Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Fall Pruning
Just a heads up to remind everyone that our next topic of discussion will be Autumn pruning. Oceanview will post a very informative article on the esentials of pruning your plants for the winter.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Canadian Nursery Landscape Association Landscape Maintenance Entrants
This is a photo of the Oceanview Garden Centre and Landscaping entry in the CNLA National Awards of Landscape Excellence for the Landscape Maintenance class. Project - The Ernst Residence.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The End of Summer is Near - Keep Your Garden Looking Good!
Oh My! The end of summer is near and our gardens are looking a little drab. Question: What can we do to spice it up? Answer: Go to your local independent garden center and get some or all of the following plants, which will provide you with lots of fall & winter interest.
In the perennial category you will find:
Sedum: This traditional fall perennial has both upright & groundcover varieties.
Fall Asters: This is one of Susan’s favorites. It comes in so many colors and sizes- deep pinks, medium pink, blue, purple, & white to name a few. These wonderful long blooming perennials are anywhere from 8 inches to 4 feet tall.
Helenium: It comes in all different shades of yellow, orange and red. It is a tall, long blooming perennial.
Rudbeckia: Black Eyed Susans are known by everyone.
Japanese Anemones: Absolutely gorgeous flowers in either pink or white, blooms right into October. What a knock-out!!
Chelone (Turtlehead): They like moist soil but stay controlled in garden situations.
Aconitum fischerii – Fall Monkshood: It has dark glossy foliage, deep blue purple flowers that last until frost.
Perennial Chrysanthemum: The flowers look similar to an Aster and blooms continuously for 6 to 8 weeks.
Heuchera: It is a huge bang for your buck. It stays semi-evergreen through the winter, has fresh new growth in spring, summer & fall. In the autumn many of them take on even more interesting coloring.
Ornamental Grasses: This is a topic by itself. Grasses come in so many heights, growth habits, colors, etc. They provide huge fall & winter interest with their golden plumes on top of strong erect stems.
Other perennials that are worth a mention and bloom late summer into fall are Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed), Coreopsis (many varieties) Echinacea (Coneflower), Salvia and Veronica.
If you want a climber that provides fall interest try Virginia Creeper, Boston Ivy, Schizophragma for great red leaf color. Or try the beautiful Clematis paniculata which has fragrant clusters of small white flowers in September/October. One of the best climbers for fall interest is Pyracantha (Firethorn). Technically it is not a climber, it grows very tall and upright but does not cling or twine. It can also be pruned to look like a shrub. It has profuse bright orange berries that persist through the fall.
Shrubs for fall interest include of course Burning Bush, for its vibrant red leaf color. Its close cousin the Spindle Tree has the same deep red leaf color but also has seed pods that pop in the fall to expose brilliant orange centers.
Caryopteris: A small shrub with blue flowers from August through to October.
Pee Gee Hydrangea: Beautiful large cone shaped flowers that turn pink with age, provide interest straight through the winter.
Red Twig & Yellow Dogwood: They have just that, red & yellow branches that absolutely shine against fresh fallen snow.
Gray Dogwood: It has wonderful clusters of blue berries.
Viburnum: Many varieties produce a show of berries in the fall from vibrant blue (Blue Muffin) to reds and pinks. The leaf color can be quite spectacular too.
Holly: The broadleaf variety which keep their leaves year round produce a beautiful show of red berries in the fall. However, the most spectacular berry display comes on the Canadian Holly (Ilex verticulata) which loses its leaves to display the incredible red berries. Breeders have developed many with very large berries
.
Trees for fall interest include Mountain Ash which produces masses of red berries. Crabapples produce an abundance of small yellow or red fruit that persist well into the fall. Hawthorn also produces an abundance of red berries. All these are very attractive to birds. Many trees have a lovely exfoliating bark that provide year round interest, even more so once the leaves have dropped. Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) would be my favorite. White Birch with its peeling bark is very attractive. There are many other trees that have interesting bark, such as the Striped Maple. Amur Maple is a large shrub/small tree 15 to 20 feet tall that has the most brilliant red fall color & dark pink/red seeds that hang off the bare branches well into the winter.
