The Bruce Company Blog

How-To Videos

Plant Care Tips

Plant Care Tips

Q & As

Have a Question?

whatever happened to autumn?

Wow. We’re more than halfway through October and no sign of a hard frost! The old saying goes “No frost until after the full moon in October.” AccuWeather’s long range forecast doesn’t  predict under 40 degrees until the month’s last week. So, at least for this year,...

what’s all the fuss

If you aren’t a procrastinator and your gardens are cleaned up and plants are tucked in for the coming cold weather, you’re probably looking for something to do this weekend. So why not take advantage of the clement temperatures and get a head start on winter by...

the great pond tuck-in

Despite the warm days we’ve experienced, the night temperatures are cooling and green leaves are beginning to color. I think that we may be in for an extended autumn. Did you know that the average date for the first frost is October 4th and the first trace of snow is...

the last days of summer

At long last. It’s time to take a deep breath because a lot of the physical work, and often frenetic pace of the growing season is winding down. Even though the warm weather may mean that there will still be raking to be done in November! Not having a million things...

coaxing, not forcing!

Let’s start by saying that the word forcing may sound like a lot of work. It really isn’t. What you’re doing is tricking a bulb into thinking that winter is over and it’s time to flower. You could call it a little sleight of hand. And you reap the rewards of spring...

changing the season

Now that we’re getting ready to turn the calendar from summer to fall, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Cooler temps. Lower humidity. And so many other reasons to love autumn! But a gardener’s work is never done. Let’s start by acknowledging that cold...

bulbs & corms & tubers oh my

Are you confused when it comes to fall-planted bulbs? Lots of gardeners are. What are bulbs, and how, and when should they be planted are questions that we often hear at the Plant Information Desk in late summer and early autumn. Adding bulbs to your borders is simple...

bring the outdoors in

September can be such a transitional time, especially for gardeners as our landscapes seem to teeter on the edge of a climatic cliff. Colors will begin to morph from deep green foliage to mellow butter yellow and fiery scarlet. Branching forms reappear as deciduous...

late summer recap

What a difference a wetter growing season makes! The Madison area’s rainfall is just a couple of inches over average April through end of August. It certainly has been a wet July and August, but we were running very low in the early spring months. The temps and...

second chance veggies

So many of you planted fruits and vegetables again this spring and we hope that you’ve been happy with the results. After all, there are few things more delicious then a tomato eaten right off the vine. And you may find that you’ve got some empty spots where spring...
whatever happened to autumn?

whatever happened to autumn?

written by Lisa Briggs
Wow. We’re more than halfway through October and no sign of a hard frost! The old saying goes “No frost until after the full moon in October.” AccuWeather’s long range forecast doesn’t predict under 40 degrees until the month’s last week.

read more
what’s all the fuss

what’s all the fuss

written by Lisa Briggs
If you aren’t a procrastinator and your gardens are cleaned up and plants are tucked in for the coming cold weather, you’re probably looking for something to do this weekend.

read more
the great pond tuck-in

the great pond tuck-in

written by Lisa Briggs
Despite the warm days we’ve experienced, the night temperatures are cooling and green leaves are beginning to color. I think that we may be in for an extended autumn.

read more
the last days of summer

the last days of summer

written by Lisa Briggs
At long last. It’s time to take a deep breath because a lot of the physical work, and often frenetic pace of the growing season is winding down. Even though the warm weather may mean that there will still be raking to be done in November!

read more
coaxing, not forcing!

coaxing, not forcing!

written by Lisa Briggs
Let’s start by saying that the word forcing may sound like a lot of work. It really isn’t. What you’re doing is tricking a bulb into thinking that winter is over and it’s time to flower.

read more
changing the season

changing the season

written by Lisa Briggs
Now that we’re getting ready to turn the calendar from summer to fall, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Cooler temps. Lower humidity. And so many other reasons to love autumn!

read more
late summer recap

late summer recap

written by Lisa Briggs
Let’s talk about a few things that we’ve seen and experienced this year. Lots of photos and samples of fungal infection have been brought to the Plant Information Desk.

read more
second chance veggies

second chance veggies

written by Lisa Briggs
So many of you planted fruits and vegetables again this spring and we hope that you’ve been happy with the results. After all, there are few things more delicious then a tomato eaten right off the vine.

read more
Skip to content