Every spring, Clevelanders flock to nurseries for vibrant flowers, plants, shrubs and trees to canvas their outdoors with earthly delights. Pam Donzelli, vice president of Gale’s Westlake Garden Center, says gardening is an activity in which anyone can excel. Below, she provides three tips to ensuring success.
Spend one buck on top, two bucks below: Donzelli swears by this motto, which means that for every dollar you spend on a plant, invest twice as much in the soil in which it will grow. Root development should be your top priority — especially in Northeast Ohio where clay soil can make it difficult for roots to grow. “Using planting soils and plant starters are very helpful and reduces the risk of plant failure,” she says.
Invest in a soaker hose: This handy gardening device stays under the soil and releases water through its pores directly to the plants’ roots.
Try container gardening: Tropicals, like hibiscus, and tomato plants, which provide long-lasting results, are fairly easy to grow in pots as long as they are planted in good soil, watered regularly and fertilized. “It is way less work and still high impact,” Donzelli says.
24373 Center Ridge Road, Westlake, 440-871-0808, donzells-gales.com
