The idea behind a mailbox garden is to bring eye-catching color to the base of your mailbox, lamp post, or bird house pole. If planned properly, this garden should be able to cheerfully greet visitors season after season. For a truly spectacular garden, make sure to include plants with flowers that bloom at different seasons, cover the entire color spectrum and/or have interesting foliage or year-round interest.

It takes some pretty tough plants to put up with the harsh growing conditions surrounding a street-side mailbox. Because most mailbox locations are surrounded by pavement, this special garden takes plants that thrive in full sun and can tolerate heat and drought.

With the exception of perhaps one taller focal plant or a vine that wraps around the post, most plants in a mailbox garden should be varieties that stay under 2' in height. This way you don't block the view of your home or interfere with backing out of the driveway.

Before planting, prepare the area. Shape the bed, remove any existing weeds or sod, then dig down at least 6-8 inches and turn over the soil, mixing in a soil amendment, such as Gardner & Bloome Planting Mix, 50/50 with the existing soil. Add a starter fertilizer to the entire area. This will mix into the soil when you plant your plants.

Remember, it takes 3-4 months for most plants to get established. For best results, water regularly and feed every few months during the growing season with a good flower food, such as Dr. Earth #7 All Purpose Fertilizer, and your plants will reward you with long-lasting beauty.

We have a great selection of plants perfect for mailbox gardens. Stop by for a visit and one of our staff of nursery professionals will be happy to help you make your selections. Or just click here to get some ideas for great mailbox garden plants.

Many home gardeners grow tomatoes, peas and string beans vertically on trellises, but few realize you can grow other vegetables vertically. Many space-challenged gardeners opt out of growing squashes and melons because they take up so much room in the garden. That's a shame, since these are some of the most rewarding summer crops to grow.

The best part of growing squashes and melons vertically is that you will have room for more tasty varieties. The key is to make sure you have (or build) a sturdy support structure for these babies; no string trellises here. Firmly attach a wood or metal trellis to your fence or individual posts. You can even use a strong garden arbor.

Squash and melons grow fast, so a couple of plants will cover a trellis in no time. For an arbor, select four different varieties and anchor two on each side. This unique growing method will also add visual appeal to your garden. Just imagine an arbor covered with dozens of vibrant squash or fragrant melons hanging like ornaments. This growing method will also encourage you to harvest more frequently, before your squash get too large and tough-fleshed.

Besides saving space, growing vegetables vertically will expose them to more sunlight, allowing for more even ripening. It also increases the air circulation around the foliage and fruit so your plants will be less troubled by mildew and other diseases. And, since your fruit is now off the ground, it will be less susceptible to rotting. So when you plan your vegetable garden this year, go vertical!

Blooming from mid-spring through early fall, the butterfly bush (buddleia) is particularly prized for its ability to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and songbirds. The most popular species originally hails from China, but buddleias are now grown throughout the United States.

Butterfly bushes are valued for their clusters of beautiful, tubular-shaped flowers. The blossoms come in a variety of colors including white, pink, red, blue, purple, orange or yellow flowers produced by different species and cultivars. Adding to their attraction is the fact that they are rich in nectar and often strongly scented.

The taller varieties add the most value to the garden when they are grown as a background shrub or as part of a mixed border, while the dwarf varieties look great as focal plants or as part of a colorful perennial bed. Butterfly bushes prefer to be planted in full sun locations but can tolerate partial shade if needed. They go completely dormant in the winter in colder areas but can remain semi-evergreen in warmer climates.

The butterfly bush is a fairly low maintenance shrub. Once established it can become fairly drought tolerant and needs only to be fed with an all purpose plant food once in spring and summer. It can be pruned back hard every spring if needed; this will produce a denser and more rounded shrub.

Every garden can use a few--and your birds and butterflies will thank you too!

How deep should I plant my new plants?

Answer:

Most plants will benefit from being planted with the top of the root ball at the existing soil level--not the top of the container it came from.

If a plant is installed too high, it will dry out faster, scalding the top of the root ball and stressing the plant out to the point of requiring therapy and potentially expensive medication. Just think how you would feel if the top of your feet were scalded--and you'll understand how important this is.

On the other hand, installing a plant too deep can slowly rot the roots and eventually kill the plant. Most plants that are planted too deep will have a dark soil ring stain around the base of the trunk or crown of the plant. The roots will also emit a most malodorous aroma.

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