Springtime Once Again!
Old man winter knows how to be mean, cruel and just downright nasty! Snow, cold, snow, cloudy days, more snow….on and on and on.
But as gardeners we know that Spring will come, the breezes will come from the south, the air will warm, leaves will burst from the trees, ornamental trees will dazzle us with colors so beautiful we will once again proclaim that we have not seen them this pretty in years, and dandelions will bloom. All will be well….
The crew has been busy this winter cleaning and planting. This is the year we got the windows washed, and with the new roof it is bright and nice on those rare sunny days!
We have a lot of the same crew as last year and years before that. Mary who has worked for me since 2001 as my assistant has retired...she has been blessed with a little bundle of joy..granddaughter Kennedy Anne. It was hard to see her leave, but granddaughters take priority.
Just after the last mailing went out Nick, one of my Westies got very ill and within a few days I had to let him go onto his next journey. I still have Sadie, and it has been a hard fall/winter for both of us. They were from the same litter, and Sadie is 13 1/2. She still comes to work with me every day.
The crew has been planting hanging baskets and patio containers for your enjoyment. They proudly put their names on these so you know who planted your containers. They have been planting rose bushes, thousands of perennials, asparagus roots, strawberry plants, and various other plants.
They live with their hands in potting mix for hours/days at a time...and love every minute of it.
I look forward to seeing and visiting with each and every one of you. I think about you all winter long, and hold you in my heart. Here’s to a beautiful, long, warm (not hot) spring of planting.
Pansies: the Soul of Spring
After a winter like this one we will be ready to grab those pansies and run. Yes, pansies and violas are frost/freeze proof. Plant them early to get all the enjoyment you can out of them. Their enemy is heat. So don’t delay…
Pansies work equally well in beds or containers. I tend to lean toward the containers. I can have them where ever I need to have some SPRING! I especially like to have one that I can see from the kitchen window. Dishes are not so bad when you can see those bright faces and spectacular colors. My second choice is a container by the garage door. After a long day I need something wonderful to greet me when I come home from work. Nothing says ‘Hi, I’m glad to see you’ like a pot of pansies. It instantly puts me in a better frame of mind, and sends me in to change cloths and get outside and dig.
Remember to keep them dead-headed, and water regularly if we have a dry spring.
We need those things that nurture the heart and soul and pansies & violas are a good choice. Bring in a few blooms for mini bouquets. Votive glasses work well for that.
Basic Container Gardening Class
April 10th 10:00 to 11:00
Cliff Vaughn, our Annual Dept. Mgr. and container planter extraordinaire will show you the basics and in’s and out’s of planting a beautiful container for your patio, porch or deck. He will instruct and demonstrate how to select a pot, the proper soil, fertilizer, and of course plants. You’ll leave here with the knowledge and inspiration to start planting garden magazine quality containers that will be the envy of your friends and neighbors. Sign up quickly for this free class it will fill up quickly. Call 816.763.7371 to sign up.
Herbs, Herbs, Herbs…
April 10th 11:30 to 12:30
Love herbs, use herbs, want to know about herbs? Attend this class that our own Brent Tucker and
Tim Sullivan owner of Sullivan’s Greenhouse are hosting and you will find out how to grow herbs, how to select the best varieties for your uses, and their other uses. You will want to add more herbs everywhere after you begin growing them. They are wonderful. Fragrant, flavorful, beautiful….grow in beds or containers. Come find out more. Please call to reserve your spot for this free class. 816.763.7371
Basic Vegetable Gardening
April 10th 1:00 to 2:00
Kevin Keilig who has been with us for about 26 years now is doing a class on growing your own fresh vegetables in your own back yard. Home vegetable gardening is once again extremely popular. Even if you are only growing tomatoes and peppers it can save you money, but the most important part is the luscious flavor you get when you grow your own. Kevin will instruct you on how to prepare your soil, (which is extremely important), the right amount of sun, and the best varieties. No charge, but please call to reserve a spot. 816 763 7371
What has winter done to our perennials and shrubs??
That is a good question. The answer may not be so simple. It may not have done damage because of the cold. But I think the damage will be root rot from everything being wet for such a long time. The ground was saturated at Christmas, and up to now (Feb 7) it is still wet, and all of last nights snow still to melt. For most perennials and a lot of shrubs that is the kiss of death.
