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grEen News
from Smithfield Gardens
October 2009
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Dear Friends,
We know some of you may think you are hearing a broken record when we talk about fall planting, but here it is again. Fall is the best time to put in new trees, shrubs and perennials. All through the month of September we have been getting in new shipments, and we should be fully stocked for all your planting needs. As another incentive to plant this fall, you will also find that many of our trees and shrubs, as well as grass seeds, now have a lower price. Just like the rest of us, the people that grow plants for us and provide us with other merchandise are feeling the effects of this economy. We have been offered many lower prices and special incentives, and wherever possible, we have passed those savings on to you.
Our annual Fall Festival will be held on Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the 4th. New this year on Saturday will be a Let Us Help - Gardening Clinic where we encourage you to bring in your questions, problems, samples and frustrations. Ann and Jeff will apply their expertise to see if they can help you through your gardening problems. Les will be teaching another Saturday class on Great Trees for Tidewater, and he promises not to make any of you hug a tree. The Isle of Wight Humane Society will be here selling BBQ and other goodies so they can raise money to care for their rescues. Also helping the puppies and kittens will be the people of Bon Vivant. They will be holding a beer and wine tasting on Saturday from noon until 5 p.m., where $5 buys you 4 samples, and the proceeds go to the Humane Society.
The Fall Festival will also be your chance to come see the Moonlight Beekeepers and get some of their delicious local honey. Also on hand will be the Suffolk Master Gardners, so if you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, stop by this weekend to speak with one of them. Just as in previous festivals, we will have free popcorn and balloons, great door prizes and many unadvertised specials. If you want to save even more money, come in before Saturday and pick up some great coupons. Speaking of which, be sure to visit the link at the end of this newsletter to download more valuable coupons, including one for a free tree.
As if the above was not incentive enough to come see us this weekend, our next door neighbors from The Shoppes at Governor's Pointe will be hosting a Taste of Virginia Market on Saturday the 3rd from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You will be able to shop for handmade crafts, seafood, jewelry, art and much more - all the while enjoying live music. So this will be a great weekend to get out and pay us a visit, and stop by next door as well.
Happy Gardening!
Your Friends at Smithfield Gardens
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upcoming Events and Classes at Smithfield Gardens
October 3rd (Sat.) and 4th (Sun.)
Join us for our annual Fall Festival
See the opening letter for more details, or give us a call at 238-2511.
October 3rd, Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Let Us Help - Gardening Clinic
This is a walk-in clinic, not a class. So anytime during those 2 hours bring in your problems, questions, concerns, leaf samples and frustrations and let Ann Weber and Jeff Williamson help you through them.
October 3rd, Sat. 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Great Trees for Tidewater
This class will introduce you to some of the best ornamantal and shade trees that thrive in our climate. Taught by Les Parks
October 10th, Sat. 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Basic Home Landscape Design
Before you put a shovel in the ground, come let Jeff Williamson tell you what to consider when starting a new garden, or renovating an existing one. This is a popular class, so register early.
October 17th, Sat. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Paver Patio Installation
Using concrete pavers to build patios has become an increasingly popular option. Come let Hank Thornburg of Lancaster Farms demonstrate to you just how easy it is.
October 24th, Sat. 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Beauty From Bulbs
Margie Cooper loves spring blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils. Come attend this class where she will share what she knows about these common and some other uncommon bulbs.
October 25th, Sun. 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Growing Fruit in Tidewater
Growing your own fruit is an old gardening trend that has seen renewed interest lately. This will be a basic class on selecting and growing fruit in this area. Les Parks will teach this introductory class.
Other Events:
October 13th, Tue. 10:00 a.m.
Grafton Ponds Plant Walk
Rebecca Wilson of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation will lead a field trip at the Grafton Ponds Natural Area Preserve in Newport News to look for fall blooming flowers and grasses. Sponsored by the John Clayton chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, please register at claytonsnatives@yahoo.com or call 757-604-1026.
October 17th, Sat. 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Bus Trip to Washington D.C.
This tour includes the World Association of Flower Arrangers USA Excursion Botanicus Show and the U.S. National Arboretum. The bus leaves the Fred Huette Center in Norfolk and more information can be had by calling 441-2513. The Fred Huette Center in Norfolk is hosting the 2009 Urban Gardener Lecture Series and they have several events scheduled this month. Please visit www.fredheutte.org for more information.
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Japanese Anemone - A Late Fall Surprise
 Most of the late blooming perennials that I'm familiar with are sun lovers, so the fact that this delicate beauty likes light shade makes it worth investigating further. We have had drifts of three different cultivars of Anemone x hybrida in our back display garden for as long as I've worked here: 'Whirlwind', 'Honorine Jobert' and a charming unnamed pink bicolor. These anemones are planted with tree roots and shrubs nearby and in an average garden soil (that's being generous, to say the least), and still they return reliably every year.
 The dark green leaves of these members of the Ranunculus family are three-parted (trifoliate) and I find them attractive in their own right (a bit like grape vine foliage, if you will). The plants have a clumping habit but they begin to spread by rhizomes once established in your garden. Their roots are described as "shallow and fibrous", and easy to remove if they get a little rambunctious. However I've found that if you actually want to propagate them, or move them to another location, the root sections look and act a lot like dead twigs. Transplant several pieces, even if you want only a small clump, because it's unlikely that all of the pieces you move will establish. When the 2"-3" flowers bloom, the scapes stand up well above the foliage. Their common name is wind flower because the flowers sway in the breeze. Expect a height of about 3', which makes anemones a nice mid to back of the border addition. In most garden situations no staking is required.
