No plant speaks to us more in late Summer to early Fall than Lobelia. This plant features extremely long, tubular flowers, making it an absolute magnet for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Lobelia does best in part sun and slightly moist soil, so if you have a wet sunny spot in the yard that has been notoriously hard to plant, Cardinal Flower might just be the plant you’ve been looking for! Here at Bountiful Gardens, we carry a number of Cardinal Flower hybrid cultivars, like the ‘Starship’ series, featuring flowers in red, blue, pink, purple and white. Of course, for those looking to plant straight native species, we also carry Lobelia cardinalis and Lobelia siphilitica, the North American natives that started it all! But what’s the difference between the red and blue native species? If you’re trying to decide between red Cardinal Flower and Great Blue Lobelia, here are some facts that might help you make your choice: Red Cardinal Flower, or Lobelia cardinalis, features long tubulars flower that are fantastic at attracting hummingbirds. In fact, it’s one of the few plants in North America that relies on hummingbirds for pollination. Great Blue Lobelia, or Lobelia siphilitica, has a shorter, wider opening to its flowers, making it much more attractive to bumblebees. So if you want to attract hummingbirds, plant red Cardinal Flower, and if you’re looking to support the bumblebees, go with blue Cardinal Flower! There are plenty of interesting things to say about Cardinal Flower. For one, the leaves contain a compound similar to nicotine, so scientists have been studying it in an effort to help smokers quit. Historically, Native Americans would use the flowers and leaves of the plant to make a tea that would alleviate stomach cramps, and the Pawnee used the flowers in a love concoction! These days, we know the plant contains toxic compounds, so it’s best to just appreciate these blooms for their breathtaking beauty. It’s even believed that red Cardinal Flower evolved to have its bright, long flowers specifically to beckon to passing hummingbirds, who use their long beaks to access the flowers’ nectar while unknowingly helping to pollinate the plant. Bees and other insects simply don’t have the tools necessary to access the pollen or nectar from these deep flowers, leaving butterflies and hummingbirds with an exclusive food source. Overall, Cardinal Flower is a late-blooming, sun and shade-loving perennial that thrives in wet boggy soils, making it perfect for rain gardens, stream banks, low spots and other hard-to plant areas of the yard! Don’t go another year without Lobelia in your garden! Come down to Bountiful Gardens and find the perfect variety for your landscape today! 🌿 RESOURCES & LINKS: Visit us at Bountiful Gardens: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/ Our Rewards Program: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/rewards For Landscape Design Inquiries: Email landscaping@bountifulgardens.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bountifulgardensnj/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BountifulHomeandGarden/ 📍 OUR GARDEN CENTER & GREENHOUSE LOCATIONS: Serving our local New Jersey communities with top-tier, locally grown plants! Find directions, store hours, and seasonal availability at bountifulgardens.com or visit the garden center nearest you: 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Hillsborough, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/gVS8GKyJeTxqLups8 (Serving Somerset County, Princeton, and Central NJ) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Lawrenceville, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/zzbnsyYoNCunX4wT8 (Serving Mercer County, Trenton, and Bucks County) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Ewing, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/SXvPkWGJoQF7jesr7 (Serving Ewing Township, Yardley, and surrounding areas) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Ringoes, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/cAyrmeFonQzRfo14A (Serving Ringoes, Lambertville, Flemington, Hopewell Township, and surrounding areas) #NewJerseyGardening #CentralNJ #BountifulGardens #lobelia #cardinalflower #swampplant #nativeplants

What if we told you these massive, tropical-looking flowers 🌺... aren't tropical at all? In fact, their ancestors are probably growing wild in a muddy ditch down the road from you right now! This is the story of how an American wetland survivor was transformed into a backyard masterpiece. 🌿👌🏼 Hibiscus moscheutos (Native Hardy Hibiscus) - 0:15 Meet our native hardy hibiscus, also known as Swamp Rose Mallow. Long before breeders got their hands on it, this plant was already a powerhouse. While tropical hibiscus turns to mush the second temperatures drop, this native beast braves freezing northern winters, dies back to the ground, and returns every single summer. But originally...it only came in shades of muted white and soft pink. So, how did we get from a simple swamp flower to hundreds of mind-blowing hybrids? Enter the mad scientists of botany. In the mid-20th century, legendary breeders began decades meticulous hand-pollinating to break genetic color barriers, evolving them into the incredible varieties we have right here at the store today. Dark-Hued Beauties 🌿 - 0:56 Looking for deep, moody foliage with dramatic blooms? Check