As spring progresses and perennials fail to come up that is probably the reason. Before you replant you need to amend/improve the soil. If you have never added Heartland’s Compost w/humate now is the time. If you have never used Earth Right..now is the time. Both products can be used alone or together. Compost should be worked into the soil. Earth Right is a liquid, and is sprayed on with it’s own applicator. Heartland’s Compost can be done as soon as you can get out there. Do not apply Earth Right if the ground is frozen. You must wait until it gets warmer.
Remember that improving drainage in beds and lawns does not happen over night, and you may have to continue to apply either or both products several times.
Shrubs and perennials that the deer, rabbits and other critters have damaged may or may not recoup. With the large population of deer and rabbits and as cold as it got they were all very, very hungry. Most things if eaten to the ground probably will grow back, but it could take 3 to 4 years to do so.
Did You Know??
Ounce for ounce, broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange and as mulch calcium as a glass of milk.
Bell Peppers are a great souce of vitamin C. They contain twice as much (by weight) as citrus fruits!
Basil is a great source of vitamin A, magnesium, potassium and iron.
Some clematis do not need to be cut down each year. It is important to keep a record of the variety name of your clematis.
Some tomato plants bear their fruit (yes fruit) for 1 period of the season. They are called determinate. These types are the ones that you want to plant if you are going to make salsa, or can. You get a big crop all at one time. Indeterminate is just the opposite. They will bear fruit the entire season. They are the better ones to have for table use.
Different tomatoes grow better in the cooler/hotter temperatures than others. Since we have little success predicting what the summer will bring when you are selecting the ones to plant, get some of both. You will cover your bases that way. How do you know???? By their name. If it mentions heat, hot, that one will grow well during a hot summer. If it mentions cool, mountain, or early it likes it cool.
Cucumbers should not be rushed. Planting seeds when the temperature is below 50° will result in poor germination, and if plants are planted too early they will not do well, and may not survive. The first blooms do not set fruit. Do not be alarmed. That is normal.
Heartland’s Recommended
Spring Lawn Care Program
Get your lawn off to a good start. Early spring care will help your lawns over all health to withstand the heat of summer, and the possible attack of insects and disease. It is possible for everyone to have a beautiful lawn if the lawn gardener is willing to do the applications of product during the year, mow regularly, water when absolutely needed and be on the lookout for insects or disease.
How you begin the season is determined by whether you need to do any reseeding this spring. If you reseeded in the fall you are ahead of the game and your lawn care will be easier. (Remember this for next fall..seed in the fall if possible!)
First. All lawns should be mowed very short (1 1/2”) the first mowing. This will prevent you from seeing stubby brown old lawn grass during the growing season. All the new greening grass will not have to compete with the old and you will have a much prettier lawn!!
Non-Seeding. You get to begin your season with a premium quality fertilizer w/the pre-emergent Dimension. The best time to apply it is when Forsythia is blooming (and that will depend on the weather). The pre-emergent will feed your hungry lawn and protect it against those nasty annual crab grasses that will destroy good grass, and make large areas for other weeds to come along and grow in. These would be the spots that you would be reseeding in the fall. It’s so much easier to eliminate the possible problem than to take a chance and have to fix it later on. Usually only one application is needed.
Spring Seeding. Spring seeding should be done only if absolutely necessary. Fall is better time to sow grass seed. The earlier in the spring you get your seed down the better. Remember that if you sow grass seed in the spring you can NOT put down pre-emergent to prevent crab grass.
For information about the different types of grass seed available this spring please stop in and chat with us. We have knowledgeable staff to assist you in selecting the perfect seed for your lawn. One thing to remember about grass seed...it is another of those areas when we sometimes forget how important it is to purchase good quality. We assume it is all good quality and that is really not the case. If you are going to all the trouble of prepping the soil, sowing the seed, fertilizing and watering you want the assurance that you have put down grass seed that is true to what it’s labeled, the germination is good, and the grass itself is a durable, beautiful grass. This is no time to try to skimp and save a couple of bucks. Buy the best you can. Heartland Nursery only stocks the best grass seed from the most reputable seed companies so you don’t have to worry when you shop with us.
