Blueberries in Bloom

Isn't it so interesting that blue berry flowers look so similar to the fruit that will follow.

You need two varieties for berry production.

For instructions on how to care for your blueberries click here.

If you Missed the Private Garden Tour 4/22/12 Part 2

For part 2 of Sunday's tour we explored the lush gardens of Deb Gray. 

Photos by Jeff Stultz.

Our next private garden tour is scheduled for May 6th. 

Call to register (845) 658-9007 $10 per person.

Click here for a full 2012 special event and classes.

If you Missed the Private Garden Tour 4/22/12 Part 1

We were really lucky with last weekend's private tour, both with the weather (the rain held out until the tour was over) and because friend and photographer Jeff Stultz took these photos for the blog. If you missed the tour last weekend, the next tour is scheduled for May 6th. - Thank you again, Arlene for allowing us to visit your beautiful property!

Photos by Jeff Stultz.

Full 2012 Schedule of special events and classes. 

Fothergilla major ‘Blue Shadows’

Fothergilla major ‘Blue Shadows’

Zone 4
Grows 5 ft. tall and wide.
Grow in light shade to part shade for best blue foliage.



Amazing blue textured foliage is only one of the many things we love about this new variety of Fothergilla. ‘Blue Shadows’ produces unique white blooms with hints of gold in early spring before the foliage emerges. Then it offers a sophisticated texture and elegant form in the landscape. And to top it all off in the fall these leaves turn a metallic mix of bronze, purple, gold, and orange. Spectacular!

‘Snow Day Surprise’ Pearl Bush – Exochorda ‘Niagra’

‘Snow Day Surprise’ Pearl Bush – Exochorda ‘Niagra’
Zone 4

Grows 3 to 4 ft. tall and 4 to 5 ft. wide.

Grow in full sun to part shade.



More compact than other varieties, ‘Snow Day Surprise’ forms big pearl-like buds in late April and holds them for three to four weeks. In late May the fat buds open to cover the shrub in fluffy snow-white flowers.

‘Boomerang’ Lilac – Syringa x ‘Penda’

‘Boomerang’ Lilac – Syringa x ‘Penda’

Zone 4
Grows 4 to 5 ft. tall and 3 to 4 ft. wide.
Grow in full sun.


April buds pictured. I'll post more images when it blooms!

Blooms mid May and then reblooms throughout the summer and fall. Fragrant, compact, and floriferous – ‘Boomerang’ is a garden star.

‘Golden Guinea’ Japanese Kerria – Kerria japonica ‘Golden Guinea’

‘Golden Guinea’ Japanese Kerria – Kerria japonica ‘Golden Guinea’

Zone 4
Grows 4 to 6 ft. tall and 6 to 8 ft. wide.
Grow in full sun to part shade.



Bonus blooms! ‘Golden Guinea’ produces extra-large, bright yellow flowers in late April to early May, and then will rebloom sporadically throughout the season. After this shrub looses its leaves, the bright green stems do double duty as a pop of winter interest.

Forsythia ‘Citrus Swizzle’

Forsythia ‘Citrus Swizzle’

Zone 5

Grows 12 to 18 inches tall and 2 to 3 ft. wide.

Grow in full sun to part shade.



‘Citrus Swizzle’ forsythia doesn't actually bloom, BUT it does have season long color that is just as spectacular as any show of forsythia blooms. The foliage of this dense, low-growing shrub emerges with a lime green center and ages to a creamy white variegation.

Also stays super compact!

‘Show off’ Forsythia– Forsythia x ‘Mindor’

‘Show off’ Forsythia– Forsythia x ‘Mindor’

Zone 3

Grows 3 to 5 ft. tall and 5 to 6 ft. wide.

Grow in full sun to part shade.



If you can’t live without the bright gold blooms of forsythia, but you think traditional varieties are beasts that will overgrow your entire garden, ‘Show off’ is your answer. It is more compact and more controlled than the run of the mill forsythia. And this short variety is a champion April bloomer.

