Victoria Gardens

Closed for the winter season.

2011-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

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!

The After Christmas Sale Has Begun!

2011-12-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

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

Closed For Christmas - Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

2011-12-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

We are closed for Christmas Day.

We will reopen tomorrow.

Happy Hanukkah!

2011-12-20T17:28:00.000-08:00

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

This Saturday - Frozendale - see you there!

2011-12-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

Saturday December 10th - Frozendale - Main St. Rosendale

December Hours

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

Holiday Open House This Weekend!

2011-11-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

2011-11-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

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

We'll see you there!

3 ways to Overwinter Tropicals as House Plants

2011-10-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

#1. Growing and Blooming

If you have a home with bright light and lots of space you can keep your tropicals growing and blooming through the winter. 65 degrees during the day and 55 degrees during the night are actually the perfect winter temperature for most tropicals.

Water moderately - you want keep the soil on the dry side during the winter months, but to keep the humidity at around 45%, you need to spritz the leaves with a misting bottle regularly or set out a shallow dish of water near the plants. (Most homes with forced air heat have humidity levels of around 20% during the winter months.) Make sure the plants get plenty of light (12 hours) and get plenty of space and air circulation (a fan can help) to help prevent indoor pests.

What to do about whiteflies, scale, and aphids.

Plants to keep growing and blooming: Fig trees, citrus trees, palms, geraniums, oleander, tropical ferns, Christmas cactus, Jasmine, hibiscus, bougainvillea, plectranthus, agave, echivaria

#2. Resting Dormant

I've read articles about forcing dormancy for winter storage that include digging out bulbs, wrapping them in moist packing materials, misting the packing materials through the winter, carefully monitoring light and temperatures, and I have to say it all sounds like a huge hassle. Here's what we do (and it's easy!):

For bulbs (canna lily, caladium, elephant ears, and sweet potato vines) let the leaves get hit by a light frost, then bring inside and stop watering the plant. Let the soil dry out, let the leaves turn brown and the cut the plant and foliage back. Put the whole pot in a cool dark space (an unheated basement or garage, or a root cellar - we keep them in a cool room under a table!). In the spring pull out the pots, expose them to light, and start watering.

For woody-stemmed plants (brugmansia, bananas, tibouchina, and jasmine) expose them to low night time temperatures 40 to 50 degrees and then move them to a cool dark space. Stop watering and if you have the space you can leave the plant standing until the spring (we cut them back as soon as the leaves drop). Two times during the winter you want to give your woody-stemmed tropicals a little bit of water (a half gallon or so), and in the spring expose them to light and start watering (and fertilizing).

That's it - easy-peasy! Cool, dark, and dry = dormant.

#3. Cutting and Propagating

If you don't have a lot of space to over winter plants, cuttings can be the answer. Unfortunately, this only works for soft-stemmed tropicals.

Soft-stemmed topicals (geraniums, coleus, and plectranthus) can be propagated by clipping off succulent new growth (woody stems won't root) and place the cut end into water. When roots sprout, pot into soil-less mix in a small 4 inch pot. Once potted place them in full sunlight and FEED THEM! Weekly fertilizer is must to keep them healthy. In the spring, after the last threat of frost you can put them out in larger containers or plant them in your garden.

Tropicals can add color and drama to your garden all summer, and with these 3 easy tecniques, you can enjoy thos tender beauties year after year.

Aphids, Scale, Whitefly, oh my! 3 ways to prevent them and 3 ways to treat them.

2011-10-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Bringing house plants in for the winter is an October ritual. Dealing with indoor pests is usually a January ritual! One reason for this is many of us crowd our one southfacing window with an many plants as we physically can. Lack of air circulation can lead to desease and pest problems, so...

Prevention

#1. Try (try!) to give each plant a little breathing room, and set up an oscilating fan for a couple hours a day, especially in a tight space.

#2. Water moderately. Most house plants need a whole lot less water than you think they do, especially during the cool winter months. Experiement with your house plants and see how they respond if you let them dry out a bit more in between each watering.

#3. Examine your house plants every week. If you do spot a problem on one plant, move it away from the others and treat it right away.

Treatment

#1. Scale - catch it early and you can get rid of pretty easily. Brush off the scale with an old toothbrush (as much as you can). Rinse the plant with soapy water (dish soap like Joy works great). Then swab any scale left with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. Continue to treat until all signs of the scale are gone.

#2. Whitefly - quarentine any plant that has whitefly, because they can quickly become an infestation. Take it to a well ventillated space and wipe the underside of the leaves with rubbing alcohol. Then wash the plant with soapy water (again Joy!) Keep treating the plant in quarentine until you see no signs of the dandruff-like bugs.

#3. Aphids - Aphids can be green, pink, red, brown, white, black, yellow, or grey. You will see them in concentrated clumps and the underside of leaves. Use a spunge or a tooth brush and soapy water (Joy!) to remove the aphids. If your plant is small you can do this in your sink. If it's medium you can rinse it afterward in the shower. If it's large, layout a tarp or a drop cloth, use a step ladder to reach the top of the plant, and rinse the soap residue off with a spray bottle.

Victoria Gardens' Favorite Spring Bulbs

2011-10-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Apricot 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.

September Blooms: Ceratostigma Plumbago (Perennial Plumbago)

2011-09-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

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.

September Blooms: Liriope (lilyturf)

2011-09-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

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.

September Blooms: Tricyrtis (Toad Lily)

2011-09-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Tricyrtis (toad lily) zones 5-9 Another unique perennial – a fall blooming shade plant with a beautiful, delicate form and flower.

(Hard to keep in stock!!)

September Blooms: Clematis Paniculata

2011-09-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

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.

September Blooms: Sedum

2011-09-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

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)

September Blooms: Salvia

2011-09-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Salvia (All perennial varieties) zones 3-8 Like Veronica, a little investment of time deadheading through the season will provide great returns come fall. White, purple pink, take your pick, all varieties will grow into a substantial perennial over time.

Salvia also attracts butterflies and humming birds.

Read more about Salvia.

September Blooms: Hydrangeas

2011-09-24T06:11:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2011-09-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

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!

September Blooms: Asters

2011-09-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

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.

September Blooms: Callicarpa 'Duet' (Beauty Bush)

2011-09-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

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!

September Blooms: Gaillardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’

2011-09-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

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!

September Blooms: 'Lemon Drop' Dwarf Golden Rod

2011-09-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

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.

September Blooms: Coreopsis 'Sweet Dreams'

2011-09-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

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.

September Blooms: ‘Knockout’ Roses

2011-09-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

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.

September Blooms: Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake'

2011-09-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Victoria Gardens is going to the dogs!

2011-09-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

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/

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

2011-09-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

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’

2011-09-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

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.

September Blooms: Hardy Hibiscus

2011-09-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

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.

Bulbs Arrive September 15th!

2011-09-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

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

September blooms: Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)

2011-09-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

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.

September blooms: Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)

2011-09-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

September blooms couldn't be easier:

Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) zones 5-9

Most of you are familiar with this butterfly beacon. It comes in many colors, grows 5 to 10 feet tall, and reseeds itself when happily situated. If you deadhead the past blooms, the buddleia will continue to provide color for your garden and nectar to your butterflies through the fall!

Buddleia is a deer resistant, full sun staple. Because so many people have them, we get lots of questions regarding when and how and how much to cut the shrubs back.

You basically have three options: You can leave it be in the fall and cut it back in the spring as leaves emerge. At that point, trim back the parts that don't leaf-out.

Or you can cut the shrub in half during your fall clean-up, but most likely you will still need to trim it up a bit again in the spring as it leafs-out.

Or you can completely neglect your butterfly bush, leaving the buddleia alone for years at a time until at some point it looks like it needs attention. (They are pretty and pretty easy, which is why they are so popular!)

September Blooms: Geranium ‘Rozanne’

2011-09-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

Our feature on plants that actually flower in September continues:

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ zones 3-9

A perennial geranium that belongs in everyone’s garden. Why? Because it produces a profusion of purple flowers from May until October! Super low maintenance. Absolutely the most bloom for your buck!

September Blooms: Veronica ‘Purpleicious’ (Speedwell)

2011-09-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

Extend your bloom through the fall:

Veronica ‘Purpleicious’ (Speedwell) zones 4-8

Purple flower spikes 16’ to 20” inches tall perform into the fall if deadheaded.

Veronica ‘Purpleicious’ first blooms in June. Deadhead after the first wave of flowers fade, add a little low-nitrogen fertilizer to encourage more blooms, and sure enough, another wave will emerge in late August and early September. A little extra work for a lot of extra color!

(We use an organic, low nitrogen fertilizer called "Bloom" that we carry at Victoria Gardens. We find it works wonders on perennials, fruit, tomatoes, roses, and annuals.)

Veronica is not deer resistant. For similar form, color, and reblooming properties use the deer resistant perennial Salvia.

September blooms: Chelone (Turtlehead)

2011-09-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

September can be lush with flowers, if you choose the right plants:

Chelone (Turtlehead) zones 5-9

A unique name and an easy plant to grow. The pink flowers are shaped like a turtle's head supposedly.

This plant grows 24" to 36" tall and wide in a lush stand, covered in the unusual pink blooms. Can tolerate wet soil and will grow pond side or stream side, but will also thrive in your well drained perennial border. Victoria has this one in her own yard, and the flowers really brighten up the fall garden.

September Blooms: Persicaria ‘Magic Carpet’

2011-09-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

Continuing our profiles of September's abundant blooms:

Persicaria ‘Magic Carpet’ zones 4-9

Multicolored ground cover with light-pink round blooms. Can take it wet, but performs well almost anywhere including containers. Very low maintenance.

This ground cover is just cool. As its name 'Magic Carpet' implies, we'd go so far as to say this tie-dyed, tiny-leafed, red-stemmed plant is downright groovy.

September Blooms: Anemone Japonica

2011-09-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Our feature on September blooms continues:

Anemone Japonica (windflower) zones 5-8

A fall blooming Anemone (often confused with the spring blooming and summer blooming type) with single cupped flowers that stand above the foliage. Flowers are in pink or white. Performs best in the shade.

Although Anemone Japonica is NOT deer resistant, we think everyone should plant these delicate fall-blooming beauties. If you don't have a protected area, then spray the buds and flowers with a deer repellent like Deer Defeat.

Fall blooming shade plants are hard to come by, so we think the extra effort is well worth the abundance of late blooms.

September Blooms: Calamintha nepeta (Mountain Mint)

2011-09-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

September blooms:

Calamintha nepeta (Mountain Mint) zones 5-9

Airy plumes bloom from June to October on this lovely herbaceous perennial. Blooms and leaves can be used fresh or dried to make mint tea with a rich spearmint flavor.

Like all plants in the mint family, Mountain mint is deer resistant and in general is a cold-hardy, tough perennial. For such a tough plant, we love the cloud-like softness this perennial can add to a garden.

September Blooms: Caryopteris 'Blue Mist'

2011-09-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

Continuing our spotlight on fall flowering plants:

Caryopteris ‘Blue Mist’ Zone 6-9

(Although we have had great result with this shrub in zone 5.) Compact shrub with berry-like buds that open into clusters of blue fragrant flowers in late summer and hold their color through the fall.

