The Bruce Company Blog

How-To Videos

Plant Care Tips

Plant Care Tips

Q & As

Have a Question?

frost things first

Wow. Our first frost was earlier than the last few years The old saying No frost until after the full moon in October doesn’t always hold true as the October full moon isn’t until Monday. Long range forecasts are predicting warmer than normal temperatures for the next...

give me pumpkin to talk about

At the end of October, the doorway to winter swings wide open. The sun is swallowed up by nights that lengthen with every passing day. The shimmering greens of summer and fiery hues of autumn give way to bare branches. Glorious fall flowers fade and die back. It is a...

fall for your garden

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 means that there is still raking to be done, not having a million things to accomplish in the...

give me pumpkin to talk about

If we were able to solve a couple of the great mysteries of gardening, we would not want to know if a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. But we might be sure to ask if there really is a difference between a squash and a gourd. Squashes generally refer...

fall into gardening

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...

chill to thrill

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...

dig in for spring

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 Desk in late summer and early autumn. Adding bulbs to your borders is simple and...

bringing in the green

September can be such a transitional time, especially for gardeners. Our garden borders 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...

second chance vegetables

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...

rake, rest and reset

Weather factors can make gardening in our area mighty interesting. We’ve experienced 10 days of over 90-degree temps, a very dry July and though we have a few more days to make the difference, a dry-ish August. The Autumnal Equinox is just 27 days away and the first...
classic holiday plants

classic holiday plants

I love the bustle of the winter holidays. If I regret taking on extra projects, the sight of family faces around the table at Thanksgiving makes all of the work worthwhile. You can use all kinds of things to decorate for the holidays-live plants, foraged stems, fruits...

read more
we’ll light up your life

we’ll light up your life

written by Lisa Briggs
There’s no snow forecasted in our immediate future. So why not add some holiday decorating to this weekend’s chore list and hang your Christmas lights? These beautiful, late fall days are perfect for getting a jump on outdoor holiday decorating.

read more
fall into winter

fall into winter

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.” The long range forecasts do predict some pretty chilly temps next weekend. So we’ll see if the adage is true.

read more
time to slow down

time to slow down

written by Lisa Briggs
At long last. It’s time to take a deep breath because the physical work, and often frenetic pace of the growing season is winding down. Not having a million things to accomplish in the garden may find some folks feeling a bit bereft, but most of us are pretty happy for the break.

read more
the art of forcing bulbs

the art of forcing bulbs

written by Lisa Briggs
Let me 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
the gentle slide into autumn

the gentle slide into autumn

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

read more
delayed gratification

delayed gratification

written by Lisa Briggs
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 Desk in late summer and early autumn.

read more
wonderful world of houseplants

wonderful world of houseplants

written by Lisa Briggs
We’ve had a couple of chilly nights under our belts, with the night temps in the mid 50s. It won’t be long before we’re experiencing lows in the 40s. So it’s time to make a plan for any houseplants that have spent the summer outdoors.

read more
Skip to content