Quince ‘Orange Storm’ and ‘Pink Storm’ - Chaenomoles Double Take

Quince ‘Orange Storm’ and ‘Pink Storm’ - Chaenomoles Double Take

Zone 5

3 to 4 ft. tall by 4 to 5 ft. wide

No thorns, no fruit, huge silver dollar sized flowers.

Blooms early to mid April



No thorns, compact, DEER RESISTANT, huge blooms? Sold! To the gardener with a full to part sun location.

‘Pink Heartbreaker’ Weeping Redbud - Cercis canadensis "Pink Heartbreaker"

‘Pink Heartbreaker’ Weeping Redbud - Cercis canadensis "Pink Heartbreaker"

Zone 4

Grows 15 ft. tall and 10 ft. wide

‘Pink Heartbreaker’ is a beautiful specimen weeper with a strong central leader and nicely tiered branching. This tree likes full sun to light shade for the best performance


Redbuds are not deer resistant, so if you have deer be diligent about spraying repellent, until the tree is well established.

Helleborus 'Frilly Kitty'

Helleborus 'Frilly Kitty'

Zone 5
Grows 12 to 24 inches tall and wide.
Grow in Part sun to full shade.



As you can see these are lookers. Like other hellebore varieties they bloom in late Feburary and early March. The double flowers bloom a soft ivory and pink and they dry on the plant to a light green. The blooms can sometimes dry on the plant and stay through early summer.

"Frilly Kitty' is a welcome new variety, and it will add some thrills and frills to your early spring garden.

‘Trompenburg’ Japanese Maple – Acer Palmatum ‘Trompenburg’

‘Trompenburg’ Japanese Maple – Acer Palmatum ‘Trompenburg’

Zone 5
Grows 18 to 20 ft. tall and wide.
Grow in full sun to part shade.



Very fast growing and more heat tolerant than other Japanese Maples, Trompenburg's red leafstalks, the unique leaf shape and the elegant form make it a must-have specimen. The leaves will darken through the summer and then turn crimson in the fall. This tree benefits from pruning and shaping when it is young, to maximize it’s lovely form.

‘Royal Raindrops’ Crabapple - Malus 'Royal Raindrops'

‘Royal Raindrops’ Crabapple - Malus 'Royal Raindrops'

Zone 4

Grows 25 ft. tall and 15 ft. wide



This new variety of crabapple has it all – disease resistant, fungus and black spot resistant, deep purple summer foliage that turns metallic purple-orange in the autumn. Deep pink flowers in the spring and glossy red berries in the fall through winter. Heat tolerant and drought tolerant too!

“Royal Raindrops’ is an easy and adaptable variety of flowering crabapple that earns its place in your landscape with four seasons of performance.

Private Garden Tour Sunday April 22nd

Private Garden Tours

Call to Register 845-658-9007

Sunday April 22nd 11am

Nestled at the bottom of a hill, in a lush microclimate, Deb Gray (of Gardenmakers fame and now a part of the Victoria Gardens’ design team) has been cultivating an incredible collection of specimens in her garden for over 30 years (mature Copper Beeches and Japanese Umbrella pines that were once orphans, but Deb rescued and nursed back to heath.)

A custom, rustic wooden pergola straddles the entrance to the garden path and leads to a blue stone patio, full of bird feeders and surrounded by flowering trees. Apple blossoms and magnolia trees fill the patio with fragrance. Spring blooming bulbs and woodland ground covers have naturalized creating large drifts of early spring color.

A Rustic Bear by artist Hoppy Quick stands guard over the woodland garden. He is usually covered in birds, but occasionally the cat perches on his head or shoulders. Meandering blue stone pathway, which have evolved over many years, lead around the house to a spring fed pond.

This is the result of the curiosity, passion and dedication of a very talented garden designer. On the tour you will see unusual plants and happy accidents.

As an interesting contrast, we will also be visiting the extensive gardens of Deb’s longtime client, Arlene Levine.

