There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling. ~Mirabel Osler
Cheryl Jones, Quips from my Garden Come home to Greenwood Spring Clean Up Spring Clean Up The Magnolia Butterflies arrived later than the other tree varieties coming in over last week for shipping. This variety is huge. Most of them are 4.5 to 5 feet tall with 4 and more canes. The caliper is denser than say a broomstick. So far with plants coming in, this is one plant variety that really stands out being much, much larger than we anticipated. If you have been considering a magnolia variety, this would be the time and variety to order. Our lavenders are shipping out each day. If you plan to order any of the lavender varieties, I recommend placing it soon as we do expect to sell out this spring. With a chill still in the air, I am finding it difficult to get into the mode for getting outside for spring clean up. I am hoping this weekend will bring really warm weather so Steve and I can get started. When I peek out our kitchen window, I cringe because our garden looks so pitiful. With leaves covering the ground, annuals needing to be pulled up, and perennials begging me to clip them back, this garden is a sight. But there is light at the end of this tunnel. Two warm weekends working part time raking, pulling and clipping will turn this ugly duckling into a blank palette ready for spring and summer growth and color. This week I am encouraging you to get outside and rake, pull and prune. Not too much is required, just a rake, possibly a hoe, trash bags, clippers or kitchen shears, gloves, hat, sunscreen, lots of elbow grease, aspirin and a good drink (for later that evening). I like to do pruning first. Walk around the garden and landscape pruning and shaping the needed trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennials. Then, pull out the spent annuals, pick up sticks/branches and any trash that blew into the yard and toss it all in the trash. Now, you are ready for raking up leaves and pruned pieces. Bag this up in the huge lawn trash bags. Leave it in a pile and there is sure to be a storm blowing everything back. Now that you can see the garden or landscape, you can see if there are any spaces you would like to plant or damaged plants that need replacing. If the soil needs a boost, add a good layer of aged compost mix or aged manure mix or at least shredded bark mulch. This will decompose over spring and summer building up the nutrients in the soil, which means that little to no fertilizer, will be required. See how easy that was! Hardly a few hours invested and now the garden and landscape is clean and ready for spring. As we announced last week, we now have a new navigation system to help you filter our broad plant selection down to the perfect plant for your requirements. The QuickNav on the left hand side is a short 2 minute guide that will quickly show you how to use the system effectively. Check out our videos on Youtube on Tips on Growing Lavender and Learn the Basics for Planting Container Grown Plants. Use the link here or access them by the link at the bottom of the page on www.greenwoodnursery.com. http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenwoodNursery See you on Facebook! Until next time…….Cheryl If you have any plant or landscaping questions, feel free to email me at cheryl@greenwoodnursery.com or drop me a message on our Facebook page.
Bringing Balance to Your Garden Bringing the four elements to the garden can open up many avenues into oneself. Just as Feng shui corrects the positive and negative influences of interior placement, incorporating the elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth can bring balance and peace to the garden. The first element of Fire, representing the South, opens the flow of chi to the head, neck, shoulder and arms. Its color is commonly red and can be found in the fire from a fire pit or candles, Knockout Double Red Roses, Japanese Red Maple, Weigela Wine and Roses, Echinacea Tomato Soup, Gaillardia Burgundy, Monarda Fire Ball, Pineapple Sage, Arctic Fire Dogwood, Nishiki Willow and the Cotoneaster Coral Beauty. Presence of Fire in the garden can increase Productivity. The second element of Water, representing the West, opens the flow of chi to the abdomen and human emotion. Its color is commonly blue which can be applied to a water fountain, bird bath, blue reflection ball, Russian Sage, Nikko Blue Hydrangea, English Country Aster, Veronica Royal Candles, Hibiscus Blue Satin and Hibiscus Blue Chiffon. The presence of Water brings Serenity. The third element of Air, representing the East, opens the flow of chi to the chest and lungs. Although yellow is the color commonly used, air can also be found through the use of whirligigs, wind chimes, windsocks and fragrant plants such as Lavender, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary Arp, and Mock Orange. Yellow can be found in the plants Lilium Painted Pixie, Yarrow Moonshine, Forsythia, Sungold Cypress, Knockout Sunny Roses, Angelina Sedum, Echinacea Mac-n-Cheese, and Black-Eyed Susans. The presence of Air in the garden brings Happiness. The fourth element of Earth, representing the North, opens the flow of chi to the feet, legs and lower abdomen. Earth is green; the color of nature, but can also be found in objects taken from Earth such as rocks/stone for a path or wood from a fallen tree might be used to build a bench. Green can be found in plants such as Heuchera Lime Ricky, Ornamental Grasses, Hostas, Ferns, Spartan Juniper, Emerald Green Arborvitae and Boxwood Wintergreen. Build Confidence with Earth in the garden. The fifth element, and most forgotten, is Akasha. This element will open the flow of chi to the human aura and the brain. Akasha, the center of the universe, is the only element that we can’t see, feel, smell or touch. It is energy or inner spirit. The colors of white and/or purple are the associated colors for