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We Look Forward to Gardening With You!

Rod & Heidi

Rudbeckia ‘Little Goldstar’

Rudbeckia, aka Black Eyed Susan, are an old time favorite perennial flower in gardens for centuries. The bright yellow flowers can be seen from afar and add an extra splash of sunshine to the garden. Planted in mass, Rudbeckia have a strong garden impact. Rudbeckia ‘Little Goldstar‘ introduced in 2012, sets itself apart from others in that it is a more compact plant, standing only 16 inches tall. This compact plant has a full bushy habit and is covered in layers of gold flowers. It has been noted that ‘Little Goldstar‘ has had over 80 blooms on one plant at a time. As the old blooms fade new ones cover the existing dead ones, just an exceptional plant to have in your landscape.  If you are short on space, no worries… ‘Little Goldstar‘ also makes for a great potted plant!

Superbells™ Lemon Slice

A 2013 must have annual! Superbells™ Lemon Slice is a wonderful new addition to the Proven Winners® family of plants. The bi colored, yellow and white flower, is a breeding breakthrough. Lemon Slice is a great choice for combination planters. Mix with Superbells™ White and Ipomoea ‘Sweet Caroline Light Green’, together these great plants make “Sugar Cookie” combination!

Superbells™ Lemon Slice has a mounding trailing habit. It stands 8-10 inches tall and can spread  and trail up to 12 inches. Superbells™ prefer to be grown in a full sun to part shade location. Once established they an tolerate a little drought., although we do recommend that you water your plants daily and fertilize every 1-2 weeks during the summer.  Superbells™ Lemon Slice attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. The first year out, Superbells™ Lemon Slice has been chosen by P Allen Smith to be a part of his Platinum Collection.

Think Outside the ‘Box’

This photo was sent to me by a fellow gardener and all I could say was ‘wow’! Every year this gardener sends me pictures of her beautiful Pamela Crawford baskets. Typically she plants them up with Superbells® and Supertunia®  for her summer garden, this year was no exception. But when I received this photo in November  I was in awe, she did a follow up Fall planting. Here she used kale, pansies, and cabbage for this great Fall look. The color combination is truly stunning. So my advise to you… just because the planting season seems like it is done, it may have only begun. Make sure when you are ready to be ‘done’ planting for the season, that you ‘Think outside the ‘box’.

Digging in the dirt and getting dirty is what kids do best!  There is nothing that brings me more joy than to see kids getting dirty. Gardening comes naturally to kids, we just need to give them the tools and direction to know how. Each year we invite several classes to come in and learn about plants, see the greenhouses and the final ‘reward’ for them listening to us is, they get to plant their very own plant. The excitement and energy in the room while they are planting is contagious. When the plants have grown and the kids come back to show mom the basket they planted for her, the pride of accomplishment and joy of giving mom her gift brings tears to my eyes.

If you have not had a chance to introduce the children in your lives to gardening, the time is now! The things they can learn are endless, hard work can pay off.  When starting a  garden with your kids it is teaching them patience and in the end they will be rewarded. With so many distractions in today’s society, let gardening be a ‘calm‘ in your kids  routines. Gardening is something they can start and have great joy in the accomplishment of the end result. Once they have planted the seeds/little plants they need to nurture them. Including the responsibility of watering and feeding.  This can take days and weeks to watch the plants grow. Once the plants have matured, kids will see the reward of beautiful flowers and or fruit/vegetables. This will give the kids satisfaction in knowing that they were able take that plant from start to finish with beautiful results. I challenge you to give gardening with your child a try. Once a gardener, always a gardener.

Echincea “Green Jewel”

When you think of colors to add to your garden, green probably is not the first color that comes to mind. Green is an obvious color, the leaves and  foliage, mostly taken for granted . Here we have a unique Echinacea, ‘Green Jewel’.  Each flower of  ’Green Jewel‘ is approximately 2 inches across packed with a double row of green petals. The fragrant green blooms make a great cut flower. Echinacea Coneflowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and songbirds. In the fall leave the spent blooms, the birds will enjoy the seeds. Enjoy a taste of going green, with Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’.

Heucherella ‘Buttered Rum’

New Perennial Plants for 2013… Heucherella ‘Buttered Rum‘. This plant not only stood out with fabulous color during my summer trials but it also is amazing in my fall/winter garden. Heucherella give a great variation of color from spring through fall. They are a semi evergreen perennial which means they will give your garden in all season. Heucherella ‘Buttered Rum’ is a heat and humidity tolerant variety that does well in not only northern climates but also in the south. This is a stunning Heucherella to add to your part shade garden.

Winter Hanging Basket

Winter Basket How To…

So Winter is here and you may think what do I do with my empty hanging baskets? My answer is  ” Well fill them, of course!” Just because it is to cold out for live plants that does not mean that you baskets need to go empty all winter.( If you choose to do nothing with your baskets, please do your gardening neighbors a favor and dump the dead annuals in the trash) Here I have gathered a few items from my garden to fill this basket. I have taken a few pictures along the way to show you how to make your ‘planting’ go a little easier and also help keep the ingredients from blowing away in the harsh winter breeze.

Lightly line your basket with dirt

Layer your pine boughs over the dirt

Wearing rubber gloves, spray some "Great Stuff" in the middle

As you add in Red Twigs and Hydrangea spray some more great stuff in the middle. After the foam has been sprayed i recommend breaking some pine needles off extra branches to cover up the foam.

Once you design is complete, let it set as the foam dries. The foam should hold all your decor together to withstand the winter elements.

A Garden Crossings new introduction for 2012, Peony Bartzella is really showing its colors.  The butter yellow, 8″ double blooms load this beautiful plant full of color. Peony Bartzella has an extra long bloom time, the plants send out new growth from the side creating more blooms for later blooming.  Bartzella is a  new cross of the herbaceous garden peony with the woody tree peonies. Due to this excellent breeding, staking is NOT needed. ‘Bartzella‘ would be a great choice for landscape design because of its tidy habit.