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By Miles Hunter, August 31, 2011

September 1st, 2011

Fall is when trees show their best colours!

Most of the time we take the trees in our garden for granted. We enjoy the shade and the privacy they provide. Fall is when many of those trees show their best colours. The range of red and orange colours seems limitless. If you are looking around your yard and wondering where you can add a bit of colour look up and see if you have space for one of these trees.

Some of the best trees for fall colour include the Maples, both Japanese and European types. Even the green leaf varieties turn to beautiful yellow, orange and red tones. Other great choices include the Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonica), Sourwood (Oxydendron), and the Forest Pansy (Cercis).

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By Miles Hunter, August 22, 2011

August 22nd, 2011

It is never too late for some Summer Flowering Perennials!

Although the best times to plant perennials are the spring and the fall it is never too late to plant summer flowering perennials like Rudbeckia. Rudbeckia are among the best perennials available. One of the most popular varieties is the ‘Goldsturm’. Goldsturm is a variety of one of our native North American wildflowers. The plants make a bushy, upright clump with a profuse display of brown-eyed, golden-orange daisies from midsummer through the fall. In addition to their brilliant fall colour their seed heads have good winter interest. They make a terrific choice for mass planting, combining especially well with ornamental grasses. They are excellent as a cut flower in bouquets. By removing faded flowers when the flower petals start to fall lengthens the blooming time. Rudbeckia plants can be easily divided in early spring as they start to emerge from the ground. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and make a great centerpiece to any garden bed. The ‘Goldsturm’ variety was the Perennial Plant of the Year in 1999.

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By Miles Hunter, August 15, 2011

August 15th, 2011

Add warmth to your garden with Echinacea!

Echinacea, or Coneflower, are one of the most popular perennials. Echinacea love full sun and lots of heat. They have large, showy flower heads, blooming from early to late summer. Many varieties bloom until frosts in the fall. Some varieties can be used for herbal or medicinal purposes. They work well at attracting butterflies to your garden. There are many varieties for you to choose from including:

purpurea

This is the most common form of Echinacea which has large purple flowers and grows to 24 to 36 inches high. Click here for more information.

purpurea ‘Double Decker’

This is a unique form of Echinacea. In their second-year plants produce a large magenta-pink daisies with a second smaller flower produced on top of each dark brown central cone. In their first-year plants usually produce only single blooms before becoming double in the second year.

purpurea ‘Magnus’

This is a classic purple coneflower. Beautiful rose-pink ray petals with a coppery-brown, spiky central cone comprise the huge, flat flower heads. They flower from midsummer thru fall. Click here for more information.

purpurea ‘Ruby Star’

This variety has larger, more vibrantly coloured flowers than the regular purpurea species. From a central brown cone the deep carmine-pink petals are held flat, rather than drooping. Click here for more information.

purpurea ‘Coconut Lime’

This variety is the first ever double-flowered, white Echinacea. The flower heads feature a ring of white petals surrounding a large pom-pom of pale green florets. These blooms are big, but the stems are strong enough to hold them. ‘Coconut Lime’ not only looks great in the border but also is a distinctive and very long-lasting cut flower. It’s as easy to grow as any traditional Coneflower. Click here for more information.

‘Pixie Meadowbrite’

This hybrid is a vast improvement over other dwarf Coneflowers on the market. Flowers are midsized, with flat medium-pink petals surrounding a cone that begins greenish-pink, maturing to deep crimson. Deadhead regularly for continual blooming into the autumn. Click here for more information.

‘Maui Sunshine’

This variety has large bright yellow flowers, that are sweetly scented. This variety is well-branched with strong, upright stems. Showy orange cones with green backgrounds (great for cutting and drying). Click here for more information.

‘Tomato Soup’

This variety has warm, tomato-red flowers that grow to 6″ wide. It grows to 32” tall and nearly as wide. Flowers cover the plant till frost. Plants are well branched and show excellent vigor. Click here for more information.

‘Big Sky’ – series

There are many new varieties including a group of new Echinaceas that belong to the Big Sky™ series. The Big Sky™ series currently has five members, all of which are sweetly scented. The varieties include; ‘Sunrise’, ‘Sunset’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Matthew Saul’ (Harvest Moon™), and ‘Evan Saul’ (Sundown™). These varieties all have large green leaves, strong branching stems, wide flower petals, and profuse blooming tendencies.