You can see from the top photo that 'Blue Mist' came by its name honestly. From afar it offers a hazy swath of light blue color, and up close its architectural, star-like flowers are literally buzzing with activity. Bees and butterflies vie for spots on the multi-leveled branches.

September Blooms: Gentiana 'True Blue'

2011-09-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

We think September has a bad reputation because of back-to-school drudgery. It is the ultimate buzz kill month. It marks the end of summer. The end of fun and freedom. And those associations die hard even for those of us decades out of school. But the gardening season is far from over!

September in the garden can be a lush, colorful, and full of exuberant blooms - with the right plants. All this month we will be featuring plants that offer not just color in the fall (fall foliage, ornamental seed heads, etc.), but truly bonafide blooms.

Gentiana “True Blue’ Zone 4-7

A ‘True Blue’ bloomer, Gentiana produces deep indigo flowers from midsummer to early fall. Gentiana grows 24” to 30” inches and is deer resistant too!

We are so impressed with these lovely late bloomers. Deep blue buds are just as attractive as the fully opened bloom.

Spectacular Late Summer Shrubs

2011-08-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

What’s Fabulous at Victoria’s?

Clethra ‘Pink Spire’ blooms July through August, soft pink, fragrant cone-shaped flowers. Oh, and what a fragrance! As sweet as roses, but more potent, and certainly less trouble. You will love this plant. Very low maintenance, deciduous shrub can take full sun to part shade, and can tolerate moist soils, even wetlands or pond side. Grows 6’ by 6’ in maturity. Attracts bees and butterflies.

Vaccinium spp. Everyone loves blueberries! And you can grow your own. Victoria Gardens has healthy and well-grown blueberry shrubs in stock. Blueberries are great because they have fewer pests than most of the other fruit trees and shrubs. The key to their success is making sure they are grown in acidic soil. Blueberries also serve double duty in the garden because they offer spectacular fall color.

Vitex (Chaste Tree) Deer resistant and late blooming, Vitex is a shrub Victoria uses often. Vitex has proven to be cold hardy. It is very late to leaf out, but delivers a great late show. Flowers are similar to a butterfly bush, but the Vitex has better structure. Come in and see what Victoria has been raving about. Blooming now!

And that’s not all…

Viburnum ‘Summer Snowflake’ is a deer-resistant shrub that produces lacey white blooms all summer. We mean it - it will bloom until Septemper! Albizia julibrissin 'Rosea' (Silk Tree) is a zone 5 cold-hardy tree often confused with the Mimosa tree (zone 6). This small tree only grows 20’ tall and wide and is covered in July through August with pink, feathery flowers. Very showy- th small green leaflets form a long compound leaf that has a tropical feel to it. Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo' (Ninebark Treeform) The perfect small tree with dark purple leaves and striking white flowers mid-July through August. Grows 10' to 12' high and 6' to 8' wide in full sun to part shade. Styrax japonicus fargesii (Japanese Snowbell) This is a tree more people should know, deer-resistant, full sun to part shade, and grows 20' to 30' tall and 20' to 30' wide. "A delicate beauty...dark leaves perched like butterflies above the white, bell-shaped flowers." - Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs

Late Blooming Annuals - How to use Annuals Now!

2011-08-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Before you exclaim, “It’s too late for annuals,” I want to remind you that the gardening season extends long after the summer vacation from school comes to its end! The first frost date is usually around October 20th, which means there are are twelve weeks - eighty-four more days to enjoy your garden. Keeping that in mind, annuals are a flexible and colorful way to maximize your garden space, even though you may not have room in the garden for more shrubs or perennials.

Where your daylily flowers are fading, you can still have an abundance of color and blooms by planting Verbena bonariensis (Brazilian Verbena) in even narrow spaces between your perennials stands. In fact, anywhere your garden is past peak, you can fill in with the lovely scented Nicotiana (tobacco flower), Snapdragons, Pansies, late-blooming annual Salvia or Pineapple Sage (one of Victoria’s Favorite’s).

For striking foliage color, plant Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus), which has unusual glossy pointed leaves with saturated purple veining. The result is foliage that shimmers like miniature stained glass panels of blue and violet. Another late summer star is Colocasia esculenta, also known as Elephant Ear. Two or three of these large leafed plants can transform any garden into a lush paradise. Even a shade garden can be supplemented late in the season with various colored coleus, which will provide pop right up until frost. A true workhorse of the late summer garden is annual Purple Fountain Grass. Tall decorative grasses like Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ can also transition nicely into a fall display with mums and jack-o-lanterns.

There are still twelve more weekends for hosting bar-b-ques or outdoor dinner parties, eighty-four more evenings of solitary strolls through your garden beds, so pump up your gardens with late season color, and enjoy!

Join Us this Weekend for Coffee in the Garden: Late Blooming Annuals!

2011-08-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday Aug. 7th - Coffee in the Garden - 10am - Late Blooming Annuals

We're going to talk about the how, whats, and whys of using late blooming annuals.

"Plant annuals now?"

YES!

Last year our clients who filled in holes now had full and flowering gardens all the way through last year's mild October - that's tree months worth of full gardens -

"That's fantastic!"

YES!

Sat. & Sun. July 23rd & 24th - Rosendale Street Festival

2011-07-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

Join us next weekend at The Rosendale Street Festival!

Are You On Our Email List?

2011-07-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

Are you on our email list? You could receive special sales and discounts on plants like these every week. To sign up send an email to victoriagardens.ny@gmail.com with "EMAIL LIST" is the subject line or stop in at the store to sign up!

Are You On Our Email List?

2011-07-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Join us tomorrow at the High Falls Fair Day!

2011-07-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

Sat. July 9th - High Falls Fair Day

We'll see you there!

Rose of Sharon!!!

2011-07-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

Pictured above variegated hardy hibiscus (otherwise known as Rose of Sharon).

Are you on our email list? You could receive special sales and discounts on plants like these every week. To sign up send an email to victoriagardens.ny@gmail.com with "EMAIL LIST" is the subject line or stop in at the store to sign up!

Victoria Gardens' Landscaping Projects - Part 2

2011-07-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

Victoria Gardens' Landscaping Projects - Part 1

2011-07-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

Daylilies!!!!

2011-07-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hydrangeas!!!

2011-07-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Plant Profile: Geranium 'Rozanne' - Blooms and blooms in every garden!

2011-07-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

GERANIUM 'ROZANNE'

DEER RESISTANT SHADE OR FULL SUN PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE
zone 5
12 - 18" tall and wide
blooms: June - September

Longest blooming perennial geranium!

Plant Profile: Primula Japonica 'Redfeild Strain'

2011-06-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

PRIMULA JAPONICA 'REDFEILD STRAIN'

DEER RESISTANT SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - WET TOLERANT
zone 5
20 - 24" tall and wide
blooms: May - June

Our grower says: "Part sun to full shade. The brightly colored flowers of the primrose plant bloom early in spring. Native to bogs, moist meadows and woodlands, they are perfect for damp or poorly drained soil. Try under a rain downspout, next to your water feature, pond or stream. With adequate moisture, it also performs well in a border (or rock garden for the more dwarf varieties). A great choice for all gardeners."

Plant Profile: Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

2011-06-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

PEROVSKIA ATRIPLICIFOLIA

DEER RESISTANT FULL SUN PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 4
36 - 48" tall and wide
blooms: July - September

Pair with Scabiosa in front and ornamental grasses behind, and you will have a stunning fall display.

Weeping Cherry Trees - 'Pendula' and 'Snowfountain'

2011-06-22T13:52:00.001-07:00

Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula' is a graceful, pink blooming specimen. The ones we have in stock now stand about 9' tall (6/22/11).

Visit the UCONN Plant Database for more info and nifty pronunciation tool at the top of the page!

Prunus x 'Snowfountain' blooms white - great fall foliage!

How to: Tree Planting 101

2011-06-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Don’t be intimidated by tree planting! Here’s how the professionals at Victoria Gardens plant happy healthy trees:

Digging the hole: When planting trees, the planting hole should be bigger than the diameter of the root ball, but not deeper! You want the top of the container or root ball level with the ground surface. Once you finish your hole, you want to firm the soil at the bottom of the hole, so the root ball sits on a solid surface. If you set the tree on soft, freshly turned over soil at the bottom of your hole, the dirt could settle one way or the other and your tree could be crooked a day or two after planting!

Remove the cage and burlap: If you purchased a tree with a root ball, you will need to snip the metal cage apart with wire-cutters and REMOVE IT COMPLETELY! Then peal of the burlap COMPLETELY (And carefully, keeping the root ball in tack)! If you leave the cage and burlap on, you will inhibit the roots, and therefore stunt the growth of the entire tree. A tree planted in it's cage can become girdled and die.

Tickle the roots: If you brought your new tree home in a container (which we recommend!), then remove it from the pot and "tickle" the roots, loosening strands at the bottom edges and along the sides. This will encourage them to grow out in all directions immediately.

Feed the roots, not the leaves: Victoria recommends Espoma Biotone Starter, which is organic and stimulates root growth, lowering the chances of the tree experiencing stress.

Trees experience stress? Yes, and it can be caused by a variety of environmental factors. These stresses are “recorded” by the tree, and scientist can see the evidence of a drought or flood or defoliation hundreds of years ago in the rings of trees. Damaging insects will attack a stressed tree before a health one, and stress now can have effects years later.

Avoid stress! Planting smaller is better: Younger trees are more adaptable, and make the transition to a new environment with greater success. They make up for their small size with faster growth rates and better overall health for years after planting.

Amend your soil: Mix organic material in with your soil as you backfill (We like the Moo Doo, Dynamulch or compost to amend the soil. Some people use peat moss, although because it is mined, and not renewable, we recommend a peat replacement product made of coconut fibers. Cover the root ball with backfill and firm in the soil around it. ("Firm" not concrete hard - the tree's roots still need to push through the soil so don't take out any aggression, foot stomping, and the like, on the surrounding soil of your young tree.)

Water, water, water: The first year of any tree's life is the most important when it comes to watering. When you pick up your trees from Victoria Gardens, they are addicted to water. You must wean them off their watering schedule: water everyday for the first four or five days, every other day for then four or five, then every third day, ect. (A Gator can help!) The tree will adjust to it's surrounding with minimal stress, if you make the transition over a period of several weeks. After that, supplemental watering should be done weekly during dry periods.

Help from a ‘Gator': After the initial weaning, if you cannot reach your newly planted tree with the hose or if you plan on going away for more than a week, use a Treegator. Treegator is a drip irrigation system in a bag, which will release water over time, keeping your young tree from experiencing stress.

Keep the weedwacker and lawnmower at bay! The bark of most young trees damages easily, extra care is needed when mowing or using any garden tools around them. Injuries not only weaken dogwoods, but bring an onset of unwanted insects and fungus to the damaged bark.

Choose the right tree! Sun or shade? Moist soil or dry soil? Visit our nursery in Rosendale and we’ll help you choose!

