Category Archives: Gardening

Why are my leaves turning yellow?

Why are my leaves turning yellow?

Whether you garden indoors or out, a successful gardener needs to learn how to read plants.

It’s important for us to be able to understand the language of a plant and they make it easy for us to know when they’re feeling a bit under the weather.  Both  houseplants and landscape plants will show signs of yellowing leaves when they need some extra TLC (tender loving care.)

Even when their outward signs show us they need some attention, sometimes figuring out what they need is a mystery. There are a number of reasons a plant’s leaves will turn yellow. Among the reasons are overwatering, underwatering, stress caused by temperature changes, soil conditions, lack of proper nutrients, pests, disease, the age of the plant, pot-bound roots and transplant shock. Out of all of those contributing factors, overwatering or underwatering is usually the main culprit.

Here are the top 7 reasons for yellowing leaves:
  • Overwatering – Too much water is just as harmful as too little. Soil that doesn’t drain well will drown the roots. Without oxygen, the roots will die, and the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. Wait until the plant’s soil begins to dry, then water sufficiently and wait until the soil starts to dry out again before watering. Make sure your container has adequate drainage holes and water less frequently. When repotting an overwatered plant check its roots. Black roots indicate decomposition and a certain death sentence if not taken care of, while white roots are an indication of a healthy plant. When repotting a plant with black roots, trim back all the dark areas leaving only healthy white roots to recover. If there’s a green crusty appearance to the soil surface, this is algae, and it too is an additional symptom of overwatering.
  • Underwatering – If plants do not receive enough water they will drop their leaves to prevent dying. Often times it’s the way the plant is being watered that’s the problem. To encourage the roots to grow deep in the soil, water your plants less, but water them thoroughly to be sure the roots are getting plenty or moisture. Make sure you’re watering your plants properly: wait until the soil begins to dry, then water it fully, and wait until the soil starts to dry out before watering again.
  • Lack of Light – To determine if your yellow leaves are caused by a lack of light check the lower leaves first. If the lower leaves appear to be more faded than yellow, it could be a sign of a light deficiency. Plants need proper light for photosynthesis to occur. Be sure to rotate your pots periodically, so all foliage is exposed to sunlight. If the yellowing begins on the side away from your light source, it might be caused by too little light reaching these back leaves. Research your plants specific light requirements to be satisfied you are providing it what it needs to thrive. Some plants like indirect light, while others require full sun. Plants with too little light will often become leggy as they try to reach toward the light.
  • Temperature – Typically seen more in landscape plants than houseplants, a significant temperature change can leave the tips of your plants looking burned. Most often this occurs in the spring when tender new leaves are affected by a late freeze. If this happens, trim off the burned areas, and allow for new growth. With houseplants, most prefer particular temperature ranges. Some like it cool, around 50-60 F while others prefer in warm around 70-80 F. Some plants will drop their leaves when moved to a new location that has a significant temperature change. Tropical plants do not like colder temperatures, so keep them away from air-conditioner vents.
  • Pests – If the yellow spots on your leaves appear along with tiny critters (be sure to check the undersides of the leaves), then you have an insect problem. First, identify the pest and then treat for that particular insect. Typical bug infestations on plants are caused by one of the following: mites, aphids, mealybugs, thrips, scale, or whiteflies. Repeatedly washing the plants or applying an insecticidal or horticultural soap is one treatment that is often effective as well as environmentally safe.
  • Nutrient Deficiencies – If the top leaves of your plant are yellowing, or there is an unusual pattern of yellowing (i.e. the veins remain dark while the tissue between them turns yellow), it’s most likely a nutrient deficiency.
    • Iron deficiency – This causes yellowing, stunted growth and interveinal chlorosis. You will see it normally in new growth first.  Test your soil and maintain a pH below 7.
    • Potassium deficiency – The leaves, especially older leaves, may have brown spots, yellow edges, yellow veins or brown veins. Add a potassium fertilizer containing potash.
    • Nitrogen deficiency – This causes stunted growth and yellow edges on the tips of the leaves. The veins may be yellow, and sometimes the whole leaf will be pale yellow. Add used coffee grounds to the soil to increase its nitrogen, or apply a balanced fertilizer.
    • Magnesium deficiency – This causes yellowing of the leaves between the veins with the veins remaining green and usually appears on lower leaves first. Treat the plant’s soil with Epsom
    • Calcium deficiency – This will cause crinkled, mottled or distorted leaves and will not allow the tips of the leaves to grow. Add agricultural lime to the soil.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Plant photos by organicagardensupply.com

  • Old Age – Often a plant has just outlived its natural plant life, succumbing to yellowing leaves and aging-out.

