Saturday, December 31, 2011

Closed for the winter season.

Closed for the winter season.

Dec. 31st - March 20th 2012

Open by appointment 845-658-9007.

Thank you all for a wonderful season. We look forward to seeing you all again next spring!

Monday, December 26, 2011

The After Christmas Sale Has Begun!

Dec. 26th -Dec. 30th - The After Christmas Sale

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Closed For Christmas - Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

We are closed for Christmas Day.

We will reopen tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Happy Hanukkah!

Victoria Gardens would like to wish you all a happy and safe holiday!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

This Saturday - Frozendale - see you there!

Saturday December 10th - Frozendale - Main St. Rosendale

Thursday, December 1, 2011

December Hours

December hours are 10AM to 7PM Mon. - Sat. & 10AM to 4PM Sundays

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Holiday Open House This Weekend!

Friday and Saturday November 18th & 19th – Christmas Open House

Join us for cocktails and refreshments and oh, yeah, relaxing, pleasant holiday shopping!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Join us for Picklefest this weekend at the Rosendale Rec Center!

November 20th is Picklefest at the Rosendale Rec. Center!

We'll see you there!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Victoria Gardens' Favorite Spring Bulbs

We believe when you plant into fall, you spring into color. Few things are as satisfying to a gardener as the green tips of spring bulbs emerging from the sleeping soil - except perhaps the colorful blooms that follow! Click the link below for:

Ten simple ways to stop wild animals from digging, eating or stealing your newly planted tulips & crocus.


When we choose which spring-blooming bulbs to bring into stock, we choose the flowers that have performed the best year after year here in Ulster county. We have the benefit of field-testing new varieties and watching some varieties naturalize and bloom again and again for the past twenty years. Here are just a few of our favorites:


Antoinette is a wonderful tulip for cutting. Each petal is a painterly springtime combination of butter yellow, white, and Easter pink. The bulbs are multiflowering, which makes Anntoinette a must have. If you like cutting from your garden, you will love this tulip.

Fantasy, Lambadda, and Apricot Parrot are exotic feather-edged, multi-colored tulips that will dress up your garden or your table. Tulips, unfortunately need to be protected from critters and deer, so if you don't have a fence you will have to diligently spray deer repellent.

For those of you with gardens in the middle of deer territory, not to fear, we have a wide assortment of deer resistant bulbs. One of the most under-used (but awesome) deer resistant bulbs is Allium 'Ivory Queen.' Every May when they bloom at the nursery, everyone asks, What's that plant? We planted three bulbs in this spot three years ago in full sun, and every year they have multiplied and the foliage and flowers have gotten bigger.


Fritillaria persica and Fritillaria persica 'Ivory Bells'

Fritillaria persica (also deer resistant!) is very sculptural with tufts of green pineapple-like leaves on top of the large (2' to 4' tall) hanging bell-shaped flowers. A stunning companion to white tulips, hellebore or the coveted, greenish-white Fritillaria persica 'Ivory Bells.'


Camassia 'caerulea'

Another deer resistant beauty, Camassia 'caerulea' which put up lovely spikes of lavender blue flowers. Ideal for heavy clay to loamy soils! Camassia can tolerate full sun to part shade and can grow pond side or stream side. The flowers are very long lasting making them ideal for cut flowers to be used in flower arrangements. Camassia 'Semiplena' produces tall spikes of large, white, semi-double flowers.

Both naturalizing and deer resistant, Daffodils are the reliable gold standard. Diminutive varieties like Tete a tete and Bellsong can planted at the front of beds while taller varieties like Dutch Master and Hawera can be used throughout your perennial border. And not all Daffodils are gold in color, white, peach and and soft pink are also available.


Daffodil Delnshaugh


Not all bulbs bloom at the same time, so you can choose a variety and have a constantly blooming show of bulbs from early spring to early summer. Stop by the nursery and we'll help you plan your spring blooms.

Friday, September 30, 2011

September Blooms: Ceratostigma Plumbago (Perennial Plumbago)



Ceratostigma Plumbago (Perennial Plumbago) zones 5-9 Another blue bloomer! 6-8” tall this plant is a workhorse in the garden. An enthusiastic, deer resistant ground cover that grows and flowers in sun or shade, and offers not only the elusive true blue flower, but blooms into the fall! As if that weren’t enough, after the flower finish, the foliage turns a vibrant red.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

September Blooms: Liriope (lilyturf)




Liriope (lilyturf)zones 5-10 Evergreen grass great to use for edging beds. A purple flower stalk emerges in fall. The leaves can be dark green and glossy or variegated. The foliage looks its best when planted in the shade.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

September Blooms: Clematis Paniculata




Clematis paniculata- zones 5-8 This fall blooming, fragrant clematis vine grows 15’ to 20’ tall and can be planted on an arbor mixed with other clematis varieties to give you blooms from spring to fall. Clematis paniculata blooms on new growth so prune it in the early spring as the leaf buds appear. Will thrive in full sun or mostly shade.