Vic's Picks: Trees From Small to Tall

2011-06-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

As many of you know we have been publishing a monthly newsletter as an insert into the Blue Stone Press, New Paltz Times, and Kingston Times at the beginning of each month.

If you missed it, here's a feature we did highlighting Victoria’s top tree choices from the smallest to the tallest:

Cutleaf Japanese Maple - 6' to 10' tall and wide - Zone 5 -A dwarf, mounded, small tree with a cascading and weeping habit. Also called a Threadleaf maple, the leaves are finely dissected (ribbon-like), and comes in many different varieties – too many to name! Visit the nursery in Rosendale, and fall in love with one! Full sun to part shade

Hydrangea Paniculata Standard - Grows 6' to 8' tall and 6' wide – Zone 5 – Victoria loves ‘limelight’ and ‘Quickfire’ - these varieties can take full sun to part shade, and they put on a spectacular showing of big soft, conical flowers that gradually gradate in color from June until the end of summer.

Magnolia x Jane - Height: 8–10' Spread: 10' - Zone 5–8. Lovely small Magnolia tree – Fragrant flower is reddish-purple outside and white inside.

Ninebark Standard Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo' - Height: 10' to 12' Spread: 6' to 8' – Zone 5 –8 -White summer flowers contrast beautifully with the dark purple foliage. Full sun to part shade

Magnolia x Riki - Height: 10’ to 12’ Spread: 10’ to 12’ – Zone 5 – 8 - Fragrant purple cupped flowers with pink gradations. The large, dark green, pointy leaves turn coppery bronze in fall. Full sun partial shade

Dappled Willow Standard Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' - Grows 10' to 15' tall and 15' to 20' wide – Zone 3 – A must see! These amazing trees look like they are in bloom all summer long, but it is really their intricately variegated leaves. Full sun.

Aesculus pavia (Red Buck-eye)- Height 6 to 15 feet - Zone 5-9 – This native tree is a showstopper with bright red, upright conical flowers. Attract bees and hummingbirds! Full sun to partial shade, but needs moist soil.

Chionanthus virginicus (White Fringe Tree) Height: 12 ft to 20 ft Spread: 12 ft to 20 ft - Zones: 3 to 9 - Turns heads with a profusion of long, feathery, white blooms in May. Prefers full sun to partial shade. Soil should be moist, well-drained and ideally acidic. Dark-blue, grape-like clusters of fruits are produced from female blossoms.

Acer palmatum 'Harriet Waldman' – 15'to 15' tall and wide - Zone 5 - Variegated Japanese maple with pink new growth. A rare and hard to find variety, we are lucky enough to have a grower who propagates this beautiful tree. Even the color of the bark is a stunning, saturated pink-red.

Side Note: The 3 different Bloom Times of Dogwood Varieties:

In our little corner of the world - Ulster County, NY - bloom time for Dogwoods
of all varieties carries us from April through May. But there are three
different Dogwood types, which bloom in succession during the spring season:

First to bloom: Native Dogwoods (Cornus florida): Cornus florida, native to the
Northeast stand out against the still brown forests in early to mid-April.
Native Dogwoods are multi-stemmed with low branching, which gives them their
elegant form. Cornus florida bears red fruit in the fall its foliage turns a
striking red. Even in the winter, the branching structure is graceful making it
a wonderful all season tree.

Second to bloom: Dogwood Hybrids: Hybrids are crosses between the Flowering
Dogwood and the Kousa Dogwood,native to Japan. These hybrids have been developed

by Dr. Orton at Rutgers University to create trees that look like the native
variety, but with resistance to diseases that affect Cornus florida. Our favorite variety is the white blooming 'Aurora'.

Last to bloom: Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) and Cornus alternifolia: The Kousa Dogwood, or Japanese Kousa, blooms later than the other Dogwoods and it also gets quite a bit taller. The kousa produces large raspberry-like berries in the fall. It is usually a
multi-stemmed tree with excellent disease resistance. The Cornus alternifolia branches
grow in tiers on the main trunk, hence its name the "pagoda" dogwood.

Cornus florida 'Appalachain Spring'- 15' – 20' tall and wide - Zone 5 - A strong grower with light green foliage, forming a bushy small tree. Produces large white flowers in spring. This variety can tolerate shade, but can also thrive in full sun, provided it gets enough moisture.

Cornus florida 'Cherokee Brave'- 18' - 20' tall and wide - Zone 5 - One of the most spectacular spring flowering, small trees. The entire plant is covered with bracts that open dark pink, before fading to light pink.

Cornus x 'Aurora' - A small tree, growing to approx 18' by 15'. In spring the
plant is covered by masses of velvety white bracts developing pinkish overtones
as the flowers age.

Cornus kousa -20' tall and wide - Zone 5- Produces masses of creamy-white flowers in late spring to early summer, followed by strawberry-like fruit in autumn. The variety 'Wolf Eyes' with creamy-edged leaves and long-lasting white bracts is Victoria's favorite variety.

Cornus alternifolia - Zone 3 -A deciduous large shrub with distinctive green and white
leaves. Grows 15-25' tall with spreading, horizontal, low branching.

Forest Pansy Redbud - 25' tall and 25' wide – Zone 4 –8 – Covered in tiny flower buds in the spring, sometimes they look as though they are covered in a thick velvet. The buds open into small delicate fairy flowers and then the delicate heart shaped foliage emerges. It’s hard to say which phase is more beautiful. Great tree! One of Victoria’s favorites! Full sun to part shade.

Magnolia × loebneri 'Leonard Messel’ (Saucer Magnolia) -25 ft. to 30 ft. high and wide – Zone 4 –8 – Fragrant, star-shaped flowers with white on the inside and purplish-pink on the outside; the transition of color from bud to bloom is a joy to watch. Needs Full sun for best blooming.

Styrax japonicus fargesii (Japanese Snowbell) - 20 ft to 30 ft - Zones: 5 to 8 - "A delicate beauty...dark leaves perched like butterflies above the white, bell-shaped flowers." - Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs. This tree grows in sun or light shade, and will not tolerate hot dry soil. Prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil. Smooth gray bark is very attractive, and Dirr says plant this tree on a hillside so its downward facing flowers can be viewed from below.

Sciadopitys verticillata (Japanese Umbrella Pine) -Height: 20 ft to 30 ft Spread: 15 ft to 20 ft - Zones: 4 to 8 - Long glossy needles and slow to grow, this elegant tree is like no other evergreen.

Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood)- Height: 25 ft to 30 ft Spread: 20 ft to 25 ft - Zones: 5 to 9 - This native tree blooms when no other tree is blooming in summer, and with the panicles still on the tree, the fall foliage will knock your socks off. Fragrant white blossoms and a spectacular fall show. The persistent fruit remains on the tree through winter.

Stewatia pseudocamllia (Japanese Stewartia) - Height: 20 ft to 40 ft Spread: 20 ft to 40 ft - Zones: 4 to 7 - The gray, gold, and brown pealing bark is a real stand-out as a winter interest and it has great fall foliage, plus lovely white flowers in July!

Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood) - Height: 40-50 ft. Spread: 20-30 ft. - Zones: 4-8 - Bright green, fern-like deciduous foliage – stunning! Can tolerate flooding and pond side.

Betula Nigra: Heritage River Birch - Height: 40’ to 50’ Spread: 20’ to 35’ - Zones 5 to 9 - One of our best-selling trees! This native tree is elegant and performs better in our area than its European cousin. Its bark is not quite as showy, but its form is lovely.

Weeping Willow. Salix babylonica- Height: 40’ to 50’ Spread: 35’ to 40’ – Zone 4 – 8 – Dreamy, romantic form, plant where you can view it from afar.

Fagus sylvatica riversii Dwarf Beech - Height: 40’ to 60’ Spread: 25’ to 35’ – Zone 4 to 8 – Big and beautiful! Stately form and shimmering, dark purple foliage with metallic copper tones in autumn.

Cornus Alternifolia (Pagoda Dogwood)

2011-06-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

Cornus Alternifolia (Pagoda Dogwood)

Why we love it: Native beauty, grows in the shade.

Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Grows 15-25' tall with spreading, horizontal, low branching
Form: rounded
Type: deciduous tree
Annual Growth Rate: 12 to 18 inches
Flowers: Yellowish-white Blooms in June

Grows slowly at first but becomes moderate with age. The tree grows in sun or shade, but will not tolerate hot, dry, full sun.The fall color is deep red and the white flowers are produced in clusters in the spring. Bluish-black fruit are produced after the flowers. The berries are edible for juice or jam, and they attract birds.

Sciadopitys verticillata (Japanese Umbrella Pine)

2011-06-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here's another profile of one of our favorite trees:

Sciadopitys verticillata (Japanese Umbrella Pine)

Why we love it: Long glossy needles and slow to grow, this tree is like no other evergreen.

Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Height: 20 ft to 30 ft Spread: 15 ft to 20 ft
Form: pyramidal
Type: evergreen tree
Annual Growth Rate: 6 inches
Flowers: None

Prefers full sun to partial shade. Likes moist, acidic, well-drained soil. Slow growing tree, but worth the wait.
Long glossy needles give this tree a distinct look, different than any other evergreen.

The Japanese Umbrella Pines are slow-growing enough that they don't need pruning. But this exchange on Gardenweb should reassure anyone whose tree got clipped.

Styrax japonicus fargesii (Japanese Snowbell)

2011-06-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Styrax japonicus fargesii (Japanese Snowbell)

Why we love it: "A delicate beauty...dark leaves perched like butterflies above the white, bell-shaped flowers." - Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs

Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Height: 20 ft to 30 ft Spread: 20 ft to 30 ft
Form: arching
Type: deciduous tree
Annual Growth Rate: 12 to 18 inches
Flowers: White Blooms June, seeds ripen in October

This tree grows in sun or light shade, and will not tolerate hot dry soil. Prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil. Smooth gray bark is very attractive, and Dirr says plant this tree on a hillside so its downward facing flowers can be viewed from below.The fruits are used as beads in rosaries etc.

Plant Profile: Dictamus (Gas Plant)

2011-06-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

DICTAMUS A. ALBIFLORUS (WHITE)

DEER RESISTANT FULL SUN PLANT - CAN CAUSE CONTACT DERMATITIS!
zone 3
24 - 30" tall and wide
blooms: June - July

DICTAMUS ALBUS (PINK FORM)

DEER RESISTANT FULL SUN PLANT - CAN CAUSE CONTACT DERMATITIS!
zone 3
24 - 36" tall and wide
blooms: June - July

Our grower says: "Once established, Dictamnus makes a nice addition to the garden, whether planted alone or in a group. The common name of gas plant refers to the light, volatile gas the plant produces that can be ignited."

Chionanthus virginicus (White Fringe Tree)

2011-06-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Chionanthus virginicus (White Fringe Tree)

Why we love it: Feathery white panicles in May and June make this small tree a rare beauty.

Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Height: 12 ft to 20 ft Spread: 12 ft to 20 ft
Form: upright oval to round
Type: deciduous tree
Annual Growth Rate: 6 to 12 inches
Flowers: White star-shaped flowers, then feather panicles Blooms in May and June

Prefers full sun to partial shade. Soil should be moist, well-drained and ideally acidic. The primary attraction of this small deciduous tree is the drooping clusters of fragrant, white blossoms and dramatic feathery panicles. Dark-blue, grape-like clusters of fruits are produced from female blossoms. It is one of the last trees in the spring to bear leaves.

