Plant of the Month
Mimulus aurantiacus – Sticky Monkey Flower
Many of you have seen this plant growing in the wild, in creek beds and off hillsides in our area. They grow up to 4 ft tall and wide, bloom most of the summer and are a pale orange color. They are woody based with very dark green sticky leaves. The name monkey flower comes from the shape of the funnel shaped flower with two lips that looks like a grinning monkey. There are other types of species but we are sticking to the sticky monkey.
Showy hybrids are now available of this native ranging in colors from white, yellow, oranges, pinks, reds and more. They were pricy when first introduced but are now affordable and do not cost more than other natives. Plant in full sun or light shade but have good drainage. Prune back in spring before new growth starts and prune again if it quits blooming to promote re-bloom. They are fairly drought tolerant but will bloom longer if given moderate water. We hope to have several colors to choose from. We are expecting to stock up on these heat and deer resistant plants on Tuesday, June 4th so please do not rush in this week-end for them although I do have a few in stock.
June Specials
Last month for the Green-All Organic 2cf Potting Soil Special-Buy 3, 4th FREE
Summer blooming bulbs-30% OFF
Glads, cannas, crocosmia, lilies, peonies and more
Plant off the Month
$2 off the regular price of gallon Sticky Monkey Flowers
Star Volume Discounts
Buy 7 jumbo packs, 8th FREE
Buy 12 4 inch plants, 13th FREE
Buy 9 any soil or bark, 10th FREE
June Newsletter
Here we are with our long light days upon us. I know it is going to be a dry summer but hopefully not too hot. I got a little frost nip on a few of my own garden vegies in my back yard last week. The cold snap caught me unaware just how low it was going to drop. The nursery is more protected and got by unscathed. At least one person I know on Cobb suffered some major damage too.
Speaking of major damage, those bad green spotted beetles (you know, the ones that look like ladybugs) had a field day the first day I planted my garden. Everything but the tomatoes is riddled with holes. I got out the Captain Jack with Spinosad spray and those Diabrotica Beetles are all but history. We did not have a very cold winter and I am expecting insects to be more troublesome, so keep a look out. Remember that it is recommended to rotate your sprays, i.e. Neem one time, Take Down with pyrethrum next, then Captain Jack. Soap sprays work too but you have to coat the insect for it to be effective where as the others are natural insect toxins or repellants. We also carry Hot Pepper spray or you can concoct your own.
The roses are blooming and we have been trying to keep up with grooming and are about to feed again with EBStone Rose and Flower food. Now is a good time to feed your azaleas, camellias, and rhodies if you have not done so.
I finally have peaches this year and had to thin my tree. If you do not want small fruit and/or broken branches this would be a good time to get out there and thin. You might consider getting some coddling moth traps for your apples although the best window for getting them out has passed if your fruit is bigger than a quarter. If you plan to spray they say do it when the fruit is dime, nickle and quarter sized.
Summer perennials are starting to happen. The yarrow ‘Pomegranite’ flew out of here but I hope to have more this week. Some of the daylilies have bloomed, the dahlias are gorgeous, our rose of sharon is starting to form buds and it is time to get the hardy hibiscus out of the backstock area. Some great perennials that bloom all summer are gaura, black-eyed susan, cape fuchsia, salvias, and blanket flower. It is not too late to plant these workhorses of summer.
We have just started getting little 6 packs of annual vinca in. If you have never grown this you should try it. It loves heat, is deer resistant, low maintenance and blooms till frost. We just received our first batch of Blooms Nursery 4 inch zinnias too. These are very showy and will brighten up your annual beds or a tired looking container. These dry out fast when first planted so water daily. We were unable to get snaps for a while but they are back in stock. We will have warm season vegetable starts through June but expect the choices and supply to start to dwindle.
My bareroot rose and tree suppliers are already looking for the 2014 order so if there is anything you want in particular (like a rose or quantity of a type of shade tree) now would be a good time to put the word in.
There always something new, changing and blooming here so come on in.
Happy June,
Tanya