What's that plant? Brugmansia

What's this plant? And what's that smell?

The bud unfurls...

And the flower releases an amazing scent at the end of the day.

Brugmansia is a tropical flowering tree that has long, trumpet-shaped, downward facing flowers (thus the the common name: Angel's Trumpet). And besides being beautiful, these blooms exude an amazing fragrance in the evenings. 

 The sweet scent is meant to attract moth pollinators in their native South America. Lucky for us, even without the tropical weather or their longed-for moths, the Brugmansia blossoms fill our building with the most amazing perfume at the end of the day. 

 It is such a treat! Stop by and smell for yourself. 

The perfume is faint in the flower during the day, and around 3pm starts to grow stronger. Take note of our October hours: Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm Saturdays 10am - 6pm Sundays 10am - 4pm 

 Visit and be inspired!

Available in yellow and peach (pictured below).

Virtual Tour: Mohonk Mountain House 'Out of Africa' Part 2

Here are some up close and personal bloom pictures and plant identifications within the 'Out of Africa' planting. In our zone, all these tropicals are annuals, but look what a statement they can make! For more photos visit 'Out of Africa' Garden Tour Part 1.

Ocimum basilicum 'Cardnal'

Leonotis menthafolia

Acidanthera murielae

Ricinus 'Carmencita Pink'

Kniphofia "Echo Rojo'

Canna 'Pretoria'

Amaranthus 'Elephant Head'

Calla Lily 'Fire Dancer'

Amaranthus tricolor

Melinus 'Savannah'

Virtual Garden Virtual Tour: Mohonk Mountain House 'Out of Africa' Part 1

Every year Mohonk Mountain House plants its Victorian style annual beds with a new a theme. This year's theme, 'Out of Africa', has produced a riotous explosion of tropical color. The tall banana trees and black leaf elephant ears are practically neutrals in this garden filled with hot colors and exotic (and sometimes furry!) blooms. The gardens will be in full bloom from now until frost, and Mohonk is only about 8 minutes (aound the corner and up the mountain) from Victoria Gardens. So make plans to see this spectacular planting this fall!

Late Blooming Annuals - How to use Annuals Now!

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!

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!

Early Spring Annuals Are In!

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.

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

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!

Annuals: Big Blooms and Bold Colors

Non-stop tuberous begonias in splashy colors can be in sun or shade.




The exotic blooms of the lotus flower stand up like miniature flames from the soft blue/green foliage.


This coleus has been flying out of the nursery. Come in this weekend and get some while they last!


Oxalis and geraniums can both be used as annuals for the summer and then brought inside as house plants for the winter. This pair is a great combination of unusual colors and delicate texture, and can be in sun or shade.