Plant Profile: Baptisia in 3 Winning Colors

2011-06-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

BAPTISIA 'CAROLINA MOONLIGHT'

DEER RESISTANT FULL SUN PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - BLACK WALNUT TOLERANT
zone 4
24 - 36" tall and wide
blooms: May - June

BAPTISIA 'PURPLE SMOKE'

DEER RESISTANT FULL SUN PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - BLACK WALNUT TOLERANT
zone 4
24 - 36" tall and wide
blooms: May - June

BAPTISIA 'TWILITE PRAIRIE BLUES'

DEER RESISTANT FULL SUN PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - BLACK WALNUT TOLERANT
zone 4
24 - 36" tall and wide
blooms: May - June

Purple Threadleaf Japanese Maple - Acer Palm. Filifera Purpurea

2011-06-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

This stunning purple threadleaf gets slightly larger than your average threadleaf maple. Grows to about 12'. Amazing color variation in the leaves is highlighted by pairing it with these peachy roses.

And for $79, you can find a home for this beautiful little tree.

Memorial Day Parade

2011-05-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Mon. May 30th - Join Victoria Gardens today at the Memorial Day Parade!

Plant Profile: Scabiosa - Superbloomer! Bloomerific! Flowertastic!

2011-05-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

A real superhero of the garden. We had pots of Scabiosa blooming in April, and they just never quit. To ensure a long blooming season, keep the scabiosa well watered (but not in standing water) and deadhead flowers when they are past their peak.

SCABIOSA COL. 'BLUE BUTTERFLY'

FULL SUN PLANT
zone 3
10 - 24" tall and wide
blooms: spring to September

Play off the blue blooms by pairing it with Russian sage 'Little Spires.'

SCABIOSA COL. 'PINK MIST'

FULL SUN PLANT
zone 3
10 - 24" tall and wide
blooms: spring to September

Growing Big Yeilds In Small Spaces

2011-05-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Growing big yields in small spaces

Even if you only have a windowsill or a doorstep, you can enjoy the “fruitful” experience of growing your own food. Container gardening is simple and easier to maintain then a full vegetable garden. It’s a wonderful experience for kids, and it’s a baby step if you’re intimidated by a full vegetable garden.

The most important element in starting a container garden begins with your potting soil. This is so important - it cannot be stressed enough - you can’t use regular garden dirt, even beautiful, compost-rich dirt. It’s too heavy for container gardening. You want to start with what is called a soil-less mix or potting soil. We carry an Espoma product that is organic, lightweight, and drains well. Most important, potting mix is disease and weed free. If you have old potting mix in a container, replace it. You will get better results.

Almost any type of container will do, as long as it allows proper drainage. And whether you start your own vegetables from seed or whether you buy plants already started (don’t worry, we will have locally gown, organic, heirloom vegetable starts again this year), here’s a quick summary of what size containers you will need to grow your favorite fruits and vegetables.

Small 8” pots are perfect for growing a single herb, like parsley, basil, dill or cilantro, chives or small leaf lettuces, like ‘Tom Thumb’ Buttercrunch lettuce. If you have a lager container plant several varieties for a mini herb garden or a live salad bowl, right outside your kitchen door.

In 10’ to 12’ pots you can grow almost any type of greens: ‘Red Sails’ Leaf Lettuce, a buttery-tasting leaf lettuce with ruffled burgundy-tinged leaves. ‘Gourmet Baby Greens’ an heirloom mesclun mix of greens with beautiful colors, rich flavors, and diverse textures. Or grow your own baby spinach by seeding ‘Tyee’ spinach and pick the leaves, while they are still small. Grow a bumper crop of ‘Easter Egg’ radishes, and enjoy the festive color blend of red, white, rose-pink, purple, and bi-color. We also love the ‘Bush Slicer’ cucumber. You will have juicy slicing cucumbers in record time on disease resistant, dwarf bushes, perfect for small space or container gardens.

To grow larger plants like tomatoes, squash, peppers and green beans, you will need a container that can hold approximately five gallons (16” to 20” pot). For growing indeterminate (vine) tomato varieties and climbing bean varieties, a trellis or a cage is also necessary. We have found a great space saver, perfect for containers, a spiraled tomato trellis. We grew tomatoes and tomatillos on them last year, and they were perfect. If you do have a small amount of garden space to growing vegetables, using trellises to grow cucumbers, tomatoes or beans is an efficient and ornamental way to produce more per square foot. We have beautiful 6’ to 8’ tall metal trellises and bamboo, 4’ and 6’ tall expandable, tee-pee trellises that will work well in the garden or in a container.

We also highly recommend fertilizing all of your containers (except herbs, which don’t need nutrient rich soil). We like Earth Juice Grow for all greens, lettuce and spinach, and Earth Juice Bloom for everything that produces flowers and fruit. Specifically for tomatoes, some of our clients swear by Neptune Harvest Fish & Seaweed fertilizer. We haven’t done a head to head taste test between Earth Juice and the Neptune Harvest (maybe we’ll do it this year), but we have had spectacular results with all three organic products.

Here's a list of the heirloom, organic, locally-grown vegetable starts we have in packs now.

We also have a full selection of herbs (our grower follows organic practices, but has not gotten certified yet - but no chemicals, no pesticides, and he uses an organic fertilizer) including Summer Savory, French Terragon, Lemon Grass, Fernleaf Dill, Chamomile, and more!

What about my sweet tooth?

You are not restricted to growing only vegetables in your container garden. You can grow your own fruit as well. How would you like to eat fresh figs right off your own tree? Figs are not cold hardy, but can be grown in a 14” to 18” pot and can easily be moved inside for the winter.

If you need to leave your containers out all winter, we have plenty of cold hardy options. We have very cool columnar apple trees in stock. Malus ‘Northpole’ and ‘Scarlet Sentinel’ are apple varieties that grow 8’ to 10’ tall, and only 1’ to 2’ wide! So they produce fruit on a tree that resembles a tall, narrow column. For this size tree, a seven to ten gallon pot would be best (24” to 30” pot).

Another compact choice is Prunus ‘Golden Glory,’ a dwarf peach variety. Often called a patio peach, ‘Golden Glory’ grows only to 5’to 6’ tall and wide. Blueberries can also be grown in containers. We recommend using the smaller varieties like ‘Lowbush’ and ‘Earliblue’ for the best results. If you plant one of each, ‘Earliblue’ will ripen in June and ‘Lowbush’ will ripen in July. And don’t forget strawberries! Grow alpine strawberries in hanging baskets, and you’ll not only have cascading sweet, ripe fruit, but you’ll also be able to better protect them from the chipmunks, birds and squirrels too.

What do I do if I don’t live on the sunny side of the street?

Another common question we are asked is what can be grown in a container in partial shade? All vegetables grow best in full sun, but lettuce, onions, parsley, mint, and radishes can all be grown in partial shade.

Another great option for a partial-shade to full sun container plant is the Currant. Ribes ‘Red Lake’ and Ribes ‘Pink Champagne’ produce glossy clusters of beautiful, tart fruit. Often used for jams and jellies, currants have made resurgence at local farmers markets and are ripe for reinvention. See the mouth-watering recipe for Red Current Sorbet from atthefarmersmarket.com.

Good Neighbors

Container combinations

Companion plants are plants that benefit each other when planted in close proximity. Some companions attract beneficial insects, while others repel damaging pests. Onions repel slugs and aphids, and therefore is a perfect companion for cabbage, carrots, and lettuce. Other times one companion will affect the surrounding soil, for example peas and beans release nitrogen into the soil, while spinach, strawberries, and radish will use the extra nitrogen as they grow.

Companion planting naturally (without chemicals, and who wants to spray chemicals on food!) benefits productivity, and reduces the damage caused by garden pests. A perfect example of companion plants are “the three sisters”, a combination planted by native Americans of beans, corn and squash. The beans release extra nitrogen into the soil, the corn provides a vertical support, which the beans grow up, like a trellis, and the squash shades the roots of the other plants.

Click here for a full list of good companion combos!

Heirloom, Organic, Locally-grown Veggie Starts are in!!!

2011-05-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

We got our first batch of Heirloom, Organic, Locally-grown Veggie Starts! Here's what we have:

3-packs and 4-packs $3

6-packs $4

Black Plum - This high yield reddish-black plum tomato is very sweet and the fruit is crack resistant. A heirloom from Russia. Excellent in sauces.

Yellow Pear - Yellow bite-sized shaped fruit. Prolific!

Red Pear - Pear-shaped cherry tomatoes.

Goldie - Great flavor and huge fruit! This golden-colored heirloom tomato has been grown and seeds have been passed down by families for 150 years.

Comonaut Volkov - This is a large meaty tomato, an heirloom variety from Ukraine, and it was taken to the International Space Station by Russian Cosmonaut Alexander Volkov, thus its name.

Pruden's Purple - Large dark fruit with rich, sweet flavor.

Brandywine- A favorite. Meaty with the perfect hint of tartness. Beefsteak fruits average 1 lb.

Rose de Berne- Beautiful pink tomato. A favorite!

Amish Paste - Medium sized fruit. Great for slicing and great for sauce.

Striped German - Beautiful 1-2 lb. fruit with red-yellow stripes and dense, juicy, red-yellow streaked flesh. Excellent sweet, complex flavors. Produces till frost.

New Girl - Small to medium fruit. Ripens early!

Moskovich - Yum! Smooth sweet taste, and this one ripens extra-early! Small to medium fruit, and the plants are prolific.

Cayenne Pepper - Long, red, and HOT!

'Doe Hill' Pepper - Small, sweet, yellow peepers. Big producer and ripen early.

'Bizeynne' Pepper - We don't have any info on this one yet. We'll call the farmer and find out!

'EJW Green' Cabbage (Early Jersey Wakefield)- Early, dark green cabbage. Fantastic raw or cooked.

'Red Express' Cabbage - From Hudson Valley Seed Library - "If your garden was a train station, and cabbages were trains, Red Express would arrive ahead of schedule. Because it is a smaller cabbage and was bred for Northern climates, it's an early producer. This red cabbage is the perfect size for home gardening. Dense but not too large, you can try planting this cabbage closer together than most. Great for a bright coleslaw or homemade sauerkraut."

'Shacko' Pak choi - Also called bok choy, you can steam it, stir fry, and toss it in soups.

'Prize Choy' Bok choi - Upright habit and vigorous! Both the leaves and the stalks are edible. Use as a replacement for celery.

Piriciacaba broccoli - About halfway between a heading broccoli and a broccoli raab, these succulent tender small green heads with very large beads make delightful raw eating. Very loose heads, lots of side shoots, sweet stalks. Even the fairly large leaves make excellent greens. Good hot and cold temperature tolerance.