At the driveway entrance you will be struck by two splashy and spectacular gold and red symmetrical plantings. You will see a mature shrub border with dozens of mature specimens that is truly inspirational.

A beautiful stone patio winds around the house to a scenic pond, surrounded by a mature birch grove. Arlene and Deb have worked together to create a bold and colorful collection of gardens that are as whimsical as they are extensive.

Don’t miss this amazing tour of two private gardens. Reservations necessary - $10 per person.

Call 845-658-9007 to register.

Our next private garden tour is on Sunday May 6th at 11am. We will be visiting three very different gardens in the same creek side neighborhood. One is a hillside garden, one is an enclosed cottage garden, and the third is the stunning garden collection of a talented garden photographer. Then we’ll make a second stop for garden number 4! You will get more ideas and inspiration on this two-hour tour than you would from a stack of garden magazines!

For a full schedule of events, visit our website www.victoriagardens.biz and click on the classes and special events link.

Garden Day, New Varieties Lecture and Slide Show

‘Appalachian’ Red Redbud -
Cercis canadensis ‘Appalachian Red"
Zone 4
Grows 25’ tall and wide

Like all redbuds, ‘Appalachian’ is an understory tree and can tolerate partial shade. In early spring the tight deep pink buds cover the branches of this cold hardy tree, and in mid-spring the buds open into blooms. This flower explosion occurs before any of the burgundy-colored, young foliage appears. The large heart-shaped leaves change to a deep blue-green by summer, and a sunny yellow in the fall.

Come to Garden Day this Saturday and learn about this and other new varieties! Victoria will be giving a lecture with a slide show "New Varieties in Bloom." Every year there are new varieties destined to become old favorites. Let Victoria introduce you to the stunning new "must have" varieties available to brighten your garden this season. The class will include annuals, perennials shrubs and trees.

Saturday April 14th - Garden Day at UCCC

All day event at Ulster County Community College in Stone Ridge. Contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County for more information and registration please call (845) 340 3990.

Saturday April 14th - Lecture: New Varieties in Bloom At Garden Day at UCCC

Victoria Coyne from Victoria Gardens will be giving a slideshow lecture - a collection of images displaying the stunning “must have” varieties of 2012. Call (845) 340 3990 to register.

Sunday April 15th - 10am Coffee in the Garden at Victoria Gardens - free

Coffee in the Garden (the first and third Sunday of each month) is a casual gardeners’ open forum. Each week Victoria chooses something new and exciting in the garden to discuss, and is available to answer your questions.

- 11am Class - New Varieties in Bloom- We’re presenting this slideshow lecture at the nursery for those of you who can’t make it to Garden Day at UCCC!

Call 845-658-9007. to register.

Reservations necessary - $5 per person.

What's that plant? Rhipsalidopsis a.k.a. Spring Cactus, a.k.a Easter Cactus

Rhipsalidopsis a.k.a. Spring Cactus, a.k.a Easter Cactus LOOKS like the familiar Christmas Cactus a.k.a. Schlumbergera bridgesii, but these two look-a-likes have different bloom times and different requirements.

Keep your Easter Cactus in bright indirect light (so not right on the windowsill - inside the room a couple feet) and dry out in between waterings. Water even less starting in September and let the Rhipsalidopsis go dormant. Begin watering regularly in March and have blooms in time for Easter!

Segmented foliage can be rooted and propagated the same as Christmas Cactus. (p.s. the key to the Christmas Cactus dormant period and subsequent bloom is sunlight not water. Shorter days October through December signal Schlumbergera bridgesii to bloom.)





Also, note the hilarious do not eat symbol on the tag. (Seriously, if your cats eat your plants, pass on this toxic cactus. If your cats eat your plants with a fork and knife, post it on Youtube and send us the link!)

What's that plant? Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 'Red lips'!

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 'Red lips' is a large leafed succulent (houseplant). Super easy care, dry out soil in between waterings.

So stunning, yet so easy - and everyone will be asking you, "what's that plant?"