Azaleas are easy to love. Their amazing flowers put on an incredible display of color every spring like clockwork, helping to herald the coming growing season. Whether in a formal or a woodland garden setting, azaleas make a great addition to any garden. When these plants are in full bloom, it's almost impossible to see the foliage underneath.

Azaleas are versatile and can be used in almost any spot in the garden provided they have good drainage. While Belgian, Girard and Kurume hybrids prefer partial shade in the afternoon, Exbury hybrids, Southern Indicas and Satsuki hybrids can be grown in full sun in all but the hottest areas. Azalea flowers come in almost every color shade imaginable, and the bushes range from dwarf shade varieties of 2-3', to the sun lovers that can grow from 4-8' high and wide.

Azaleas grow well in evenly moist and slightly acidic soil. They perform best when the soil is amended with peat moss or an acid planting mix before planting. They also like to be fed every few months with cottonseed meal or an acid plant food. We recommend feeding from the end of the blooming season through early fall.

Azaleas don't require much pruning if the proper varieties are selected for the desired mature size. If occasional pruning is needed to control size or wayward branches, prune from one month after the blooming season has ended through August. Pruning any later can remove the new blooms that are starting to set for the following spring--these can start as early as September.

Whether pruned formally into shapes or left natural to blend in with the local surroundings, azaleas make a wonderful addition to any garden, with their extraordinary offering of beautiful spring flowers.

Many countries of the world have their own Mother's Day at different times of the year. Britain celebrates Mothering Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent--but they now call it Mother's Day. Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan, and Turkey all join the U.S. in celebrating Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May. By any name, and at any date, it's a special day to honor a special person.

When you walk into Nicholson-Hardie Garden Center or Nursery, you can find anything and everything that Mom could ever want.

Eclectic Moms will love whimsical Vietri Foglia place settings or a charming rain gauge toad. Moms who love the ocean will love a seaside hurricane set. Romantic Moms will love LaRooster Dinnerware. Elegant Moms will love diptyque and botanical candle sets.

Moms who love to cook will love a Caldera kitchen set. Of course, Moms who garden will love a Caldera gardener's hand care set, or a Best watering can. Maybe Mom will love a RED planting tool set, or an indoor gardening or seed starting set. And practical Moms will love a Nicholson-Hardie gift card.

Stop by anytime, and we’ll be happy to make every special occasion perfect. Whether you need help selecting a gift, designing a centerpiece for your next dinner party, or looking for the perfect accent for your home or garden, browse our stores and you are sure to find lovely decor and gifts. Our goal is to provide you with unique, quality treasures that you will be pleased to present to others--or perhaps just treat yourself.

Having trouble thinking of a gift? Why not do something a little different for Mother's Day? Instead of giving her a bouquet of roses, plant her a rose garden! If she already has a rose garden--add to it! If she lives in an apartment, consider a potted rose plant--many roses will do quite well in containers (ask us for suggestions).

Nicholson-Hardie offers free delivery of any purchase from our stores within 48 hours. Remember, we guarantee every single product we sell, so if Mom is not 100% satisfied for any reason, we promise to remedy the situation. And, if you're still feeling anxious, why not give Mom a convenient gift card--you can purchase one online or in person at one of our stores.

Imagine yourself on a Hawaiian beach on a sultry evening, your eyes closed, the air redolent of the heady perfume of gardenia, tuberose, white ginger, frangipani, lemon and orange blossoms, and jasmine. The ocean surf rolls in waves in the background, and when your eyelids open ever so slightly, the white shaft of the moon bounces off of the whitecaps of the water, shattering into crystals far more rich than any grouping of singular color you can conceptualize.

Now picture yourself under a full moon, sitting on your own deck or patio, your day's work over, and this time owed to no one save yourself. If you've thought ahead, you will still be able to enjoy the sensual delights of the expensive Hawaiian vacation by having planted the fragrant white gardenia, and placing a small fountain in the corner. Voilà! Scent, sound, and sight, all satisfied and for a fraction of the price.

Widely used in perfumery, the gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) is a native of the tropics and subtropics of the Old World. In 1754, Captain Hutcheson, skipper of the English ship Godolphin, was bound for home from India when he decided to make a short visit to South Africa. As he was walking along the shoreline, the sweet heavy fragrance of a plant covered with double white, waxy blossoms drew his attention. After it was dug up and taken on board, this amazingly resilient plant survived the harsh trip to England.

Merchant and botanist John Ellis named it gardenia, after Dr. Alexander Garden, a physician and botanist from Charleston, South Carolina. Apparently this was a common way for practitioners of this relatively nascent science (modern botany was begun in the late 15th to early 16th centuries) to honor each other, thus making way for a communal worldwide informational database.

