All Green Thumbs Nursery

Here are a few ideas for caring for patio plants during excessive rain and extreme heat.

Water can be the enemy:

Ensure your containers have good drainage.  Check that the drainage holes are open and not blocked by roots or soil.  Use a stick or long thin tool and poke up from the bottom of the pot to make sure the drainage is open.

Elevate the pots to allow water to drain and prevent it from pooling at the bottom.  Excessive water will drown the root system.  Use small stones or rocks to ensure the water can escape the pot.  For large pots or planters use bricks or stones to temporarily raise the pot until it has drained thoroughly.

Empty saucers or catch pans after a heavy rain and don’t let the plants sit in water.

Excessive heat & sun can be detrimental to plants:  

Provide temporary shade.  Move pots to a covered area during the hottest part of the day.  Get them out of the direct sun as much as possible.  Move planters under the patio table or to a shaded corner of the deck.  Even sun loving plants need protection during extreme heat and scorching sun.

Patio plants will dry out much faster in the extreme heat and will need more frequent watering than normal.  Check the moisture level frequently and adjust.  When watering, be sure to water deeply.  Set the plant in a make shift catch pan and let it soak up water from the bottom.  This ensure the roots will get the water they need.  On that note, see above for excessive water!

Remember:  Plants growing in containers do not have the built in protection and endurance as the same plant growing in the ground!

Stop by All Green Thumbs Nursery at Carroll’s Ace Hardware in Tega Cay
and pick up your plants and gardening supplies.

All Basil plants on sale now for $2.49, End of the season clearance!

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a popular aromatic annual herb belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae),
native to tropical regions of Asia and Africa.
Known as the “king of herbs,” it features a sweet,
pungent, and slightly minty-licorice flavor essential to global cuisines,
traditional medicine, and home gardening.

Stop by and pick up some Basil to last you through the rest of the season at
All Green Thumbs Nursery at Carroll’s Ace Hardware in Tega Cay
Pick up your plants and gardening supplies.

Tuscan Blue Rosemary

Tuscan Blue Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus ‘Tuscan Blue’) is a popular, upright evergreen shrub valued for its intense pine-like fragrance,
bright blue-violet flowers, and needle-like culinary leaves.
This Rosemary is a beautiful plant with exceptional slate blue flower spikes and highly aromatic pale green leaves.

During the summer, Tuscan Blue can put on 4 Ft. of growth, thus the need for a large container.
It’s a tall-growing upright Rosemary. Very popular for cooking and drying.

In our zone 8 climate, you can plant it outside until late summer and the plants will overwinter just fine.

It can also be potted up in a large container (5 gal is good) and grown on the deck or patio. Bring it indoors for the winter and put it in a sunny room with good air flow.

Stop by All Green Thumbs Nursery at Carroll’s Ace Hardware in Tega Cay
and pick up your plants and gardening supplies.

Echinacea Powwow Wild Berry

For a splash of color, the Echinacea Powwow Wild Berry is a show stopper and the Day Lilies are spectacular and very bright and cheery.
Echinacea ‘PowWow Wild Berry’ (Echinacea purpurea) is an award-winning,
compact coneflower known for its deep rose-purple blooms, sturdy stems, and heavy flowering.
It requires minimal deadheading, thrives in full sun, and is highly attractive to local pollinators and seed-eating birds.

Stop by All Green Thumbs Nursery at Carroll’s Ace Hardware in Tega Cay
and pick up your plants and gardening supplies.

Looking to liven up a shaded patio or deck and add some color and plant life? 

There are a number of plants and shrubs that will grow nicely in a shaded or semi shaded area.
Morning sun and afternoon shade are ideal conditions to grow Angel Wing Begonias, Coleus planters,
Japanese Painted Ferns & Hosta planters and potted Hydrangeas and Butterfly Bushes.
Moisture is always key when growing container plants in the South Carolina heat.  

The Dragon Wing Begonia planter will certainly make a nice statement. It will grow and bloom all summer.  Bring it inside before frost and it will thrive all winter.
To compliment the Dragon Wing planter, there are Angel Wing baskets  (all the same family) with lighter green leaves.

Japanese Painted Ferns and Hosta’s love the shade and add texture and interest to a patio table.  

Hydrangeas and Butterfly Bushes will grow successfully in a  pot on the deck.  Give them morning sun, afternoon shade and plenty of water.  The butterflies and bees will thank you. 

Looking for something that will stay  green on the patio all winter?  The Ilex Soft Touch and Ilex Carissa are evergreen.  However, when growing them in pots,  their roots will be exposed to freezing temps and they will need protection if temperatures drop below freezing.  The choice of pots is key.  Look for heavy thick resin or concrete planters. Move the pots closer to the house and block the winds when temps drop.  Mulch is also a good addition. 

Stop by All Green Thumbs Nursery at Carroll’s Ace Hardware in Tega Cay
and pick up your plants and gardening supplies.