TIPS: If you want a beautiful lawn...mow often and mow tall. Don’t be tempted to mow short, it is stressful for a lawn. The more you mow, the thicker and healthier it will get.
Apply the recommended applications of fertilizer. A thick lawn does not get as many weeds.
Spot spray weeds as you see them come up.
Heartland’s Lawn Care
Schedule
March or April...Fertilizer w/crabgrass control
May or June –If you missed March/April, use fertilizer with Dimension
June 1st thru July 15 ..Grub Control….....Merit
October……..…...1st application of Winterizer
4 weeks later
November……....2nd application of Winterizer
Note: Winterizer can be applied November & December...Winterizer is the most important fertilizer of the season.
Use starter fertilizer when seeding the lawn.
With springtime comes showers, tulips, daffodils...and dandelions! Unfortunately chickweed and henbit.show up as well. Most people don’t have a huge problem with these weeds, but if you start skimping on your applications it very well could become a problem. Research has shown that lawns that were not well fertilized on a regular basis had more henbit and chickweed. So...a word to the wise is keep putting down your lawn fertilizer, and if you have to skimp..skimp on something else.
Chickweed leaves are pointed and they have white flowers.
Henbit has scalloped leaves with a blue/purple flower in spring.
Eliminate these weeds quickly. Every day you delay is a day of their rapid growth with deep roots. Not all weed killers work well in the cooler temperatures of spring. Weed Free ZoneT was specially formulated to work early when the temperatures are cool. Be sure to add spreader sticker to this product. It ensures the spray will stick to the leaf and work to it’s fullest potential.
NOTE: Spray when these weeds are IN BLOOM. You will get a better “kill”.
2010 New Stuff
New from the Annual Department:
Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ lovers get ready to be wowed. A new introduction ‘Breathless’ is here to give you more of what you love! More heat tolerant, grows more densely with lots more blooms. ‘Breathless Blush’ is the red-flushed one that makes the pink flushed flowers just POP.
Another new variety of an old favorite is Illusion™ Impomoea, Sweet Potato vines are such good growers, sometimes almost too good as they try to overtake their neighbors, and even their neighbor’s neighbor. ‘Emerald Lace’ is the green, and ‘Midnight Lace’ is the dark. The leaves are deeply dissected with a great mounding habit.
The new petunia that will have you stopping for a second look is ‘Pretty Much Picasso’. It is a purple center accented with a green picotee. This green edging will be a shock for you. The information that came with a picture said it is best in combos, but the picture was just it planted alone. You decide.
There are many, many new petunias again this year. I don’t have enough sun to be able to grow as many as I would like, and I have to admit that my heart still belongs To ‘Vista Bubblegum’. Be sure to stop by the info counter and see the sign I had made up of my basket on my garden gate last summer and you will see why.
They have come out with a new ‘Vista Silverberry’. The pictures of it are impressive and I may have to switch out and give it a try this year.
Cliff assures me we have new and exciting varieties of Coleus to tempt us all. One of his favorites is ‘Trusty Rusty’—a large leafed version of ‘Rustic Orange’ that is more vigorous and the coloring is more intense.
A new series called Versa is a collection of 6 new colors two of which are breathtaking. ‘Watermelon’ is cherry red with intense green edges. ‘Rose to Lime’ goes through color changes! As the season progresses it goes from dark rose to a creamy lime. Presto Chango —you have a different container than what you started with.
New idea for planting combo’s and hanging baskets: already started 8” pots that have been planted from plugs that give you a head start on a combo or hanging basket planting. Re-pot them into a 10 or 12” container and you have instant beauty. It’s and easier and quicker way to plant a combo. No more selecting several plants wondering how they will grow together and look. They are reasonably priced at 16.99.
There are several new combo’s that we will have at different times of the spring.
New from Vegetable Dept: Burpee Company has started a new program called Burpee Home Gardens™. You will be able to pick them out easily because they are in a nice Burpee Pot. These are the best of the best...you can’t go wrong with any selection of these tried and true tomatoes and peppers. Some of the varieties are Burpee Exclusives. The varieties we plan to have are: Tomatoes: Fourth of July, Steak Sandwich Hybrid, Super Tasty Hybrid, Sweet Seedless Hybrid, Fresh Salsa Hybrid, and Napa Grape Hybrid. Peppers: Great Stuff Hybrid, Red Delicious Hybrid, Big Daddy Hybrid, Flavorburst Hybrid, Jalapeno Gigante, and Zavory.
