Perennial morning glories (Ipomoea acuminata) get started rapidly when planted now. Grow them from seeds or plants in full sun and in ordinary or poor soil, with no nitrogen fertilizer added. (Keep morning glory seeds away from children- they're poisonous). Water them regularly to get them going and occasionally thereafter.

These vines are invasive, drought resistant, and permanent once established. Use morning glories for an old-fashioned, colorful look and to hide chain link fences. They're not for formal gardens but can be an eye-catching ornament in the right spot.

'Soil Soup'

What is SoilSoup?

SoilSoup is a liquid compost "supercharger" that will energize your soil and plants. It's safe, natural, non-toxic and easy to apply; just spray it onto your flowerbeds, lawns or foliage to invigorate your plants with new life and energy. Fresh SoilSoup contains billions of beneficial microorganisms that are extracted and "brewed" from a blend of high quality worm compost and other natural ingredients. Healthy, undamaged soil is naturally full of such microorganisms; their role is to convert a wide variety of nutrients, minerals and trace elements into soluble forms that plant roots can absorb. Regular treatments with SoilSoup will recharge your soil with these beneficial microbes, restoring its natural balance and potency. Your plants will be healthier, stronger, better-nourished and more beautiful than ever.


You can also spray SoilSoup directly onto your plants. SoilSoup is not a fungicide, but many customers report a decrease in black spot and other foliar disease since starting to spray their plants regularly with SoilSoup. It's even great on lawns - the microbes in Soil Soup accelerate the breakdown of thatch (the choking layer of dead grass that builds up on the ground's surface), converting it into food for the living grass.

What else does SoilSoup do?

• Increases water retention in your soils

• Improves flavor of vegetables

• Reduces compaction of your soils (Great for our clay soils!)

• Reduces the amount of fertilizer needed

• Enhances the ability of your plants to better resist drought conditions

• Completely safe for humans and animals

Many homeowners purchase a beautiful Japanese maple in spring only to bring in burnt and damaged leaves in summer, worried that their investment is about to part ways with their yard. The tree isn't dying - it's just suffering from heat stress. A common misconception is that Japanese maples can't tolerate a full sun location. But this is not true. All Japanese maples can adapt to a full sun location and, in fact, tend to color up better when they are in one. What most people experience is summer heat stress due to infrequent (or lack of) water when the tree needs it, especially during a heat wave.

Most Japanese maples will burn a little on the leaf tips in the first year while acclimating to a sunny location. But after that, they should not experience more stress. The reason maple leaves turn brown on the edges in summer is that the tree is unable to replenish the moisture the foliage loses through natural transpiration. As moisture leaves a plant, the tree draws moisture up from the ground to keep the cells in the leaves healthy and robust. If the tree has no moisture to draw from, the cells burst and die, which leads to the burning one sees on the leaf edges.

This condition can also be caused by salt burn from the use or overuse of strong chemical fertilizers containing high amounts of nitrogen, especially ammoniacal nitrogen. Even if the soil is moist around the trees, the tree can burn because the moist soil actually activates the fertilizer and the tree cannot control the amount of fertilizer it draws up.

What Japanese maples do need is a consistently moist, well-drained environment and, preferably, the use of an organic fertilizer. The term "well-drained" is key because regular watering in a poorly drained area will lead to root-rot and, ultimately, death. So never plant a Japanese maple in a low spot or next to a downspout or gutter. The amount of watering it takes to maintain a consistently moist condition will vary with soil type and location but on average Japanese maples should be checked for watering every 2-3 days. Organic fertilizers such as EB Stone Organics All Purpose Plant Food are preferable because they are not activated by moisture but rather soil temperature and contain soil microbes and other beneficial organisms.

Another way to cut down on heat stress and leaf damage is to spray the tree with an anti-transpirant that coats the leaves to hold in moisture and reduce stress caused by temperature extremes and a dry environment. We recommend Cloud Cover.

Adding a top dressing around the Japanese Maple will also help lessen heat stress.  It will help retain moisture in the soil, as well as keep the roots cooler. Spread an inch to two inches of top dressing, such as bark or a mulch like Bumper Crop, around the root area of the tree. Do not put the top dressing directly on the trunk, start a few inches away from the trunk of the tree.