out Dark Mystery, Edge of Night, Cherry Chocolate, Midnight Marvel, or the rich Blackberry Merlot. Candy-Colored Blooms 🍭 - 1:06 If you want bright, candy-coated pinks and multi-colored swirls, look at Candy Crush, Spinderella, Luna Pink Swirl, Watermelon Ruffles, and Angel Eyes. Light-Toned Masterpieces 🌸 - 1:16 We even have striking, elegant whites and soft pastels like Cookies and Cream, Marshmallow Moon, and Ballet Slippers. Deep Reds and Cool Tones 🌺 - 1:24 From the deep reds of Evening Rose, Garnet Globes, Valentines Crush, and Summer in Paradise, to the cool tones of Lilac Crush, Perfect Storm, Starry Starry Night or Berry Awesome—breeders didn't just change the colors. They transformed a lanky wetland shrub into a compact, bushy garden superstar. Caring for Your Hardy Hibiscus - 1:45 The best part? Growing these giants is incredibly easy. First, give them full sun. They need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight to pump out those massive blooms and keep their foliage dark and rich. Second, water them deeply. Remember, they don’t call ‘em Swamp Mallow for nothing! If you notice yellow leaves dropping from the bottom, it's a warning sign that they are thirsty. Finally, don't panic in the spring. Hardy hibiscus are notorious late-risers, often waiting until late May or early June to emerge from the ground. Once they wake up, they grow like weeds! Where to Plant Your Hardy Hibiscus - 2:17 Because they grow into a dense, bushy shape about 3 to 6 feet tall and wide, they are a landscape design cheat code. Use them as a dramatic backdrop at the back of your perennial beds, allowing shorter Spring flowers to shine earlier in the year before the hibiscus takes over the summer show. They're also perfect for rain gardens, low spots, or property borders where other plants get waterlogged. Plant a row of them together, and you have an instant, high-impact summer privacy screen packed with local pollinators like hummingbirds! You don't need a green thumb to grow these 12-inch monsters—you just need the right variety. We've got the top native hybrids waiting for you right now! 🌿 RESOURCES & LINKS: Visit us at Bountiful Gardens: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/ Our Rewards Program: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/rewards For Landscape Design Inquiries: Email landscaping@bountifulgardens.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bountifulgardensnj/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BountifulHomeandGarden/ 📍 OUR GARDEN CENTER & GREENHOUSE LOCATIONS: Serving our local New Jersey communities with top-tier, locally grown plants! Find directions, store hours, and seasonal availability at bountifulgardens.com or visit the garden center nearest you: 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Hillsborough, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/gVS8GKyJeTxqLups8 (Serving Somerset County, Princeton, and Central NJ) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Lawrenceville, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/zzbnsyYoNCunX4wT8 (Serving Mercer County, Trenton, and Bucks County) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Ewing, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/SXvPkWGJoQF7jesr7 (Serving Ewing Township, Yardley, and surrounding areas) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Ringoes, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/cAyrmeFonQzRfo14A (Serving Ringoes, Lambertville, Flemington, Hopewell Township, and surrounding areas) #NewJerseyGardening #CentralNJ #BountifulGardens #hibiscus #hardyhibiscus #hibiscusmoscheutos

Nothing screams “classic perennial favorite” quite like Rudbeckia. 🌼 There are many different species of Rudbeckia, and in general, it’s known as Black Eyed Susan. In this video, you’ll be learning all about some of our BEST native Rudbeckia species! Here are timestamps for easy navigation! 🌼🐝 Why Rudbeckia? - 0:00 Brown-Eyed Susan - 0:36 Orange Coneflower - 0:59 Sweet Coneflower - 1:11 Great Coneflower - 1:23 Cutleaf Coneflower - 1:42 History of Rudbeckia - 2:12 Rudbeckia Fun Facts - 2:25 Rudbeckia come in all different heights and textures, and they like to be planted in full sun with rich, organic, well-draining soil that retains a little bit of water. To help with moisture retention, add an inch or two of mulch around the base of your plants. Another benefit of Black Eyed Susan is that it tends to self-seed, so you might be rewarded with more and more plants each year! Let’s go over some of our native Rudbeckia species that you can find right here at Bountiful Gardens! First up is Brown Eyed Susan, or Rudbeckia triloba, which is one of our locally native Black Eyed Susan species. This plant gets about 4-5 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. Rudbeckia triloba is also one of the more drought resistant species in the genus, meaning it can handle everything from moist soils to dry soils with clay. Another Rudbeckia species you’ll find here is Rudbeckia fulgida or Orange Coneflower. This one is native throughout the northern United States, including New Jersey. Orange Coneflower is also highly drought tolerant, so it’s perfect for an open meadow alongside Echinacea and Goldenrod. The next Black Eyed Susan species to check out is Rudbeckia subtomentosa, or Sweet Coneflower, which is known for its skinny tubular