A ‘Patio Pot Veggie Garden’ combo available in limited quantities this spring will have a determinate “bush’ type tomato and assorted herbs. There are some planted with peppers and herbs. Planted in 2 sizes a 10” and 12”.
Other new varieties are Mountain Glory (a cool lover), Red Defender, Security 28, and Scarlet Red.
New from the Perennial Department: If you have a love of perennials and love to look at all the catalogs that come in the mail you have some clue what it’s like when it’s time for us to order each year. It’s so hard not to order each and everything in them. If you have some things you have seen in catalogs and are wanting please check with us and see if we have them in stock/or coming. At the present time I’m not sure if we will have the listings on line this year. Among the many issues to deal with our web site is among them.
Agastache ‘Tutti Frutti’ will bloom all summer if they are dead-headed regularly and given ample fertizer. The flowers are rose colored and smell like bubble gum! I am waiting to smell that one.
Akebia ‘Trifoliata’--a 3 leaf akebia (instead of 5). The flowers are maroon brown that produce sweet edible fruit. This vine grows about 12 ft.
Looking for a nice yellow Shasta daisy? ‘Banana Cream’ is the best yet. 4” flowers open lemon yellow and brighten to light butter yellow. This variety has a long bloom period. Grows 15-20” tall, and is disease resistant.
We have many, many more new perennials but not enough space to list them. Please come in and see Jason or Meagan and they will fill you in.
New from the Nursery Department:
Finally….the one shrub that everyone wants….the reblooming lilac. Lilacs have always been a favorite, they just don’t seem to last long enough. The new ‘Boomererang’ will delight you. Blooming 3 times a year; spring, summer and fall. We actually got our hands on a few last fall and planted one in our beds in the parking lot. It is a Dwarf Korean Lilac growing about 4’x4’. Making it a great size for adding to our landscapes without filling it with a huge lilac. The only down side to this lilac is that it is only moderately fragrant. Not the intense fragrance with the old fashioned ones. As “they” say, you can’t have everything.
‘Lil Kim’ Althea Hibiscus is white with a red center. Best of all she knows her space and only grows 3 to 4 ft tall. Will grow with some shade and that is a big plus for those of us with not so much sun anymore. Blooms all summer and blooms last a long time.
Buddleia ‘White Ball’ is a dwarf white Butterfly bush. Please dead head this one to keep it looking it’s best, and blooming heavily for our butterfly friends. Grows 2-3 ft tall and wide.
Hydrangea lovers come on in…’Incrediball’ & ‘Invincibelle’ are the new improved Annabelles. ‘Incrediball’ will blow you away the the massive white blooms. They emerge lime green, change to white, and age to green. This is a must have hydrangea. Grows 4-5’ tall and wide. Blooms on new wood, so even if it dies back to the ground it will bloom EVERY season for you. ’ Invincibelle ‘ is the first ever pink Annabelle. Also blooming on new wood. Blooms mid summer into fall. Blooms emerge dark hot pink and mature to bright pink. Grows 3-4 ft tall and wide. A portion of every ‘Invincibelle’ sale goes to breast cancer research.
Remember to add shrubs to your garden. They are so necessary to the little birds all seasons of the year.
New Roses: The 2010 Rose of the Year is ‘Sedona.’ A hybrid tea, blooming large 5” roses in shades of the desert. Reds, corals and oranges will delight you and it is a fragrant rose with strong pear fragrance. Grows about 5 feet tall. The 2010 Floribunda Rose of the Year is ‘Monkey Business’. Banana yellow roses with licorice fragrance. One snip and you will have a full bouquet. Grows 3 to 4 ft tall. If you like fragrant roses (and who doesn’t) ‘Sweet Intoxication’ has a strong clove fragrance and a beautiful amethyst color. Nice glossy foliage. I love the name of this one, ‘Bubblicious’, is a smaller rose growing only 2 to 2 1/2 ft tall. Blooms all summer long with light creamy pink blooms. An easy rose, great for beginners, or busy people.