All photos courtesy of www.perennials.com.

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By Miles Hunter, August 8, 2011

August 8th, 2011

Enjoy the summer blooms of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’

Crocosmia are one of the best summer flowering perennials to have in your garden. They produce clumps of sword-shaped leaves. These leaves are topped with tall, arching spikes of tubular funnel-shaped blossoms in mid to late summer. There are several named varieties are now available, in a range of hot colours. The most popular variety is the ‘Lucifer’. Lucifer has brilliant flame-red flowers, and a tall habit. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds and make an outstanding cut flower in a bouquet. Every garden should have at least one variety of Crocosmia in it and Lucifer is by far the most popular variety.

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By Miles Hunter, July 12, 2011

July13th, 2011

Enjoy the Beauty of Summer with Dahlias!

There is nothing more beautiful in the summer than a garden full of Dahlias. These beauties provide months of colour that lasts into the fall. Some varieties bloom right through October. They are easy to grow and require little maintenance. You can choose from a great selection that are potted and ready to flower.

Click here to download more information about growing Dahlias.

Click here for a list of Dahlias that we have potted for summer.

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By Miles Hunter, July 6, 2011

July 6th, 2011

Delight Your Senses with Dianthus!

Dianthus, or Sweet William, are a beautiful flower that lasts all summer long. There are annual and perennial varieties of Dianthus available for your garden. These are also known as “pinks” and the colour pink may have come from these flowers (See Here).

There are many new varieties of Dianthus and one of the best new series are the Scent First series. This includes three varieties; Candy Floss, Passion, and Tickled Pink. These varieties are incredibly fragrant and they bloom continuously all summer long.

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By Miles Hunter, June 23, 2011

June 22nd, 2011

Ceanothus ‘Victoria Blue’

Ceanothus is more commonly know as the California Lilac. This beautiful shrub has masses of electric blue flowers in late June and early July. It prefers to grow in a location with full sun and well drained soil. One of the best features is the ability to attract hummingbirds and butterflies as they emerge for the summer.

You can easily grow the Ceanothus as a centerpiece in your garden or even make it into a hedge. You can prune Ceanothus vigorously every spring and it will still produce an abundance of blooms. If you are looking for a reliable summer flowering shrub look no further than the Ceanothus ‘Victoria’.

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By Miles Hunter, June 20, 2011

June 20th, 2011

Hydrangeas give you summer colour the lasts!

If you are looking for a shrub that will give you colour all summer that lasts into the fall then look no further than Hydrangeas. These deciduous shrubs provide the perfect backdrop to your perennial or annuals gardens and have beautiful flowers that last from mid summer to late fall. Varieties that you can choose from include:

• Adria
• Annabelle
• Blushing Bride
• Colour Fantasy
• Endless Summer
• Harlequin
• Invincibelle Spirit
• Incrediball
• Limelight
• Mystical Flame
• Nikko Blue
• Pee Gee (Paniculata Grandiflora)
• Pia
• Pink Diamond
• Twist-N-Shout
• White Dome

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By Miles Hunter, June 8, 2011

June 8th, 2011

Enjoy the Sweet Scent of Roses

This year you can choose from more than 150 varieties of roses including: David Austin, Climbers, Floribundas, Grandifloras, Groundcovers, Hedge roses, Hybrid Teas, Shrub roses, and Tree roses.

New hybrids of roses are becoming easier to care for as they are less susceptible to insects and diseases. Many varieties are resistant to black spot and mildew.

Click Here to Download our 2011 Rose Varieties

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By Miles Hunter, June 7, 2011

June 7th, 2011

Try Something Unique – Grow a Mountain Laurel !

The Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), also known as Spoonwood, is a beautiful evergreen shrub that flowers every spring. The unique star shaped flowers form in a tight cluster and bloom from early June through July. They can grow well in a sunny or shady location. They keep their leaves all year which makes an excellent backdrop in a winter garden.

Our store has a great selection of Kalmia to choose from including:

• Kalmia ‘Carousel’
• Kalmia ‘Elf’
• Kalmia ‘Galaxy
• Kalmia ‘Heart of Fire’
• Kalmia ‘Kaleidoscope’
• Kalmia ‘Olympic Fire’
• Kalmia ‘Ostbo Red’