'Apple Green' Eggplant - Great reviews from Local Harvest - "What a great eggplant for northern gardeners! Apple Green is round, pale green, and very delicious. The fruits are 6"x4" and mild with non-bitter flesh. Produces early and abundantly on a modest sized plant. Developed by the late Dr. Elwyn Meador at the University of New Hampshire for northern gardeners, but also does very well in warmer climates. Keeps producing until frost if kept picked."

Rainbow Chard - Another Hudson Valley Seed Library selection - "Other names for this colorful and tasty type of Swiss chard include Bright Lights and Five Color Silver Beet. Its wavy leaves and colorful stems are irresistibly pretty. It's also really easy to grow. One sowing will provide harvestable greens all season, though it's smart to do a mid-summer sowing in case disease pops up.

One of the tastiest ways to prepare chard is to heat some oil over low heat in a tall pan, toss in some sesame seeds until toasted, and then toss in a mess of washed chard until it wilts. Add soy sauce and a little sweetener: so good!"

4-packs of Lettuce

Dino Kale - More HVSL! - "Crinkly, deep green kale of exceptional eating quality.
The blue-green foliage of this kale is nearly reptilian: deeply hued, rippled, and tough. Despite its rough appearance, it is extremely sweet and tender, just like our canine companion Kale. It's also Kale's favorite brassica, as it is for gardeners worldwide, who have given it many names: Lacinato, Cavolo Nero, Tuscan Kale, Palm Tree Kale, and Dinosaur Kale. A consistent, long-season garden companion, Dino Kale will never go extinct as long as you grow it each year."

Red Russian Kale _ And one more from HVSL - "Among kales, Red Russian shines: its tender leaves are bluish-green framed by pinkish-red veins. It's as at home in a decorative border as it is in a productive row. Because its leaves are flat and thin, it wilts very quickly; if cooking with thicker, curlier kale varieties, toss it in later to keep it from overcooking."

Plant Profile: Geum - Deer Resistant, Full Sun, Drought Tolerant, Long Bloomer!

2011-05-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

GEUM CHILOENSE 'LADY STRATHEDON'

DEER RESISTANT SUN PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 5
16 - 24" tall and wide
blooms: late May to July

GEUM CHILOENSE 'MRS. BRADSHAW'

DEER RESISTANT SUN PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 5
16 - 24" tall and wide
blooms: late May to July

GEUM RIVALE 'FLAMES OF PASSION'

DEER RESISTANT SUN PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 5
16 - 24" tall and wide
blooms: late May to July

The Many Faces of Euphorbia

2011-05-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

EUPHORBIA POLYCHROMA 'BONFIRE'

DEER RESISTANT SUN OR SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 5
18 tall and 36" wide
blooms: spring but foliage great color all season long

EUPHORBIA POLYCHROMA (EPITHYMOIDES)

DEER RESISTANT SUN OR SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 5
18 tall and 36" wide
blooms: spring but foliage great color all season long

EUPHORBIA AMYGDALOIDES VAR. 'CRAIGIEBURN'

DEER RESISTANT SUN OR SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 5
18 tall and 36" wide
blooms: spring but foliage great color all season long

EUPHORBIA AMYGDALOIDES VAR.'ROBBIAE'

DEER RESISTANT SUN OR SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 5
18 tall and 36" wide
blooms: spring but foliage great color all season long

EUPHORBIA MYRSINITES

DEER RESISTANT SUN OR SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - DROUGHT TOLERANT
zone 5
6" tall and 36" wide
blooms: spring but foliage great color all season long

Vegetable Companion Plants

2011-05-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Asparagus - Parsley, nasturtium, basil, lettuce and tomato

Beans - Potato, corn, lettuce, eggplant, cucumber, strawberry, celery, carrots,
cauliflower, radish, spinach,

Beets - Sage, lettuce, spinach, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, marigold

Broccoli - Onions, leeks, dill, rosemary and celery

Brussels Sprout - Potato, thyme

Cabbage - Onion, oregano, sage and mint

Carrot - Bush beans, pole beans, peas, onion, leeks, lettuce and chives

Cauliflower - Oregano, onions and leeks

Celery - Tomato, leeks and beans

Corn - Lettuce, peppers, cucumber, beans and peas

Cucumber - Radish, lettuce, beans, peas and celery

Eggplant - Beans, peppers, spinach, and lettuce

Leeks - Cabbage, celery, onion and celery

Lettuce - Beets, strawberry, and radish

Onion - Lettuce, cabbage and carrots

Parsnip - Shallots, chives and lettuce

Peas - Cucumber, radish, turnips, corn, carrots and beans

Pepper Chili - Cucumber, squash and lettuce

Potato - Tomato, cucumber, sunflower, green beans, peas and broad beans

Pumpkin - Corn

Radish - Peas, lettuce and nasturtium

Spinach - Strawberries and most herbs and veggies

Strawberry - Borage, lettuce, beets and bush beans

Tomato - Asparagus, peppers, marigolds, parsley and basil

Squash - Parsley, tomato, spinach, corn and nasturtium

Dogwood Week: The Dogwood Cheat Sheet

2011-05-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

So we'll wrap up Dogwood week with a little Dogwood cheat sheet. You can scan down the list and compare the varieties to see which one will suit your yard the best.

Cornus kousa var chinensis 'Satomi'

Cornus kousa var chinensis 'Satomi'- A beautiful spreading tree growing to approx 18'x 15'. Produces masses of salmon-pink flowers in spring. Good autumn foliage.

SHADE TOLERANT
Zone 5
15'- 18'tall and wide
Blooms: Pink bracts in April/May

Cornus kousa

Cornus kousa -Technically a large deciduous shrub, producing masses of creamy-white flowers in late spring to early summer, followed by strawberry-like fruit in autumn. Excellent autumn colors. Sold in as a tree. Grows to approx 20' tall.

SHADE TOLERANT
Zone 5
20'tall and wide
Blooms: Creamy-white bracts in April/May

Cornus florida (White Dogwood)

Cornus florida - A small deciduous tree, producing masses of white flower bracts on bare branches in early spring. Attractive red autumn colored foliage.

SHADE TOLERANT
Zone 5
18' - 20'tall and wide
Blooms: White bracts in April/May

Cornus florida 'Rubra'(Pink Dogwood)

Cornus florida 'Rubra'- One of the most spectacular spring flowering, small trees. The entire plant is covered with bracts that open dark pink, before fading to light pink. Grows to approx 18' - 20'. Good autumn foliage.

SHADE TOLERANT
Zone 5
18' - 20'tall and wide
Blooms: Pink bracts in April/May

Cornus florida 'Cloud 9'

Cornus florida 'Cloud 9'- A strong grower with light green foliage, forming a bushy small tree. Produces large white flowers in spring. This variety can tolerate shade, but can also thrive in full sun, provided it gets enough moisture.

SHADE TOLERANT
Zone 5
15' - 20'tall and wide
Blooms: White bracts in April/May

Cornus x 'Aurora'

Cornus x 'Aurora' - A small tree, growing to approx 18' by 15'. In spring the plant is covered by masses of velvety white bracts developing pinkish overtones as the flowers age.

Rutgers Stellar hybrids like Aurora dogwood are resistant to dogwood borer and the fungus dogwood anthracnose, common pests of the dogwood tree. The tree is attractive year-round with flowers (actually, bracts, which are a form of leaf associated with reproduction) in the spring.

The Cornus 'Aurora' does not bear fruit in the fall. This variety can tolerate shade, but can also thrive in full sun, provided it gets enough moisture.

SHADE TOLERANT
Zone 5
15' - 20'tall and wide
Blooms: White bracts in April/May

Cornus x 'Stellar Pink'

Cornus x 'Stellar Pink'- A beautiful tree, vase shaped at first, broader when mature. In spring, masses of bracts are formed, their color being soft pink fading to white in the center.This variety can tolerate shade, but can also thrive in full sun, provided it gets enough moisture.

SHADE TOLERANT
Zone 5
15' - 25'tall and wide
Blooms: Pink bracts in April/May

Cornus alternifolia

"Cornus alternifolia - A deciduous large shrub with distinctive green and white leaves. Grows 15-25' tall with spreading, horizontal, low branching. Branches grow in tiers on the main trunk, hence its name the "pagoda" dogwood.

SHADE TOLERANT
Zone 3
15' - 25'tall and wide
Blooms: Yellowish-white bracts in June

Dogwood Week: Health Care For Your Cornus

2011-05-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

First, let's talk about prevention!

Stay clear of your dogwood tree with you weed-whacker and lawn mower. Damage to the bark can be an entry point for pests and disease, so treat it with care. A tree situated in your lawn should be surrounded by a circle of mulch because a) they will appreciate the extra nutrients and moisture and b) to keep your lawn guy (even if he's your husband) well away from the trunk.

If you've had problems with fungus in the past, you may want to use an organic copper spray two or three times during season. Copper is a natural anti fungal and can be used on fruit trees as well.

Diseases and pests that affect dogwood trees:

Dogwood Anthracnose – This serious disease is difficult to control. Dogwood anthracnose causes stem cankers and large, purple-bordered leaf spots. Tan splotches may develop which will kill the whole leaf. Infected trees eventually die.

Septoria Leafspot – This infection usually occurs in July and causes small, purple lesions or spots on leaves. Berries can be blackened.

Spot Anthracnose – This dogwood disease attacks flower bracts (petals) eventually spreading to leaves, shoots and fruit. Look for reddish-purple spots in early spring. A severe infection will cause flower bracts to fall prematurely.

But if you keep your Dogwood well watered through the hot dry periods of summer, and if you keep the bark unmarred by lawn equipment, most likely you will have no problems at all with your Dogwoods. (Sometimes you will see green Lichen growing on Dogwoods, and this is nothing to worry about. It happens when Dogwoods are in moist, nutrient rich, understory plantings - their natural habitat.)

This Weekend Moms Get a Free Gift!

2011-05-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

Sat. & Sun. May 7th & 8th - Mother's Day Tea in the Garden and Free Gift for Moms!

All Moms who come to Victoria Gardens this weekend get a free Mother's Day gift.

Dogwood Week: Top 3 Tips for Healthy Dogwood Trees

2011-05-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Top 3 Tips For Healthy Dogwood Trees:

(Pictured above: Cornus Kousa)

Soil

Soil quality is especially important for Dogwoods to thrive. Dogwoods require nutrient dense soil in order to produce healthy flowering. Native Dogwoods like Cornus Florida are what we call "under story" trees. It means they grow at the edges of forests under larger trees. So in their natural habitat, layers of leaves, pine needles and other organic material accumulate and then decompose, providing a moist, rich growing environment. You want to try to reproduce the conditions the plant naturally wants. Consider adding compost or composted manure as a top dressing to increase flowering.

Planting

Thriving dogwoods require moist, shady areas with nutrient rich soil. As is the case with planting most other trees, the planting hole should be bigger than the diameter of the root ball, (but not deeper!) with only the top of the root ball level with the ground surface. Cover the root ball with the original soil and go ahead and add some organic material. We also recomend a root treatment whenever you are planting a tree or shrub we use Espoma Biotone Starter, which is organic.

After planting apply a two to three inch layer of mulch on top of the soil to help lock in moisture and prevent weeds. However don't crowd or bury the base of the trunk with mulch, go back in when you are finished an pull the mulch away touching from the bark.