petals. It’s a United States native, and tends to like moister soils. If you’re looking for a tall Rudbeckia, the Great Coneflower, or Rudbeckia maxima is the wildflower for you. This plant can reach as high as 8 feet! Unlike the other Black Eyed Susans, this species tends to bloom a bit earlier, starting in early June, and feature elongated cones that are perfect for our migrating birds. One other native Rudbeckia we need to mention is Rudbeckia laciniata or Cutleaf Coneflower. This is one of our absolute favorites thanks to its beautiful, tall flowers that attract tons of pollinators and feed native birds. This wildflower grows as tall as ten feet and can handle a wide variety of site conditions, from sun to shade and wet to mostly-dry soils. Cutleaf Coneflower is native throughout all of New Jersey and west to Rocky Mountains. Not only is Rudbeckia a fantastic perennial for any garden, but it also has a deep history of medicinal use. The roots were commonly steeped in teas to treat infections and other internal ailments, and they were even ground up to treat snake bites! In general, Rudbeckia is a late Summer blooming plant, and they are great as a cut flower. Also as a fun fact, they’re one of the first plants to grow back after a wildfire! With so many sizes and textures to choose from, there’s sure to be a Rudbeckia that’s perfect for your garden, and you can find them all right here at Bountiful Gardens. 🌿 RESOURCES & LINKS: Visit us at Bountiful Gardens: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/ Our Rewards Program: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/rewards For Landscape Design Inquiries: Email landscaping@bountifulgardens.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bountifulgardensnj/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BountifulHomeandGarden/ We hope to see you soon! 📍 OUR GARDEN CENTER & GREENHOUSE LOCATIONS: Serving our local New Jersey communities with top-tier, locally grown plants! Find directions, store hours, and seasonal availability at bountifulgardens.com or visit the garden center nearest you: 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Hillsborough, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/gVS8GKyJeTxqLups8 (Serving Somerset County, Princeton, and Central NJ) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Lawrenceville, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/zzbnsyYoNCunX4wT8 (Serving Mercer County, Trenton, and Bucks County) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Ewing, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/SXvPkWGJoQF7jesr7 (Serving Ewing Township, Yardley, and surrounding areas) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Ringoes, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/cAyrmeFonQzRfo14A (Serving Ringoes, Lambertville, Flemington, Hopewell Township, and surrounding areas) #NewJerseyGardening #CentralNJ #BountifulGardens #rudbeckia

What if we told you there was a perennial that literally brought together the absolute BEST traits of two of our most incredible native wildflowers? No, you’re not dreaming! Coneflower and Black-Eyed Susan are two of North America’s toughest and most beautiful natives, and thanks to some brilliant botanical breeders, we now have an unbeatable hybrid for the garden: Echibeckia! Echibeckia is an intergeneric hybrid, and it’s the ultimate super-plant! It takes the massive bloom size, crazy colors, and disease resistance of Echinacea, and combines it with the rapid growth, heat tolerance, and massive flower production of Rudbeckia. Here at Bountiful Gardens, we carry the elite Summerina and Summerina Glow Series, and they’re simply mind-blowing! 🌼🐝 Echibeckia Varieties Summerina Glow 'Sugar Shake' - 0:50 First up is 'Sugar Shake'. It has layer upon layer of double petals in dusky pinks, cherry, and peach, all fading into a chartreuse-lime center. It looks like a painting! Summerina Glow 'Sun's Up' - 0:59 Then we have 'Suns Up', which gives you massive, clear, bright yellow semi-double blooms with a dark, dramatic central eye. Summerina 'Blazing Fire' and 'Sizzling Sunset' - 1:06 If you want to set your garden on fire, look at 'Blazing Fire' and 'Sizzling Sunset'. These pump out the most insane, burnt-orange, mahogany, and deep autumn-red tones you will ever see on a flower. Summerina 'Sunreef' - 1:14 And finally, 'Sunreef', which brings incredibly warm, golden, ocean-sunset vibes to your pots and borders. Echibeckia blooms for months, doesn't need staking, and handles the heat like an absolute champion. And just like it’s parents, it needs full sun, but very little care once established. It’s truly the best of both worlds, and it definitely deserves a prime spot in your garden! If the aesthetics of this plant aren’t enough to sell you, just listen to the pollinators! Bees, butterflies and moths all adore this plant for its plentiful pollen. So if you’re in search of one of the hottest perennials you can plant, look no further than Echibeckia, and you can come find your favorites, right here at Bountiful Gardens. 🌿 RESOURCES & LINKS: Visit us at Bountiful Gardens: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/ Our Rewards Program: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/rewards For Landscape Design Inquiries: Email landscaping@bountifulgardens.