Please note that whatever the cause of your plant’s illness, remember it may take weeks or even months for a plant to recover and return to normal growth.

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Here at Wingard’s Market, we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your everyday gardening questions. Stop by and visit our Beautiful Gift Shoppe and Fresh Produce Market while you stroll under century-old pecan trees. It’s truly a Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091

Embrace the Shade in your SC Garden

Shade Gardening Made Easy

shade gardening

Unless you’ve lived in the Midlands in July and August there’s no way to describe “hot” other than blistering, all day, bake in the sun heat! As South Carolinians, we’re always on the lookout for a lush, shady hideaway in our gardens. Here at Wingard’s Market, we want to help you make your shade garden the ideal spot to retreat from the hot summer sun.

For many gardener’s shade can be a challenge and while some plants do well in low light, there are many plants to choose from that thrive in shady conditions. The key is to figure out which plants will adapt well to the light level of your landscape.

Over time your gardens will change. Trees and shrubs will mature, water condition and air circulation will change, and hardscape elements will be added. The first factor before choosing your arsenal of shade loving plants it to figure out what degree of shade your garden will have. From there you can go about choosing your favorite shade loving plants.

Classify your level of shade:

  • Morning Shade, Afternoon Sun – This is NOT considered shade!  If this is the only shade you have in your garden, stop reading.  Nothing here applies to you.
  • Morning Sun, Afternoon Shade – An area in your garden that the sun is blocked for much of the day, mainly between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 m. Typically found in established gardens where mature trees block out the sun all but for a very short period of time early or late in the day. North facing exposure can generally be classified as partial shade.
  • Filtered Sun – The sun makes its way through tree limbs for most of the day providing “dappled” light on the ground. The plants that grow in this environment are basically the same as the ones that grow in Morning Sun/Afternoon Shade.
  • Full Shade – An area that is under shade all day with little or no direct sunlight. Typically found in thick tree canopies or in dense trees. Other areas may be under stairways, decks or covered patios positioned on the north side of your home.
    • There are some plants, in our experience, which really do best in full shade. Cast Iron, Edgeworthia, Hosta, Ferns, Aucuba, and Fatsia.  Other shade plants will be fine in full shade, but those listed here actually NEED it.

For a complete list of shade loving annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees click here.

Be aware that your light patterns will change with the change of seasons.  Sections of your garden may be in full sun in the winter and in full shade in the summer.  The amount of shade an area gets in the summer is most important in choosing your plants.  Shade plants will generally tolerate full sun in the winter.   Keep a watchful eye on your garden throughout the year as trees, and shrubs mature and your landscape changes.  

As you plan your shade garden keep these few factors in mind:

  • Shaded areas usually lack adequate moisture as the rain is blocked by a canopy of trees, and tree roots absorb most of the water. Shade gardens need regular watering even during rainy periods. For shrubs and trees, a drip system is recommended.
  • The more sun a shade plant gets, the more water it needs.
  • In South Carolina, warm climate shade plants can grow actively all year round so they must be fed a complete fertilizer in early spring and summer.
  • To keep your garden growing for many years, remove low-hanging branches from trees that tend to keep your gardens hidden from view and prevent adequate air flow.
  • If the lack of water is an issue, turn to raised beds or pottery to keep tree roots from stealing all the
  • Most shade plants want some sun (morning or filtered). Flowering plants, especially, need some sun in order to produce flowers.

