Some gardeners are veering away from the usual manicured grass lawn bordered by flowers in favor of creating more natural-looking garden spaces. A great way to do this is by planting an understory garden.

            Summer is a great time of year for planting new plants because most plants are nicely leafed out or even in bloom.  During hot summer months plants will be growing vigorously and demanding a lot of watering and feeding, especially if they are in containers or not yet established in your garden.  You may need to water as often as every day (or more for container plants).  Use a timed-release fertilizer or give frequent light feedings with granular organic fertilizers such as Gro Power for flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Many times we get this question at the nursery, “We’ve got a slope in our yard and we just don’t know what to do with it. What do we plant on it?” It’s a great question with a lot of possibilities but also a lot of angst and living in San Diego, chances are you have a slope somewhere on your property.