Kingsdene Nursery & Garden Center
16435 York Road, Monkton, MD 21111
Voted Best of Baltimore 2022 Nursery & Garden Center

Voted Best of Baltimore 2022 Nursery & Garden Center


News / Tips




Leafgro Compost Made in Maryland

Only 16 days until Spring! 🌻🌞 It’s time to think about garden prep and what better way to give your gardens a jump start then with Leaf Gro! Not only because it’s made from recycled organic materials, but it adds volume and substance to your garden, naturally! We’re proud to offer ‘Leafgro’ compost made right here in Maryland from materials that would have otherwise ended up in our landfills. Support local business and composting with Leafgro.

Transform Your Outdoor Gardens from Sad to Glad with Our Spring Cleanup

Here we are, middle of February, and time is just marching on. At a pretty good clip too! Spring is right around the corner. We can transform your outdoor gardens from sad 😢 to glad 🙂. Weeding, edging, mulching, pruning, application of pre-emergents, we’ve got you covered! Give us a call @ 410-343-1150 to schedule your Spring clean-up. Our schedule fills up quickly so best not to delay.

Seeing Wheel Bugs in Your Garden? It’s a Good Thing!

You may have seen this around your garden and home and thought “eeewwww”, what is that ugly thing? That, my dear, is a wheel bug and not to be feared unless they bite you. They are a generalist predator and love to feast on the dreaded spotted lantern fly, which is a good thing! Often known as assassin bugs they sport a dagger-like, piercing-sucking beak. They feast on something small like an aphid right up to something the size of a caterpillars. The wheel bug can reach up to 1 1/2 inches in length but don’t mess with them because if they bite you they can pack quite a punch. Avoid using broad-spectrum pesticides because this is one bug you want in your garden. We’ve posted photos of wheel bug eggs compared to the eggs of the spotted lantern fly so you can identify the one to seek out and destroy. Photos courtesy of U. of Md. Entomology Dept.

Echinacea Available in Our Perennial Area

We have a nice selection of Echinacea available in our perennial area. We especially like this one, Sombrero Lemon Yellow. This happy colorful coneflower would transition seamlessly as our gardens move into another season. Long lasting blooms from Summer to the first frost. Combined with other Fall like colors and you have a instant garden refresh! Bonus – Pollinators love coneflowers!

Know Which Bees Not to Mess With!

PSA for today: If you see a beekeeper run, then you should probably run too! 🐝🐝 Love and respect the bees, they are so important but know which ones not to mess with.

Test Your Soil Before Planting This Season!

We are often asked about soil testing. Univ. Of. Maryland no longer offers this service, but they have provided a list of labs that currently offer comprehensive soil tests.
 
  • Have your soil tested before planting a vegetable or flower garden, trees, and shrubs, or starting or renovating a lawn.
  • Soil testing labs provide more complete and accurate results than do-it-yourself soil test kits.
  • Soil test results give you baseline information on soil pH, nutrient levels, and organic matter content and recommendations for fertilizing and adjusting soil pH. Soil testing is an essential tool for improving soil health.
  • Soil testing helps reduce overfertilizing, keeping excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) out of Maryland’s groundwater and surface waters.
  • Vegetable gardens, regardless of location, should be tested for lead (Pb).
  • (Provided by U. of MD. Extension)

Oxalis

We came in today and it looks like the Leprechauns made a delivery, OXALIS! Super easy to grow and another plant that can live with proper care for years. And what is proper care you ask? Well, it’s actually pretty simple. A degree in horticulture is not required to grow this happy little plant. Oxalis has a fun personality all its own. Triangular leaves in shades ranging from emerald green to deep maroon and some are even variegated. You’ll also find some varieties sporting an extra leaf for good measure, just like the lucky four-leaf clover. 🍀 Oxalis are members of the wood sorrel family and are not true “shamrocks”, even though they are more readily available around St. Paddy’s Day. They like a well-drained soil and care should be taken to not overwater. Oxalis are grown from bulbs (corms) and they can rot if overwatered. They like to be placed in an area with bright but indirect light. Low light can make them leggy (and ugly ☹️). Fertilize with a well balanced all purpose food about every 2- 3 weeks when they are actively growing. They do occasionaly have a few nuisance pests like aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. All in all a great little plant to have in your collection, and one that can provide years of enjoyment. So come on in, and see if you can find one that has a lucky leaf. If you do, it’s calling your name!

Hellebores

“The hills are alive with……no, not music, Hellebores! Our hellebores are waking up! They’re not out on the sales tables yet so come and take an early peek and get the best ones. They don’t mind a chill so they’re ready to go. A sure sign of Spring!

African Violets

African violets, the memories they bring back of the writer’s “Granny” growing huge and beautiful violets. All while making it look so easy, which it actually is! Today stunning colorful tri-color violets came in to the gift shop. These little beauties will certainly perk up the remaining gray days of winter. With proper TLC they will be repeat bloomers for many years to come, that’s right, we said YEARS! Here are a few tips for growing violets and if you feel overwhelmed come on in and we can answer any questions or concerns you have.

Avoid plants with soft, droopy leaves and those with brown spots or pests. Plants with a few open flowers and many closed buds will remain in bloom longer after you buy it. Tip: peek under the upper leaves to look for newly forming flower stems.

African violets need bright light to bloom, but cannot tolerate hot, direct sun because their leaves are easily scorched by intense light. Violets bloom best at temperatures from 65 to 75 degrees.

In the winter, violets grow best in south, east, or west-facing windows. On cold winter nights, move the plants away from the glass to a spot that remains above 55 degrees. When the sun gets stronger in the spring, move plants to a cooler east or even north-facing window.
Give each plant a one-quarter turn clockwise every few days to keep the growth symmetrical.

Watering is not as complicated as one would think. Water only when the soil surface feels dry. The pot may feel “light”.
Use room-temperature tap water. Cold water shocks the roots and causes leaf spots.
Let chlorinated water sit overnight before using.
Avoid softened water, which is too salty.
Water from the top or bottom, whichever is easier. Soak the soil thoroughly.
Let the pot drain completely; don’t let plants sit in water!
Try to avoid splashing water onto the leaves and never water directly onto the leaves. Use a high quality violet food, we recommend Espoma Organic African Violet Food.

Violets prefer a well-draining potting soil. Try to find a potting soil with a loose peat perlite mix. When you repot from a nursery pots, remember that the new pot should be about one-third to half the diameter of the plant. For example, a 7-9″ plant should be in a 3″ pot. A 9-12″ plant goes into a 4″ pot. Choose shallow pots for best drainage and root aeration. Repot your plant in fresh soil and a clean pot once a year.
Violets are very easily propagated. Often a healthy leaf allowed to root in a glass of water will produce another violet that you might want to pass along to a friend or family member.

Spacing is important. Try to keep your violets from touching each other and to allow for good air circulation around the plants.
When you see the blooms on your violet start to die simply reach in and pinch that bloom off as close to the plant as possible. Nothing makes a violet look more sad than dead flowers.

Violets can be susceptible to some pests, like Aphids and Mealy Bugs. Most pests can be easily treated. If you notice something unusual on your plant, please bring us a photo and we will do our best to diagnose and offer suggestions for treatments. Sadly, there are times when the best we can offer is “last rites” for the plant. But that’s okay, just buy a new one and start over!

Violets, or houseplants in general, are a fun and rewarding hobby!