While summer is now upon us, turn to your shade loving areas to escape the scorching summer sun and enjoy the lush green plants that thrive in our area. Once you’ve discovered all the shade loving beautiful annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs suitable for shade gardening you may never want to fight the sun again.

Stop in and see us and take advantage of the native shade-loving plants we currently have in stock:

  • Trees: Dogwood, Redbud
  • Shrubs: Anise, Coastal Native Azalea, Carolina Allspice, Oakleaf & Annabelle Hydrangeas, Leucothoe
  • Ferns: Cinnamon, Christmas, Ostrich
  • Perennials: Cranesbill Geranium, Heuchera, Columbine

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Here at Wingard’s Market, we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your everyday gardening questions. Stop by and visit our Beautiful Gift Shoppe and Fresh Produce Market while you stroll under century-old pecan trees. It’s truly a Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091

Invite Native Plants to Your Garden

Gardening in the Midlands can be a challenge at times. 

Native Plants Garden

We deal with scorching heat, sandy soil, drought-like conditions and do we need to say more about the no-see-ums? However, we have one of the longest growing seasons in the country and have an array of beautiful native plants that flourish in our southern conditions. If you struggle with finding plants that thrive in your garden we encourage you to bring the beauty of native plants to your backyard. Not only will you be adding season-long color, but you’ll be adding wildlife-friendly plants that are perfect for our soil and climate.

What is a native plant?

Simply stated native plants are those that grew here when Columbus discovered America. They are plants that evolved over time and tend to be hardy and well-adapted to the environment in which they thrive.

Plants that grow naturally will require less water and fertilizer than non-native plants.  They are more resistant to insects and disease and are less likely to need pesticides. This is particularly useful for new gardeners since they often require little attention.

Why go native?

As our woodlands and wildlife areas are being converted to commercial and residential growth, we’re losing our native plants. As backyard gardeners, it is our responsibility to preserve our natural plants for future generations.

You can help to restore the availability of native plants by adding a few to your landscape.  In this way, we can all make a difference and help save endangered species one yard at a time.

Not only do native plants produce beautiful flowers, but they also produce fruits, seeds, and nectar that are friendly to wildlife. 

Going native benefits:

  • They couldn’t be easier – Native plants require little attention if planted in an area that best matches their natural habitat. They’re hardy and will adapt well to normal weather extremes. They need less water, little fertilizer, no pesticides and less time to maintain than regular garden plants.
  • They’ll invite wildlife to your backyard – Research shows that wildlife common to your area will prefer native plants over non-native varieties. They provide food and shelter for birds, bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficial insects. These native insects and birds will also help keep your yard free of mosquitoes, and other plant-eating bugs.
  • They add a natural beauty to your landscape – While adding native plants to your landscape may never replace the beauty of plants growing in the wild, they can help us blend surrounding development into a more natural setting.

Choosing the right plants

When shopping for native plants, please be aware that most big box stores will not carry plants that are native to the local area.  Generally, local nurseries and garden centers (like ours) will stock plants that thrive in their climate.

Before heading to the Garden Center know the answers to these few question:

  • Where will you be planting, in the sun or shade?
  • Is the area wet or dry?
  • What type of soil does your landscape have? Clay or sand?
  • Where in your garden will you be placing them to determine the correct height?

Once you know the answer to these questions, you’re ready to think about specific plants.

Plan to plant a variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, and vines to give wildlife an array of food and shelter choices. Choose plants that you can group together to attract nectar-loving birds and insects, as well as host plants for butterfly larvae.

Creating a native plant garden in your backyard will add natural color and beauty, as well as provide an inviting habitat for native wildlife.  You will find you enjoy your yard so much more when you can watch colorful butterflies flit from plant to plant, listen to birds chirping away in the trees, and appreciate the work of bees as they cross pollinate flowers and vegetables.  Establishing native plants in your landscape is a way to preserve these experiences for future generations, one yard at a time.

For a complete list of the native plants, that an be found at Wingard’s Market, please visit Native Plants to South Carolina.

