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Spring 2006
Mary's Plant Farm Newsletter
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- variable as the shade, of the light quivering
aspen made.
-- Sir Walter Scott
January
30th at 40 degrees, this month has been awesome. I'm afraid we'll pay for it
later. I've pruned the grapevines back to 3', which must be completed before
the sap comes up. I prune them sharp every two or three years. I've checked
bloom on the witch hazels (Hamamelis). 'Orange Peel' was starting to show good
color on Jan. 2nd and was in full bloom by Jan. 10th. One small branch in the
kitchen scented the entire room. Some of the others in bloom are 'Pallida, a
nice long petaled bright yellow, 'Robert' with several blended colors of red
and copper, and an unnamed fairly pink one (not baby ribbon pink though), which
we enjoy. The snowdrops of course are in bloom Feb. 14th as are the Eranthus.
I've several in a tiny vase; they're so fragrant. I also cut some of the
Hellebore niger 'Praecox' for the house. It's large flat white blooms stay
fresh for a long time if you submerge the bloom in water for an hour before
arranging. Incidentally, a bunch of violet blossoms will last longer if you
submerge the flower heads in water for a time, prior to putting them in a vase.
The large red buds on the Parrotia are not opening, but there are large pink
buds on the Viburnum x bodnantense 'Pink Dawn' that should be open by early
March.
I am often asked by gardeners who
live a distance, when is the best time to visit for the most color in the
garden. I personally love all the foliage shades of green, gold, wine, copper
and even variegated shades whether there is bloom or not. But there are so many
flowering trees throughout the season; Hamamelis in Jan., Parrotia in mid Feb.,
Amelanchier in March, Cercis (redbud) and Cornus (dogwood) varieties in April,
Aesculus (buckeye) varieties and Cladrastis (yellowwood) in May, Styrax (Jap.
snowbell) and Syringa reticulata in June, Stewartia in July, Franklinia, Vitex
and Cotinus in Aug., Oxydendrum (sourwood) Sept., and Heptacodium (seven sons
flower) in Oct. And there are many more. Hardy bulb varieties are in bloom
throughout the year, but Sept. and Oct. show the colchicum and fall cyclamen.
The winter garden is a joy as I look out my windows, and on a warm sunny day a
walk is delightful looking at the winter color. Even on a snowy day, I gathered
branches of berried shrubs and holly, big plum colored bergenia foliage,
hellebore, lovely arum italica and the silver of santolina. I can make a
beautiful fresh arrangement anytime of year. Gardens are composed of live
plants and are therefore ever changing, or the gardener themselves create the
change. I'm always applying 'Roundup' to more lawn and making large swirling
areas to naturalize. This gives room for more flowering trees including the
deciduous magnolias and some of the southern evergreen magnolia varieties and
of course more bulbs. High-density plantings are not needed for these areas.
They're easier to maintain, to walk through and have room for a bench to relax.
It's hard for Sherri and I to believe
we're starting our 30th year as a garden nursery. I wrote our first real
newsletter in 1982 using a mailing list of approx 200 gardeners who signed up
at our craft classes and the continuing education horticulture classes I taught
at Miami Univ. in Oxford. Gardeners kept signing up and finally we added the
list to the computer trying to keep the list at 1500. My granddaughter Mandi
appreciates that since she is the one who processes them for mailing. While
cleaning a top shelf in my office I found three small files of the original
address cards. So many of the names are still customers and some have become
real friends. We are planning some special drawings and activities to celebrate
our 30the anniversary. More details will be posted in the sales barn. We will
be hosting more free seminars, and we're adding the final touches to Gardener's
Day.
This business is like having a tiger
by the tail. There is never enough time for us to do everything we need to do.
In January the girls tackled cleaning the sales barn and rearranging the gift
shop. By February we are potting in the greenhouse and by the end of February
on, we never seem to finish. Even the fall digging and last landscape jobs are
not completed until Thanksgiving. One year we finish the last landscape with
the snow flying, and in 2004 we finished in the pouring rain. This past season
we completed the landscapes but the field digging will have to be finish in
March. Last August in the heat, we tried catch up on some things in our
gardens. We've reworked the south border and I'm working on the north border.
Susan and I did use up the pile of bricks that had been lying by the herb
garden for years. We tore out and re-laid the brick terrace (Susan says she's
now ready to tackle her brick terrace), and I built a new wall to sit the
scented geraniums on. Perhaps that will deter the rabbits from eating them.
