prune according to your rose bush's breed! Knockout roses and hybrids are easy to prune - prune criss-crossing or rubbing canes, anything thinner than a pencil, and you can hard-prune up to a foot above the ground.  Heirloom roses need more artistry and care.
  • Once temperature lows at nighttime are above 25*, you can plant spring bulbs like ranunculus and anemones. We wait till the nighttime lows are 30*, just to be safe. 
  • Some seeds require a process called "cold stratification." This can be sped up in the freezer - check your seed packets to see if they need this (some seeds like poppies benefit from it). March is a good time to start cold stratifying, you usually need 4-6 weeks.
  • Plant grass seed, but be careful: some municipalities, like those on Long Island, outlaw fertilizer application until April 1 to avoid contaminating the groundwater. 

What to do in your garden in April and May: 

  • You can start planting once the last frost has definitely passed. Here in zone 7, a good rule of thumb is Mother's Day weekend. 
  • It's best to wait on clearing out fall leaves from your beds until nighttime lows are in the 50s. Pollinators and bunny rabbits usually sleep in leaves until late April/early May.
  • Once the daffodils, tulips, and ranunculus blooms have died off, leave the green stalks - they'll need the photosynthesis to make the bulbs strong for next year. Some gardeners braid them together to look less unkempt. Once these get brown and die off, you can dig them up and store them in peat moss for the winter, or plant on top of them. Daffodils and tulips usually are fine to overwinter in zone 7, but ranunculus should be overwintered if you want it to be a perennial. 
  • May is a good time to mulch, but wait until after Memorial Day if you have lots of oak trees. The oak tree "hair" and pollen sheds around this time and will get all over your fresh mulch! 

What to do in your garden in June: 

  • Prevention is the name of the game when it comes to fungus and pests. Neem oil and copper fungicide are all-natural preventatives.  You could also use a more gentle, less expensive mixture of baking soda, water, and dish soap called the Cornell Formula for the fungicide. Both can be sprayed once a week, on different days: neem for pests, copper fungicide or Cornell Formula for fungus. Spraying early in the morning is best. 
  • Roses are especially finicky and prone to fungus. Mulch, especially dyed mulch, can carry a lot of fungus in it and can infect your plants. Sweet plants like hibiscus will get eaten alive without neem oil. Make sure to keep an eye on your different plants to ensure they're getting the treatment they need.

What to do in your garden in July and August: 

    • Make sure everything is being watered, dead-headed, and pruned as much as it needs. 
    • Powdery mildew gets bad in the humid days of August, so spraying the mulch (where it often originates) and any powdery-mildew prone plants with copper fungicide or cornell formula is the best way to prevent it. 

    What to do in your garden in September and October: 

    • Order fall-planted bulbs and get them in the ground. 
    • Prune anything that likes to be pruned before the winter. 

    What to do in your garden in November: 

    • Spread corn gluten as an all-natural weed preventer on the lawn.
    • Once the first frost hits, dig up dahlia bulbs and store in peat moss for the winter. 

          Friday, May 27, 2022

          Our Outdoor Entertaining Guide Is Everything You Need for Summer Hostessing

          With summer parties just around the corner, we've created this outdoor entertaining guide with ideas for everything you need to host your summer get-togethers. From outdoor rugs to tips on the making your hostessing duties easier, keep reading for our best outdoor entertaining pointers for summer.



          Invest in outdoor tableware like melamine dishes

          Not only are outdoor dishes easier to carry inside and out, they're more durable, easier to clean, and can be used at outdoor parties, BBQs, and picnics, too. Ours are made from BPA-free melamine, and we stock them in a range of styles and colors. Try the Vietri line for a more neutral look, or the Laura Park line for a bold and colorful vibe. 

          Shop the Laura Park Brooks Avenue Melamine Dishes 

          Use a tray to carry things from the kitchen 

          Make your life easier and invest in a few pretty trays to carry things in and out of your kitchen or butler's pantry - you'll have dishes, flatware, serving platters, and table linens to carry to set the table, plus all your food ingredients for the grill. It's a lot to fill up your arms with, and a tray makes it a lot easier - plus it makes cleanup a breeze when the party is over. 

          Shop the Madcap Cottage Bamboozled Tray

          Keep bugs at bay with all-natural mosquito and insect repellent

          No one likes mosquitos, but who wants to sit on a beautiful patio and be doused by that toxic-smelling bug spray all night? We stock a line of all-natural, effective insect repellents, from sticks to incense to candles. Buy a few options and leave them out for your guests to rub on if they want, then light candles as another way to keep insects away. 

          Shop the all-natural mosquito repellent balm



          Splurge on nice napkins for dinner

          Our rule for entertaining is that dinner napkins should always be cloth napkins. Cocktail napkins can be pretty paper ones, like our new sailboat ones for summer (but can be embroidered, like our Sferra Beachcomber ones, if you want to go really fancy). 

          This summer, we're loving this Blue Pheasant lobster napkins for dinner parties. 

          Shop the Blue Pheasant lobster napkins

          Shop the Sferra Beachcomber Napkins

          Don't forget a vase for the table

          Your table should always have fresh flowers, whether it's from the garden, the farmer's market, or the grocery store (tip: Trader Joe's and Costco both have great flower sections in a pinch). 

          Another tip? A pretty water pitcher doubles as a vase if you can't find your favorite vase right before guests arrive. 

          Shop the Etu Home Colorblock Vase

          Use an outdoor rug and pillows for durability

          Outdoor rugs and pillows are made from special fabrics and materials to prevent sun damage and water damage. They're also much more easily cleaned than regular rugs and pillows - some outdoor rugs can even be bleach-cleaned!

          Shop our outdoor rug collection here to find one that fits your style. 

          Shop the Dash and Albert Herringbone Linen Rug here 

          Shop More Inspiration

          Check out all our indoor/outdoor lookbooks and shop them on our website!