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Here at Wingard’s Market, we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your everyday gardening questions. Stop by and visit our Beautiful Gift Shoppe and Fresh Produce Market while you stroll under century-old pecan trees. It’s truly a Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091

Tuck Your Garden in for a Winter Nap

Tuck Your Garden In

You’ve spent a better part of the last few months reaping what your garden has sowed It’s served you well, and it’s earned some time off.  Before you say goodnight until spring here are a few end of the season tips to help your garden take a long deserved rest.

Nothing makes gardening chores harder than having to do maintenance and cleanup in freezing temperatures, so find the time now before the cold freezing winds and rains come.

Use this as your chore checklist:

  • Gather herbs and flowers for drying.
  • Collect and dry seeds to save for next year.
  • Plant spring flowering bulbs. Our climate is not suitable for tulips. Crocus, daffodils, and hyacinths do much better.
  • Plant trees and shrubs! It is still a good time to plant.
  • After the first hard frost, pull up and discard This also includes the tomatoes and squash plants in your vegetable garden.
  • After the first hard frost, cut back your perennials and mulch them with a heavy layer of leaves or straw. Do not cut back dead stems of lantana until after new growth emerges in the Spring.
  • Pull weeds.
  • Till the soil around any exposed areas and add a layer of compost, leaves or manure and lime.
  • Cover strawberry beds with straw.
  • Remove all dead or diseased canes from your rose bushes.
  • After the first frost, mulch your rose bushes with compost or leaves.
  • Give evergreen shrubs a light pruning only if absolutely necessary. It’s better not to prune until early spring, just before new growth begins to flush.
  • After perennials have quit blooming, divide all crowded
  • Remove any broken limbs from your trees by making a clean cut close to the trunk.
  • Mow your grass as late in the season as the grass grows.
  • Keep up with fallen leaves and don’t let them over winter on your lawn. Mulch them with your lawn mower and add them to your perennial and bulb
  • Bring your “house plants” indoors, before the temperatures start falling below 40 degrees at night. Be sure to spray for insects before bringing them into the house. Even if you don’t see signs of insects, there are probably insect eggs on plants that have been living outdoors, and they will infest your house pretty soon.
  • Now is the time to do a soil test. Your test results will come with recommendations for amendments, which should be applied as soon as possible. Some amendments take a few months to start working and will need to be applied before you plant in the Spring.
  • And don’t forget the birds.  They will be counting on you this winter.  Now is the time to clean out your bird feeders and bird baths and stock up on birdseed.  Keep water in your birdbaths unless temperatures are expected to drop below freezing.

By taking extra time this Fall to properly put your garden to bed, you’ll be sure to have gardening success next spring. And as always time flies and before you know it we’ll start emailing you about Spring annuals and Mother’s Day roses, and you will find yourself with Spring fever all over again!

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Here at Wingard’s Market, we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your everyday gardening questions. Stop by and visit our Beautiful Gift Shoppe and Fresh Produce Market while you stroll under century-old pecan trees. It’s truly a Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091

Drying Herbs for Winter Use

Drying Herbs for Winter Use

You’ve been tending to your herbs all summer long, and you’ve been enjoying their fresh flavor in all your summertime dishes.  Now it’s time to start planning for winter by drying them to enjoy even longer.

Here are a few harvesting tips to get you started:

  • Herbs that are harvested when their oils are at their peak will have the best flavor when dried.
  • Herbs grown for their foliage should be harvested just before they flower.
  • Harvest herbs that are grown for seeds as the seed pods change color from green to brown to gray, but before they open.
  • Collect herb flowers, such as chamomile, just before full flower.
  • Harvest herb roots, such as chicory and ginseng in the fall after the foliage fades.

To get the best flavor from dried herbs, it’s important to pick the leaves for drying at the correct point in the growing season.