They love scented geraniums. Susan and I took the large leaves of the geranium
peppermint rose, and used crab apple juice to make some rose geranium jelly,
delicious. While on this subject, for those who are using native plants, Sherri
and I picked elderberries last summer. Sherri made an elderberry pie, that
tasted every bit as wonderful as blueberry pie. And with the rest, I made a
great elderberry jelly. Now back to the garden. Sherri and Susan installed a
wrought iron fence around herb garden and a new trellis arch through to the
peony field. I meant to get a picture of it when the peonies were in full
bloom, it was so pretty.
The real purpose
of this newsletter is to impart garden information and answer questions. A
gardener told me last year that their Campanula glomerata had spread all over
her garden. Actually, it did not spread on its own. The gardener accomplished
it by moving plants from along side the campanula. It has stoloniferous roots
that have the ability to make new plants and she took some of these with her in
the transplanting. Or she did not deadhead and some seed blew in the wind. My
sister Fern was always dividing her plants and giving them to friends, and all
of us, ended up with Campanula rapunculoides. It's lovely, but I now have a
clump along the drive that was in a Chry. 'Brown Eyes' she gave me two years
before. I will treasure it, from her garden, but will keep the 'Round-up'
handy. A constant question is "what can I plant, the deer won't eat". They do
not like silver leafed plants, example; artemisia, santolina, lavender,
rosemary, nepata etc. They do not like fuzzy leaved plants, including many of
the viburnums. They don't usually like hellebore and oddly enough they've never
really bothered our daylilies. I know other gardeners grow daylilies in terrace
pots to keep the deer away. Another question "what plants are for dry shade". I
immediately think of two very elegant plants, epimedium that tolerates even
tree roots, and also Hellebore. Any plant should be watered and watched over
till established but after that they should be fine, mine have survived
droughts with no water.
There are some
of my favorite perennials that cannot be moved except when small because they
make large clumps of foliage with one small root. Usually these are rockery or
edging plants that do not like excess water. Some examples are the many types
of dianthus I grow or the Alyssum saxitile (Basket of Gold). These must be sold
in small pots while young as when established they will not survive a
transplant. Basket of Gold (now called Aurinia) lasts for years for me, just
remember a sunny well-drained location and in late fall add more soil over the
crown of the plant. I always do the same with my lavender plants. I've kept a
big lupine plant alive for 3 years adding soil for winter. We always advise a
1/2 bucket of soil be poured over newly planted hydrangea macrophylla plants
their first winter. Some of this can be removed from the hydrangeas in the
spring during your garden clean-up. We hope your gardening experience this
coming season is a pleasant one, and we look forward to your visit to the plant
farm.
--
Mary
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Mary's Plant Farm &
Landscaping
New of 2006
Each
fall we begin to inventory the available stock for the next spring. That's when
we realize how large some trees and shrubs have grown. So the digging equipment
of shovels and back muscles goes to work. There is a nice selection of shade
trees; Cercidiphyllum (Katsura), Blue Spruce, Alnus, Nyssa sylvatica (Black
Gum), Cladrastis lutea (Yellow Wood) and Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood). The
last three of which are native trees. Don't forget our blooming ornamental
trees that are large enough to give instant gratification in the garden; Cercis
(Redbud) can. 'Forest Pansy' with red foliage, Cercis can. 'Alba' with white
bloom, Malus (crabapple) varieties, Syringa reticulata (Japanese Tree Lilac),
Magnolia (14 types) and Aesculus (Buckeye) with red, pink or yellow bloom. We
have added another 6 varieties of winter blooming Hamamelis (witch hazels) to
our collection. The list is now at 42. There is nothing like their fragrant
winter blossoms in colors of red, copper, orange, yellow and even purple
blooming in the garden from December to March.
We did a double take when we saw the new
Magnolia x 'Hattie Carthan'. Its upright buds are shaded brown, green, purple,
and coral. Opening to a cream bloom with lavender base. This is another
colorful addition to our listing of hybrid magnolias; 'Woodsman', 'Coral Lake',
'Golden Gift' and 'Butterflies' with their magnificent colors. Also consider
the evergreen magnolia varieties, 'Edith Bogue' & 'Victoria'. There are
also additions to the conifers offered, both dwarf and larger varieties.
Thujopsis dolobrata 'nana' has interesting evergreen foliage, Thuja o. 'Golden
Globe' is named for its bright gold color, and Tsuja can. 'Sargentii' the dwarf
spreading hemlock is magnificent in the garden. New perennial additions are;
Coreopsis g. 'Tequila Sunrise' with variegated foliage, golden blooms with a
brown eye, Salvia lyrata 'Purple Knockout' has beautiful purple-red foliage,
Aquilegia (columbine) 'Woodside' var. has golden foliage, Dianthus 'Firewitch'
with repeating fragrant red flowers, and by popular demand the Helianthemum
nummularium which blooms most of the summer and is extremely draught tolerant.
