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grEen News from Smithfield Gardens November 2008
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Dear Fellow Gardeners,
November can be a good month for gardeners to relax. The grass probably won't need to be cut again until spring, we don't have to be out there watering in 90° temperatures, and there should be very little need for any pruning. However, we would recommend that if you have not gotten your pansies in the ground, do so now. You may also want to put down some fresh mulch, but wait until later in the month when most of the leaves have fallen. If you need to, this time of year is also a really good time for transplanting. Most importantly, November is one of the best months to plant new trees, shrubs, perennials and spring flowering bulbs. FYI - we have started an End of Season Clearance Sale with all of our trees and shrubs, plus most of our perennials on sale for 20-50% off. So now you have one less excuse for not planting in the fall.
One other item you may want to add to your November to-do list, is to come to our annual Holiday Open House, which we have in conjunction with our neighbors at Governor's Pointe. This year it will be held on Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th. Refreshments, tastings, and door prizes will be offered as well as sales specials and a chance to see what's new for the upcoming holiday season. On the last page of this newsletter is a link to our coupon page where you can download a holiday discount. Margie Cooper, our garden center manager and chief Christmas Elf will be teaching a "hands-on" class on Saturday for those of you who would like to know how to decorate using artificial wreaths and swags. You can learn about all of our November classes below, as well as register for them.
If you have not yet had a chance to visit the Shoppes at Governor's Pointe, the Open House weekend would be a good opportunity to get acquainted. One of our neighbors is Katody's, and they have one of the finest collections of art glass and decorative lighting in the area. A-Tisket-A-Tasket sells pre-made and custom gift baskets, as well as other nice gifts. Salon on Pointe is a full service salon, and all of our employees who have been there, now recommend them. You can find a great selection of fine wines and beers at Bon Vivant Market (this is our favorite shop, because when we visit, samples are usually offered). During the Holiday Open House you can pick up a postcard at each shop and at Smithfield Gardens. Visit each location to have your card marked, and you can get great discounts and enter a door prize drawing.
We do hope you will consider stopping by on the 8th or 9th, but we appreciate any visit from you - no matter when it is.
Your Friends at Smithfield Gardens
P.S. - Be on the lookout for poinsettias and our fresh cut Fraser Fir Christmas Trees arriving shortly before Thanksgiving.
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Upcoming Events and Classes at Smithfield Gardens
November 1st (Sat.), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. "Bow Tying"
With the holidays right around the corner, you might need this skill. Special attention will be paid to people with too many thumbs. There will be a $3.00 materials fee for this class. (taught by Margie Cooper)
November 1st (Sat.), 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. "Basic Home Landscape Design"
This class will introduce you to important considerations you need to make before starting a new garden or enhancing an old one (taught by Jeff Williamson).
November 8th and 9th (Sat. & Sun.), Holiday Open House
See the letter above for more information, or call us 238-2511.
November 8th (Sat.), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. "Hands On - Artifical Wreaths and Swags" Come learn how easy it is to make your own wreaths and swags that can be used or improved with each Christmas season. (taught by Margie Cooper)
November 15th (Sat.), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. "Decorating Ideas for the Holidays" Pulling everything together for the holidays can seem like a daunting task, but let this class give you some ideas that will make things merrier. (taught by Margie Cooper)
November 27th (Thu.), Smithfield Gardens will be closed for Thanksgiving, but we will re-open on Friday at 9:00 a.m.
Other Events:
November 1st (Sat.), 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Camellia Show and Plant Sale, hosted by the Virginia Camellia Society at Baker Hall, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, please visit www.vacamelliasociety.org for more details
November 12th (Wed.), 10:00 a.m. "Fresh Ideas for the Holidays"
Presented by Kim Whitfield of Flowers at Hilltop, sponsored by the Council of Garden Clubs of Virginia Beach, Central Library 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd. Call 422-2612 for more information.
The Norfolk Botanical Gardens has classes throughout the month and you can go to www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org to learn more and to register.
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Candy Corn Cuphea - "Eye Candy" For the Fall Garden
 Sure, Halloween is over but carefully planned gardens can hold surprises far into the fall season. The pictured perennial, Cuphea micropetala, is from Mexico and it is one of our favorite late bloomers. We nicknamed it Candy Corn Cuphea a few years ago when a customer commented on how much the flowers look like the candy. Not many of our customers ever see this interesting plant in bloom because it starts so late in the summer, and they have already been here to get their pansies, mums and pumpkins. When I attended a meeting at Norfolk Botanical Garden in early October I was drawn to some huge Cuphea plants in full bloom near Rose Garden Hall. The C. micropetala in our display garden, however, doesn't start quite that early. Perhaps the Botanical Garden replants large plants that they have over-wintered in a greenhouse, or it may also be a watering issue. Unfortunately, the display gardens here at Smithfield don't always get enough water in summer droughts.
 We are very fond of many Cupheas (did you know that there are over 250 species of Cupheas in Central and South America ?), and we are quick to recommend colorful, drought- tolerant annual Cupheas like 'Tiny Mice' and 'Flamenco Samba'. These two are definitely worth seeking next spring. Cuphea micropetala is listed as a zone 7b plant, but with an established root system going into the winter it has survived for us for at least three years. In areas where the plant does not die back it blooms in the summer and is a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. Because the plant dies back in our area it is a little slow to get going and consequently it does not bloom until the fall months. C. micropetala gets about 30"-36" tall and wide, and the stems do not need staking if grown in full sun. Two or three hours of shade will not hurt the plant but it may get a little floppy.
