Photos: Good Earth Garden Market Offers Summer Planting Tips

The sun is out, the birds are chirping and it’s hot outside. Summer is here and along with it, Dave Johannes and the staff at Good Earth Garden Market have been busy supplying the Potomac area with garden necessities.

“It’s been a pretty good season,” Johannes said. “May was about as usual as you get, some rain, some sun.”

Business at Good Earth Market has stayed pretty steady, as Potomac residents work to beautify their lawns and homes for family and friends. Memorial Day weekend presented the first long weekend of the growing season, bringing customers out in droves. “It was probably a little slower than last year, but most likely because people are ahead, it’s been so nice."

For those looking to start first time gardens, Johannes recommends asking questions and talking with a local expert.

“We like when we get to help people, especially solving problems,” he said. “It’s easier to help when people have some sense of what they want to accomplish – if they have no idea it’s a red flag that they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Questions to ask yourself are:

-       Is your garden plot or deck in the sun or the shade?

-       How much maintenance do you want to do?

-       Are deer a problem?

-       Can you water the plants or will you rely on rainfall?

“Begonias are one of the easiest things to grow. They like it dry, like it hot – they fit the bill for a lot of people,” Johannes said. Other easy flower choices are knockout roses, which can take gardener neglect and still manage a colorful flair. Impatiens are another good choice, Johannes said.

What are you growing this year? Do you have any home remedies for sickly flowers or deer problems? Tell us in the comments, or email katie.griffith@patch.com with a picture of your garden.