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 an embankment. The larger upright forms are beautiful as a 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 Master Nursery 16-16-16 Multi-Purpose Fertilizer every two months spring through fall, which will keeping 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 heuchera. 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 your garden is 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 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 try to 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 Sterling's 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.

Michael was born in a hospital and spent his youth growing up in the Windy City. You'll never find him auditioning for American Idol, as his worst subject in school was Choir.

Michael graduated from the University of Hawaii and has held some unique jobs, including working at the M&M Mars Candy Company and as a fishing guide at Lake of the Woods in Canada.

He has always been a straight arrow and in his spare time enjoys fishing, gardening, and more fishing.

My staff and I look forward to serving you this year. We'll go out of our way to make your day!

Matt Lepow

Our Featured Recipes are submitted by our family and friends and from employees of the Nursery. We'd also like our newsletter readers to submit great recipes to share. If you'd like to submit one or more of your favorites, please email us the recipe in the format shown below. Include a picture too if you have one. We'd also like to know the origin of your recipe so we can include a little background on it.

Happy eats!

Matt and Jeni Lepow

This week's Featured Recipe comes from Janet Waagen, one of our regular newsletter readers. With her yummy recipe she tells us...

"My Grandmother immigrated to the U.S.A. in 1910 from a small town north of Naples, Italy. I remember her cooking squash blossoms (usually zucchini, but blossoms from any squash will work just as well) when I was a child. Years later, "Sunset" magazine ran an article on what to do with Squash blossom. This recipe comes close to the original!"

What You'll Need:

•6 large (3" - 4" long) or 12 medium (2" - 3" long) squash blossoms
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• Salad Oil
Fresh tomato relish (recipe follows)
• 6 sprigs of tarragon

Step by Step:

• Pinch and discard stems from centers of blossoms.

• Rinse gently; drain, cup side down.

• Put flour in bowl or bag; in another bowl beat eggs to blend.

• Coat 1 blossom at a time lightly with flour; shake off excess.

• Dip blossom into egg, lift out, and drain briefly. Spread petals open, if desired.

• Add coated flowers to about 1" salad oil heated to 400 degrees in 10" frying pan.

• Cook until light golden brown.

• Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or at room temperature.

• Fill each blossom with fresh tomato relish.

Fresh Tomato Relish:

• Core, seed and finely chop 1 large firm-ripe tomato

• Mix with: 1 Tablespoon each olive oil, and red wine vinegar, minced shallot, and 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1/4 teaspoon dry tarragon)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 6 first-course servings

Thank you, Janet!