When to harvest:

  • Harvest early in the morning, after the dew dries, but before the heat of the day.
  • Lavender, parsley, and tarragon: Harvest in June and July, just before flowering. Cut back the plants to half their height to encourage a second flowering in the fall.
  • Mint: Harvest in June and July.
  • Thyme, summer savory, and sweet marjoram: Harvest in July and August.
  • Basil and sage: Harvest in August and September.
  • Harvest early and frequently to encourage plants to produce new growth.
  • Chives, basil, mint, parsley, and oregano grow back quickly and benefit from the constant pruning.
“Tender herbs in the mint family – basil, tarragon, lemon balm, and the mints have a high moisture content and will mold quickly if not dried quickly, says Clemson Cooperative Extension Service.”

Preparing your herbs for drying:

If the herbs are clean, do not wet them. Otherwise, rinse dust and dirt from the foliage, shake off the excess water, and spread the herbs out to dry on paper towels or dishcloths until all surface moisture has evaporated. Remove any dead or damaged foliage.

Hang small bunches of them upside down in a dry, cool, place such as a closet.  If you are worried about them dropping leaves, suspend each bunch inside a paper bag ventilated with tears or punched holes. Close the top with a rubber band and place where the air currents will circulate through the bag.

Once the herbs are dry, their flavor is best preserved by keeping them in an airtight tin cans or tightly sealed jars.  Dried herbs should be used within a year.

For a list of over 30 herbs to add to your garden, check out our publication “Basic Guidelines for Growing Herbs.

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Here at Wingard’s Market, we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your everyday gardening questions.  Stop by and visit our Beautiful Gift Shoppe and Fresh Produce Market while you stroll under century-old pecan trees.  It’s truly a Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091

Save the Bees – What you can do to help.

save the bees

Honey bees, bumblebees, and other bees are disappearing at alarming rates, and they need your help!

As gardeners, it is our responsibility to reach out and save these yellow pollen-dusted bees from extinction. Bees play a vital role in pollinating over 150 crops grown in the US each year, which equals at least every third bite of food you take each day.  Bees pollinate some of our primary food sources such as apples, blueberries, citrus, melons, pears, plums, pumpkins, and squash. Bees also pollinate plants fed to livestock, as well as fiber-producing plants such as cotton, one of South Carolina’s leading crops. It’s essential to our health and our food supply that we take an active role in preserving the plight of the honey bee.

How can you help?

Whether you live in the city or in the country, there are a few ways you can attract bees to your garden and help save these little workhorses from disappearing.

  • Plant bee loving plants native to your area. In South Carolina, plant native bee balm, coneflower, goldenrod, and milkweed.
  • Bees love these flowers the best: bee balm, coneflower, fennel, goldenrod, hosta, lavender, lantana, lobelia, salvia, sunflower, sedum, sweet alyssum, yarrow, and zinnia.
  • Bees love blue, yellow and purple flowers. Shallow blossoms like daisies, asters, zinnias and Queen’s Anne’s Lace are their favorites.  Notice, they are not so interested in red flowers, like hummingbirds are.
  • Plant flowers so that you have something blooming year-round.  For early spring, plant forsythia, in the summer try St. John’s wort, in the fall plant pansies, and make sure your landscape has camellia’s for a winter bloom. 
  • Don’t forget the flowering herbs such as basil, mint, oregano, sage, thyme, and rosemary,
  • Add fruit trees such as apples, lemon, pears, plums and cherry trees.
  • Plant vegetables and herbs and allow some of them to go to seed, such as lettuce, garlic chives, and broccoli.
  • Learn to love weeds especially dandelions, clover, milkweed, and goldenrod.
  • Bees thrive on single flowers …those with one ring of petals. Those provide more nectar and pollen than double flowers.
  • Bees are more attracted to flowers that grow in clumps.
  • Plan your garden so something is always in bloom.
  • Plant one square yard of the same kind of plant.
  • Plant your garden in bright sunny areas.
  • Reduce the size of your lawn to add more bee friendly plants.
  • Provide shelter by leaving pieces of old wood to make nests in.
  • Offer them fresh water by floating a piece of wood for landing in your bird bath.
  • Add a bee hive or a bee house to your garden.
  • Limit the use of insecticides.  Instead of spraying for mosquitoes, use multiple pots of lemon grass, citronella and lemon balm.  Spray plants that have an insect infestation with insecticidal soap, which won’t hurt the bees.

bee loving plants

Did you know?