Monday, September 26, 2011

September Blooms: Sedum


Sedum (live forever) zones 3-10

Live forever varieties are very hardy succulents plants with clusters of light pink flowers that deepen to a burgundy color as the weather cools down.

Other sedum varieties are low-growing and can be planted as ground covers or as we did on the front of our building - vertically!javascript:void(0)

Saturday, September 24, 2011

September Blooms: Hydrangeas



Hydrangeas zones 5-9 The everbloom series: Endless Summer, Blushing Bride and Twist and Shout all bloom from late spring through the fall and the Hydrangea paniculata varieties: Pee Gee, Pinky Winky, Lime Light, and Quickfire all bloom mid-summer and hold their blooms into the fall. Many varieties, like quick fire, bloom pure white and then gradually turn to an antique pink, then a metallic bronze as they dry on the plant. Oakleaf Hydrangeas also bloom mid-summer and hold their blooms into the fall, plus they have great fall foliage.

See more hydrangeas.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Join our email list for special sales, discounts and plant profiles!

Join our email list!

Click the link to make sure you're on our email list. We have been sending out special sales and discounts to our email list, as well as gardening tips, plant profiles and virtual garden tours.

Visit and be inspired!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

September Blooms: Asters

A fall flowering staple:





Asters zones 5-8

Clusters of daisy like flowers typically with yellow centers; asters are tough perennials that can perform roadside, in meadow plantings, or in your perennial border.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

September Blooms: Callicarpa 'Duet' (Beauty Bush)

September flowering shrub produces October berries.



Callicarpa 'Duet'(Beauty Bush) zones 5-8


This is a Victoria Gardens favorite! Grows to 4’ tall by 4’ wide and flowers in August and September. 'Duet' is a variegated variety that blooms white and has white berries.

We also have a solid leaf Callicarpa with delicate lavender blooms followed by clusters of candy-colored purple berries. Stunning!



Tuesday, September 20, 2011

September Blooms: Gaillardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’

Showstopper! September blooms with bang:





Gaillardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’ zones 4-9

Gaillardia has many varieties. This long blooming, cheerful, AND deer resistant perennial has wide-faced, daisy-like blooms, and it’s tough as nails. It can tolerate full, hot sun and bad soil. With flowers from June until October, this Gaillardia will become one of your favorites!

Monday, September 19, 2011

September Blooms: 'Lemon Drop' Dwarf Golden Rod

September blooms are golden:




'Lemon Drop' Dwarf Golden Rod zones 5-8

I know what your thinking.

Goldenrod?

Yes Golden Rod! With it’s sturdy yellow plumes of late summer and fall flowers, Golden Rod can be a dazzling addition to a large planting, especially a meadow planting or a wildflower garden.

Allergy suffers are rolling their eyes, but unless you put your nose right into the Golden Rod blooms, most likely you won't be affected by its pollen. Golden Rod has heavy, almost sticky pollen, which needs to be carried by bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

What you are probably allergic to is Rag Weed, which blooms at the same time. Rag Weed has a green flower and very light pollen that is carried far and wide by the wind.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

September Blooms: Coreopsis 'Sweet Dreams'

We continue our feature on fall flowering plants. There are more than you think!





Coreopsis 'Sweet Dreams' zone 5-9

Deer resistant and long blooming, we like the thread leaf varieties for their great texture. Deadheading helps all varieties of Coreopsis continue to produce blooms even longer. If yours is looking a little spent mid-summer, take a pair of sheers to the whole plant – take 4 or 5 inches all the way around, giving it a rounded haircut, and before you can say buzz-cut it will be covered with new buds.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

September Blooms: ‘Knockout’ Roses

September blooms will knock you out:



‘Knockout’ Roses – zone 5-11

It seems that every time Victoria is on WKZE's Garden Show with Sally Spillane, she ends up talking about 'Knock Out' roses. Almost every show, all season long because they look great all season long!

We are not rose people. Traditional English roses are just too fussy and too much work. They are the Prima Donas of the plant world, BUT ‘Knockout’ roses thrive on neglect and pump out color and fragrance from spring to frost. Really! Drought-tolerant, disease resistant, and still blooming in November!

They grow about 5 feet high and wide, thrive in full sun to part shade, but don't seem to be too picky about any other condition EXCEPT wet feet. Plant in dry to well drained soil.