There are two new lavender varieties; 'Twickle Purple' and 'Silver Edge' and a
variegated Teucrium for the rockery or herb
garden.
Containers are so popular for the
terrace and in the garden that we have a new line of beautifully designed clay
garden products. These have exquisite designs of ferns, herbs, ivy and birds.
They will take your breath away. And to fill them, we have a great selection of
both succulents for dry locations and everblooming plants for containers in sun
or shade. I can't forget to mention that we have added a new rose 'Julia Child'
to our collection. It has been tested in our gardens and proves to be a hardy,
disease resistant, ever-blooming yellow rose. For those who have been asking
for the climbing rose 'Constance Spry' viewed in the rose pergola, we finally
have new stock available. No one can resist its fragrance or pale pink beauty.
We have always encouraged our nursery
visitor to walk the borders and find a secluded bench and enjoy the garden.
Many have asked if they could bring a snack or picnic and some just take their
coffee and have a quiet commune with nature. To this end, we are adding the
'Garden Café' to the gift shop. On weekends we will offer 'specialty'
desserts, cakes, tarts, coffee and teas that can be taken out into the garden
or enjoyed while looking at our selection of gifts and books.
We want to thank you all for your
patronage over the years to our "little hole in the wall", as Mary's is fond of
saying. To celebrate our 30th Anniversary, after each purchase your name will
be entered into a drawing for a $30.00 gift certificate which we will draw the
last Sat. of each month. The certificates can be redeemed anytime this season,
and you do not have to be present to win.
Clubs and groups are always welcome to
join Mary for a talk and tour of the gardens. Reservations are required. We
will provide tables and chairs in the garden if you wish to bring your
refreshments and have a meeting.
If you
are interested in landscaping we offer a full design service from consultations
for the do it yourself gardener, to complete installation. Landscaping is an
important value to your home, let us help. Our designs use the correct material
for the location, improving longevity and easy maintenance. The following
events are planned for 2006. Most classes and activities are free, but
reservations are appreciated and some are limited to space. Note: Afternoon Tea
and the tufa classes fill up quickly.
Wildflower Talk and Tour -
Sunday, April 23rd, 1:30 p.m. Slide presentation and lecture with a guided tour
through the gardens to view an extensive collection of wildflowers.
Hyper Tufa Trough and Container Gardening - Sunday, May 14th, 1:30 p.m.
Monitor the class or participate by filling a trough or container as Mary
teaches you the design technique. Trough, containers and plants available for
purchase at the nursery. You may also fill a trough or container you bring.
Cost for materials only, no fee for class instruction.
Gardener's
Day 30th Anniversary - Sunday, June 4th, 12:00 - 5:00 p.m. A day of self
and guided garden tours and Lecture: Re-landscaping an Existing Garden. Not a
new site, but need some common sense ideas to up-grade your landscape. Keep the
good stuff and refurbish the rest, from foundation, terrace to perennial
borders. Ideas for every ones garden. Refreshments in the garden complete the
day.
Afternoon Tea at Mary's - Sunday, July 9th 2:30 p.m. and
Sunday, July 23rd, 2:30 p.m. Enjoy teas and refreshments served in the garden.
An afternoon of delight for all your senses. $16.00 (pre-paid, reservations
only)
12 Months of Bloom in the Garden - Saturday, August 12th,
10:30 a.m. This seminar back by demand. By planting the correct hardy material,
you can have color in the garden all year, and we mean in the winter too.
Bulbs: not just tulips and daffodils, landscape color throughout the
year with bulbs - Saturday, Sept. 16th 10:30 p.m. You can have bloom from
bulbs 12 months of the year, even in winter. Slide show and garden walk.
Making Hyper Tufa Trough Class - Saturday, October 7th, 10:00
a.m. Materials and instruction included to make a 12"-18"(medium size) trough,
depending on mold selected. $35.00 (pre-paid reservations only)
Don't
forget to check out our website www.marysplantfarm.com
OPEN APRIL 1ST through OCT
28TH
Spring Hours (April-June):
Tues. - Sat. 9:30 - 6:30
Sunday
12:00 - 5:00
CLOSED MONDAY
Summer & Fall hours (July -
Oct.):
Tues. - Sat. 9:30 - 5:00
CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY
©Mary Harrison 2006 |