Southern gardeners have for generations employed these versatile plants. With a large show of blooms in early spring, they continue to produce flowers throughout the summer and even into fall; the blossoms open white and gradually fade to gold. Used as specimen shrubs, planted en masse as hedges, used for screening, in borders, as ground covers, or grown in containers, gardenias' beauty is matched by their extraordinary perfume.

By planting them in pots, you can move them so that their fragrance is always available to you. One caveat: gardenias prefer warm, frost-free locations that are protected from the hot afternoon sun; the ideal site is one that offers morning sun and dappled shade in the afternoon. So when moving your containerized gardenia, keep its light preferences in mind. And remember to use a high-quality potting mix that contains water crystals and a slow-release fertilizer.

To repay these marvelous plants for the beauty and scent they give in return, plant them in soil with excellent drainage and a pH of around 6.0. Set the root-ball about 1 inch higher than the surrounding soil (this will help in ensuring adequate drainage) and then gently taper the soil up to the top of the exposed root-ball. Mulch to retain moisture, and treat them to monthly feedings of a fertilizer blended for acid-loving plants such as azaleas and camellias.

If the idea of an evening party with a tropical theme appeals to you, surround your gardenias with variegated hostas and fern fronds. Light from below, turn on the fountain, and pluck one perfect gardenia bloom to wear in your hair. It will be a party to be remembered for years to come.

Knock Out Roses® are the answer for every gardener who loves roses but doesn't want the hassle of their maintenance. They maintain a continuous show of color from mid-spring to fall, with beautiful foliage almost year round. The plants are compact and upright growing, with more winter hardiness and shade tolerance. Best of all, they thrive in humid areas where most other roses need spray maintenance.

They can be planted almost anywhere, growing 3-4' tall and equally wide. They can be used as single specimens, as hedges, in mixed plantings or en-masse for sweeps of color; you can even plant them in containers. Unlike traditional roses, they can bloom in moderate shade.

Knock Out Roses® have been bred to be "chemical free" so no pesticides are needed. Naturally resisting rust, mildew, blackspot, Japanese beetles and rose midge, they should perform extremely well in any American garden, tolerating extremes from cold Wisconsin nights to hot Florida days.

There are several varieties and colors of Knock Out Roses®. All of them are easy to grow, and they adapt well to most growing conditions.

The Endless Summer® Collection of hydrangeas are a new mophead hydrangea that can bloom on both old and new wood. The repeat blooms truly offer gardeners an endless summer of incredible color. This hardy plant is perfect for everything from foundation planting to container gardening. It makes a perfect focal point or accent to any shade garden. You can even make an ideal floral arrangement or table setting with the cut flowers.

This year's newest member of the Endless Summer® Collection is the "Twist-n-Shout™" big leaf hydrangea. "Twist-n-Shout™" produces abundant blooms on both old and new wood all summer long. Lacy, deep-pink centers are surrounded by gorgeous blossoms of pink or periwinkle blue, depending upon the soil type. Sturdy red stems and glossy deep green leaves turn red-burgundy in fall to offer year-round interest in the garden. Easy to care for and hardy to zone 4, "Twist-n-Shout™" is an elegant stand-alone specimen, dramatic in combination with other plants, and compact enough for containers.

The flowers grow up to 8" in diameter, with pink blooms in alkaline soils and blue blooms in acidic soil. As with all hydrangeas, Endless Summer performs best in moist (but not wet) soil conditions and protection from the afternoon sun. We have a great selection of this beautiful hydrangea, so don’t delay. Add some color to your shade garden today!

Do ladybugs really help control bad insects?

Answer:

They sure do! In fact, ladybugs are one of the most effective predatory insects around--and love to make a meal out of bad ones. But give them time to do their thing. If you get too impatient with them, they just might "fly away home." Make sure your garden friends are happy by providing them with water and shelter. Remember that good bugs are living creatures and they have feelings too.

It is best to release them in the evening or early morning, just after you have watered the garden. This will help keep them in the garden. It is also better to release them in small batches all around your garden than in one big group; otherwise, they might get all huffy and start duking it out for the territory.

Ladybugs are more likely to remain in your garden if there is a ready food supply. It is important to provide them with an alternative food source when meals of pest insects are scarce. Flowers produce nectar and pollen, which ladybugs also need to survive. Plan your garden to feed beneficial insects by choosing a variety of plants that will bloom as many months of the year as possible.

Don't be surprised if they leave after they have removed all your bad insects, though. They will only stick around for as long as there is a good food source in your garden.