Just thought I would check in with everyone. The weather here has been totally off the wall this past couple of months. The last couple of days have had flooding diasters all around us. Forutnately, while we received some crazy inches of rain, we managed to not suffer the flooding of areas very close to us. I know others are having extreme heat, which is headed here starting tomorrow. When Mother Nature gets in these moods, it can have some serious impacts on our gardens, our homes and our lives. So I just wanted to check in with all of you to see how you all are doing. I know not everyone is being impacted by these extreme weather conditions, but for those who are I just wanted you to know that we are thinking about you. If there's anything we can help with, please don't hesitate to reach out. We have members in all 50 states and I'm sure if someone can help they would be happy to.🪴

It's that time of year when we see insects move in on our plants. We had a great question come in on squash bugs this week. Here's some tips to help you deal with them before they destroy the fruits of your labor. Squash bugs are one of the few pests that can make even experienced gardeners want to throw in the trowel! 😅 The good news is that container gardeners actually have a few advantages over in-ground gardeners when it comes to controlling them. 🪴 Use your containers to your advantageBecause your plants are elevated and easier to access, make it a habit to inspect the undersides of leaves every few days. Squash bug eggs are usually bronze-colored and laid in clusters. Catching them before they hatch is the easiest way to stay ahead of the problem. 👀 Do a quick "leaf check" while wateringMost of us already check our containers daily for moisture. While you're there, flip over a few leaves. It only takes a minute and can save an entire zucchini plant. 🧼 Hand-pick bugs into soapy waterContainers make this much easier since you're not crawling through a large garden bed. Early morning is the best time when the bugs are moving slowly. 🍂 Remove heavily infested leavesIf one leaf is covered in eggs or young nymphs, don't be afraid to prune it off and toss it in the trash. Sometimes removing one leaf can prevent dozens of future squash bugs. 🌿 Keep containers spaced apartSquash bugs love it when leaves from multiple plants overlap and create a jungle of hiding spots. A little extra airflow between containers can make it easier to spot problems early. 🪵 Check around your containersEven if you're growing in pots, squash bugs often hide under nearby pots, plant stands, potting mats, mulch, boards, or garden decorations during the day. 🎃 Pumpkins and zucchini are favoritesUnfortunately, once they find your zucchini, they often move right on to pumpkins, squash, and gourds. If you grow multiple squash-family plants, inspect all of them—not just the ones showing damage.

I received some questions from one of our fellow gardeners regarding deadheading, cutting and pinching with regards to her Zinnias and Marigolds. I thought that there were probably other gardeners in our community that have pondered these same questions with regards to these garden terms. I wanted to answer those questions here so anyone that is wondering when to do what would benefit from the discussion. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: "What I wanted to ask is for my Zinnias and Marigolds, how to I cut them so they will grow more flowers. But also I want to have them in vases in my house. I keep hearing about deadheading and cutting. Can I do one or do I have to do both? I keep hearing about pinching Zinnias too. When would I do that?" 𝐌𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞: Hi! Great questions and the good news is that Zinnias and Marigolds are both "cut-and-come-again" flowers, which means the more you harvest them, the more flowers they usually produce. 🌼 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐬. 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 means removing old blooms 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 they start to fade or go to seed. This tells the plant, "Don't make seeds yet, make more flowers instead!" 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐬 does the same thing, as long as you cut the stem back to a set of leaves or a branching point. Every time you bring flowers inside for a vase, you're essentially deadheading and harvesting at the same time. So no, you don't have to do both. If you're regularly cutting flowers for bouquets, you're already encouraging the plant to produce more blooms. ✂️𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐬𝐬 When harvesting Zinnias, don't just snip the flower head. Follow the stem down and cut just above a set of leaves or where another side stem is growing. New stems and blooms will emerge from those leaf nodes. 🌼 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 The same idea applies to Marigolds. Remove spent flowers or cut stems for bouquets back to a leaf set. This keeps the plant looking tidy and encourages continuous blooming. 🤏 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐙𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐬? Pinching is something you do when the plant is still young. When a Zinnia seedling is about 8–12 inches tall and has several sets of true leaves, you can pinch or snip off the top few inches of growth.

Today is National Red Rose Day! I know a number of you love to grow roses. Whether they are red, white, yellow, or pink - roses are always stunning. Share some pics of your roses with us to celebrate - even if they aren't red.

We've spent the past week talking about all the things you can still plant in June. We've covered: ✅ Vegetables ✅ Herbs ✅ Flowers ✅ Fast-growing crops ✅ Succession planting And hopefully we've convinced a few gardeners that June is far from too late to grow something amazing. Now it's time for a challenge! 🌞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 Not your entire garden. Not every grow bag. Not every planter on your deck. Just one. Find a container that needs a fresh start. Maybe it's: * An empty pot waiting for a new plant * A container where spring crops have finished * A planter that could use a splash of color * A lonely grow bag that's been sitting unused Choose just one container and give it a June refresh. 🌿 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡? Almost anything! You could: 🌱 Plant a new vegetable 🌿 Add an herb 🌸 Plant flowers 🫘 Start a fast-growing crop ♻️ Replace a finished spring crop 🪴 Rearrange and improve an existing container There are no wrong answers. The goal is simply to take action. 💚 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 Sometimes we look at our gardens and see all the things we haven't done yet. The weeds. The empty pots. The unfinished projects. The plants we meant to start weeks ago. But gardening isn't built in giant leaps. It's built one container at a time. One seed at a time. One planting session at a time. Today's challenge is proof that progress doesn't have to be perfect. 📸 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡! Once you've refreshed your container: 📷 Take a photo 📷 Share it in the comments 📷Tell us what you planted We'd love to see: * Before and after pictures * New seedlings * Fresh flowers * Herbs getting a new home * Vegetable containers ready for summer Every garden, every skill level, and every growing space is welcome. 🌎 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 One of the best things about our community is seeing what gardeners across the country are growing. Someone's idea today might become another member's project tomorrow. Your refreshed container could inspire dozens of gardeners to get outside and plant something this weekend.