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By admin, November 1, 2009

Most water plants will have died back by now so clean the dead leaves. You should remove any dead leaves and other debris from the bottom of the pond to prevent the pump from getting clogged.

Water Garden

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By admin,

Spring flowering bulbs like Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinths, and Tulips can now be planted to provide a cool winter in order to bloom next spring.

If you have not already planted your spring flowering bulbs you should plant them as soon as possible. It is best to plant the bulbs before we start to receive heavy frosts at night. Planting now will give the bulbs a chance to start developing roots making them stronger and healthier.
Spring flowering bulbs like Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinths, and Tulips can now be planted to provide a cool winter in order to bloom next spring.

If you have not already planted your spring flowering bulbs you should plant them as soon as possible. It is best to plant the bulbs before we start to receive heavy frosts at night. Planting now will give the bulbs a chance to start developing roots making them stronger and healthier.

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By admin,

Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs while the ground is moist and easy to dig. Spring flowering shrubs like Camellia, Forsythia, Sarcococca, or Rhododendrons are ideal to plant now.

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By admin, October 1, 2009

Start your Paperwhites and Amaryllis Indoors

Spring bulbs “forced” to flower in mid-winter are special attractions. A pot of bulbs can brighten your kitchen or dining room table. They also make a nice gift to give or receive during the holidays. Among our selection of bulbs, we have some pre-cooled Amaryllis, hyacinths, and narcissus (Paperwhites) that are well adapted for forcing.

What is Bulb Forcing?

Spring bulbs “forced” to flower in mid-winter are special attractions. A pot of bulbs can brighten your kitchen or dinning room table. They also make a nice gift to give or receive during the holidays. Among our selection of bulbs, we have some pre-cooled Amaryllis, hyacinths, and narcissus (Paperwhites) that are well adapted for forcing.

Bulb Forcing Stages:

Growth of spring bulbs and corresponding temperature can be divided into four stages. Duplicate these four natural stages and they will flower earlier than normal.

1.Stage one (Dormancy) – plant the bulbs in a pot with potting soil.

2.Stage two (Root Growth) – Keep pots in a cool dark spot, always keeping the soil moist, for 6 to 8 weeks.

3.Stage three (Growth begins) – Move to a bright light location, but temperatures should be cool in the 13 C to 19 C range.

4.Stage four (Blooming) - After two or three weeks at stage three, move into warmer temperature of 20 C to 22 C and watch the beautiful flowers pop into bloom.

For forcing, you require a good, well drained potting soil (for example our “Potting Soil”). You do not have to fertilize during this process; the bulb contains all the food it needs. Come in today to see a selection of bulbs that you can use for your home. Some popular varieties include:

Crocus – Mammoth Yellow, Remembrance

Hyacinths – Delft Blue, Jan Boss, Carnegie

Narcissi (Daffodils) – Paperwhites, Grand Soleil D’or, Tete-a-tete, February Gold

Tulips – Showwinner, Princess Irene

Specialty Bulbs – Iris reticulata, Muscari armeniacum