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bountifulgardensnj/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BountifulHomeandGarden/ We hope to see you soon! 📍 OUR GARDEN CENTER & GREENHOUSE LOCATIONS: Serving our local New Jersey communities with top-tier, locally grown plants! Find directions, store hours, and seasonal availability at bountifulgardens.com or visit the garden center nearest you: 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Hillsborough, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/gVS8GKyJeTxqLups8 (Serving Somerset County, Princeton, and Central NJ) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Lawrenceville, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/zzbnsyYoNCunX4wT8 (Serving Mercer County, Trenton, and Bucks County) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Ewing, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/SXvPkWGJoQF7jesr7 (Serving Ewing Township, Yardley, and surrounding areas) 🌿 Bountiful Gardens - Ringoes, NJ 👉 https://maps.app.goo.gl/cAyrmeFonQzRfo14A (Serving Ringoes, Lambertville, Flemington, Hopewell Township, and surrounding areas) #NewJerseyGardening #CentralNJ #BountifulGardens

Phlox is one of North America’s greatest gifts to the gardening world! In today's video, we are stepping away from the quick fixes and diving deep into the rich history, fascinating science, and essential care tips for this absolute cottage garden classic. Discover how phlox flowers co-evolved with native butterflies and hummingbirds, why early plant explorers fell in love with them, and how modern breeding fixed the biggest issue old-fashioned phlox used to have: powdery mildew. Whether you love massive blooms like the Luminary series or neat, compact options like the Ka-Pow and Flame series, we have them all beautifully in stock right now at Bountiful Gardens! 🌸 PHLOX TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - The Wild Origins of Phlox 0:27 - The Pollinator Partnership (How Phlox Uses Nectar Guides!) 1:13 - 3 Essential Rules for Perfect Phlox Care 1:40 - Modern Masterpieces: Disease Resistance & Better Hybrids 2:38 - A Look Back in Time: The Cottage Garden History 🌿 VARIETIES FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO: - Luminary Series (Sunset Coral, Pink Lightning, Prismatic Pink) - Garden Girls (Uptown Girl) - Super KaPow Series (White, Lavender, Purple) - Sweet Summer Series (Fantasy, Red, Queen Salmon Orange) - Flame Series (Pro Cerise, Pro Rose Pink, Purple Eye, Light Blue) - Cloudburst, Cotton Candy, Coral Crème Drop, & First Edition Grape Lollipop! If you love exploring the incredible stories and science behind the plants we grow, please give this video a thumbs up and subscribe to the Bountiful Gardens channel for weekly inspiration! 🌿 RESOURCES & LINKS: Visit us at Bountiful Gardens: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/ Our Rewards Program: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/rewards For Landscape Design Inquiries: Email landscaping@bountifulgardens.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bountifulgardensnj/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BountifulHomeandGarden/ About Bountiful Gardens: Welcome to your go-to hub for all things landscaping, gardening, and plant care! We believe that the foundation of any healthy, thriving garden is proper species selection. Whether you are battling the summer heat, fighting off deer, or trying to attract local wildlife, we're here to help you plant smarter. #NewJerseyGardening #CentralNJ #BountifulGardens

Tired of waking up to find your expensive landscaping turned into a free, all-you-can-eat midnight salad bar for the neighborhood deer? 🦌🥗 It is incredibly frustrating to watch your hard work get munched down to the stems. But before you spend a fortune building a ten-foot fence, try a smarter strategy: planting species that deer naturally despise! In this video, we are sharing our absolute favorite deer-resistant Native Perennials. From scent warfare to sticky sap, these native plants have built-in defense mechanisms that keep the deer away while rolling out the red carpet for hummingbirds, butterflies, and local pollinators. 🦋✨ If you’re ready to take your yard back, hit that Subscribe button and let's get planting! 👇 JUMP TO YOUR FAVORITE PLANTS: 👇 0:00 - Stop Feeding the Deer! 0:35 - Scent Warfare: The Mint Family (Monarda, Agastache & Mountain Mint) 1:04 - Rugged Survivors: Goldenrod & Coreopsis 1:24 - Chemical Defense: The Magic of Milkweed 1:48 - Tall Bodyguards: Joe Pye Weed & Culver’s Root 2:05 - Shade Secret: Lobelia 2:20 - Carpet Bombers: Allegheny Spurge & Hardy Geranium 2:35 - The Truth About "Deer Proof" Plants & Deer Out Repellent 🌿 RESOURCES & LINKS: Visit us at Bountiful Gardens: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/ Our Rewards Program: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/rewards For Landscape Design Inquiries: Email landscaping@bountifulgardens.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bountifulgardensnj/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BountifulHomeandGarden/ About Bountiful Gardens: Welcome to your go-to hub for all things landscaping, gardening, and plant care! We believe that the foundation of any healthy, thriving garden is proper species selection. Whether you are battling the summer heat, fighting off deer, or trying to attract local wildlife, we're here to help you plant smarter.