Akasha. Center your garden with Mock Orange, Hibiscus Violet Satin, Hydrangea Incrediball, Anemone, Shasta Daisy, Echinacea White Swan, Black Knight Buddleia, Old Fashion Lilac, Persian Lilac, Hibiscus Diana, Hibiscus Morning Star, White Profusion Buddleia, Viburnum Japanese Snowball and Lavender. Akasha in the garden creates harmony with the mind, body and spirit. Yes, I do have Russian sage in the Western area of my garden, Moonshine Yarrow in the East, ornamental grasses in the North, Japanese Red Maple in the South along with Mock Orange for Akasha and those are just the beginning. Maybe that is why Steve and I feel so centered when we retreat to our garden. Whether you get your compass out and place the elements to their corresponding colors and directions or just include these colors within your garden or landscape, you can still reap the benefits of their presence. To keep the positive/negative balance, place at least one corresponding plant in each of the corresponding elements direction. This will allow the elements to work together in unity. Other ways to make your garden magical is to bring in plants that provide fragrance and plants whose leaves or blooms will reflect the moonlight. Fragrant plants will include: Lavender, Rosemary, Lemon Thyme, Oregano, Spice Bush, Roses, Mock Orange, Old Fashion Lilac, Persian Lilac and Sweetbay Magnolia. Plants whose leaves or blooms will reflect moonlight will include: Variegated Solomon’s Seal, Burgundy Lace Fern, Limelight Hydrangea, Incrediball Hydrangea, Russian Sage, Pink Muhly Ornamental Grass, Pee Gee Hydrangea, Heuchera Mystic Angel, Fire & Ice Hosta, Patriot Hosta, and the Nishiki Willow. Our countdown to Valentine’s Day continues with one week left to go. This week’s suggestion is our Herb Collection. This is the perfect gift for any Valentine Chef, as the beginnings for a kitchen garden or to add a little magic to any garden. The Greenwood Herb Collection includes Chives, Bay Laurel, Oregano, Rosemary Majorca Pink, Pineapple Sage and Lemon Thyme all for $21.95. Book now and your Valentine will receive a lovely hand written gift card alerting them to their gift and when it will be arriving at their door. The perfect gift for the chef in your family! Week 2 on our Valentine’s Day Countdown was our Knockout Rose Sampler at $56.95 which is a $9.00 savings over individual costs. Week 3 offered special Valentine’s Gift Certificates with week 4 being our popular Lavender Sampler. New items are being added to our Monthly Value Page this week for the month of February. Be sure to check them out. If you are looking for great new perennials to add to your garden or landscape, you will want to take advantage of these new specially priced items. Visit Greenwood Nursery on YouTube. You will learn the basics of planting container grown plants and tips for planting lavender and other herbs. As we progress into spring, we will be adding more instructional videos. http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenwoodNursery Check us out on Facebook! Until next time………..Cheryl
Growing Knockout Roses
What can you plant in your landscape that will bloom beautifully from spring through fall? Hands down, the longest blooming period goes to the Knockout Roses! Here in middle Tennessee, they start blooming around early April and continue on to late fall. This past fall, my double reds continued with blooms until Thanksgiving which was many weeks beyond hard frosts and remained in leaf through early December. Plant these gorgeous specimens in well drained, fertile soil in full sun. With little attention, they will put on a spectacular show for months on end. The Knockout Roses are smaller shrub plants maturing around 4 feet tall with about a 3 foot width. They are easily maintained as an even smaller size with regular shearing. Space the roses 3 to 4 feet apart for a dramatic hedge. To keep maintenance to a minimum, prune them back anywhere from 6 to 12 inches above ground in late winter or early spring while dormant making certain to prune out any broken or damaged branches. Mulch with organic matter such as aged compost or aged manure mix. Spread the mulch at least 3 inches deep around the plant leaving a welled area at the immediate base of the plant of around 3 to 4 inches wide so the mulch doesn’t touch the bark of the plant. Apply an organic fertilizer designed for roses as directed on the label. As with other roses and plants with thorns, deer are not really drawn to the Knockout Roses, so they do make dazzling color in areas where deer may be a problem. The Knockout Rose Family has shown great resistance to the most common problems of other roses such as black spot, mildew and rust. With 2 weeks until Valentine’s Day, this week’s gift suggestion is the Knockout Rose Sampler. Our Knockout Rose Sampler consists of one Double Red Knockout, one Double Pink Knockout and one Sunny Knockout at $56.95 which is a $9.00 savings over individual costs. Book now and your Valentine will receive a lovely hand written gift card alerting them to their gift and when it will be arriving at their door. The perfect gift for the rose lover in your family! Week 3 on our Valentine’s Day Countdown is our special Valentine’s Gift Certificates with week 4 being our popular Lavender Sampler. New items are being added to our Monthly Value Page this week for the month of February. Be sure to check them out. If you are looking for great new perennials to add to your garden or landscape, you will want to take advantage of these new specially priced items. Visit Greenwood Nursery on YouTube. You will learn the basics of planting container grown plants and tips for planting lavender and other herbs. As we progress into spring, we will be adding more instructional videos. http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenwoodNursery Check us out on Facebook! Until next time………..Cheryl
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