Plant of the Month

Armeria Maritima
Common name : Thrift, Sea Pink

 

Armeria MaritimaThis grass like perennial is a dependable evergreen for edging walks and borders and works well in the rock garden or containers.  It blooms profusely in the spring with pink globular heads on 6 – 10 ” stalks.  Some verities grow taller and there is a white flowering variety and a red foliaged one.

Armeria is deer resistant, needs good drainage and will grow in half to full day sun.  In our region, it needs moderate water.  Shear the old blossom to encourage rebloom into summer.  It is very cold hardy and even though the ‘maritima’ means you will find its native habitat by the sea, it tolerates our inland climate.

We hope to have a few varieties in 4″ pots for you choose from and maybe some 6 packs.

Armeria Maritima $1.00 off regular price for March

March Specials

  • Green-All Organic 2 c.f. Potting Soil
    Buy 3 bags @ $9.99 each and get a 4th FREE
  • Fill a Flat Special
    Buy 7 jumbo packs of annuals and or vegetables and get the 8th FREE
  • Planters Dozen
    Buy 12 4″ perennials and get the 13th FREE
  • Armeria Maritima
    $1.00 OFF regular price
  • And Always
    Free Advice 🙂

March Newsletter

Things are starting to pop at the nursery with spring orders arriving, bulb pots starting to bloom, and few of the early perennials. Check out our perennial of the month plus Veronica Georgia Blue, white flowering Candytuft, Erysimums, Rosemary, and Grevillea Constance, to name a few.

Most of the pottery we will have for spring has arrived, along with a selection of Smart Pots from #10 sizes to #65. Smart Pots are excellent for growing vegetables in, so there is no excuse not to have a patio garden if you want home grown tomatoes.

I already had to re-order some of the 2012 seeds. One of the hot items are the seeds for mini-bell peppers. Some of you asked for them last year and these folks at Renee’s Garden must have heard you. Need tips on seed starting? Just go to Renee’s Garden.com for good advice on seed starting in trays or in the ground.

Our summer blooming bulbs, including our seed potatoes, should be arriving anyday. The potatoes should be planted this month.

Check out the new colorful wire baskets and trellis’.  We also have some heavy duty green cages that are wider on the bottom than the top and should work better for tomatoes and anything else that needs caging.  Not all garden accessories have arrived but we have lots of new frogs, children’s gloves,  garden plaques, and a resident fairy.

We still have lots of bareroot fruit trees and berries and a nice selection of roses.  We are starting to pot up the bareroot, so there’s no time to waste.  We are offering 10% off on 3 fruit trees and 20% off on 5 or more.

Many of you are probably asking if there is anything you can do to protect your early fruit tree blossoms from freezing.  I am not sure there is much hope but if your are serious about it, you might try a light bulb, regular x-mas lights, frost cloth, and anti-transpirant.  Unfortunately,  we live in an area that is highly prone to late frosts and our warm, dry winter did not help.

Did you know that the new edition to the Sunset Western Garden is out?  It’s a major job to edit and publish every five years.  Every time they do, some plants get dropped and others get added.  The new edition has color photos of the plants.  Do not dispose of your old editions.  I still find things and use the old editions for things that are no longer in the new ones.  Check out our copy at the nursery and we have a couple extra for sale.

Spring Hours

7 days week 9 – 5
rain days 10 -4

Things to do in the garden

Roses – a few of the roses from last year look like they will need to be sprayed as the weather returns.  Be on the lookout for downy mildew and aphids as the new foliage returns.

Finish up pruning and cutting back of perennials, if you have not already.

Fertilize everything around the end of the month.  You should use a lawn food on your bamboo and ornamental grasses.  I use Rose and Flower food on my roses and perennials and the All purpose for my trees and shrubs.  E.B. Stone has come out with a new fruit tree food that we plan on stocking also and hope to have in a few weeks.  Plants put on the most growth in spring and that is the why it is important to feed everything at this time of the year.  Feed acid loving plants like Azaleas and Camellias after they finish blooming.

Plant cool season vegetables like lettuce, peas, carrots, and potatoes now.

Happy Gadening,

Tanya