Are you tired of spending a fortune at the garden center, only to watch your new plants turn into toast by mid-July? You might as well be throwing twenty-dollar bills straight into the bonfire! Those big-box stores love to sell you delicate, greenhouse-pampered plants that absolutely panic the second they hit real sunlight. Stop fighting the summer heat and start planting smarter! Today, I'm showing you the ultimate heat-proof perennials that actually survive the full summer sun—so you can stop wasting your hard-earned cash on plants that just can't “take the heat." Speaking of keeping your money, hitting the Like and Subscribe buttons is free! It’s the best investment you'll make for your garden all day and lets us know we should keep making these videos for you. Now, let’s talk about hummingbirds... Hummingbird Perennials (0:41) First up, stop buying expensive plastic feeders and constantly boiling sugar water! If you want real hummingbirds, you need nature's heavy-hitters. Hummingbirds are tiny, territorial fighter jets with a massive sweet tooth, and they’re hunting for high-octane nectar. Agastache, Monarda, Liatris, Kniphofia, Lavender, and Salvia are heat-proof hummingbird magnets. Not only do they thrive when the sun is blazing, but you also never have to scrub mold out of them like you do with those plastic feeders. It’s a win-win for your wallet and the birds! Cottage Garden Perennials (1:16) Love the soft, romantic cottage garden look but hate paying for a massive water bill? The cottage garden fantasy is reading a book while sipping tea, but the reality is usually dragging a heavy hose around at 6 AM. Swap your thirsty, high-maintenance divas for Catmint, Yarrow, Veronica, Helenium, Russian Sage, Blanket Flower, Shasta Daisy, and Sedum. You get all the lush, spilling textures and vibrant colors, with absolutely none of the watering drama. Plus, brushing past Russian Sage and Catmint acts like free outdoor aromatherapy. All romance, zero hassle. Hardy Hibiscus (1:54) Now, let's talk about that dreaded 'swampy corner of doom.' Got a spot in your yard that gets baked by the sun but stays super soggy? Most plants will just rot in the hot mud, taking your money down with them. Don't leave it empty—Hardy Hibiscus is your swamp solution. This plant thinks your poorly drained yard is a luxury resort. It thrives in that humid, wet heat and rewards you with massive, show-stopping blooms that are literally the size of dinner plates. Daylily (2:21) Want a plant that acts like a high-yield savings account? Daylilies are the real estate moguls of the garden border. They establish a lush, tropical-looking colony that divides, conquers, and expands year after year. Buy them once, and they’ll do the rest of the work for you. They are so incredibly resilient, you practically have to try to kill them, making them the ultimate flex for the lazy—or financially savvy—gardener. Rudbeckia & Coreopsis (2:46) Stop buying short-lived filler plants that barely peek over your ankles! If you want your landscaping to look expensive, you need vertical architecture. Rudbeckia and Coreopsis are the absolute giants of the summer garden. It’s like watching a teenager hit a growth spurt—they shoot up anywhere from 3 to 10 feet tall without breaking a single sweat in the summer sun. You don't need to buy a fancy wooden pergola when you have ten-foot-tall golden blooms waving in the wind. Echinacea (3:12) If you only have the budget for one bulletproof sun-lover to anchor your garden, make it Echinacea, also known as the Coneflower. They are the undisputed heavyweight champions of the summer garden. They laugh in the face of 100-degree days, the color and texture varieties are endless, and those spiky little cone centers look like tiny hedgehogs that will eventually feed the goldfinches come autumn. Once established, they are tough as nails. Watering (3:34) Now, before you go throw these in the ground and take a two-week vacation, listen up: 'Drought-tolerant' does not mean 'immortal.' Think of these plants like marathon runners. Yes, they are tough, and yes, they can go the distance in the blistering heat—but you still have to hand them a cup of water at the starting line. You must water them deep and often for their first few months to establish their roots. Give them that initial VIP treatment with some good soil and fertilizer, and they will run laps around your garden for years to come! Come out to the nursery and start Planting More today! Our Website: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/ Our Rewards Program: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/rewards For Landscape Design Inquiries: Email landscaping@bountifulgardens.com We hope to see you soon!