  • One honeybee colony has a foraging range of 18,000 acres.
  • It takes 12 bees their entire lifetime to make a teaspoon of honey.
  • Honey bees visit 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey.
  • Field bees visit 50 to 100 flowers during each trip.
  • Honeybees fly 12 to 15 miles per hour and flap their wings 12,000 times per minute.
  • Honeybees are covered in hair designed to trap pollen.  Even their eyes have hair on them.
  • Honey is essentially dehydrated nectar from flowers.  Bees eat honey and pollen from flowers.  They ferment the pollen first and mix it with honey in order to be able to digest it.
  • A strong hive may contain up to 60,000 bees.

Don’t be afraid of the bees…enjoy them.  It’s fun to watch them fill their tiny legs with bright yellow pollen and take it back to their hives. Observe them, photograph them, and encourage them to live in your garden.

Do you want to learn more about adding bees to your South Carolina garden? Check out this article put out by the Clemson Extension Office on Native Bees.

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Here at Wingard’s Market, we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your everyday gardening questions.  Stop by and visit our beautiful Gift Shoppe, Fresh Produce Market, and take a stroll under century-old pecan trees through our Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091

Save the Flutter of Orange & Black

Save the Flutter of Orange & Black

Take an afternoon stroll through the gardens at Wingard’s Market and you’ll be sure to spot the flutter of the orange and black wings of our favorite butterfly the Monarch.  We are on a mission to save the most recognized and beloved butterfly in North America!

Butterflies add to the spectacular color show we enjoy every summer, but their numbers are dwindling due to the loss of their favorite habitat, the milkweed plant.

With the recent decline in milkweed, butterfly and garden enthusiast are coming together to save the only plant the female monarchs lay their eggs on…the milkweed.

Known for following the milkweed as they spread northward after the Ice Age, Monarchs return to the southeast every spring as soon as the milkweed start to bloom. Over the course of one summer, the Monarch will produce three generations that will feed on their host plant until fall when the last generation returns to Mexico to wait out the cold winter.

As a home gardener, you might wonder what you can do to help. The answer is very simple: Plant lots of butterfly-friendly flowering plants, such as the milkweed.

The joy you’ll get from spotting the distinctive white, yellow and black striping of the monarch caterpillar on your milk plant is incredible.  It’s fun to watch them grow and take flight as a beautiful butterfly.

There are over one hundred species of the milkweed plants that are native to North America, and many make excellent additions to any garden.

Some of the best varieties of Milkweed for the Midlands are:

common milkweed

  1. Asclepias tuberosaCommon name: Butterflyweed
  2. Asclepias syriacaCommon name: Milkweed
  3. Asclepias verticillata Common name: Whorled milkweed
  4. Asclepias incarnata – Common name: Swamp milkweed
  5. Asclepias viridifloraCommon name: Green Milkweed

Here are a few tips for caring for and adding milkweed to your garden:

  • Plant species that are native to your region.
  • Look for a sunny place where the butterflies can spot the plant from above.
  • Avoid using pesticides and herbicides around milkweed.
  • After the eggs hatch, the larvae will begin eating the leaves of the host plant. Don’t worry if the host plant is defoliated. It will recover.
  • Deadhead milkweed flowers to prolong blooming during summer.
  • At the end of the season, allow the plants to form those attractive pods that look great in dried flower
  • Silky, parachute-like seeds will begin to drift out of the mature pods in late fall, spreading and reseeding themselves.
  • Cut back old milkweed stalks in late winter, before new shoots start to emerge.

Make a gardening effort to encourage the return of the monarchs to your garden.  Your effort will be rewarded with the addition of color and activity for years to come.

 

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Here at Wingard’s Market we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your every day gardening questions.  Stop by and visit our beautiful Gift Shoppe, Fresh Produce Market, and take a stroll under century-old pecan trees through our Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091

Creating a Backyard Garden You Love

Create a Backyard Garden You Love

What does your ideal outdoor space look like?  Is it a place to entertain or is it your escape and relaxation retreat?

