Monthly Archives: September 2013

Pumpkins, Gourds and More, Oh My!

Summer's harvest...

Summer’s harvest…

Just when you think summer’s heat won’t ever let up, along come a few days of cooler temperatures and clear blue skies to lift spirits and give all of us a second wind.

So many different pumpkins!

So many different pumpkins!

Summer’s final gift to us is the bounty of the late season garden – pumpkins! Oh, but not just any old pumpkins (Though we wouldn’t ever put down the good old fashioned jack-o-lantern!). The last few years the ubiquitous orange pumpkin has made some fancy friends, with names like Blue Hubbard, Cinderella, Long Island Cheese, Jharadale, Lumina, Lunch Ladies (Yes, really!) and Warty – just to name a few.
But, really the names don’t matter, because what’s in a name when they’re all so wonderfully different?

The entrance is looking so pretty!

The entrance is looking so pretty!

The entrance to the shop will be filled with the pick of the crop – picked just prior to delivery from a 20 acre farm in Tennessee. We’re excited about the fall harvest this year and hope you’re making plans for pretty fall displays at your homes too!

 

Making an appearance this year, among the pumpkins, fall flowers and cool season vegetables, are our original handmade Halloween friends from many years past. They include gremlins, ghosts, a big orange pumpkin, a black cat and a scary old witch with her cauldron. It’s fun having them back!  A big thank you to Jamie, Molly and Pinkie for their fantastic makeover work on all of them – they look better than ever!

Molly, Jamie and Pinkie with our witch!

Molly, Jamie and Pinkie with our witch!

Pinkie made our black cat pretty scary...

Pinkie made our black cat pretty scary…

Pumpkins and Halloween decorations are ready made backdrops for pictures, too. So make yourself at home, and take as many photos as you’d like of your little “pumpkins” with ours!

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

 

These Shrubs Work In The South, And They’ll Work For You Too!

Chamaecyparis anchoring a border

Chamaecyparis anchoring a border

Fall is the perfect time for planting shrubs, either in your landscape or in containers, and we have a new shipment of locally grown plants that will do well for you whatever your needs. Since our nursery is small, we have to be very selective in the shrubbery we offer and only carry those that work for us in the Birmingham and surrounding areas. The nursery these come from is located right down the road in Shelby County, so you’re keeping your money here in Alabama!

If you’re thinking about adding some additional shrubs to your landscape or are replacing old, overgrown plantings, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

First, know the amount of light the area will receive. Hot, direct sun for four or more hours per day is, of course, considered full sun. Many of our homes, though, have mature trees or are shaded by buildings; so watch the amount of sun and monitor it as it moves through your landscape at different times of the year.

Chamaecyparis 'Yadori'

Chamaecyparis ‘Yadori’

Determine the purpose for your shrubs. Do you need them to hide an unsightly fence or to soften a building or wall? Perhaps you are looking for one interesting evergreen to anchor a flower bed or to put on either side of a walk. Some shrubs have interesting bark or berries, while others have beautiful foliage all year.

Determine the ultimate and maintainable size you need your shrub to be. No one wants to have to continually prune a shrub that has grown too large for its spot. Make wise choices from the beginning and this won’t happen.

Ligustrum 'Coriacaeum' has shiny, rounded leaves and is nice in containers or as a specimen...

Ligustrum ‘Coriacaeum’ has shiny, rounded leaves and is nice in containers or as a specimen…

If you’re designing large containers, evergreen shrubs mixed with seasonal flowers and pretty trailing plants can beautify any area and can also serve as wonderful focal points in your garden. The ligustrum japonicum ‘Coriaceum’ is one that will take full sun to partial shade and could be wonderful in a container, growing to 4′ with a spread of about 2′.

golden chamaecyparis foliage, with a skirt of Veronica 'Georgia Blue', shines in the spring....

golden chamaecyparis foliage, with a skirt of Veronica ‘Georgia Blue’, shines in the spring….

 

 

 

 

Other shrubs that are available now include several chamaecyparis obtusis selections. These are grown for their beautiful foliage and tolerance of full sun and hot, humid summers.

Cryptomeria globosa 'Nana'

Cryptomeria globosa ‘Nana’

 

Thuja 'DeGroot's Spire'

Thuja ‘DeGroot’s Spire’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New selections of junipers, cryptomeria, Thuja  and hollies have also arrived, just in time for fall planting. Many are also beautiful as cut greens for holiday arrangements or as fillers in floral designs also – double duty shrubs are the best!

 

An ornamental blueberry, Vaccinium darowii ‘Rosa’s Blush’, is a smart choice as a woody plant for a partially shady spot. The small deciduous shrub’s new growth is a pretty purply color, and the texture in the landscape is very soft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t let this fall slip by without stopping in to take a look at some of these interesting and useful woody ornamental options for your landscape or planters – you won’t be sorry!

 

 

 

Fall Veggie and Flower Seeds…Try Some This Year!

Planting seeds is a fun project for the little ones!

Planting seeds is a fun project!

Our fall seed selection has arrived, and many folks have already been perusing the seed rack. From radishes to radicchio, lettuces to larkspur, the selection is varied, and the package description on our Botanical Interests seed packets are fun to read too.

Additionally, I’m so pleased this company only supplies us with GMO free seed, which means none of this seed is genetically modified.

If you’re planting seeds for the first time, be sure to read the instructions on the packet. They’ll tell you how deeply to plant and how long it will take them to come up, as well as any other instructions you might need to produce a healthy plant.

Seed packets have lots of information on them...

Seed packets have lots of information on them…

Remember, in Birmingham, our first average frost date is usually the beginning of November. This will help you determine the latest you can plant certain seeds.

Prepare your garden bed by pulling any old vegetation out. If you have a compost pile, everything but weeds can be put into it to decompose. Next you’ll need to loosen the soil – a garden fork works well for this. Push the fork into the soil 7″-8″ and rock it back and forth to loosen it, being sure to break up any big clumps. Many gardeners try to keep turning up the soil to a minimum, since that can bring weed seeds to the surface, providing them the light needed to germinate. Next, add 2″-4″ of soil amendments (dehydrated cow manure, Plant Tone, soil conditioner and/or your own compost) over the top and lightly fork all of it in. Rake the top of your bed to even it out and you’re ready to plant!

Watering your seed bed is important. If you’re sowing very tiny seeds, you may want to water the soil before planting. Once the seeds are sown at the proper depth, keep the soil consistently moist with gentle showers from your hose. Don’t get it too soggy or your little seeings may rot.

Seedlings of many vegetables and flowers benefit from being thinned. This term simply means taking out the smallest, weakest seedlings so one strong plant is able to grow large enough for you to eventually harvest.

Look at that cabbage!

Look at that cabbage!

The easiest way to thin is simply to cut out the weakest with a pair of scissors, leaving the largest to continue growing. Talk about survival of the fittest! You could also tease the weakest seedlings out of the soil and replant in another area – the more the merrier!

Some fall vegetable seeds we have include many lettuces, chard, beets, broccoli, mustard, spinach, turnips and more. If you’d rather plant flowers, larkspur, delphinium, poppies and bachelor buttons are just some of the choices.

Doesn’t this sound like a fun and ultimately rewarding project? If you have children, find a spot in your yard for even a small garden, and start planting!

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone