We have updated our plant lists for 2011. Included in these lists are the new plants coming in this spring! Take a look at the lists and make some notes on what you want to add to wish list. In just a few days, we begin potting up perennials and some trees. The weather looks like it will take a turn toward spring – with even some 50′s in the forecast. The updates to our Plant Search pages will be completed in just a couple of weeks as well.
October 14, 2010 – 11:37 am
Amsonia hubrechti - provides a wonderful fall color show is the 2011 Perennial of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association.
The tall arching stems of this perennial sport long narrow leaves that gives this plant a very delicate and graceful appearance. Clusters of light blue flowers bloom late spring into early summer, followed up by the wonderful display of yellow fall color!
This plant is hardy in zones 4 through 9, and will grow to a height of 36″. It is great for a cut flower, is deer resistant and can grow in sun to part shade.
Our fall sale has this perennial on sale at 50% off! Final sales price is $4.49. Sale through 2010.
October 7, 2010 – 5:56 pm
Heidi Brosseau, our retail manager – submits this blog on one of her favorite fall perennials…
Hardy fall blooming asters quietly wait all summer long. They aren’t picky and they don’t fuss. They patiently wait for all the other flowers to finish showing off. Then just as we turn our attention toward the thought of winter prep, the asters explode! They bloom for a few weeks provided they don’t get hit by a hard freeze. A few frosts won’t faze them a bit. I almost think they prefer it. Brilliant pink, purple or blue daisy style flowers on mounds and waves of sturdy plants. Some varieties can reach up to 4′ or 5′ while others stay a bit more grounded at 1′ to 2′ tall . Combined with grasses, sedums, mums or artemisia, it will produce a breathtaking effect.
Find a sunny spot in your garden this fall and I promise you will forget about them until they remind you they are there with their fall beauty next year You’ll be glad you forgot about your asters!
September 15, 2010 – 1:28 pm
Heidi Brosseau submits the following article on the perennial Heuchera. It is also the perennial of the week, through next Thursday, September 23, 2010, and is on sale at 10% off!
Heavenly Heuchera. Heuchera commonly known as ‘Coralbells’ are one of the more versatile perennials available. All thrive in part shade while some varieties can even handle full sun or full shade. Some varieties like ‘Hollywood’ have showy flowers but mostly heucheras are known for their amazing foliage – - – purple, chocolate, rose, chartreuse, peach, berry, black and variegated are just a few words used to describe the color of their leaves. Some varieties add ruffled edges or exaggerated veins to their leaves and produce wonderful textures.
While these plants are terrific planted in the ground, I want to mind everyone how great they are in planters and containers. Mums, grasses and evergreens come alive with heucheras added to the mix.
Heucheras are semi-evergreens which mean much of their foliage will remain colorful and attractive into the winter. Frosted heuchera leaves produce a magical effect when the weather begins to dip below freezing in the fall. If you haven’t tried heucheras in your landscape yet, you really should and check out some of the new and exciting varieties that are still available this season.
September 9, 2010 – 5:46 am
Our retail manager, Heidi has picked Sedums as her Perennial of the Week – at 10% off. Sedum special runs through 9-15-10. She submits the following:
‘One of my late summer – fall blooming favorites is the reliable and hardy succulent Sedum. These perennials provide great texture throughout the growing season and then a spectacular bloom late in the season, attyracting butterflies by the hundreds. Amazing in the perennial border, rock gardens and tough sites. Sedum is very tolerant of drought once established and great in full hot sun. Some varieties do grow well in part shade.
Sedum varieties offer the full spectrum of sizes. There are ground cover sedums that will spread out and carpet the ground, growing to just a few inches high, there are varieties that will grow to 10″-12″ and others will form nice big clumps 20″ to 24″ in height and diameter. So versatile and so easy! These plants are always a joy, wonderful paired with Salvias, Asters, Rudbeckias, Echinaceas and Mums! Sedums are hardy to Zone 3. Pictured here is the intense pink flower blossom of the Autumn Fire Sedum.’
August 31, 2010 – 9:23 am
This amazing feast of flowers provides reliable color all summer long. Tomato Soup expands the echinacea color palette by providing warm tomato red flowers that don’t fade to pink. These plants are amazing companions to daylilies, heliopsis, sedums and ornamental grasses. Versatile and tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions provided they remain well drained and don’t end up in a low or soggy location. They attract birds and butterflies but are not considered of any great interest to deer. Full sun is what they prefer to give you their best display, but will tolerate light shade. Zone 4 hardy, they will grow to 24″ tall and wide.
Our perennial of the week, through Labor Day, (9-6-10) is at 10% off regular prices.
This post was submitted by Heidi Brosseau, our retail manager.
August 25, 2010 – 12:08 pm
Ornmanetal Grasses provide texture, color, movement and sound to our natural and intentional environment. Screening, vertical accent, fall and winter interest can all be achieved with well placed and selected varieties of grasses.