The small tubular flowers line the upper section of the stem, and the blooms are described on the web as looking like "little firecrackers". Why not plan to add a little excitement to your garden next year, and make a note now to hunt for this perennial as you visit garden centers in the spring. I predict that your neighbors will be very curious about this showy, yet relatively unknown, plant treat from south of the border.
Ann Weber
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Beautiful Gardens™, a Plant Introduction Program
Long time gardeners may remember a time when it was difficult to find good information on how well plants performed in the south, including here in Hampton Roads. While there was no shortage of gardening information, it was often from a mid-western, northeastern, or even a British perspective. There is value in any well written garden book, and many things can be learned from experienced gardeners, but some of these sources fail to take into account the peculiarities of gardening below the Mason-Dixon Line. This is one of the reasons we participated in a program several years ago sponsored by the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. They promoted a group of plants that thrived in southern gardens, but unfortunately this program petered out.
Now Virginia has its own exciting new plant introduction program called Beautiful Gardens™, which is sponsored by a number of public and private concerns including community colleges and universities, state agencies, botanical gardens and the Virginia horticultural industry. Their goal is to provide companies like Smithfield Gardens with plants that will do well for people like you, anywhere in Virginia. Once a plant is nominated for the program, it is rigorously tested and evaluated at several spots around the state. If it proves to be pest resistant, widely adaptable and beautiful, it will be labeled and sold under the Beautiful Gardens™ name. Most of these plants can be found now at Smithfield Gardens, but in the future you will see the new logo on these plants, allowing you to "grow with confidence".
Below is the first group of Beautiful Gardens™ "Plants of Merit" for 2009. You can look for more introductions each year as the program grows.
 Cercis chinensis 'Don Egolf ' - Chinese Redbud
If you have been looking for a smaller growing Redbud, this is one for you - and with no messy seed pods.
Helleborus x hybridus Pine Knot Strains - Lenten Rose
These were developed in Clarksville, Va. by noted Hellebore experts Dick  and Judith Tyler. Evergreen Lenten Rose is one of our best perennials for shade and these are noted for their superior color range.
 Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake' - Oakleaf Hydrangea
Regular readers of this newsletter will know how much I like Oakleaf Hydrangeas, and this double flowered cultivar is one of the best.
 Thuja x 'Steeple Chase' - Giant Western Arborvitae
Dense green foliage, fast growth and deer resistance distinguish this large shrub. It is great for privacy or screening ugly sights.
 Buxus x 'Green Velvet' - Boxwood
This Boxwood is a hybrid that is much tougher than Old English, more drought resistant and does not bronze in the winter.
 Musa basjoo - Hardy Banana
Bananas in Virginia? Yes indeed! This vigorous plant is one of the most cold tolerant Bananas available. It may not produce fruit here, but it will give your garden a tropical flair.
 Stokesia laevis 'Peachie's Pick' - Stoke's Aster
Despite its name, this easy to grow perennial blooms with large showy blue flowers from June until fall.
 Ilex x 'Virginia' - Holly
If you need a large, fast growing shrub with showy red berries and a great name, you may want to give this Holly a try.
 Agapanthus x 'Monmid' Midnight Blue - Lily of the Nile
Many of you have coveted this beautiful blue flower most often seen in glossy magazines from gardens in California, but now we have one that will grow for us. If you would like to learn more about this program, we have some brochures at the garden center, but you can also visit their website at www.beautifulgardens.org.
Les Parks |
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THE BASICS OF EASY HOLIDAY DECORATING
 With all the stress that comes along with the holiday season it seems to me that we should try to make decorating easy and fun. Most people at this point are probably looking at the screen with severe doubt, thinking that easy and fun are not two words that go with holiday decorating! However, as a person whose job it has been these last ten years to help get this store ready for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, let me assure you a few well chosen items and a little forethought go a long way. I can walk you through the process from the beginning and maybe we can make this year different for you.
I know it is a little late for fall and Halloween decorating but I will suggest to you that in the beginning of fall lay down a good base of greenery. Most people in their box of Christmas decorations have strands of pre-lit garland. Start with this as your foundation and build great displays in your home. Depending on the month or holiday you can add fall leaves, pumpkins, gourds, bats, turkeys or snowflakes! Keep in mind the areas of your home you like to decorate at Christmas and try to decorate those places for every holiday. That way you are keeping a base there and not having to change it every time.
 As far as decorations go, try to think outside the box and use what you have in new ways. For example, if you have old lanterns try putting those with brightly colored fall leaves one month and then changing to pinecones and holly the next month. This switch would take very little time but you would change the whole look and feel of the decoration. If you are a collector of anything use your collections. Boaters can use old anchors, rope or oars. The ideas go on and on so, try some creativity this season and make the holidays personal.
I am sure you read about the Holiday Open House on the 8th and 9th of November so I won't go over it again, but please remember we are here everyday to help you with your decorating dilemmas and issues. We would be glad to help you think "outside the box" by taking your items and turning them into one-of-a-kind family traditions for years to come.
Margie Cooper
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