Plant of the Month
Liatris spicata
Common name-Gayfeather
Liatris is a North American native bulb in the Aster Family. It is a showy bloomer in summer when the grassy basal growth shoots up to four feet topped with purple flower spikes that open from the top down. All you purple flower lovers would like this one. It makes a good cut flower too.
Although it requires some water, it is deer resistant, takes the heat and cold, aridity and poor soils. It is sensitive to soggy soil during the winter while the bulbs are dormant, so a well drained soil is best. Consider planting in your mixed containers if your soil is bad. Plant bulbs in spring. Often available potted later in the summer.
March 2013 Specials and Plant of the Month
- Plant of the Month- Liatris bulbs are 20% off regular price
- Green-All 2 cf Organic Potting Soil—Buy 3 and get 4th free
- Buy 5 fruit trees and get 6th free
- Newly Potted Roses- Buy 2 and get 3rd at half price
- On Going-Fill a Flat and Bakers Dozen
March Newsletter
Where is our rain? At this point to be fair I will have to hope it is a rainy spring, but that is difficult. I prefer rain in January (after all that is why we close for 4 weeks) and February. The warm weather means we have potted most of our roses already but we do have a few left in bare-root if you hurry in. We decided to put all our Weeks roses in the can as soon as they arrived as we have a massive amount of work ahead of us. The berries were starting to leaf so we are potting them up now. You can help out by coming in for fruit and shade trees in the next couple of weeks. Next in line are the peaches, plums and nectarines.
You might be asking what you should be doing in the garden now besides planting bare-root trees and roses. Things are starting to break dormancy so now would be a good time to finish up the last of your tree and shrub pruning. Remember if it is a spring blooming shrub you want to leave it alone until after it has finished blooming. Cut back your perennials and deciduous grasses if you have not done this already. March is the time to start fertilizing too. I usually want to say wait till more towards the end of the month but with the weather I know that I am starting to fertilize my accounts and the nursery as soon as I can. If the spring remains dry, fungus and bacterial problems on our plants will remain low so I guess that is a bright spot.
Speaking of the dry weather, I have had to start running the irrigation a couple of times a week. Now is the time to get out there and do a check on your system, check for winter damage and make your repairs. Hopefully we will be able to turn the system off again with some rain but things are waking up and need a drink.
So what is new here? We have some intriguing new to us or new this year roses. Check out Dark Night, Big Momma, Over The Moon, Love Song, and Cinnamon Dolce. We also have some old favorites like Veteran’s Honor, Hot Cocoa, Purple Tiger and Day Breaker. For those of you who missed out on Ketchup and Mustard last year, they are back in stock. As so many of you can not grow roses because of the deer and we are a small nursery, I try to change up the offering every year.
The moss purses were very popular last year and they are back! We just received a fresh supply of bamboo windchimes. We have new statuary and new pottery with two more pallets expected of pots we have not had before, including some Talaveras Pottery. Our new gifty items and garden décor is coming as I write this with the first three boxes waiting on my doorstep today.
Our fresh supply of Rhodies, Azaleas, Camellias, Forsythia and Quince are here. I find the rhododendrons and azaleas more difficult to grow on the valley floor and recommend them more for Cobb and Anderson Springs. The camellias and quince are a different story. The camellias make great container plants in a shady spot and the deer usually leave them alone. I feel no house should be without the deer resistant ornamental quince. You can force the branches indoors just like the forsythia and they are easy to grow and one of the first things to bloom.
Start your vegetable garden now with peas, carrots, beets, broccoli, kale and the like. I have already been asked when the peppers and tomatoes are coming. Not till April really although I might order some Early Girls next week for those of you who have to have a tomato growing and plan to protect.
Happy Gardening,
Tanya