Friday, September 16, 2011

September Blooms: Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake'

A wall of white blooms in September:





Viburnum ‘Summer Snowflake’ zones 5-9

This shrub grows quite tall 10’ tall by 6’ wide and will provide a wall of white blooms all summer long. Yes! All summer long! When the flowers finally fade, they are replaces by bright red berries.

Very low maintenance! Deer resistant and an amazing performer from May to September.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Victoria Gardens is going to the dogs!

We're raising money for The Kingston Point Dog Park!

20% of the sales from these adorable felted, papier-mâché, and glass dog ornaments will be donated to help build The Kingston Point Dog Park, a safe, responsibly designed, well managed recreation facility with education programs to foster respectful and compassionate human/dog relationships!











Our dear friend and professional landscaper Angela Garnier is one of the organizers and champions of The Kingston Point Dog Park project. She has shared with us the many benefits dog parks offer both to the dogs and the communities where they have been established.

A dog park is a fenced-in, designated area where dogs may run "off-leash” under the supervision of their owners. The parks provide unique recreational and social opportunities for both humans and their canine friends. The dogs enjoy the open space, fresh air and exercise and their owners enjoy the bonding and community building that occurs between people who share a love of their pets. Our love of dogs gives our diverse community a great reason to come together as neighbors!

People from every demographic, cultural and ethnic background come together and share mutual interests and values through responsible dog ownership. The community also shares concern for handicapped and senior citizens who have limited ability or opportunity to exercise their pets. Dog owners and non-dog owners alike can enjoy the congenial atmosphere.

Public dog recreation areas are a proven attraction for vacationers traveling with their dogs. Increased patronage of local business in the vicinity of the park also generates additional sales and tax revenue.

Dog parks are frequently used by dog owners in early morning and late evening (before and after work) and reduce the incidence of vandalism and crime in nearby neighborhoods. Public demonstrations and expert instruction in effective and gentle dog training, veterinarian medical treatment, and information about dog protection laws improve living conditions and emphasize humane treatment for all dogs.

The Kingston Dog Control Office will supervise local compliance with NYS requirements for current dog license and rabies tags. In communities that have dog parks, statistically, there are reduced rates of dog bite incidents.

As you can see, this is a project that will benefit the entire community, not just pet owners. And it is so easy to give your support. These adorable ornaments available at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY make great gifts for all the dog lovers you know, and you will be contributing to a good cause!

"Give dogs a new "unleash" on life!

For more information about this great project visit their website:
http://www.kingstonpointdogpark.org/

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

If you missed the Private Garden Tour 9/11/11


Last weekend's private tour to the extensive gardens of clients was so lovely - Thank you again Ande and Peter for allowing us to visit your beautiful property!



Ande and Peter have lovingly sculpted and nurtured their land. They have built ponds, bridges, stone walls and patios, each with a changing vantage point of rolling landscape.



This talented couple is artful and thoughtful about adding elements to their landscape, but they are also playful. When you crest the hill along driveway, the first vista of the main pond rises up in front of you. Across the pond, lays teepee village, with a big fire pit and a Paul Bunion sized skillet for entertaining guests under the mature oaks, at the edge of the woods, overlooking the main pond.


Seating areas through out the property invite you to stop and watch the water meander from pond to pond.




The extensive property is not fenced, so Ande uses Russian sage, Peonies, Lavender, grasses, and other deer resistant plants.





Whale tail sculptures again add a sense of movement, joy, and playfulness to the rolling meadow along the driveway.





Multi-leveled ponds, flow into waterways, and down multiple waterfalls - Peter quarries stone off the property and builds all of the stone walls and bridges. Ande and Peter do a wonderful job of blending country side, farm, and forest with gardens and hardscapes.













The couple raise bison on their property, and on the tour we spotted both the real and the artful imitations.





Thank you again to Ande and Peter for generously sharing their amazing property with us, and thank you to everyone who attended.

Proceeds from this garden tour were donated to the Phonecia food pantry to help those affected by Irene.

September Blooms: Persicaria ‘Firetail’



Persicaria ‘Firetail’ Zones 3-9


Upright spikes of long blooming light pink, hot pink, or white flowers, Persicaria can take wet feet and grows well pond side. Can grow in full sun or part shade, marshy or well drained soil. Very low maintenance perennial. Plant and ignore.

Blooms from June until October. 'Firetail' grows into big 3 to 4 foot wide and high, bushy clumps.

Other varieties include 'Pink Elephant', which is a lighter pink and stays much smaller only 12 to 15 inches.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

September Blooms: Hardy Hibiscus

Create a lush fall garden with brilliant September blooms:



Hardy Hibiscus zones 4-9

Huge blooms grace the garden from late summer until the first frost. Although they look tropical, they are very cold hardy and they thrive in moist soil.

