Thursday, May 1, 2014

May 2014

First and foremost you need to know that our fruit, shade and flowering trees have arrived along with our beautiful Weeks roses.
As always all of our roses are 10% OFF through Mother's Day!!!




THINGS TO DO:
Choose a tree. A tree is a big investment. Not just financial but in time spent planting, watering, fertilizing & pruning. That is why you need to put some serious thought into choosing the right tree for your situation. A well placed tree can provide shade, break the wind, block an unwanted view, attract birds, be something nice to look at or all of the above. Most important is the size of the tree. Always choose a variety that will not outgrow the space you are planting it in. Keep in mind that the absorbing roots of a tree are usually within the top 3 feet of soil and extend to the dripline. The dripline is the imaginary line where rain would fall from the outermost branches. So plant any tree where the mature size and the roots won't ever encroach on a building, patio, wall or driveway.The next thing to think about is what function you would like your tree to serve. Shade can be provided by numerous selections and deciduous trees that are meant to shade the house are best placed on the south or west side. To shade a patio, smaller scale trees may be useful as well as fruit trees. Since fruit production in our area is so sporadic, we always tell customers to use their fruit trees as shade first and fruit second.The best choice for a windbreak is an evergreen tree planted on the west or southwest side since that is where the prevailing winds come from. Choose evergreens because our spring winds usually start before the deciduous trees have leafed out and our winter winds can be brutal. Blocking a view would be best served with an evergreen as well because you probably don't want to look at whatever it is in the winter either. Many trees attract Hummingbirds with their flowers and Songbirds with their fruit. And a well placed tree can provide you with some spring or summer blooms and beautiful fall color.

Come in to the nursery and we can help you decide which tree is the best choice for whatever your needs may be.



Plant containers. One of my favorite spring chores is planting my containers at home. The rule of thumb when planting your pots is that they should contain a thriller, some filler and a spiller. I think primary colors (blue, red & yellow) always look good together but any combination of colors and textures that suit your individual taste will do. You should start by filling your pots with a great potting soil like Uni-Gro. This has been a customer favorite for 19 years and we personally use it for our pots and everything we grow for the nursery. Plant your thriller in the center of the container. A thriller could be anything tall like a decorative grass, Spike, any tall Salvia, Marogold or Zinnia or even a vegetable. Next choose a filler or two. The filler is something of medium height that will be shorter than your thriller but taller than your spiller. Fillers include Nasturtiums, Gerber Daisies, Gazanias, Petunias, Annual Vinca, Impatiens, Marigolds and many others. I think they look best in mass to get the full effect of the color. So plant them around your thriller in groups of three or more. The final step is the spiller and you can use one or two of these as well. Sweet Potato Vine, Wave Petunias, Million Bells, Portulaca, Asparagus Fern, Bacopa and Mandevilla all work well. Plant these towards the front or if the pot will be viewed from all sides, around the edge. Water your pots thoroughly with a root stimulator like SUPERTHRIVE (Yes we have it back!) and fertilize regularly with Fox Farm Tiger Bloom, Fruit & Flower or Yum Yum Mix. I know the question will be "What can I plant that the deer won't eat?" and my perfect combination for that is Spike (thriller), Vinca (filler) and Nierembergia or Asparagus Fern (spiller). Have fun with this and remember that we get weekly deliveries of annuals and perennials so you will have a lot to choose from whether your pots are in full sun, part sun or full shade.


PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Pinus nigra. The Austrian Black Pine is a fast growing, long needled, dark green pine that will reach a mature height of 30 feet tall by 15 feet wide. It forms a dense pyramid and unlike other pines it does not shed its lower branches so it stays full to the ground. This conifer makes a great windbreak and can be mixed with Blue Spruce, Eldarica Pines and other evergreens or used as a specimen. It is very cold hardy (think Austria) and a moderate water user.