Lantana is a hardy, sun-loving and drought-tolerant flowering shrub. This evergreen shrub is fabulous and highly valued in any landscape for its very long bloom season. (In warm climates, it blooms all year around.) The highly drought-tolerant lantana is also an excellent addition to a xeriscape garden, providing plenty of flower color.

The blooms are tiny flowers in tight clusters, resembling a miniature bouquet. In full bloom, the shrub is heavily covered with a profuse showy display that attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds.

Lantana hybrids fall into two major categories: upright and trailing forms. The upright forms range in size from 2-5' tall by 3-6' wide. The trailing varieties range from 1-3' tall by 3-6' wide. Lantana hybrids come in many colors and color combinations including yellow, pink, red, purple, cream, magenta and lemon yellow, orange and pink, and yellow and orange.

Plant the trailing varieties in the front of your hedge, on a hill or on an embankment. The larger upright forms are beautiful as background specimen plants or in a cluster of three with other drought-tolerant perennials surrounding them.

Lantana is a rapid, vigorous grower. Don't be afraid to maintain the size and shape of each shrub with a good spring pruning to keep shrubs lush and full. Without this pruning, lantana can get woody. Lantanas also benefit from a regular feeding of Dr. Earth Organic 3 Rose and Flower Fertilizer every two months spring through fall, which will keep them in top blooming form.

We have many different lantana hybrids from which to choose. So stop by and let us help you to transform your gardens to a water-wise flowering bouquet!

Who is standing high above the bright flowering faces of the garden? The "tall and sassy" guys. These plants are the ones that first catch your eye. And these tall plants in the background of your gardens may be selected from the perennial group, grasses, shrubs or small-scale trees. As you make your selection, remember — they can have the important role of creating the theme of the garden design. It could be a single plant as the focal point, one with strong architectural form or a colorful grouping that stands high above the other flowering plants in a perennial bed.

A strong focal point, such as the beautiful lacy and waterfall structure of a Japanese maple called 'Waterfall' (weeping form, 4-6 ft) is a good example of a single plant creating a garden theme. An observer will be expecting to see a bubbling stream with a waterfall directly beneath its weeping branches. The maple and the stream could be surrounded by a woodland garden of columbine, hosta and trillium. Or perhaps the focal point is created with a different tree; envision a semi-shady meadow garden with your tree surrounded with daylilies, ornamental grasses, rudbeckia and more.

Another function of the tall member of the garden is architectural interest or structure. The butterfly bush (Buddleja), flax (Phormium), or small trees are examples of structural plants, each creating a different mood or type of garden. All offer garden interest, many even in the winter.

Perhaps you have a perennial garden without a tree or large architectural plant. Height, drama, color, texture and motion can be achieved in no time if you choose from the many different tall-growing perennials such as buddleja, canna, lavatera, verbena (bonariensis), watsonia, and ornamental grasses.

Whatever your garden design and whatever the plant function that you desire, we have a large selection of "tall and sassy" plants available today. Come in and take a look!

Lawns are put to the test this time of year. Any weakness in water coverage, soil nutrition, or weed control shows up in the heat of summer. Now is the time to recheck your sprinkler system. Plugged or broken heads need to be fixed or replaced. Brown patterned circles in your lawn generally indicate a sprinkler head has been plugged by a grain of sand or has become a victim of a vicious lawn mower attack.

The irrigation system in flower beds should also be inspected. Many times we plant in front of a sprinkler. This is not a problem when the plant is small, but it can result in disaster for other plants in the bed as the new guy grows and blocks the water for the others. Make the necessary adjustment and watch your plants flourish.

Let's face it, working in your garden or watering your lawn is not easy while yellowjackets are buzzing around you. The yellowjacket could be searching for food or trying to protect the nest it carefully constructed during the past season.

Although wasps are helpful in pollination, and some varieties actually feed on insects such as caterpillars and other crop-destroying bugs, their venom can be harmful to those who are allergic to stings.

There are several ways to protect your garden visitors from the yellowjacket. The most natural way is by prevention. Wasps are attracted to food sources by smell, so eliminating any type of food such as soda or protein will keep these critters away. Do not squish a wasp, as the bug releases a pheromone that attracts others of its kind. Even worse, if you swat at the yellowjacket and miss, it will only defend itself by trying to sting you.

The easiest way to remove yellowjackets from your garden is by using a trap. The yellowjackets will enter the trap and get stuck. When using a trap, be sure to empty it weekly. We recommend the Rescue Yellowjacket trap and suggest placing a few strategically in different parts of the garden (away from entertaining areas) for best results. You can also spray the nest, if it is not near any vegetables or herbs. Note that spraying does put you in danger of being stung.