 Some sites reported that Anemone x hybrida has poor drought tolerance but our display garden plants are always run on the dry side. Better care in your garden will probably translate into lush specimens in a year or so. Make sure, though, that the location you select for planting does not stay soggy during the winter months. It is interesting to note that gardeners have been enjoying these perennials since the 17th century, starting with Anemone japonica that was brought to England around 1844 by way of Japan. This species was then crossed with a Nepalese anemone, giving rise to most of the hybrids we enjoy today. When shopping look for the white flowered forms mentioned above, or check out the pink flowered 'Queen Charlotte' or 'Party Dress'. Your Heucheras, hostas, ferns, Ligularia and Solomon's seal will be glad for the new neighbor.
Ann Weber |
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Persimmons: Food of the Gods
When I was a young boy (more years ago than I care to think about) I was offered a piece of fruit from a tree in the woods. It was about the size of a walnut and had a nice amber color. I was told it would be very sweet, so I bit into it. My mouth turned inside out, I immediately spit it out, and no amount of water would easily erase that taste from my tongue. I had been tricked into eating an astringent, not yet ripe American persimmon. If I had been offered the same fruit a month later after cold weather had touched it, I probably would not have waited another 30 years to try one again.
 American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is one of our most resilient native trees thriving in poor, dry soils. It prefers full sun, has great fall color and will reach anywhere from 35 to 60' feet in height. The fruit forms in the fall, but is not usually ripe until after the first frost. The extremely unpleasant taste from the under ripe fruits is a result of tannins that only disappear after cold weather has arrived. When ripe, the extremely sweet fruit will fall off of the tree providing a feast for wildlife. The word "persimmon" is actually Algonquin in origin and Native Americans greatly valued the fruit and introduced it to European settlers. Our own first cheerleader, Capt. John Smith praised the persimmon, and the Jamestown colonists were fond of the alcohol they could make with it.
You may be more familiar with Asian persimmons (Diospyros kaki) which usually begin showing up in grocery stores near Thanksgiving. They often look like oblong or round, orange tomatoes and are a great deal larger than their American cousins. The fruit is very attractive, and even if you couldn't eat them they would be worth growing just for their ornamental qualities. Not only is the fruit nice to look at (and eat), the foliage on the tree turns a very nice orangey red in the fall. Asian persimmons are sometimes called Japanese persimmons, but they actually have their origins in China. They come in two forms: astringent and non-astringent. Like the American persimmon, astringent Asian varieties need to have a touch of frost to ripen and soften before they are ready to eat, and when they are ripe, they are achingly sweet. These varieties are great to bake with and can be added to pancake batter and bread mixes as well as eaten fresh with a spoon, like custard. Non-astringent persimmons ripen when they become colorful and do not need frost, or to be soft, to be enjoyed. They can be eaten like an apple while the flesh is still firm and crunchy or can be sliced into salads.
 Asian persimmons prefer locations with full sun, but unlike the American variety, they would be happier in good garden soil with consistent moisture. Both species are fairly insect and disease resistant and will not need to be sprayed with insecticides and fungicides (a pleasant change from growing other fruit trees in this area). Also, make sure you do not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer to any persimmon; it may cause the fruit to drop. Usually a yearly application of compost around the root zone will be sufficient fertilizer. Asian persimmons vary in height and overall size depending on which variety you get, but all grow smaller than the American. This fall at Smithfield Gardens we will be carrying three varieties (with more coming in the spring), and like most persimmons they are self pollinating, but you will find higher yields if you plant different varieties near each other.
Besides being easy to grow and nice the look at, the fruit from Asian persimmons is extremely high in beta-carotene, vitamin A, B and C. However, I do not eat them because they are good for me; I eat them because they taste so good. If you have ever eaten a ripe Asian persimmon, then I do not need to tell you why the name Diospyros translates from Greek as "food of the gods".
Les Parks |
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Shopping for Spring 2010
This time of year I spend a lot of time with catalogs and going to trade shows. All of this is in preparation for Spring 2010. New products are introduced and old products are either refurbished or left as is because no one has yet come up with a way to make them better. I have gotten really good at buying from catalogs, which is a bonus because the picking and choosing of products can be a tricky thing to do. Learning to think and visualize in 2D can be hard.
Trade shows on the other hand will always be easier as far as choosing products for the simple reason that you can touch the products, feel the products and really take a good look at the materials they are made of. The only drawback to the trade shows I can come up with is the travel. Most people would find it quite exciting to go to large cities and stay for several days (kind of like a mini-vacation). I however, like my daily routine undisturbed. Also I don't think anyone I know quite gets how these things are setup. The convention center is rather large, maybe the size of about two football fields and there are an endless amount of aisles. Along these aisles vendors have set up their products for everyone to see. One must go up and down each one of these aisles numerous times to see everything. After everything is seen, then you have to make decisions on what to buy. Now the fun begins.
I consider several points before purchasing, some of them are:
1. Will it be useful or will it add a new dimension to my customers gardening experience.
2. Will my customers want to use it.
3. Will it be a fad or a long lasting product.
4. Is the price point where my customers will feel good about purchasing it.
Many other things are taken into consideration as well - like where we live, sales of the product in the past and will I be able to get more if I sell out. All of these things are important and play a very large part in whether you see an item in our store in the spring.
Now I am going to turn the tables on you and let you take a stab at being the buyer. If you see something while you are shopping somewhere or even see something in a magazine you think would be a great product for us to carry, e-mail me here at Smithfield Gardens. Tell me where you saw it and give me a good description or even a picture and if I think so too I will do my best to get it in for the spring and let everyone know where the idea came from. Honestly a little feedback is always good and you are the ones I am trying to make happy, so I hope to hear from you soon.
Margie Cooper |
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