As I reflect on the 35th anniversary Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens, it is hard not to see the comparisons between the August gardens we cultivate and Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens in it's 35th year.

Both are well established, but are at risk of stagnation without a little tender loving care and attention. The gardens are looking great, blooming like crazy and giving us a bounty of produce, but they could wither in neglect if we don't pay attention to water. HLG is in full bloom, calls are continuing to come in, and rewards are being reaped, but like a garden, a business could also wither in neglect. We gave it a 'drink of water' by bringing in additional designers, an experienced new crew chief, and an operations integrator so that this 'garden' will be well equipped to bloom into the next 35 years.  

Thank you. Your continued support has me in awe and appreciation. May you feel the same as you stroll through your 'life garden'. 

Japanese Beetles continue to be a problem, but the good news is that the extreme cold winter and the soggy start of the season appears to have slowed them down.

• Removal of host plants (they love roses, dahlias, tropical hibiscus, etc.)
• Hand picking into soapy water (do NOT squish beetles as it may release pheromones that attract more beetles.)
• Installation of pheromone traps located on property perimeters away from gardens

As a last resort for heavy  infestations, or on properties where our visits are too infrequent for the above approaches to be effective, we do apply pesticides as necessary. Our weapon of choice this year is Organocide™, a horticultural oil that suffocates the beetles on contact, and leaves an invisible but distasteful coating on the target plants. This approach leaves no residual chemicals in the environment that could disrupt pollinator lifecycles.