Q: How often should I water my plants?
A: Each plant varies with the amount of water it needs. As a general rule watering is required when the soil looks dried out, especially with newly planted trees and plants. Check with green guides, or your landscaper about specific care for the plants and trees in your garden.

Q: What exactly is an “annual” plant?
A: Simply put, an annual is a plant that lasts for one growing season.  Whether they are an annual flower, grass or plant of the foliage variety, they complete their entire growing cycle within the year.

Q: What are the advantages of annual plantings?
A: Since annual flowers are “nature’s sprinters”, they reach full maturity in a short period of time. This means that more blossoms, blooms, highlights and more extensive ground cover is achieved in a much shorter amount of time. You will be rewarded every season when you use annual plants and flowers. In addition, annuals tend to be less expensive than other varieties and allow you to change your garden plan yearly without the hassle of replanting.

Q: What exactly is a “perennial” plant?
A: A perennial is a type of plant that lives for two or more years. Trees and shrubs are included in this category, but are typically not mentioned when talking about gardening. Perennials die back in the fall and then grow back from their root systems in the spring. Perennials are lower maintenance that most other plants because they grow back yearly and can reproduce through their root systems.

Q: What is a companion planting chart?
A: A companion planting chart lists plants and partner plants with a variety of beneficial interactive properties. Gardeners can use these charts to create helpful pairings, which improve overall garden health and vitality.

Q: What is the difference between garden mulch and compost?
A: Compost should be worked into the soil to make it more fertile. Whereas mulch is spread atop the soil, both to protect the soil from the elements and to suppress weeds. While it is true that organic mulches will eventually decompose, thereby themselves becoming compost, their function as long as they serve as mulch is distinct from the function of compost.