Keep Your Garden Happy in August
As the summer heat persists and your garden continues to grow, it's essential to adjust your care routine to help your plants thrive through the hottest days of the season and prepare for the transition into fall. With smoky skies and wildfires affecting much of our region, conserving water and minimizing additional stress on your landscape has become even more important. Here are some tips for late summer garden care:
Watering Wisely: With the scorching temperatures of August, it's crucial to monitor your garden's water needs closely. Deep watering in the early morning or late evening helps plants absorb moisture more effectively and reduces evaporation. Be mindful of drought-stressed plants and provide them with adequate hydration to keep them healthy. Since water is a precious resource, it's important to be mindful of how you water.
Mulching Matters: Applying a layer of mulch around your plants helps conserve soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds. Organic mulches such as shredded bark or compost not only help retain moisture, but also enrich the soil as they break down.
Deadheading and Pruning: Remove spent blooms from flowering plants through deadheading to encourage continued blooming. Additionally, prune any unruly growth or damaged branches to maintain the health and shape of your plants.
Fertilizing Thoughtfully: Begin to taper your fertilizer and stop fertilizing woody plants altogether, otherwise they will have growth that will be too soft to withstand the first frost.
Harvesting and Preserving: August is the time for rich harvests from your garden. Regularly pick ripe fruits and vegetables to encourage more production. Consider preserving your harvest through canning, freezing, or drying to enjoy your garden's bounty throughout the year.
Managing Pests and Diseases: Keep a close eye on your plants for signs of pests and diseases, which can proliferate in the warm, humid conditions of late summer. Implement integrated pest management strategies and natural remedies to address any issues that arise. We have a great selection of products for managing pests and diseases in our garden center barn. Any of our New Leaf plant specialist can assist you in finding the right product for your needs.
By following these tailored care tips for August, you can ensure that your garden remains healthy, vibrant, and productive as you navigate the challenges and opportunities of late summer gardening.
Chill Out with Shade Trees
Shade trees play a crucial role in enhancing the environment and promoting well-being in many ways. From temperature regulation to energy efficiency, to improved air quality and creating a habitat for wildlife, these are just a few of the many benefits shade trees provide. Not to mention, they offer shelter from the sun's intense rays while creating a sustainable solution for cooling and shading your home and garden.
From maple trees to the expansive canopy of an oak tree, to sycamores, elms and birch trees, shade trees come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and foliage types to suit your aesthetic preferences and landscape needs.
Elm Tree
Known for their graceful arching branches and a broad spreading canopy, Elm trees are ideal for cooling outdoor spaces. Their dense foliage helps to block out sunlight, creating a cooler environment underneath.
Oak Tree
Oak trees have large, spreading canopies that provide a generous amount of shade, creating cool and comfortable areas underneath for relaxation. With sturdy branches and a robust structure, they’re known as long-lasting and durable shade providers.
Birch Tree
River Birch and Paper Birch are excellent choices for providing shade. Their feathery leaves create a light, airy canopy that gently filters sunlight, casting beautiful dappled shade below. Their distinctive, peeling bark adds unique texture and striking character to the landscape, making these trees just as attractive in winter as they are during the growing season.
Maple Tree
With their attractive appearance, broad canopies, and the ability to thrive in a variety of climates, these fast growing trees are valued for their shade. Their dense, full canopies provide ample shade, making them an ideal choice to relax under during the hotter months.
Sycamore Tree
Sycamores are known for their fast growth rate, which means they can quickly establish themselves as reliable shade providers in a landscape. Their large, spreading canopy and robust and hardy nature make this low-maintenance tree a great choice for shade.
The bark of a sycamore tree naturally exfoliates in irregular patches, revealing different colored layers underneath. This shedding of bark creates a jigsaw puzzle-like pattern that is visually appealing and adds texture and interest to the tree's trunk.
We have a wide range of shade trees in stock to suit your landscaping needs. Our selection includes trees of various sizes, shapes, and foliage types to accommodate different garden styles. From fast-growing species to those known for their colorful characteristics, we have options that offer both ample shade and aesthetic appeal. If you need guidance on choosing the right tree, our knowledgeable staff is here to assist you in finding the perfect shade tree for your specific requirements.
Join us For a LIVE Butterfly Release!
Join us for one of the most immersive family experiences of the summer at New Leaf Nursery! On Wednesday, August 12 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, hundreds of monarch butterflies will take flight in a spectacular live release—and some of these butterflies are truly extraordinary.
New Leaf Nursery, in collaboration with Wings Rising, a local nonprofit dedicated to monarch butterfly preservation, and Washington State University, will release selected monarchs wearing tiny, trackable tags as part of the WSU Adopt a Monarch program. After the event, you'll be able to follow their incredible migration journey from North Idaho all the way to Mexico using your smartphone.
The Mighty Monarchs, a local nonprofit dedicated to monarch conservation, will be onsite sharing their knowledge about the challenges facing Western Monarchs and the importance of protecting their habitat. Families can enjoy free, kid-friendly activities while learning how they can help support these incredible pollinators. The Nature Conservancy will also be joining us to support this important conservation initiative, sharing more about their efforts to protect monarch habitats and preserve the natural spaces these butterflies depend on.
This special morning is designed for children of all ages and their families. Youth Services Librarian, Katie from Hayden Community Library, will lead an engaging Story Time in the Garden beneath the trees before the butterfly release.
The fun continues throughout the garden! Kids will get to create a colorful butterfly wind spinner to take home and enjoy. Sponsored by Lil’ Sprouts Garden Club, Shimmer Shack CDA will be here creating magical face-painting designs, and BP Doodles will be capturing smiles with custom caricature artwork. Be sure to snap a photo and make a memory in front of our beautiful butterfly backdrop!
To make the day even sweeter, Pascendi’s Italian Ice will be serving refreshing shaved ice, including special event flavors alongside their customer favorites. Plus, The Sugaree will be joining us with their delicious fairy floss — spun with organic sugar, made with certified organic flavors, and completely free of dyes. If you're looking for something savory, Hey Bear Food Cart will also be onsite serving up hot dogs and refreshing lemonade, making it easy to grab a bite while you enjoy the festivities.
Following story time, Wings Rising will share fascinating facts about monarch butterflies, their life cycle, and why these remarkable pollinators are so important to our ecosystem. Then, experience the unforgettable moment as hundreds of monarch butterflies are released into the garden.
As a special thank-you to our Seed Rewards members, children in attendance will receive a limited-edition Monarch butterfly sticker while supplies last.
The nursery has a variety of pollinator friendly plants and milkweed—the essential host plant for monarch butterflies. Planting milkweed at home is one of the best ways to help support future generations of these beautiful pollinators and create a butterfly-friendly garden of your own.
Bring your family, invite your friends, and experience a morning filled with stories, creativity, and the wonder of watching monarch butterflies begin an incredible journey.
This is one of a kind opportunity for your children. This year, we’ll have even more butterfly houses so more children can enjoy the experience. We encourage families to arrive early for the best seating. To help ensure all children can participate, we kindly ask that seating be reserved for kids, with parents standing nearby.
Employee Spotlight — Meet Kat!
Kat is one of the amazing team members who helps keep our nursery looking its best! You'll often spot her wandering the grounds, making sure our plants stay happy and healthy with plenty of water. When she's not caring for plants at New Leaf, she's taking the stage as a singer in a local band—and trust us, she has an incredible voice! We're so lucky to have her as part of the New Leaf family. The next time you see Kat around the nursery, be sure to say hello...she'll be happy to help you find the perfect plant!
