Fall Planting

Why Plant in Fall?

There are many reasons.  The soil is still warm enough to encourage roots to grow whereas in spring the soil is still warming up from the winter.  Due to the fact that the plant no longer produces many flowers or foliage, the plant is able to spend a lot of its energy building roots.  There is less shock and stress to the plant as it is about to go into dormancy.  Planting in fall gives your plant a 6 month head start against spring plantings.  Your plants will have less insects to deal with.  Then there are the benefits of less weeds and less watering.

Fall is also a time to divide some  perennials.  Some perennials that benefit from dividing in fall are asters, native coneflowers, monardas (bee balms), day lilies, liatris, peonies, black eyed susans, garden phlox and creeping phox, siberian iris, bearded iris and veronica.  This is not an all inclusive list but tries to list the most common perennials.  If you are unsure if your plant should be divided in fall, google the plant or talk to a knowledgeable person.

Fall planting is not just for perennials, but shrubs and trees also benefit from fall planting.

Our nursery still has lots of perennials in stock available for immediate planting.  Stop in before fall turns into winter.

 

Ornamental Grasses

Did you know that there are cool season ornamental grasses and warm season ornamental grasses? Following are some warm and cool season grasses.  The ornamental grasses we carry are all clump forming meaning that every few years they should be divided to prevent  no grass growing in the middle of the clump.

Cool Season Ornamental Grasses:
These grasses start growing in early spring, usually erupting from the ground in May. They generally are shorter then the warm season grasses. When the weather becomes very hot and dry they will go dormant.   Cool season grasses generally start blooming late June or early July. Some cool season grasses that we carry and are in stock are:

Karl Foerster feather reed grass

Avalanche Feather Reed Grass
Photo courtesy of  Baileys

 

Warm Season Ornamental Grasses
These grasses usually do not erupt from the ground until Late May or June, or when the soil has warmed up.

Miscanthus Flame Grass
Photo courtesy of Baileys

Northwind Switch Grass
Photo by Trees Today Nursery

 

Switchgrass Shenandoah. Photo courtesy of Monrovia Nursery

Prairie Dropseed grass
Photo courtesy of Baileys Nursery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Heaven Little Bluestem,  Photo courtesy of Baileys Nursery

Red Silver Japanese Grass, Photo courtesy of Baileys Nursery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hooray for Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are perhaps the most showy, prolific and easy growing shrub around.  They come in many sizes, colors and appropriateness for different soils.  The shrubs are long living and extremely vigorous.  The mopheads offer up some astonishing huge blooms that you can see from some distance.  Some want only morning sun whereas others want full sun.  They make great foundation plants or look terrific in pots.  Some of the types of hydrangeas that grow in our area are the big leaf mophead (Endless summer), the smooth (Annabelle), and the panicle (the woody type like Limelight).  Because there are so many varieties we recommend you talk to a staff person who can direct you to the right hydrangea to plant for your conditions.  The following plants are some of the hydrangeas that we have carried.  These plants may or may not be in stock.

 

hydrangea paniculata strawberry shake

hydrangea seaside serenade newport

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Endless summer summer crush hydrangea

 

Invincible Ruby hydrangea

Berry White

 

Vanilla Strawberry

 

Hydrangea blue enchantress

Cut back perennials in fall or winter?

We have prepared a chart for you in hopes it may help you determine which perennials you should cut down before winter.   If you still are uncertain, you can always “google” your perennial for more information.

 

Click on the “cut back perennials in fall or winter” below and the chart should appear.

 

Cut back perennials in fall or winter?

Fall Favorites

Another growing season is almost in the books as we near the middle of October, but there is still time to plant. Here are a few fall favorites our staff highly recommend adding to the landscape. Check out the links for more information on these fall favorites!

Viburnums 
This plant definitely fits into almost any landscape. Great on their own or combined to create a hedge or screening, viburnums provide interest spring through fall. Flowers, fruit, and fall color are some of the attributes you can expect among the different varieties of viburnum available at the garden center.

Lo Scape Mound Chokeberry
Compact and sturdy plant. Dainty spring flowers precede a small fruit ideal for jams and jellies. Berries are persistent, making this plant a spectacular four-season interest plant.

Hydrangeas
Although recognized for their summer blooms, hydrangeas continue to bloom well into fall. Not only do they maintain their blooms late into the year, but their fall foliage is also worth their weight in gold.

Dwarf Burning Bush
Boasting brilliant red foliage, the burning bush will be the spotlight of your fall landscape! Neighbors and passersby will stop to enjoy the vibrant color this plant offers.

Grace n Grit Roses
There are many different roses at the garden center, but the current showstoppers are the Grace n Grit Roses. They are currently available in pink, pink-bicolor, red, and yellow. These plants are still covered in buds and waiting to bloom!