Choosing the right plants and accessories can set the tone for a beautiful backyard garden that appeals to all of your senses.  The sights, sound, and smells you add will help create the atmosphere you dream of.

If you think you don’t have the time or talent to create a beautiful backyard garden, just put a few of these tips in place and see how it all comes together. They will make a huge difference in how you use and enjoy your outdoor space.

Add Color

We understand that a visit to the garden center can sometimes be overwhelming. The array of choices you have is endless!  Keep these couple tips in mind the next time you plan to purchase new plants for your garden.

  • Visit Wingard’s Market every month of the year and buy a perennial or evergreen that is blooming at that time.  Plant it in your garden, and you’ll have something blooming year round.
  • Add splashes of color to break up all the green and to add contrast throughout your garden.
  • Group plants with the same foliage or flower color for a greater impact. Think of your garden like a color wheel and plant to create a balanced effect.

Add Garden Art

There is no better way to add a piece of your personality to your garden then with garden art. Outdoor art comes in many different forms and from a wide variety of different materials. Flowers and plants are beautiful on their own, but when mixed with colorful birdbaths, garden statues, fountains and whimsical decorative elements you can bring out the beauty of nature.

When adding art keep in mind the space and scale of your garden. Adding a simple birdbath to a small garden is the perfect addition while a large water feature will help add depth to a larger space.

Add a Focal Point

Creating a focal point in your garden can add interests and depth to your space.

Sitting areas, water features, and even a fire pit can make excellent focal points. They add pleasant conversational areas and can act as an extension of your indoor space that makes you garden both functional and beautiful.

Look at your space and determine your style. Do you like the simple, clean lines of ceramic pots or the rustic charm of an old iron gate?  Decide what appeals to you and design around that.

With a little planning, you can turn your backyard garden into an oasis for all to enjoy. Add large containers filled with your favorite blooms to the natural decor of your space. Ease the transition between your indoor space and outdoor space with cobblestone or stepping stone pathways.

Be Patient

Backyard gardens evolve from season to season. Gardeners are always adding, moving and enhancing their spaces to reflect their use and personality.

Don’t let your outdoor spaces overwhelm you.  Start out small and add or update a new area each year or season.

If your landscape is beginning to feel more like a hodgepodge of plants, and you need some help creating your ideal outdoor space, check out our Landscape Design Services.  Look around the area and get a feel for what you like and don’t like this Spring.  Engage our designer in the summer to create a plan for you.  Then you’ll be ready to plant in the Fall, which is the absolute best time for planting.

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Here at Wingard’s Market we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your every day gardening questions.  Stop by and visit our beautiful Gift Shoppe, Fresh Produce Market, and take a stroll under century-old pecan trees through our Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091

Inviting Birds to Your Garden

Inviting Birds to Your Garden

The first step in inviting birds to your garden is to look at your yard from a bird’s point of view.

If you took a bird’s eye view of your garden, do you have elements that would be appealing to wildlife? Is there a dying tree or wood that has knotholes that could be converted into a home for a bird family? Would that pile of brush you’ve wanted to dispose of make a good place to build a nest and provide shelter?

Taking time to identify the habitat that already exists in your yard is the first step in creating a bird-friendly environment.

Birds need gardens as much as gardeners need birds. If you can provide some basic bird needs, they will help keep the insect population down around your home. A single bird is known to munch on 500 to 1,000 insects in just one afternoon.

By providing a few basic needs for your fine-feathered friends, they will reward you with beautiful songs and flight throughout your yard.

