Gainan’s Flowers & Garden Center is delighted to be your local experts on everything plant and flower related in Billings, Montana! We’ve spent years writing about our favorite plants, how to care for them, why they are useful, and what to look for. These are a few of our favorite plant guides over the years.
What I learned from Mick is that gardening/life is not about perfection. The joy is in the middle, it’s digging a big hole in the rain, getting muddy, throwing the tree in the hole and running inside to watch a movie or have something to eat. Then, years later, the lesson is there because that memory remains.
Plants are an integral part of any interior design. They add a source of vitality, freshness and allow spaces to look finished. Have you ever watched those interior design shows and competitions on TV? Invariably, you see the designers use plants as a finishing touch.
In Montana’s harsh winters, it’s too cold for much of anything green – other than evergreens – to survive let alone thrive in the frigid winter weather under the big sky. Just because it’s blustery outside doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all things green and colorfully blooming indoors during winter.
Being in nature is an excellent way to relieve stress and unwind, but if you can’t get out as often as you would like, bring the green in and build your own relaxing oasis with plants of all shapes and sizes. Science has demonstrated the many health benefits of plants such as stress reduction.
With this beautiful weather, being outside is our favorite place to be. And it is the perfect time to transform a deck or patio space into a beautiful outdoor oasis. With just a few interior design touches adapted for the outdoors, you can create a comfy outdoor space that is inviting and warm.
We all love having houseplants in the home as they freshen things up, provide a cozy environment, and possess air-purifying qualities. They’re good for us! So, we need to make sure we’re good to them.
It’s no surprise that succulents have become some of the most sought-after houseplants. They’re on-trend, affordable, and super low-maintenance. Plus, there’s an almost endless variety of succulents, which makes them really fun to collect.
Each of these are acid-loving plants that will do well in Montana, when correct conditions are provided. Azaleas and rhododendrons are highly desired for their showy, colorful blossoms while blueberries are grown for their flavorful fruit. Care should be taken to ensure that you select cultivars that are adapted to your area.
The key to a healthy, attractive lawn is a balanced approach to maintenance. A lawn that is properly watered and fertilized will have fewer problems with weeds and disease.
Each year renews my appreciation for perennials. Perennials are herbaceous plants, which is the way of describing a plant that doesn’t have a permanent woody stem such as a shrub. They die back to the ground each fall and come back from the root system every spring.
By growing vegetables the new, wide-row way, you can expect your garden to yield 2 to 3 times more than the conventional, single row way – in the same amount of space! Make your walkways wide enough for working and cultivating.
Most damage or stress to plants in Montana is caused by non-infectious conditions. Insects, disease, animals, chemical and/or mechanical problems are expanded by environmental and soil conditions.
A small plot of ground can produce an appreciable amount of strawberries. About 100 square feet of a garden can produce 5 to 10 pounds of fruit, while an acre can produce 1500 to 4000 pounds of fruit, depending upon growing conditions.
The word Xeriscape is derived from the Greek word “xeros” meaning “dry”. In many parts of the West, rainfall is scarce. In Billings, we average approximately 10-12 inches of moisture a year. This classifies us as a semi-arid to an arid desert climate. It is time we began educating ourselves on how to be efficient water-wise gardeners.
Potatoes can be a rewarding crop if you have room in your garden. Each plant takes up four square feet of garden space with vines growing about two feet high; however, for each pound of seed potatoes planted, the average yield is 10 pounds of potatoes. Planting dates Potatoes can be planted from March to June.
Grasses have always been the predominant part of our native prairies. We are most familiar with the use of them in the landscape as ground covers, or what we would normally refer to as lawns. When used in the landscape certain varieties of grasses can add a great deal to the texture, color, motion, and even sound of the garden.
The popular geranium is one of the most versatile plants grown. It is equally effective when grown in borders, in mass display, window boxes, planters, or as a house-plant. Geraniums can be successfully mixed with garden perennials and annuals for sure color additions or grouped with other plants in patio pots.
Gainan’s is always here to help! Check out some of our favorite plants or give us a call for more information!