Stop by the garden center and let us introduce you to our favorite plants for fall! Maybe you too will find your new fall favorites!

 

Pumpkins Galore

Have you done your fall decorating yet? Or need a pumpkin for Halloween carving?   We have pumpkins:  Colored, Warty and Large and Small.   Stop by soon, especially if you are after the colored ones as they are selling fast.   Enjoy fall with decorations that may include pumpkins, mums, witches, etc.  Also before you know it Halloween will be here, so get your carving pumpkin now.

September has Arrived

Some of us are happy and some of us are sad to be leaving summer behind. How did your garden do this summer? Lots of mildew due to all the rain we had? The heat and torrential rains were hard on gardens this year. Some of us even had to deal with hail.

Currently roses are blooming, (after August 15 they should no longer be fertilized as they need to go dormant), asters are just beginning their fall show, Black Eye Susans are still blooming, and grasses are spectacular (especially the Shenandoah). Coneflowers are fading fast. Be sure to leave some dried coneflower heads on the stems for the goldfinches to eat over winter.

Were you satisfied with the way your garden looked this summer? If you feel it was missing something, it may be that your garden needs some shrubs. Monrovia Nursery says that experts agree that shrubs are essential to a beautiful garden design. If you are starting a new yard/garden, trees and shrubs should be the first things to be planted. It is also recommended to plant a couple evergreens, shrubs or trees, in your garden for winter appeal and for some summer texture. Also, your house will probably have more curb appeal if you add a few evergreens to the foundation plantings. So, take a look around your garden and if you need some shrubs, Trees Today Nursery has a multitude of shrubs. September is a great time to plant as they will have plenty of time to take root before winter. Come see us for some shrubbery ideas to make your garden look spectacular next year.

 

 

 

Autumn Watering

Cooler weather is coming and before you know it we will reach regular freezing temperatures. Just because it is time to put the garden hose away does not mean you can stop watering your plants. Although there may be fleeting blooms and leaves your trees, shrubs and perennials still require a sip of water every now and again.

A general rule of thumb would be to water your trees and shrubs about twice a week with the current temperatures we are seeing this late in October. As we progress into November and have colder temperatures that may be bumped down to once a week dependent upon conditions.

Happy watering!

What is Wilt Pruf?

Are you seeking a solution to prevent moisture lost in your plants and Christmas decor? We have the solution for you. Wilt Pruf prevents moisture loss by forming a clear, protective layer over the plant’s foliage. This prevents your plant from experiencing severe wilting, shock, and even plant failure.

Wilt Pruf can be used on the following:

Evergreens
Boxwoods
Rhododendrons
Christmas Trees
Christmas Wreaths
Spruce Tops

Stop in now to protect your plants and Christmas decor from moisture loss!

 

 

Late Season Blooms

There may be frost on the rooftops in the morning, but that doesn’t mean plants stop blooming. There are some great plants still in bloom as we enter the end of October. Here are just a few late season bloomers that are still available. Stop in and grab one today!

Magnolias Anyone?

Happy October, we have a magnolia blooming at the garden center! This Royal Star in the last magnolia tree for the season and its blooming RIGHT NOW! Here is your chance to grab this terrific spring specimen and get it planted before the season runs out. When spring rolls around you will be the talk of the neighborhood with these beautiful blossoms while the rest of us wait for these trees to arrive at the garden center.

Royal Star Magnolia Tree         Photo by Trees Today

 

Staff Picks for Fall

The weather may be cooling down but there is still plenty of time to get those last few additions installed in your landscape. Here are some of our staff picks for fall. Check out the links for more information on these fall favorites!

🍂🍁💛🧡❤️

 

Wentworth Viburnum

Wentworth American Cranberrybush                     Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries®

This specimen poses excellent in the landscape by itself or as a hedge or screening. Petite early season flowers precede large red fruit which can be used in making preserves or fresh eating. Wildlife will love this plant and so will you!

Rainbow Sensation Weigela

Photo by Trees Today

Rainbow Sensation Weigela      Photo by Trees Today

The Rainbow Sensation oozes decadence. This medium sized shrub checks in with a height and spread of three to four feet. Light pink flowers “pop off the page” in contrast to the variegated green/yellow foliage. When fall makes an entrance, the foliage begins to take on a pink tone that stands out and pairs superb with perennial grasses or dark colored shrubs.

Berry Poppins Winterberry

Berry Poppins
Photo courtesy of www.provenwinners.com/

What a beaut! A great compact plant that has multiple seasons of interest! Aside from the beautiful yellow fall foliage from Berry Poppins, the main eye-catching event is the flourish of berries that decorate the winter landscape.