SUMMER LAWN AND GARDEN COLUMBUS OHIO

Tried and True Summer Favorites

Summer is the perfect time to spruce up your garden with healthful vegetables, and bunches of beautiful blooms.

And there’s no better way to show them off than at a summer picnic or cookout with family and friends.

Here are some of our tried-and-true favorites to help you get the most out of your garden and backyard this summer.

4 Great Summer Vegetables to Plant

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are some of the easiest vegetables to grow in your backyard garden or container garden. There are several varieties to choose from, and they’re all great as delicious side dishes and in crispy, fresh summer salads. And, you can make your summer tomatoes last by canning them for fall and winter soups and sauces.

Peppers

Peppers thrive in the heat and sun of summer. So, whether you prefer sweet, juicy bell peppers to cool things off, or the fiery jalapeno to heat things up, peppers are a great addition to your summer garden. Along with bell peppers and jalapenos, you can also try planting Thai chili peppers, banana peppers and Cayenne peppers. After all, variety is the spice of life.

Cucumbers

There’s nothing quite like a cucumber to cool things off on a summer’s day. Cucumbers grow quickly and are extremely versatile. They can be eaten raw, added to salads, water and lemonade, blended into salad dressings, added to cocktails and they’re indispensable in gazpacho.

Corn

What’s a backyard dinner or barbecue without fresh corn on the cob? Corn is a summer staple, so get your plantings into the ground in late spring or early summer when there’s a ground temperature of at least 60-degrees, and you’ll have a crop ready to eat in 8 – 10 weeks.

6 Great Summer Flowers and Shrubs to Plant

Begonias

Small but mighty, begonias are extremely resilient and can grow in partial shade or full sun. They’re not picky. But they are plucky and eager to show off their brilliant bursts of color, sometimes for up to six months!

Black-Eyed Susans

Black-eyed Susans are a welcome site in any summer garden. And when many other late spring and early summer flowers start to wane, these bright, sunny blooms smile on, attracting the attention of hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and more than a few neighbors.

Coleus

Coleus is a foliage plant prized for its bright and colorful leaves. Coleus comes in a multitude of arresting color combinations, and because they generally grow low to the ground, they’re perfect for garden borders and fill-in. But they spread laterally, so don’t crowd them and you’ll be rewarded with garden beds and walkway borders that burst with color and interest.

Coneflower

Also known as Echinacea, Coneflowers are easy to grow and maintain even for novice gardeners, plus they’re heat and drought-resistant. What’s more, because of their prickly stems, they’re deer-resistant, but have no problem attracting butterflies.

Dahlia

Another brightly colored, resilient and easy to grow addition to your summer garden, are Dahlias. They do best when planted in late May and early to mid-June. Dahlias come in a variety of colors and sizes from the petite pompoms measuring about 2-inches, to the much larger “dinner plate” dahlias that can measure up to 12-inches in diameter, and grow as tall as 3 – 4 feet.

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are a flowering shrub. Many shrubs serve as garden fill-in, ground cover or privacy fences. And while Hydrangeas can do all those things, they can also easily take center stage as a show-stopper. Versatile and easy to grow, this stunner will be the star attraction of your garden, and the talk of the neighborhood.

6 Great Summer Outdoor Ideas

A Garden Oasis

Turn your summer garden into an outdoor oasis with our huge selection of garden décor. We carry pottery, fountains, statues, windchimes, gazing balls and birdbaths that will bring visual interest and maybe some feathered friends to your garden.

Get Grillin'

Summer just isn’t summer without fun, family barbecues. Strader’s makes it easy to find the right grill and accessories so you can “fire up the barbie.”

Big Green Egg©

Hatch a Big Green Egg© in your backyard this summer. Strader’s carries the ever-popular and visually unique Big Green Egg© line of grills. These beautiful ceramic grills open up a world of possibilities for direct grilling, indirect grilling and all kinds of creative ways to seal in flavor. Plus, the look alone is sure to impress your guests.

Weber Grills

Strader’s carries a full line of Weber grills including traditional charcoal grills as well as their high-quality, innovative gas grills with side burners, temperature gauges and other helpful features so you can start grilling like a pro.

Fete en Blanc

Host your own White Party or “Dinner in White.” This stylish annual event began several years ago in France as a secret invitation-only dinner party, and has now spread around the world. Your event needn’t be on an international scale nor too secretive. After all, you want your friends and family there, oui? You set the rules: All white attire, white tablecloths and napkins, white dinnerware, champagne, perhaps white lanterns and white balloons. You decide. With all the white décor, your summer garden, now bursting with color, will look even more smashing! Bein sur, parler Français est optionnel. (Of course, speaking French is optional.)

Backyard Movie Night

Lights, cameras, action! Let your spectacular summer garden be the setting for a moonlit backyard movie night. Hang a sheet, set up the projector, grab the kids and snacks, and you’re set. There are a number of local companies that rent screens, projectors and sound systems, so don’t sweat the technical stuff. The most difficult part of the event should be picking the film: a classic, a cartoon, or a comedy?

Weekend Brunch

Your garden is the perfect setting for a weekend brunch. Plus, it can play an important role in your menu. Harvest some of the delicious veggies you’ve been growing and feature them in a casserole or quiche, or on a vegetable platter. And don’t forget to dress the table with fresh flowers to add vibrant color and create visual interest.

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