The Worst Spot in Your Yard Could Become the Best One
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Poor soil, heavy clay and bare patches are what a crevice garden is built for.
Every yard has a tough spot. It might be the compacted corner near the driveway, or a sunny slope where the grass gets thin. You might have gotten used to ignoring yours, but what if it's just the spot for the most interesting bed in your garden?
Ernesto and Gabe have just finished a new crevice garden on the parking lot island in front of the store, and it's worth a look if you've got a difficult, sun-drenched spot.
What is a crevice garden?
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A crevice garden is a unique riff on the traditional rock garden, mimicking natural rock outcrops. Natural stone slabs are set upright on their edges side-by-side, leaving narrow gaps between them. Those gaps are packed with a gritty, fast-draining soil mix and filled in with the kind of plants that demand good drainage. The roots grow deep in search of water, preventing drought damage and winter frost heaving.
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How to build one
- Choose a sunny spot and lay weed barrier or sheets of cardboard over the area to suppress weeds, if necessary.
- Stand pieces of natural stone up on their edges, set side-by-side and tilted slightly inward, with an inch or two gap between them.
- Fill the crevices with a mix of 1 part coarse sand, 1 part fine gravel, and 1 part topsoil.
- Pick plants that thrive on good drainage. Loosen the roots, tuck each plant into a crevice, and pat the soil into place around it.
- Top with pea gravel to give the bed a finished look and keep the crowns of the plants dry, and water regularly until the plants get established.
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What to grow
Ernesto's demonstration planting includes hens and chicks, pink penstemon, and moss phlox.
Other great options include:
Late September is a great time to plant. The soil is still warm, encouraging roots to grow, and the air is cooler, giving your plants a head-start on spring. If you'd like to try your own crevice garden, the stone, and everything else you need to make it are available at our Stone Market, and our team would be glad to help you find the right plants.
Happy gardening!
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Natural fall décor brings the season’s jewel tones straight to your front door, but it’s more than the color palette that makes it special. Our autumn annuals are selected to thrive over the long, mild season as the weather gets cool, grown by Green Team for their brilliant looks and proven performance.
Choose from tasteful, ready-to-go combo pots starting at $39.99, plus our signature homegrown mums, pumpkins, cornstalks, straw bales, and all kinds of annuals. Whether you want to refresh an existing display or create a new one from scratch, you can pick out your favorite elements and make it your own.
The Fall Porch Package is Back!
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Jeremy walks the field at Hoerr Nursery, cutting the pumpkins that are ready.
An unusually wet season has kept the pumpkin vines green longer than normal, but we're now harvesting our one-of-a-kind homegrown pumpkins. Cornstalks and straw bales have arrived, and that means that we have everything in stock to offer our popular fall porch package. For $49.99, you get:
- 2 mums (any at $12.99, including Mumbos)
- 1 cornstalk bundle
- 1 pumpkin (any with a yellow sticker)
- 1 full-sized straw bale
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Steal a Deal on Indoor Decor
Starting October 1, all remaining fall giftware is 30% off, while supplies last. The Garden Gift Shop is a boutique, so we never carry the same pieces twice. If something catches your eye, it's a good time to bring it home!
Decorating indoors and out is a brilliant way to celebrate the season, an invitation to yourself and your visitors to slow down and enjoy autumn.
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Upcoming Events at Hoerr Nursery
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Gardening with Limitations
A talk with author Trudy Weaver
- When: Saturday, October 3, 1 p.m.
- Where: Hoerr Nursery Midroom
Every gardener hits their limitations at some point, be they time limits, physical limits, or financial limits. Local author Trudy Weaver at 1pm on October 3rd, local author Trudy Weaver will be at Hoerr Nursery to talk about gardening despite those challenges, creating a garden to suit your needs rather than the other way around. Bring your questions for the Q&A that follows, and stay for the signing of her inspirational book, The Gardener.
Grow Giant Houseplants (click the link to sign up!)
A Houseplant Hacks workshop with Ayden, including everything you need to get started.
- When: Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m.
- Cost: $35, all materials included
In the wild, many familiar houseplants twine tree trunks using aerial roots and take in moisture from the air, growing bigger and fuller as they climb. Ayden will show you an easy, DIY way to mimic the support these plants would find in nature, so they can grow tall and healthy instead of dropping their leaves and thinning out. If you want the secret to lush, healthy houseplants, be sure to join us!
New! Pressed Flower Pumpkin with Bekah (click the links to sign up!)
A grown-up take on the jack-o'-lantern
- When:
- Cost: $35, all materials included
Choose a Hoerr homegrown pumpkin and decorate it with real pressed leaves and flowers using decoupage, the craft of sealing flat, decorative materials under a clear finish. The result is a one-of-a-kind pumpkin that shows off the colors of the season. Our designer Bekah will guide you through the process. Sign up at hoerrnursery.com/workshops.
Kids' Mini Pumpkin House
A walk-in kid's craft for autumn
- When:
- Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Cost: $9.99, no signup required
Create a tiny fall scene around a mini pumpkin house, complete with a little garden made of dried plant material. Kids are welcome, along with any adults who want to join in. It's a relaxed, hands-on way to enjoy the harvest season.
Whether you're visiting for an event or perusing our homegrown pumpkins and plants, we hope to see you soon!
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