Don’t forget that Roses will produce flowers right through until frost if they have been properly fertilized & deadheaded throughout the growing season. Roses also produce orange to vibrant red hips that are gorgeous against fresh fallen snow.
These are only a few of the plants that come to mind when asked what to plant for fall. So when your garden starts to peter out late summer, just visit Oceanview Garden Centre for an abundance of choices. Happy fall planting!
In the perennial category you will find:
Sedum: This traditional fall perennial has both upright & groundcover varieties.
Fall Asters: This is one of Susan’s favorites. It comes in so many colors and sizes- deep pinks, medium pink, blue, purple, & white to name a few. These wonderful long blooming perennials are anywhere from 8 inches to 4 feet tall.
Helenium: It comes in all different shades of yellow, orange and red. It is a tall, long blooming perennial.
Rudbeckia: Black Eyed Susans are known by everyone.
Japanese Anemones: Absolutely gorgeous flowers in either pink or white, blooms right into October. What a knock-out!!
Chelone (Turtlehead): They like moist soil but stay controlled in garden situations.
Aconitum fischerii – Fall Monkshood: It has dark glossy foliage, deep blue purple flowers that last until frost.
Perennial Chrysanthemum: The flowers look similar to an Aster and blooms continuously for 6 to 8 weeks.
Heuchera: It is a huge bang for your buck. It stays semi-evergreen through the winter, has fresh new growth in spring, summer & fall. In the autumn many of them take on even more interesting coloring.
Ornamental Grasses: This is a topic by itself. Grasses come in so many heights, growth habits, colors, etc. They provide huge fall & winter interest with their golden plumes on top of strong erect stems.
Other perennials that are worth a mention and bloom late summer into fall are Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed), Coreopsis (many varieties) Echinacea (Coneflower), Salvia and Veronica.
If you want a climber that provides fall interest try Virginia Creeper, Boston Ivy, Schizophragma for great red leaf color. Or try the beautiful Clematis paniculata which has fragrant clusters of small white flowers in September/October. One of the best climbers for fall interest is Pyracantha (Firethorn). Technically it is not a climber, it grows very tall and upright but does not cling or twine. It can also be pruned to look like a shrub. It has profuse bright orange berries that persist through the fall.
Shrubs for fall interest include of course Burning Bush, for its vibrant red leaf color. Its close cousin the Spindle Tree has the same deep red leaf color but also has seed pods that pop in the fall to expose brilliant orange centers.
Caryopteris: A small shrub with blue flowers from August through to October.
Pee Gee Hydrangea: Beautiful large cone shaped flowers that turn pink with age, provide interest straight through the winter.
Red Twig & Yellow Dogwood: They have just that, red & yellow branches that absolutely shine against fresh fallen snow.
Gray Dogwood: It has wonderful clusters of blue berries.
Viburnum: Many varieties produce a show of berries in the fall from vibrant blue (Blue Muffin) to reds and pinks. The leaf color can be quite spectacular too.
Holly: The broadleaf variety which keep their leaves year round produce a beautiful show of red berries in the fall. However, the most spectacular berry display comes on the Canadian Holly (Ilex verticulata) which loses its leaves to display the incredible red berries. Breeders have developed many with very large berries
.
Trees for fall interest include Mountain Ash which produces masses of red berries. Crabapples produce an abundance of small yellow or red fruit that persist well into the fall. Hawthorn also produces an abundance of red berries. All these are very attractive to birds. Many trees have a lovely exfoliating bark that provide year round interest, even more so once the leaves have dropped. Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) would be my favorite. White Birch with its peeling bark is very attractive. There are many other trees that have interesting bark, such as the Striped Maple. Amur Maple is a large shrub/small tree 15 to 20 feet tall that has the most brilliant red fall color & dark pink/red seeds that hang off the bare branches well into the winter.