Misc. New Stuff:
There is a new product on the market called Freeze Pruf. It is made for the purpose of allowing you to plant vegetables and annuals 4 to 6 weeks earlier than normal and they are protected against freezing….sounds too good to be true doesn’t it. Of course since it is new we haven’t been able to try it. For best results it should be sprayed on when the temps are above 50°, and a minimum of 8 to 12 hours before an anticipated freeze. We’ll see how it works. The bigger question I have is that usually the plants that could be killed because of a freeze don’t like to grow in cooler temperatures. So maybe the best use of this product is not really to extend the growing season so much, as to easily protect against those nasty cold snaps that like to pop in on us once we have planted those tomatoes and impatiens and coleus.
For those of you who do faerie gardens we will have some tiny accessories including gazebos, fencing, tools, watering cans, and chairs. And old English tradition is to plant large patches of thyme as playgrounds for faeries. So don’t forget the thyme.
New garden flags are coming. We have the largest selection of flags in all the metro area. I love my flags. I change them out all the time.
New spinners—or as we like to refer to them...things on a stick. I’m partial to things that move in the wind...hence spinners abound here as well.
Of course there is a lot more than what is listed here, but it’s a bit to get you thinking and planning.
NEW POS!
As much as I fought it, as much as I resisted, it’s happened anyway. Our old register system needed to be replaced. The registers themselves were becoming unresponsive. So we have upgraded the system. We have bright shiny new POS registers that can just about do magic. There are a few things we wanted of course and the software said “No, not that”. So as always with everything it’s give and take.
They should make our lives easier, and the checking out process faster! We will be able to process a debit card as a debit card (pinpads) I love not having to sign when I enter a pin, and all charges will be fast. We are processing with the internet. If you are check writer, warning...this is probably the last year we will accept checks.
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It will be easier to exchange/return things. When you give us your brand new purple points card before the sale, the sale is then in the system. So even without a receipt we can pull it up and see it, and take what actions are necessary. The time limit on exchanges/returns remains the same. Plants need to be brought back within 24 hours. All other items within 2 weeks. Merchandise must be in new, unopened condition. You now have a choice of getting a store credit, or if you want we can put it back on the same card it was purchased with. The exception to this is debit card purchases. We do not have the ability to credit a debit card. We will refund cash in those instances.
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If you are not in our system and do not have a receipt unfortunately we can not do an exchange or return. So it’s important for us to get you properly entered and give you your new shopper card. Stop by the information desk and we’ll be glad to get you put in the system.
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Shopper points earned will be 3% on regularly priced items. No points earned on purchase of gift certificates. Points will be redeemable 2 times a year. The first time in June, and again in December. All points expire 12-31 of each year.
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As a cardholder, valued customer, and point accumulator you will have added benefits. You will receive 10% discount on Heartland Nursery potting mix, fertilizer and cottonburr compost. You will be able to shop some sales a week before they are available to non card holders.
If you have completely filled purple cards now, you need to bring them in and use them before June 15. After June 15 they can not be used immediately, but the points will go into your points account. All partial cards should be brought in so their value can be put into your points account to be redeemed in June or December.
When you redeem your points during the 2 redemption periods there is no minimum purchase, and you can use them all the same day. It is possible to walk out of here without paying any ‘cash’.
When a return takes place your earned shopper points are adjusted accordingly.
This will also be the data base for our mailings. So please keep us up to date when you move from place to place.
We beg your patience as we make this transition on the new registers, and new system. Once our cashiers have learned all the in’s and out’s it should get you out the door faster and back to your gardens to dig in the dirt!
Random
Thoughts. . . . . . .
Time to feed the perennials, the roses, the shrubs...just about everything. Especially the clematis. If you have the type of clematis that needs to be cut back ...get out and do it before it really starts to grow. I know it seems severe but they should be cut back about a foot from the ground. Give each one a cup of Hi-Yield Gardeners Fertilizer, and 1 cup of Hi-Yield Agricultural Lime. A second application should be applied in June. Check the mulch level. With the heavy snows it has probably sunk into nothing. Clematis need to have at least 4” of mulch to keep the roots cool.
