HDGinBloom

09/03/2026

🌿 GARDEN TIP: DON’T CLEAN UP TOO FAST

As summer starts winding down, it can be tempting to cut everything back and make the garden look neat again.

But leaving some healthy stems, seed heads and spent blooms in place can be beneficial for birds, bees and other pollinators heading into fall.

A few things can stay a little “messy” for now:

🌻 Seed heads can provide food for birds
🐝 Hollow stems can offer shelter for beneficial insects
🌼 Late blooms may still be feeding pollinators
🍂 Some perennials look beautiful even as they fade

Of course, anything diseased or badly damaged should be removed.

Sometimes a slightly untidy garden is actually doing exactly what nature needs. 💚

09/03/2026

Who’s ready for fall?

23 Gorgeous Fall Color Schemes To Refresh Your Home’s Exterior ⬇

09/03/2026

🍂 FALL PLANT SPOTLIGHT: ORNAMENTAL CABBAGE & KALE

One of the things we love about fall planting is that the cooler weather brings out some completely different textures and colors.

Ornamental cabbage and kale are fall favorites because they add big, bold rosettes of green, white, pink and purple to containers and garden beds.

And here’s the fun part—their color often becomes even richer as the temperatures get cooler. 💜🌿

They’re especially beautiful mixed with pansies, grasses and trailing greenery for a planter that looks full without relying on mums alone.

Are you a fan of ornamental cabbage and kale in fall planters?

09/01/2026

🌿 A LITTLE LESSON FROM THE BLOOM TEAM

We learned a pretty big lesson this week.
With all the rain we’ve had lately, we got a little too comfortable thinking our self-watering planters wouldn’t need to be filled as often. We were wrong. 😬

Some of the planters got much drier than we realized and really took a turn over the past week. We’re well aware of it, we’ve been refilling them, and we’re hoping they’ll bounce back.
So if you’ve noticed that some of the downtown planters are looking a little stressed right now — we noticed too.

The good news is that our fall planting is coming up in about three weeks, and we’ll be giving everything a fresh seasonal reset. 🍂
Gardening definitely has a way of keeping you humble.

08/31/2026

We really appreciate our volunteers! If you have sometime we’d love to have you on board!

08/30/2026

🌸 HELP US GROW DOWNTOWN

This fall, our downtown planters will look something like this—full of seasonal color, texture and beauty. 🍂🌿

But what makes these planters special isn’t just what’s planted in them. It’s the community behind them.

Each planter represents a resident, family, business or organization that chose to help make Havre de Grace a little more beautiful for everyone who lives here, works here and visits.

And we’d love to keep growing. 💚

A planter sponsorship can recognize your family or business, celebrate someone special, or be given in honor or memory of someone you love.

🌿 Fall sponsorships are open through September 15.

Every planter adds another little piece of beauty to downtown—and together, those little pieces make a big difference.

Thank you to everyone who continues to help HDGinBloom grow.

HDGinBloom is a committee under Community Projects of Havre de Grace. If you would like to add to the beauty of downtown head to our website to sponsor! www.hdginbloom.com

08/29/2026

🍂 THIS OR THAT: FALL CONTAINER EDITION

If you were designing your perfect fall planter, which color palette would you choose?

🧡 CLASSIC FALL
Orange • Gold • Rust • Deep Red

OR

💜 JEWEL TONES
Burgundy • Plum • Purple • Deep Green

We have our favorites… but we want to know yours!

👇 CLASSIC or JEWEL TONES?

08/27/2026

🥬 DON’T PUT THE GARDEN TO BED YET!

Summer may be winding down, but your vegetable garden doesn’t have to.

Late August is a great time to start another round of quick-growing cool-season crops like:

🌱 Arugula
🥬 Leaf lettuce
🌿 Radishes
🥬 Mizuna & other leafy greens

Cooler fall temperatures are exactly what many of these crops love—and some can be planted more than once for a longer fall harvest.

Who else squeezes every last bit of growing season out of their garden? 🙋‍♀️

08/25/2026

🌿 LATE-AUGUST GARDEN TIP

Have a perennial that’s gotten a little too big for its space?

Late August into September is a great time in Maryland to divide and transplant many spring- and summer-blooming perennials.

A few tips before you dig:

🌱 Water the plant well first
☁️ Choose a cooler or cloudy day if you can
💧 Water thoroughly after replanting
🌿 Give those new roots a little extra attention while they get established

And here’s the best part—if you end up with more divisions than you need, share them with a neighbor!

That’s one way to make the whole community bloom. 💚