Food, water, shelter, and a place to raise a family are all they need:

  • Food – Every type of bird likes a different combination of food, but to attract the most birds to your garden offer millet and black oil sunflower seeds. Beef suet should be added in the winter so a bird’s body can maintain heat in the cold weather. Woodpeckers especially like this winter treat. Plant shrubs, trees, and other plants that produce nuts, berries, fruits, and seeds whenever possible.  You can find dried mealworms, black oil sunflower seeds and suet cakes in the Gift Shoppe at Wingard’s.
    • Here is a list of the most common local birds to South Carolina and their favorite meals:
      • Indigo Buntings enjoy a mix of nyjer thistle seed and sunflower chips.
      • Bluejays will belly up to the bar for black-oil sunflower seeds or peanuts.
      • Mockingbirds will not stop to sing you a song unless they see suet or dried fruit.
      • Rosefinches will visit you all year long if you offer sunflower or nyjer seeds.
      • Goldfinches will brighten your day if you supply sunflower or nyjer seeds.
      • Cardinals enjoy sunflower seeds and finely cracked corn.
      • Chickadees will sing for oil-type sunflower, cracked nutmeats, and suet.
      • Eastern Bluebirds are typically insect eaters but when food is scare they like small peanut and sunflower kernels as well as suet.
      • Mourning Doves will meet at your feeder, usually in pairs, if provided an oil-type sunflower seed, milo, finely cracked corn, canary seed, hulled oats, or millet.
      • Woodpeckers will scout your yard for suet and sunflower seeds.
  • Water – The relaxing sound of moving water will grab a bird’s attention. Elevate your birdbath to protect it from cats and other predators. The ideal water source should be at least 3 inches deep and three feet off the ground. Use a heated birdbath in winter to avoid freezing. And a battery powered “water wiggler” will keep the water flowing all year long.
  • Shelter – Birdhouses explicitly built for the type of birds you want to attract is always ideal, but cover and housing can be provided in many forms throughout your yard. Dense shrubs, dead logs, brush piles, pine trees and even tall grass can provide protected shelter for your flying friends. All birds don’t like to be exposed to open areas where predators can attack and will look for protected areas where they can perch and escape quickly. In the Gift Shoppe at Wingard’s, we have decorative bird houses as well as simple functional ones, and birdhouses that are good for bluebirds, wrens and chickadees.
  • Nesting – Each species of bird has different requirements for nesting. Adding ready-made bird houses to your yard is the perfect place to start with providing a secure place for them to raise their young. You can also provide bits of soft material for lining the nests. We carry appropriate materials that you can hang outside for the birds to use.
  • Planting for Birds – Creating a backyard with a variety of plants that birds love will ensure a steady food supply and shelter for years to come.
    • Here are some of the most common bird loving plants and trees you can find in our garden center to add to your yard:
      • TREES: Crabapple, Dogwood, Persimmon, Wax Myrtle, Birch, Willow
      • SHRUBS/VINES/GRASSES: Mahonia, Barberry, Blueberry, Hawthorn, Honeysuckle, Holly, Pyracantha, Rose, Viburnum, Juniper, Fountain grass, Camellia, Nandina, Beautyberry, Boxwood
      • PERENNIALS/ANNUALS:   Phlox, Marigold, Sedum, Sunflowers, Yarrow, Zinnia, Red Hot Poker, Redbud, Bee Balm, Black-eyed Susan, Blanket Flower, Coral Bells, Coreopsis, Salvia, Cone Flower.
      • Concentrate on planting a variety of native plants that do well in South Carolina gardens and are bird friendly.

Here are just a few of the many products you can find in our Wildlife Room in the Gift Shoppe at Wingard’s Market.

bird supplies

More tips for attracting birds
It can take time to attract birds to your yard even after you have provided some of their basic needs.

Here are some additional tips:

  • Keep grassy areas of your lawn trimmed to allow for insect loving birds to feed easily.
  • Prepare your yard year-round to accommodate migrating birds.
  • Keep cats and other bird predators away from bird feeders and houses.
  • Provide ample perches and stopping points around your feeders for easy access.

Patience is required when inviting birds to your yard, but once they have become accustomed to your surrounding, they will provide you hours of enjoyment for years to come.

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Here at Wingard’s Market we specialize in providing outstanding customer service, offer professional gardening advice, and answers to your every day gardening questions.  Stop by and visit our beautiful Gift Shoppe, Fresh Produce Market, and take a stroll under century-old pecan trees through our Garden Wonderland!

Located at 1403 North Lake Drive in Lexington, SC. Call us at (803) 359-9091