RAINBOW SALE STARTS AUGUST 12th. Our annual rainbow sale starts this Thursday, August 12. For the uninitiated, this means that every week until the Harvest Moon (weekend of Sep. 24), we put a different color on sale, 25% off. If you can reasonably justify that the sprinkler or shrub is RED (we play nicely), it's yours for a quarter off. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet.

Harvest Moon weekend ALL plants and products go to 30% off, with a chance to spin for up to half off! It's a silly, fun sale to lighten up the yearly late summer clearance. Caveat: Spring blooming bulbs and consignment items are not included (but EVERYTHING else is!)

LOLA Art Crawl: Weekend of August 28th and 29th, our neighborhood art crawl takes a tour through the store. Many of the local artists who have products at the store year round will be on hand to feature their wares.

Late Summer Garden Tips and Thoughts: Soldiering on. OK, who's not sick of it? At least we've hardly had to water this year. Which leads me to thought number one:  It's super hot, and if you have planted perennials, trees or shrubs in the last month or so, be aware that they need more water and attention than your established plants! For the established ones, you can stick with the one inch per week (this week it may need to come out of the hose, deeply, not lame sprinkles here and there). Those new plantings may be panting and gasping like the formerly lovely Hypericum in my garden, and need checking twice a week. Take a giant glass of ice water and take a look at your garden. It will tell you things.

Second: We only get five to seven months to garden here in Minnesota. Again, soldier on. Before you know it, you will be shoveling snow. Planting some fresh basil to enjoy with your September harvest or popping some nice fall veggies in all those empty spots previously inhabited by peas, onions or carrots will be a real payoff.

Next: tomatoes foliage can be really ugly. Remember, these are annuals, and if they are producing fruit, ignore the crazy vines and a few yellow stems.  Boost them with a little organic fertilizer and keep 'em watered.

Fertilizer takes me to the next meander: no need to fertilize trees, shrubs, woody perennials that will like to start powering down for their dormant phase. You can, however, continue to plant these well into the fall. Note the SALE above.

Deadhead. Take out those annuals that refuse to please and replace with something else. Try something funky - you've got two solid months to enjoy blooming plants or weird grasses that you never knew you liked.  Prune and cut back diseased and unattractive perennials, but keep seedheads on the ones you like for winter interest and critter snacking.

Keep picking off as many pests as you can and beer drown or Sluggo those millions and millions of slugs out there!

And if you feel lost, consider the luxury of a garden consultation. One of our knowledgeable staff will set you up with a garden plan you can love and live with. See Services for details.