Care

The first year of any tree's life is the most important when it comes to watering. If you cannot reach your newly planted tree with the hose or if you plan on going away for more than a week, use a Treegator. Treegator is a drip irrigation system in a bag, which will release water over time, keeping your young dogwood from experiencing stress.

Supplemental watering should be done weekly during dry periods. Unless there are injured or dead branches, pruning is generally not necessary. Because dogwood bark damages easily, extra care is needed when mowing or using any garden tools around them. Injuries not only weaken dogwoods, but bring an onset of unwanted insects and fungus to the damaged bark.

Tomorrow we will cover possible diseases and pests that such injuries can cause.

Dogwood Week: The 3 different Bloom Times of Dogwood Varieties

2011-05-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

The 3 different Bloom Times of Dogwood Varieties:

In our little corner of the world - Ulster County, NY - bloom time for Dogwoods of all varieties carries us from April through May. But there are three different Dogwood types, which bloom in succession during the spring season:

First to bloom: Native Dogwoods (Cornus florida)

Cornus florida, native to the Northeast stand out against the still brown forests in early to mid-April. Native Dogwoods are multi-stemmed with low branching, which gives them their elegant form. Cornus florida bears red fruit in the fall its foliage turns a striking red. Even in the winter, the branching structure is graceful making it a wonderful all season tree.

Second to bloom: Dogwood Hybrids

Hybrids are crosses between the Flowering Dogwood and the Kousa Dogwood,native to Japan. These hybrids have been developed by Dr. Orton at Rutgers University to create trees that look like the native variety, but with resistance to diseases that affect Cornus florida.

Some of these cultivars are 'Aurora', 'Celestial', 'Constellation', Ruth Ellen', 'Stardust', and 'Stellar Pink'. These cultivars don't all bloom at exactly the same time. Some bloom a bit earlier or later and sizes may vary slightly. Berry production may be different also.

Last to bloom: Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)

The Kousa Dogwood, or Japanese Kousa, blooms later than the other Dogwoods and it also gets quite a bit taller. The kousa produces large raspberry-like berries in the fall. It is usually a multi-stemmed tree with excellent disease resistance.

Plant Profile: Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns'

2011-04-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS 'LITTLE LANTERNS'

DEER RESISTANT SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE - ATTRACTS HUMMINGBIRDS
zone 3
10 - 12" tall and wide
blooms: April - May

We're open Easter Day from 10am to 4pm with gifts and indoor plants and flowers for your holiday table!

2011-04-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 24th - Happy Easter - We're open from 10am to 4pm with gifts and indoor plants and flowers for your holiday table!

Don't forget we're open for Easter!

2011-04-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Gifts, cards, potted spring bulbs!

Plant profile: Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

2011-04-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

BRUNNERA MACROPHYLLA 'JACK FROST'

DEER RESISTANT SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE
zone 3
12 - 15" tall and wide
blooms: mid-spring to late spring

The blue blooms of Brunnera are similar to those of forget-me-nots, but even after the blooms have faded the silver veined foliage will continue to add color and texture to your shade garden all season long. Can tolerate part sun to full shade. Pair with painted ferns, pulmonaria, and other silver leafed shade plants.

PHOTO COURTESY OF

Early Spring Annuals Are In!

2011-04-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

Frost resistant Bacopa, cascades and mounds.

Cool weather annual Nemesia has an intoxicating fragrance!

These dark velvety Petunias are spring show stoppers!

Plant your containers now and extend your season of enjoyment. Click here to read about cool weather annuals. And click here for container design tips.

Join us this morning for Coffee in the Garden with Ken Green!

2011-04-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 17th - Coffee in the Garden - 10am - Hudson Valley Seed Library founder Ken Green joins us to discuss heirloom seeds, vegetable gardens, and more!

Join Ken Green from the Hudson Valley Seed Library Tomorrow at Coffee in the Garden!

2011-04-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Have you seeded greens? Peas? Onions? Leeks?

Why not? It's that time!

Join us for coffee in the garden this Sunday 10 am, when Ken Green will get "seedy!"

We've organized our veggie seed collection into "Start Outdoors Now," "Start Indoors Now," and "Start Outdoors Later," to help you get organized and get that veggie patch started!

Today is Garden Day at Ulster Community College

2011-04-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday April 16th - Garden Day at Ulster County Community College hosted by the Cornell Cooperative and the Master Gardeners of Ulster County!

This all day event will take place at SUNY Ulster located at 491 Cottekill Rd. in Stone Ridge from 8:30am to 4:15pm and boast 16 hands-on and how-to classes for all gardeners from the newest beginners to the most advanced veterans. This year’s theme, “Going Native” features an array of experts talking on a variety of the hottest trends in gardening designs from all over the globe.

Everyone will gather in the Student Lounge at 9:00 am to begin the day with Key Note Speaker, Carolyn Summers. Summers, a landscape architect and author of
“Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East”, will discuss the importance of native plants and how to use them in your garden.

The Marketplace, which will be open during the lunch break, will include many local garden and gardening related vendors. Master Gardener volunteers will also be on hand to answer your gardening questions, perform FREE soil tests & plant identification and diseases diagnosis.

Participants can choose 4 separate classes for the day. Pre-registration is recommended to ensure class choices. The cost for 4 classes and a full day of garden advice is $35 per person before Friday, April 8, or $40 at the door. A boxed lunch may be pre-purchased for $8 or participants may bring their own lunch.

Victoria Coyne from Victoria Gardens will be teaching the class “Green Wall” at Garden Day. She will be exploring the hows and whys of green walls and green roofs, as well as chronicling her own “Green Wall” project - the process, the plants, and the pitfalls! There will be a slide show, a lecture, and a Q&A session afterward.

Even if you didn't preregister, you can go to Garden Day too!

2011-04-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

One-day Gardening Extravaganza

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s Master Gardeners will present the 14th annual Garden Day, Saturday, April 16, 2011! Participants can choose 4 separate classes for the day. The cost for 4 classes and a full day of garden advice is $40 at the door. Participants should bring their own lunch.

Victoria Coyne from Victoria Gardens will be teaching the class “Green Wall” at Garden Day. She will be exploring the hows and whys of green walls and green roofs, as well as chronicling her own “Green Wall” project - the process, the plants, and the pitfalls! There will be a slide show, a lecture, and a Q&A session afterward.

This all day event will take place at SUNY Ulster located at 491 Cottekill Rd. in Stone Ridge from 8:30am to 4:15pm and boast 16 hands-on and how-to classes for all gardeners from the newest beginners to the most advanced veterans. This year’s theme, “Going Native” features an array of experts talking on a variety of the hottest trends in gardening designs from all over the globe.

Everyone will gather in the Student Lounge at 9:00 am to begin the day with Key Note Speaker, Carolyn Summers. Summers, a landscape architect and author of
“Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East”, will discuss the importance of native plants and how to use them in your garden.

The Marketplace, which will be open during the lunch break, will include many local garden and gardening related vendors. Master Gardener volunteers will also be on hand to answer your gardening questions, perform FREE soil tests & plant identification and diseases diagnosis.

For more information contact Master Gardener Coordinator, Dona Crawford at
845-340-3990 ext. 335.

This one-day gardening extravaganza is a community educational program presented by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County Master Gardener Program.

Don't miss it!

EARLY SPRING CONTAINERS: Lengthen your season, extend your enjoyment and feel free to experiment!

2011-04-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

There have been many articles written about the three elements of container design - often-called “Thrillers,” “Spillers” and “Fillers.” For an interesting and balanced container, combine a tall upright plant, a cascading plant that spills down the pot’s sides and a filler to add fullness and color. This spring Victoria Gardens in Rosendale proposes to extend the container season with early spring annuals. With these cool weather annuals you can plant your container mid-April instead of waiting until mid-May! Cool weather annuals, which have been hardened off, will survive the light frosts of late April and push the envelope of your planter’s performance and your enjoyment of it as well.

THRILLERS – Osteospermum and Argyranthemum are both vigorous, upright plants with striking daisy-like flowers, exceptional compact habit and branching that makes them ideal for both containers and landscapes. Plants grow 10’ to 18’ high by 12’ to 24’ inches wide. You can also use early blooming bulbs such as Daffodils, Fritillaria, or Tulips as your upright element and then fill in with a new “Thriller” after the bloom fades. (Think of your planter as your laboratory where you can experiment on a small scale with color and plant combinations. Have fun. Isn’t that what gardening is all about?)

Ostespermum the Zion series is an eye-catching hybrid with large flowers and an array of unusual bloom colors. We are looking forward to ‘Zion Copper Amethyst’, ‘Zion Orange’ and ‘Zion Pink Sand’ – their names describe them as well as I can - one intense color gradating into another along the pedal. Truly stunning!

Argyranthemum grow slightly larger than the Osteospermum. They are part of the aster family and so offer a little more of a cottage garden aesthetic. They are heat and cold tolerant and several new varieties are available this year including a fully double, blood red variety called ‘Madeira Crested Merlot’ and a romantic, antique pink variety called ‘Madeira Crested Violet’.

SPILLERS - Calibrachoa, Bacopa, and Petunias are cascading plants that will perform from the cool early spring all through the season to the end of a mild October.

Calibrachoa are early flowering, brilliantly colored, petunia-like flowers, which self-deadhead (the spent flowers simply fall off –low maintenance!) and grow in full sun or part shade. Often called “Million Bells” because of their profusion of blooms. They are heat-tolerant and stay compact and bushy even when they are stressed. The variety we are looking forward to the most is ‘Double Amethyst’ – a new amethyst-blue variety. We can’t wait!

Bacopa is also a heat-tolerant, abundant flowering cascading annual covered in cheerful, stout, five-pedal flowers. We love it in white, because of it’s versatility, but it is also available in pink and blue. Besides being a sturdy and well performing container plant, we have experimented with this annual in the garden. When planted in the ground Bacopa becomes an adorable semi-mounding ground cover.

Petunias were your grandmother’s favorite for a reason! Petunias perform in dry hot sun, in cool shade, in containers, in the garden. I have seen petunias self-seed themselves into cracks in concrete or asphalt! These flowers are tough as well as beautiful. This year we are looking forward to ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ a new variety with a dark pink center and petals edged with bright green, and ‘Phantom’ a black base color with a distinctive yellow star pattern. These are not your standard ho-hum varieties!

FILLERS – Diascia and Nemesia also bloom all season long, but perform best in the spring and fall, and appreciate a little shade during the heat of summer. We also recommend shearing these plants mid-season to improve their performance. Plants grow 8’ to 12’ tall and wide.

Nemesia ‘Serengeti Upright White’ is one of our favorite varieties. The upright habit shows off the multitudes of delicate white blooms with yellow and purple inner accents.

Your planter will bring a smile to your face all through the spring. Then in July, if any of the cool weather annuals such as Diascia and Nemesia are not performing as well in the heat, remove them (you can plant them in a shady spot in your garden and they will revive and flower through the fall) and replace it with a heat loving “Filler” like Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost.’

Cold Hardy Annuals - Annuals you can plant outside in April!