Don’t forget that Roses will produce flowers right through until frost if they have been properly fertilized & deadheaded throughout the growing season. Roses also produce orange to vibrant red hips that are gorgeous against fresh fallen snow.
These are only a few of the plants that come to mind when asked what to plant for fall. So when your garden starts to peter out late summer, just visit Oceanview Garden Centre for an abundance of choices. Happy fall planting!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Communities in Bloom Winner
Check out these photos we recieved from the CIB winners in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. The Tinman is awesome!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Planting Bulbs in the Fall
Spring flowering bulbs are the best way of putting early color in your garden. With a good variety of bulbs you can have color from April to July. Spring flowering bulbs must be planted in the fall. They can be planted September through November, even after the first ground frost, provided the soil is not frozen and still can be worked.
Bulbs can be planted in just about any type of soil, provided there is good drainage. There are bulbs to suit any location. They can be planted in sun, shade or part-shade. Before planting bulbs it is a good idea to set them the proper distance apart. You can either plant each bulb in a separate hole, or if you are planting many bulbs you should dig a large hole instead. After digging a hole to the correct depth, place the bulbs in point side up, replace soil and press down lightly. The rule of thumb for planting depth is 2.5 times the height of the bulb (unless specified differently by the grower).
If you choose, you can add a fertilizer high in phosphorous and potash to the soil to help aid the bulbs next season. Bulbs should be watered after planting. Bulbs can be planted in the garden in groups or allowed to naturalize under trees. Once bulbs have finished flowering the flowers should be removed but the leaves should be left to die down naturally. That way the bulb has stored its food and energy for the next year’s blooming.
If they are hardy bulbs, you can choose to leave the bulbs in the ground or lift them. If you choose to lift them they should not be dug up until all the leaves have died back completely. The soil should be removed from them and they should be stored until fall in a dry, well-ventilated place.
If you live in an area where deer are a problem there are a few deer resistant bulbs:
Narcissus
Fritillaria (can repel deer from other bulbs planted nearby to it)
Allium
Dwarf Iris
Snowdrops
Muscari
Scillas
Stay tuned for our next article on planting trees and shrubs in the fall.
Bulbs can be planted in just about any type of soil, provided there is good drainage. There are bulbs to suit any location. They can be planted in sun, shade or part-shade. Before planting bulbs it is a good idea to set them the proper distance apart. You can either plant each bulb in a separate hole, or if you are planting many bulbs you should dig a large hole instead. After digging a hole to the correct depth, place the bulbs in point side up, replace soil and press down lightly. The rule of thumb for planting depth is 2.5 times the height of the bulb (unless specified differently by the grower).
If you choose, you can add a fertilizer high in phosphorous and potash to the soil to help aid the bulbs next season. Bulbs should be watered after planting. Bulbs can be planted in the garden in groups or allowed to naturalize under trees. Once bulbs have finished flowering the flowers should be removed but the leaves should be left to die down naturally. That way the bulb has stored its food and energy for the next year’s blooming.
If they are hardy bulbs, you can choose to leave the bulbs in the ground or lift them. If you choose to lift them they should not be dug up until all the leaves have died back completely. The soil should be removed from them and they should be stored until fall in a dry, well-ventilated place.
If you live in an area where deer are a problem there are a few deer resistant bulbs:
Narcissus
Fritillaria (can repel deer from other bulbs planted nearby to it)
Allium
Dwarf Iris
Snowdrops
Muscari
Scillas
Stay tuned for our next article on planting trees and shrubs in the fall.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Planting Bulps
Stay tuned for the latest edition of the blog on Wednesday. Tips on bulp selection for fall planting, where to plant bulbs. and how and when to plant for spring success. Not to mention great proferssional advice on general care!
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