Providing an amazing relationship with wind, even the slightest breeze can create a rustle and gentle nod from these gracefully bending, versatile plants. They’re able to grow in a wide range of soil types from sandy to heavier clay, most varieties are tolerant of drought once established and some can be tolerant of moisture making them ideal in rain gardens.
These pictures both are of the same perennial bed – one in summer showing their ability to show off other perennials and the wonderful winter interest that they provide. Ornamental grasses are on sale through the end of August at 10% off regular prices.
The above article was submitted by Heidi Brosseau – our retail manager.
August 5, 2010 – 11:22 am
These part shade perennials lend a natural elegance to the garden bringing a delicate grace to the perennial border or woodland setting. The clear pink flowers of September Charm & Robustissima brighten the later half of the growing season holding their sweet saucer style flowers above dark green clean foliage on tall stems.
Wonderful groundcover when planted in mass. As petals drop attractive seed heads emerge extending this perennials’ appeal into late fall. Hardy in Zones 3 through 8, this show stopper will grow to 15″-20″ tall.
This article was submitted by Heidi Brosseau.
Our Perennial of the Week is the Stokesia – ‘Stoke’s Aster’. This showy summer bloomer can do full sun to part shade and produces dozens of wide blue/purple flower heads with petal like rays with warm white fuzzy centers.
A dramatic and easy to grow additiona to the flower garden, it’s attractive to butterflies. Growing best in average soil that is moist (but well drained). Thick wiry roots help it to endure periods of drought. The Stoke’s Aster is 10% right now as our perennial of the week!
This unique and exotic looking perennial thrives in full sun to part shade. It makes a wonderful companion plant to a wide range of perennials. Fine textured plants like ornamental grasses, liatris and yarrow show off the lily like flowers beautifully. When paired with larger flowered perennials such as daylilies or echinaceas it become a terrific accent plant.
Candylily blooms in a variety of colors and patterns ranging from yellow to orange and red to maroon. The strap like foliage (much like Iris leaves) are clean and disease resistant all through the season. As the flowers fade they twist shut later becoming showy black seed pods. This perennial makes an amzaing addition to any perennial border or cutting garden.
The above article was submitted by Heidi Brosseau, our retail manager.
The Red Admiral butterflies have been all over the last couple of weeks. It’s great fun walking through all of the perennials blooming right now – either in the display gardens or the sales areas and seeing the butterflies fluttering around.
We have a list of plants for butterfly gardens under our plants page, and you can always find help with these from any of our retail staff. Shown here is the Purple Coneflower. Rudbeckia, Heliopsis, Butterfly Weed and Butterfly Bush are just a few of the many plants that will attract the butterflies to your garden. Several of our perennials are on sale and there’s always a new perennial of the week that is discounted.
The perennial of the week – on sale at 10% off is Veronica – also known as Speedwell. Dark green mounds of foliage produce spikes of flower blossoms that bloom for long periods of time. Veronica comes in a variety of colors – mostly blues, purples, and pinks. It is a perennial that does require lots of sun. Combined with ornamental grasses, yellow blooming perennials, different groundcovers – it is certain to make a beautiful statement in your perennial garden.
Hosta ‘Rhino Hide’ – You have to feel it to believe it! (a quote from the hosta tag) The leaves of this hosta are some of the thickest of any hosta measured and with this attribute – it is exceptionally slug resistant. The leaves are cupped, puckered and have wide blue margins and a narrow light green center that will brighten to yellow during the season. Classified as a medium sized hosta – the flower will be white. Hosta ‘Rhino Hide’ comes from the growers at Walters Gardens, in Zeeland, Michigan.
I have had several calls the past day or two from area hosta fanciers wanting this particular plant. We have them in stock at the present time, but with the national hosta convention this week – I’m sure we’ll be selling out!
The American Hosta Society’s National Convention will be held this week in Bloomington, MN – June 23-26.
It will be headquartered at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington and will also include garden tours around the metro area and into southern Minnesota.
Growing hosta – both here at the nursery and at home is definitely a passion of mine. The hosta on the top is Hosta Striptease, and shown below is Hosta Dance with Me. Both of these plants are in the medium sized category and I consider them specimen plants.
Grown in a spot with some sunlight provides the best coloration for Dance with Me, and my Strip Tease pictured here also receives just a few hours of sunlight during the day. Both plants will sport pale lavender flowers mid-to late summer. Our home hosta garden has over 400 varieties of hosta so it is hard to pick a favorite, but these two definitely rank in the top 10!
We are not part of the garden center tour during the Convention, but we encourage those out and about this week looking for new hosta plants for their gardens to stop in. We have a huge selection of hosta and would hope that you would be able to find just the one you’re looking for! If you bring in your registration for the Hosta Convention – we’ll give you 20% off your hosta purchases.
