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The Bruce Company Blog

a little something fishy

Despite the warm days we’ve experienced, the night temperatures are cooling and leaves are beginning to color. And did you know that the average date for the first trace of snow is October 16th? Yikes! Colder weather is certainly on its way making it time to get your...

time to take a breath

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...

trick your bulbs

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...

fall is for planting

Now that we’re 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! But a gardener’s work is never done. Let’s start by acknowledging...

delayed gratification

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...

slow slide into autumn

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...

if at first you don’t succeed

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...

vive la difference!

What a difference a wet growing season makes! The Madison area’s rainfall is double what we received through August 31 last year and almost 7 inches more than the average for the same time. And though the average monthly temperatures ran a bit warmer in March and...

add some color to your summer

Seesawing temperatures are one clue that summer is on the wane. Long-range weather forecasters predict that we can expect more moderate temperatures this weekend through the end of the month, giving us lots of time to plant some fall veg and late blooming annuals. If...

late summer planting

As summer wanes and autumn approaches, birds congregate in the trees and on overhead wires. The air is sweetly scented with ripening fruit. The light changes, becoming more golden. Everything seems ready to burst. Not in the tender, life-is-beginning way of spring,...
in living color!

in living color!

written by Lisa Briggs
When you’re at the Garden Center choosing perennials, annuals and flowering shrubs for your yard, there are probably many factors that affect your decision.

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spring into summer!

spring into summer!

written by Lisa Briggs
Early summer is an especially nice time to start a garden journal. Your what-to-do-in-the-garden-today lists have shortened and everything is just so achingly beautiful.

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tiny beacons of summer

tiny beacons of summer

written by Lisa Briggs
Are they fireflies, glowworms or lightning bugs? It doesn’t really matter what you call them because one of our favorite sights of summer are those yellow-green orbs flashing against the backdrop of the garden at dusk.

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is it finally time to plant?

is it finally time to plant?

written by Lisa Briggs
May is many a gardener’s favorite month, and this year even more so! The seesaw spring had spring flowers developing in fits and starts, but the warm temps late last week pushed many plants hard, all at once.

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the 64 dollar gardening question

the 64 dollar gardening question

written by Lisa Briggs
I find that the pace of spring seems more accelerated every year and this season is especially frenzied. The yoyo temperatures had all of us itching to start gardening in March, even though those chilly nights held back a lot of our plant deliveries and trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals are arriving early!

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