We are again carrying Livingston Seed. This has been our main seed company for at least 7 years now. The quality of the seed is excellent, and the value is as well. I was at a ‘big box’ store looking at their seeds and it carried an old familiar name, but…..the packages were huge, but the amount of seed was little. Comparing a package of Livingstone seed of 600 mg of Tomato seed for 1.19, theirs was 400 mg at 2.00. Costs more, less seed. In the grand scheme of things it’s probably not a big deal, but it ticks me off to find these companies doing these ‘tacky’ underhanded ways of doing business.
We have lots of organic seed, and a large choice of varieties. If you don’t see something you need let me know, I can probably order it and have it within 5 days.
We are also carrying sprout seeds of different kinds. These are very healthy and nutritious . They are easily ‘sprouted’ in a glass mason jar. These are grown inside in your kitchen, and can be grown year round to add to your salads, sandwiches, breads, casseroles, etc. My favorite are the radish and broccoli sprouts. Instructions are inside each packet.
NEW! I ran out of space of the new page for this product. But it has potential to change the issue of insects and vegetable gardening. Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control is brand new on the market. It is a systemic insect control for your vegetable plants, fruit trees including lemons & limes, and grapes. 1 application protects for the entire season. Read the label for the harvest times. Different vegetables have different # of days before harvest. It will control aphids, whitefly, leafhoppers, flea beetles and more. Mix with water, pour around plants, and you are done...protected for the full season. It mixes 5 oz per quart of water for 10 sq ft. There is even a handy measuring device lid. They only thing you need is a watering can, veggie plant, and insects.
So here I am at the bottom of the page, out of space once again. Hope to see all of you soon, and when we next meet I hope the sun is shining and it’s 75°. Until then my friends….
I bid you peace………………..Sherry
Plant Pansies Now!
Herbs, and more herbs
The wonderful world of herbs here at Heartland Nursery grows each and every year. We have a wonderful grower Tim Sullivan that does such a fantastic job on them that we just can’t help but have ‘oodles & gobs’. This year his 24 different basils include: Amethyst, Aroma, Aussie Purple, Boxwood, Cardinal, Cinnamon, compatto, Dark Opal, Genovese, Greek columnar, Green Bouquet, Holy, Italian Large Leaf, Lemon, Lettuce Leaf, Lime, Mini Purple, Purple Ruffles, red rubin, serratta, Siam Queen, Spicy Globe, Sweet Nufar, and Thai Magic. The 15 different kinds of Lavender: Ellagance purple, Fernleaf, French Fringed, Goodwin Creek, Grey French, Grosso, Hidcote, Lady, Lavance, Munstead, Potpourri Sky Blue, Potpourri White, Provence, Purple Ribbon, and Spanish Eyes.
15 kinds of mint: Apple, Banana, Calla, Cat. Walkers Low, Catmint, Chocolate, Corsican, Curly, Ginger, Julep, Orange, Peppermint, Pineapple, Spearmint, and variegated Peppermint. 9 kinds of Rosemary: Arp, Common, Gorizia, Lockwood, Mrs. Howard, Prostrate, Salem, Spice Island, and Tuscan Blue, 7 kinds of Sage: Bergartten, Common, Golden, Pineapple, Pineapple Yellow, Purple, and Tricolor. 20 kinds of Thyme: Archer’s Gold, Bressingham, Caraway, Doone Valley, English (winter), French, Gold Lemon, Lemon, Lime, Minus, Mother, Orange, Pink Chitz, Red creeping, Silver Lemon, Stepping Stone, Wedgewood, White, and Wolly.
Herbs are used in cooking, medicinal, and potpourri. They are both beautiful and useful. There are gardeners that grow herbs only for their beautiful and fragrance. Herbs are planted in beds and containers. Plant them near garden paths to get the fragrance when you brush by them. Put containers on the patio for the wonderful fragrance on a humid summer evening.
Plant your culinary herbs as close to the house as possible so you can run out snip a few and be back to the pans as quickly as possible.
Your basic kitchen garden is basil, dill, chives, cilantro, fennel, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, and parsley.
Come in and check out our fantastic selection of herbs! The selection and availability grows as the season progresses.
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