Very late to leaf out in the spring. Don't give up on them, just because they look like bare sticks in May! Once they get going in warmer weather, you can't believe how fast they grow! In June watch out for Japanese beetles, because we've see hibiscus leaves turned to lace by those rotten defoliators. Use a preventative oil based spray, or if you actually see beetles on your hibiscus use Captain Jack's Dead Bug Spray (approved for organic gardening).

If you're out in deer country, spray the foliage and huge flowers with deer repellent. Locally made Deer Defeat is our favorite.

During your fall clean-up when the hibiscus has dropped its leaves, trim the stems down to about 6" from the ground.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Bulbs Arrive September 15th!

Spring blooming bulbs arrive September 15th.

Many Deer Resistant Spring and Early Summer Flowering Bulbs! Here are a few:



GRAPE HYACINTH (Muscari)

Sweet fragrance and a brilliant blue color have made Grape Hyacinth long standing favorites. This is the perfect little bulb for massing under trees that haven't yet leafed out. And it doesn't take many bulbs to rapidly spread into a mass planting. For more information read this article from Fine Gardening.

* Height: 4 - 7"
* Bloom Time: Mid-Spring
* Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
* Zones: 3 - 9



SCILLA, SQUILL or STAR OF HOLLAND (Scilla siberica)

These little charmers work best when allowed to naturalize in the lawn. They surprise you every year with a carpet of dazzling blue. If you find yourself looking out the window, searching for signs of spring, scilla won't disappoint.

* Height: 4 - 6"
* Bloom Time: Early Spring
* Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade
* Zones 1 - 9



SNOWDROPS (Galanthus nivalis)

They look like snowdrops and they bloom while the snow is still dropping. If Galanthus has a drawback, it's that it can't take any heat. But just like crocus, Galanthus lets us know that ground is warming. Plant them near a door or walkway for the best view.

* Height: 4 - 6"
* Bloom Time: Very Early Spring
* Exposure: Sun
* Zones: 3 - 9



WINTER ACONITE (Eranthis cilicica)

With its upturned petals and down turned foliage, Eranthis can form a thick clump fast. The yellow flowers generally bloom at the same time as Scilla and dwarf iris and make a nice complement.

* Height: 2 - 4"
* Bloom Time: Early Spring
* Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
* Zones: 4 - 7

ALLIUM

Ornamental onions are among the most deer resistant flowering bulbs. The most commonly know alliums have pom pom like blossoms on top of single, straight stalks. There is, however, a fair amount of variation in the species. Allium schubertii looks like a fireworks sparkler. Others, like Allium unifolium and Allium bulgaricum are bell shaped. You can find alliums in almost every color and height and their bloom times vary throughout the season. Allium are also rodent resistant.

* Height: Varies (4" - 4')
* Bloom Time: Late Spring - Early Summer
* Exposure: Full Sun
* Zones: 4 - 9

CROCUS

The bright colors of crocus are a welcome sign that the soil is starting to warm. Crocus will even bloom in the snow. This versatile little spreader can be used as a ground cover or as an accent. Plant a few by your mail box to make the walk down to collect your mail worth it.

* Height: 4"
* Bloom Time: Early Spring
* Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
* Zones 3 - 9

DWARF IRIS ( Iris reticulata )

You get the familiar iris flower on a low growing, spreading plant that blooms early in the season. What's not to like. You can find Iris reticulata in blues, purples and white. They all blend extremely well with other spring bloomers.

* Height: 4 - 6"
* Bloom Time: Early Spring
* Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
* Zones: 5 - 9

Fritillaria

Fritillaria add a touch of drama to your spring garden. From the dramatic, loud colors of 'Crown Imperial', to the speckles of 'Guinea Hens' (Fritillaria meleagris ), the deep purple of Fritillaria persica, the bi-colors and the creamy white 'Ivory Bells", Fritillaria will be noticed. They look exotic, but they are fuss-free, easy growers. Fritillaria are also rodent resistant.

* Height: Varies (10 - 24")
* Bloom Time: Mid-Spring
* Exposure: Full Sun to Shade
* Zones: 4 - 9

Sunday, September 11, 2011

September blooms: Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)

Cheerful and reliable September blooms:





Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) zones: 3-9

One of the easiest perennials to grow, and there is something universally cheerful about a huge stand of these daisy-like yellow flowers. Plant in full sun.

Despite anything you may have heard, Black-eyed Susans are NOT deer resistant. But they do naturalize if given the chance, so two or three plants can become a large stand over time. Once they reach a certain critical mass, any deer damage tends to remain on the edges, not diminishing the effect of the whole clump.

Until your Rudbeckia reaches such a critical mass, protect them with deer repellent, such as Deer Defeat.