2011-04-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

Our growers are now offering a limited selection of cold-hardy annuals!

Every year we wait patiently as the days and nights get warmer, waiting and waiting for May 15th so we can plant our annuals in the garden and most importantly in our containers. This is the point in the season deemed safe from frost and extreme cold, when we can expose those tender container plants to the elements. But many annuals actually benefit from being planted out earlier and will consistently grow better under the cool, moist conditions of late April and early May. Just as cool weather crops like spinach and broccoli rabe benefit from early spring conditions, so too will ornamental annuals like Calibrachoa, Bacopa, Petunias, Osteospermum and Argyranthemum. For annuals like Diascia and Nemesia the cool weather is the time of their peak performance. They falter in the hot dry conditions of mid-summer, only to rebound and rebloom in the fall.

The only thing that all annuals have in common is that they can’t survive our winter. Beyond that one commonality, annuals are a group of plants as diverse in their origins and requirements as perennials. So, despite everything you’ve heard in the past, there are varieties of annuals who can not only live through a series of light frosts, but will grow bigger and better through out the season because of their cool season head start.

We are incredibly lucky to have forward thinking and innovating growers. And they are doing the extra work needed to harden off early annuals to extend the season for us. Starting April 15th we will have a selection of cool weather annuals! You can plant your containers early and extend the season of enjoyment!

Garden Design Ideas: Spring Vignette

2011-04-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Spring is a time of optimism, reassurance, and resurgence. We all just feel better. Yes it’s the longer days, yes it’s freedom from the oppressive blanket of snow, and we are literally shedding that which has weighed us down: winter jackets, hats, scarves, gloves. The lightness we feel, the spring in our step is partially due to the lack of heavy boots on our feet! But it is also all the new colorful life emerging in the dull brown landscape. Don’t you find yourself cheering them on?

When crocus, snow drops, winter aconitum, and hellebores break dormancy and bloom, those little flecks of color signal the finish line. From an evolutionary standpoint, I imagine we’re all so happy and relieved because we and our little flower friends survived another winter. Yay! Go team!

Or perhaps they are our cheerleaders?

With that in mind, let’s talk about garden design. Knowing that each spring you feel delighted and encouraged by those harbingers of the season, why spread them out, dotted here and there? Why leave them as solitary specks, overwhelmed by the still sleeping landscape. Why not concentrate the earliest bloomers into a spring vignette (or several) placed where you will either pass by them on your way in and out of the house, or an area you can see as you gaze out your window? Why not strategically group them where they will have the greatest impact on your mood?

For a lovely blue and white combination, plant a mix of the small early blooming shrub like the white Korean forsythia and early blooming bulbs like, snow drops (Galanthus nivalis), Scilla siberica, grape hyacinth (Muscari) with hardy perennials such as ajuga ‘Chocolate Chips’ Helleborus ‘Josef Lemper (pure white flower), white bleeding heart, pansies and violas.

By including Candytuft (Iberis), forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica), Virginia Blue Bells (Metensia Viginica), and Blue Lungwart (Pulmonaria 'blue ensign'), your blue and white vignette will transition floriferously into April.

The fragrant spring blooms of Daphne
‘Carol Mackie’ are not the only winning features of this shade tolerant, deer
resistant shrub. The delicate, variegated foliage is an attractive addition to the garden all season long.

If pink is your preference, mix Pieris Variegata with American cranberry, a stunning evergreen ground cover (Vaccinum macrocarpon), with Helleborus ‘Rosemary’ or ‘Ivory Prince.’ The thick rosy foliage of Berginia ‘Baby Doll’ precedes its pink flowers and adds a great texture to not only garden beds but also container plantings. Add Ajuga ‘Pink Lighting,’ pink Primula or creeping Phlox and your vignette will blush with blooms and color all spring long.

Epimediums flower in several different colors: Epimedium x rubrum has not only diminutive, deep pink fairy flowers, but the ruby tinted leaves will add even more color to your early spring garden.

Another early pink option is Jacob’s Ladder ‘Stairway to Heaven’ (Polemonium reptans) because even though later the blooms will be blue, the new spring foliage is a stunning pink.

If high drama and deep purple are more your speed, mix the stunning dark pinkish purple buds of Pieris ‘Dorothy Wycoff’ with the green, near black, white and pink blooms of Helleborus ‘Royal Heritage.’ Add in the dark purple Fritillaria persica and ajuga ‘Black Scallop’ and you will have a sophisticated spring vignette with attitude.

For a more fiery combo, plant Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ (a red blooming witch hazel), winter aconite (Eranthis cilicica), Helleborus foetidus 'Gold Bullion', the yellow blooms of perennial Allysum and Lamiastrum ‘Herman’s Pride’ plus the golden foliage of Euphorbia ‘First Blush.’ And of course bulbs like Daffodils 'February Gold' and Daffodils 'Tete a Tete', mixed with tulips like ‘Banja Luka’, ‘Texas Gold’ or ‘Appledorn’ or perhaps some orange Fritillaria imperialis Rubra Maxima.

Although most spring blooming bulbs are planted in the fall, this spring we have a selection of spring blooming bulbs in pots for sale now. Instant gratification! For varieties that are not available now, mark your calendar for Labor Day weekend, which is when our stock of bulbs usually arrives. Or you can join our email list to be reminded.

For a peachy full-sun spot try, Quince (Chaenomeles) with English Daisies (Bellis), Rockcress (Arabis), Helleborus ‘Brandy Wine’, Daffodils 'Delnashaugh', Daffodils 'Parisienne', and Daffodils 'Fragrant Rose'. Sedum are a great full sun choice as well, especially the varieties of sedum and sempervivum that change color in the winter. Right about now you will see bright green leaves emerging from the red or orange winter versions of themselves.

Or what about an all green flowering combo with the pendulous yellow-green flowers of the Spike Winter Hazel shrub (Corylopsis spicata) as a back drop for the green blooms of Helleborus foetidus, Primula polyantha 'Francesca' or Fritillaria 'Ivory Bells'? Add in different shades and textures of green with a variety of ferns.

Or mix and match the colors of your early spring vignette so that it is a raucous explosion of color from March to May. Add an early blooming Magnolia, flowering cherry, or Eastern Red Bud tree to any of these vignettes and you will have a garden of boisterous cheerleaders branding their blooms like pompoms in celebration of spring and survival.

Sign Up For Cornell Cooperative's Garden Day!

2011-04-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

One-day Gardening Extravaganza

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s Master Gardeners will help gardeners add style and flair to their gardens with the information they present at this year’s Garden Day, Saturday, April 16, 2011!

This all day event will take place at SUNY Ulster located at 491 Cottekill Rd. in Stone Ridge from 8:30am to 4:15pm and boast 16 hands-on and how-to classes for all gardeners from the newest beginners to the most advanced veterans. This year’s theme, “Going Native” features an array of experts talking on a variety of the hottest trends in gardening designs from all over the globe.

Everyone will gather in the Student Lounge at 9:00 am to begin the day with Key Note Speaker, Carolyn Summers. Summers, a landscape architect and author of
“Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East”, will discuss the importance of native plants and how to use them in your garden.

The Marketplace, which will be open during the lunch break, will include many local garden and gardening related vendors. Master Gardener volunteers will also be on hand to answer your gardening questions, perform FREE soil tests & plant identification and diseases diagnosis.

Participants can choose 4 separate classes for the day. Pre-registration is recommended to ensure class choices. The cost for 4 classes and a full day of garden advice is $35 per person before Friday, April 8, or $40 at the door. A boxed lunch may be pre-purchased for $8 or participants may bring their own lunch.

Victoria Coyne from Victoria Gardens will be teaching the class “Green Wall” at Garden Day. She will be exploring the hows and whys of green walls and green roofs, as well as chronicling her own “Green Wall” project - the process, the plants, and the pitfalls! There will be a slide show, a lecture, and a Q&A session afterward.

For more information contact Master Gardener Coordinator, Dona Crawford at
845-340-3990 ext. 335.

This one-day gardening extravaganza is a community educational program presented by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County Master Gardener Program.

Registrations forms can be downloaded from the Cornell Cooperative website http://www.cceulster.org/ under the sidebar heading PROGRAM REGISTRATION FORMS and then under the link: Garden Day 2011 Information and Registration Form - Registration Deadline 4/8/11

Grow Ground Cherries

2011-03-31T05:36:00.000-07:00

What are ground cherries? Ground cherries are a delightful bite-size fruit that has a taste, which is somehow a combination of vanilla, pineapple, strawberries, grapes and tomatoes with very mild acidity. Totally weird? Yes. Delicious? Yes! The Aunt Molly variety is particularly delightful.

Ken Green from Hudson Valley Seed Company says, “Many people asked me why they are not more commonly known. Although they have great flavor and are easy to grow, they are not well suited to mechanical harvesting and grocery store shelf life. They are, however, perfect for the grazing gardener.” This is precisely why the Hudson Valley Seed Library is so important, and why partners Doug Muller and Ken Greene, the founders of the seed library, emphasize saving and maintaining heirloom seed varieties and the heritage of our agricultural past.

“Most of our varieties are rooted in the history and soils of New York or are chosen because they do well here.” Muller says, “Every year we plan on growing additional varieties on the Seed Library farm in Accord, NY and contracting with organic and certified naturally grown farmers in the Hudson Valley and upstate New York to grow even more varieties.” Aunt Molly Ground Cherries and other heirloom seeds are available from www.seedlibrary.org and at local independent garden centers, like Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY.

How to grow: Ground cherries (Physalis sp.) are a member of the nightshade family, related to tomatoes and tomatillos, and enjoy similar growing conditions. Start your seeds inside the last week in March and transplant at least two plants to ensure pollination in mid-spring into a full sun spot in your garden or containers. Growers recommend either staking the plant to keep the fruit laden plant off the ground or trimming the plants in half after flowering for better production. Ground Cherries thrive in the heat. Treat them as annuals, but like tomatoes, you may get some volunteer seedlings the following year.

How to harvest: The green husks hanging from your Aunt Molly ground cherries will turn tan, and then when the fruit is finally ripe they will…you got it…fall on the ground! We suggest laying two old sheets under the plants when the husks are changing colors, then every couple days, just grab the corners and collect the fruit by bucketful!

How to store: Ground cherries still wrapped in their natural brown husks can be stored in a bowl on the counter for several weeks. Once peeled, the golden yellow fruit will keep in the refrigerator for one or two weeks. You can also freeze the unwrapped fruit on trays overnight and then store them in Ziploc bags the freezer. You can also use a dehydrator and store the dried fruit in airtight containers.

How to eat: We like them sun-warmed right off the ground from the garden, but you can also use them in jam, chutneys, fruit crumbles or pies. You can also toss them whole into green salads with almonds and balsamic vinaigrette, or chop them into a spicy sweet salsa.