Your annuals are going to stop blooming in exactly one week unless you do this right now. The heatwave is coming, your plants are about to panic, and if you don’t deadhead them properly, the flower show is completely over! When it gets hot, your annuals go into survival mode. Their only goal is to make seeds. Once a fading flower forms a seed pod, the plant thinks its job is done, and it stops making new blooms. But when we remove those dead flowers, we trick the plant into pushing out fresh color all summer long. Now, before we get into exactly where to cut every specific plant in your garden, let’s get one thing straight: do not treat this like a chore. This is your 5-minute garden meditation. Pour yourself a glass of wine in the evening, or grab your morning coffee, and take a quick stroll through the yard. A few minutes of sipping and snipping is the difference between a sad, green bush and a magazine-worthy yard! Let's grab a glass and run through the heavy hitters. Zinnias & Dahlias (0:58) - These have long stems. Don't leave a headless, ugly stick poking out of your plant. Follow that bare stem down to the first set of healthy leaves, or the nearest new bud, and snip right above it. Snip. Geraniums (1:13) - Put the snips away for this one. Follow the long flower stalk all the way down to where it meets the main stem, push your thumb against it, and snap it backward. It pops right off. Snap. Petunias (1:24) - The biggest mistake people make here is just pulling the dead, papery petals. The seed pod is still attached right at the base! You have to pinch the sticky little green base right below the flower. Pinch. Marigolds (1:39) - These guys go to seed fast. Right below the dead flower is a swollen green bump. That’s the seed pod. Snip the stem right below that bump, just above the next set of leaves. Snip. Salvia (1:53) - When the bottom flowers on the spike turn brown and start falling off, it’s time. Follow the spike down into the foliage until you see two tiny new side shoots forming on the stem. Snip the main stalk right above them. Snip. Verbena, Lantana & Pentas (2:08) - These bloom in clusters. Once the whole cluster looks tired and faded, follow its little stem down to the next set of leaves and give it a haircut. Snip. African Daisies & Argyranthemum (2:23) - Finally, we have Argyranthemum and Osteospermum. To keep the flower show going, it's really important to follow the stem down and snip at the next set of leaves. The Golden Rule! (2:34) Okay, if you have a plant I didn't mention, or you are feeling completely overwhelmed by trying to memorize all of this, take a breath. I'm going to give you the golden rule of deadheading: Analyze the stem! Plants push new growth from the nodes—the little joints where leaves meet the stem. If you look closely at almost any annual, you will see a tiny new bud or branch forming right in the crotch of those leaves. Your goal is simply to trace the dead flower's stem down to the very next active bud or healthy set of leaves, and cut right above it. You are just taking away the dead end to let the new traffic flow. That’s it! Self-Cleaning Plants (3:12) Now, what if you want a beautiful garden but you absolutely refuse to do any dead-heading? You're in luck. Next time you come to Bountiful Gardens or your local garden center, look for "self-cleaning" annuals. Plants like Cuphea, Lobularia (Sweet Alyssum), Scaevola (Fan Flower), Portulaca, and Vinca automatically drop their spent blooms and keep pushing out new ones without any help from you. They are the ultimate plant-and-forget superstars. Beat the heat, trick your plants, and unlock thousands of blooms this summer. Grab your drink, grab your snips, and go spend five minutes in your garden. If this helped you save your summer flowers, hit that like button and subscribe for more straight-to-the-point gardening secrets. Happy gardening, and I’ll see you next time! Come out to the nursery and start Planting More today! Our Website: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/ Our Rewards Program: https://www.bountifulgardens.com/rewards For Landscape Design Inquiries: Email landscaping@bountifulgardens.com We hope to see you soon!