See recipe below:

Aunt Molly’s Sweet and Spicy Ground Cherry Salsa

1/2 pint of Aunt Molly ground cherries

2 tbsp chopped red onion

1 Jimmy Nardello red sweet pepper diced

1 tsp Matchbox spicy or or jalapeño pepper diced

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pineapples or peaches

Cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste

Peel the tan husks off the ground cherries, and rinse the golden yellow fruit. Slice each ground cherry in half. Mix in a bowl with red onion, red pepper, Matchbox or jalapeño pepper, oil, and either ½ cup of chopped pineapples or peaches. Toss together. Tear or chop cilantro leaves and stir into the mixture. Finally salt and pepper to taste, and serve with tortilla chips or use as a topping for quesadillas, white fish, or chicken.

Seeds for growing Aunt Molly ground cherries, Jimmy Nardello red sweet pepper, Matchbox spicy pepper, Tam jalapeño pepper, and many more heirloom vegetables are available from the Hudson Valley Seed Library at www.seedlibrary.com or at independent garden centers, like Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY www.victoriagardens.biz.

Early Spring Bloomers: Hellebores

2011-03-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

We have been big fans of Hellebores for many years, because they are hardy, deer resistant shade plants, and they are one of the first perennials to bloom late winter/early spring. Many varieties push their delicate blooms up through the snow, and the evergreen foliage is a welcome winter sight. Lucky for us, this year our growers are offering a myriad of new and exciting varieties.

Multiple varieties of hellebore should be in everyone’s garden, after all, who isn’t in desperate need of some landscape color at the end of a tough, brutal winter?

Although they have been very popular, but we still have some of the early spring ladies in stock, 'Rachel', Mary Lou', and 'Rosemary.' Plus we have 'Ivory Prince', 'Josef Lemper', and 'Royal Heritage.' We are getting a new delivery of Hellebores this week, so stop by to make sure you pick up yours.

Tools We Love: Part 2

2011-03-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

In March only all tools are 15% off at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY.
Here are some of our favorites to help with container planting:

Japanese Planting Knife – The Garden Warrior:

After you start to use this tool, you will find many more uses for it than you could have imagined. It is an essential, all-purpose tool for transplanting, weeding, cutting, and so much more. “I like it for planting in the garden,” Victoria says, “And also for the potting shed.” The knife can cut open a bag of potting soil, loosen soil in an old container, cut through pot bound roots, and then be used like a trowel. It doesn’t bend or break, even in rockiest, root-choked conditions. It’s a true garden warrior.

You will find 101 uses for these – TubTrugs:

Tubtrugs are lightweight and almost indestructible containers with heavy duty, comfort grip handles, and best of all you can use them for everything! Tote soil or mulch to another part of the garden or transport weeds to the compost pile. Use them to harvest veggies from your garden or apples from the orchard. The food-grade material can be used inside or out as ice buckets for tailgating or camping, or even as a large flexible dustpan. Victoria loves these Tubtrugs and even uses them instead of watering cans. “I also love the shallow ones for repotting house plants and for letting potted plants soak in a shallow bath of water and fertilizer.” The Tubtrugs are available in recycled plastic and six different sizes.

Tools We Love: Part 1

2011-03-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

In March only all tools are 15% off at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY.
Here are some of our favorites. These four in particular help with spring clean up:

The Amazingly Astounding, Magical Expanding Rake – It Changes Right Before Your Eyes:

You can adjust the width of this rake to easily fit in between shrubs and plantings. It’s lightweight and easily adjusts from 7” to 24” with the pull of a lever. Solid steel tines, coated in rustproof zinc. Try not to step into your garden when the ground is still super muddy and soft. You can compress roots and damage plants, so use this rake, and stand at the edge of your garden, unless you have a path or stepping stones placed where you know you won't be stepping on the crowns of as yet unseen perennials.

Once you've raked out your garden, pick up the pile with these:
Hand Rake “Grabbers” – Pick Up More:

Not only do these durable “grabbers” aid in picking up large amounts of leaves and debris, they protect your hands form sticks, thorns, needles, and slimy slugs! Spring, summer, and fall, you will find these “extra hands” indispensable -
especially for leaves, compost, mulch, and muck.

Weeders – You won’t believe how “hooked” you’ll be!

If you’ve never used a weeder before, you are in for a treat. “Both are great. I haven’t decided which one I like best.” Victoria says. The hand-forged Dutch weeder was recommended by another professional landscaper, who swears this tool becomes “an extention” of her own body. These metal weeders have a nice weight and reach to them, and are available in a “left-handed” or “right handed” configuration.

The other weeder is called the Cobra, because of the sharp, heart-shaped end of the curved tool. The point easily penetrates deep into the soil and with a twist of the wrist tap roots, crab grass, and all other manner of dastardly garden thugs are snatched out of the soil.

These weeder tools also make handy helpers when sowing seeds directly into the garden. The nifty point easily makes furrows as deep or as shallow as you like.

Large scale evergreen shrubs: Pieris 'Scarlet O'Hara', Pieris x 'Karanoma', and Pieris 'Summer Hill'

2011-03-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

Large scale, spring blooming, deer resistant, shade-loving evergreen Pieris shrubs offer privacy and screening in shady spaces, where other shrubs would struggle.

Pieris 'Scarlet O'Hara': 8 –10’ tall and 4 –5’ wide. Prominent flower buds all winter. White flowers in April. Reddish bronze new growth.

The hardiest of all Pieris, Karanoma grows quickly to 10' x 6'. Offers upright panicles of white flowers and handsome evergreen foliage year-round.

Pieris 'Summer Hill': 9-12’ tall by 6-9’ wide. Thick, lustrous leaves emerge brick red - excellent branching, fast grower. White flowers.

Medium-large scale evergreen shrubs: Pieris japonica 'Mountain Fire' and Pieris japonica ‘Valley Valentine‘

2011-03-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

These two shrubs are two of Victoria's favorite Pieris varieties. The young foliage emerges bright red and then turns green as it matures, displaying shades of pink peach, yellow and every shade in between.

Pieris 'Mountain Fire': 6’ tall by 4’ wide. Brilliant red new foliage turns dark green with maturity. Drooping clusters of showy white.

Pieris ‘Valley Valentine‘: 6- 7’ tall by 4- 5’ wide. This shrub has brilliant, saturated pink blooms and the sweetest springtime fragrance.

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’ and 'Diane' (Witch Hazel)

2011-03-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Pictured above: Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’

Hamamelis x intermedia hybrids are a cross between Hamamelis japonica (Japanese witch hazel) and Hamamelis mollis (Chinese witch hazel). They are one of the first shrubs to bloom in the garden and the flowers have a fresh spring fragrance that will permeate your entire yard.

HAMAMELIS X INTERMEDIA 'ARNOLD'S PROMISE'

FULL SUN TO PART-SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE
zone 3
10' - 20" tall and 15' wide
blooms: golden yellow, early spring

Pictured below: Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’

HAMAMELIS X INTERMEDIA 'DIANE'

FULL SUN TO PART-SHADE PLANT - LOW MAINTENANCE
zone 3
10' - 20" tall and 15' wide
blooms: red, early spring

Medium scale evergreen shrubs: Pieris japonica ‘White Cascade‘, Pieris japonica 'Dorothy Wyckoff', and Pieris japonica 'Variegata'

2011-03-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Pieris ‘White Cascade‘: 4- 5’ tall by 4-5’ wide. Unlike most other Pieris, it will quickly drop any browned flowers. Super easy!

Pieris 'Dorothy Wyckoff': 5’ tall by 5’ wide. Produces reddish-purple buds, which open as soft-pink blooms, and then mature to white.

Pieris 'Variegata': 5’ tall by 5’ wide. Best known for the attractive leaves that are green with white margins. Flower clusters are white.

Victoria Gardens

Closed for the winter season.

The After Christmas Sale Has Begun!

Closed For Christmas - Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

Happy Hanukkah!

This Saturday - Frozendale - see you there!

December Hours

Holiday Open House This Weekend!

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

3 ways to Overwinter Tropicals as House Plants

Aphids, Scale, Whitefly, oh my! 3 ways to prevent them and 3 ways to treat them.

Victoria Gardens' Favorite Spring Bulbs

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

September Blooms: Ceratostigma Plumbago (Perennial Plumbago)

September Blooms: Liriope (lilyturf)

September Blooms: Tricyrtis (Toad Lily)

September Blooms: Clematis Paniculata

September Blooms: Sedum

September Blooms: Salvia

September Blooms: Hydrangeas

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

September Blooms: Asters

September Blooms: Callicarpa 'Duet' (Beauty Bush)

September Blooms: Gaillardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’

September Blooms: 'Lemon Drop' Dwarf Golden Rod

September Blooms: Coreopsis 'Sweet Dreams'

September Blooms: ‘Knockout’ Roses

September Blooms: Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake'

Victoria Gardens is going to the dogs!

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

September Blooms: Persicaria ‘Firetail’

September Blooms: Hardy Hibiscus

Bulbs Arrive September 15th!

September blooms: Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)

September blooms: Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)

September Blooms: Geranium ‘Rozanne’

September Blooms: Veronica ‘Purpleicious’ (Speedwell)

September blooms: Chelone (Turtlehead)

September Blooms: Persicaria ‘Magic Carpet’

September Blooms: Anemone Japonica

September Blooms: Calamintha nepeta (Mountain Mint)

September Blooms: Caryopteris 'Blue Mist'

September Blooms: Gentiana 'True Blue'

Top Five Post Irene Garden Salvage Tips

Spectacular Late Summer Shrubs

Late Blooming Annuals - How to use Annuals Now!

Join Us this Weekend for Coffee in the Garden: Late Blooming Annuals!

Sat. & Sun. July 23rd & 24th - Rosendale Street Festival

Are You On Our Email List?

Are You On Our Email List?

Join us tomorrow at the High Falls Fair Day!

Rose of Sharon!!!

Victoria Gardens' Landscaping Projects - Part 2

Victoria Gardens' Landscaping Projects - Part 1

Daylilies!!!!

Hydrangeas!!!

Plant Profile: Geranium 'Rozanne' - Blooms and blooms in every garden!

Plant Profile: Primula Japonica 'Redfeild Strain'

Plant Profile: Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

Weeping Cherry Trees - 'Pendula' and 'Snowfountain'

How to: Tree Planting 101

Vic's Picks: Trees From Small to Tall

Cornus Alternifolia (Pagoda Dogwood)

Sciadopitys verticillata (Japanese Umbrella Pine)

Styrax japonicus fargesii (Japanese Snowbell)

Plant Profile: Dictamus (Gas Plant)

Chionanthus virginicus (White Fringe Tree)

Plant Profile: Baptisia in 3 Winning Colors

Purple Threadleaf Japanese Maple - Acer Palm. Filifera Purpurea

Memorial Day Parade

Plant Profile: Scabiosa - Superbloomer! Bloomerific! Flowertastic!

Growing Big Yeilds In Small Spaces

Heirloom, Organic, Locally-grown Veggie Starts are in!!!

Plant Profile: Geum - Deer Resistant, Full Sun, Drought Tolerant, Long Bloomer!

The Many Faces of Euphorbia

Vegetable Companion Plants

Dogwood Week: The Dogwood Cheat Sheet

Dogwood Week: Health Care For Your Cornus

This Weekend Moms Get a Free Gift!

Dogwood Week: Top 3 Tips for Healthy Dogwood Trees