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grEen News
from Smithfield Gardens
November 2009
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Dear Friends,
We realize that it is just early November, but for us it is time to think ahead to the coming holidays. Truth be told, we started thinking about the holidays last winter when Margie began ordering her decorations. Les ordered his Fraser Fir cut Christmas trees on what he said was the hottest day in July (they should arrive in about 3 weeks). If you would like to get a preview of the holidays, we will be participating in a Christmas Open House with our neighbors from the Shoppes at Governor's Pointe on Saturday November 7th and Sunday the 8th. There will be snacks, tastings, drawings, as well as sales specials. You can also pick up a passport here at the store or at any of the Shoppes - get it stamped at each location and be entered for a chance to win great prizes. That Saturday and throughout the month we will be having several decorating classes; you can learn more about them and register at the Events Calendar below. At any point in the month, Margie invites you to come in and let her create a custom designed garland, wreath or bow. You are also welcome to bring in any of the above items you already have to be "refreshed" for the holidays.
Even though we are thinking about the holidays, don't take that to mean we have skipped right over the rest of the fall. We still have lots of plants in stock and are having our End of Season Clearance Sale. All trees and shrubs, as well as most perennials are at least 20% to 50% off. Besides the great deals available, this is still one of the best times to plant as the soils are still warm enough for root growth, giving your plant a head start towards surviving next summer. If you need any help getting started, make sure you read Jeff's article below about our Do-It-Yourself landscaping program which could lead you to a free landscape plan.
We do hope you will come in soon, see what we have for the holidays and maybe pick up a few deals while you are here.
Happy Gardening!
Your Friends at Smithfield Gardens
(P.S. For those of you who prefer to shop with your Discover Card, as of Nov. 1st we accept it.)
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upcoming Events and Classes at Smithfield Gardens
November 7th (Sat.) and 8th (Sun.)
Join us for our Holiday Open House
See the opening letter for more details, or give us a call at 238-2511.
November 7th (Sat.), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Bow Tying
If you are all thumbs when it come to bows, let Margie show you how to make them look like a pro tied them. This year's class will be free and you still get to take home a beautiful completed bow.
November 7th (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.
November 14th (Sat.), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
"Hands On" Artificial Wreaths and Swags This class will teach you basic techniques to put together beautiful holiday decorations. Taught by Margie Cooper.
November 21st (Sat.), 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Decorating Ideas for the Holiday
This is another class taught by Margie where she will give you inspiration and knowledge on how to pull it all together, from artifical to natural.
Other Events:
Norfolk Master Gardeners are taking applications for their 10 week training program that begins February 2nd. For more information go to www.nmgv.org.
The Virginia Camellia Society is having a show and sale on Sat., November 7th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. For more information go to www.vacamelliasociety.org. 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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Who Says Houseplants Are Boring?
The houseplant beauties pictured here were photographed shortly after our large fall shipment came in. Now that it's cooler and you're spending more time indoors, don't you long for more green things around you? Perhaps some of these descriptions will tempt you into "greening up" a side table or kitchen window.
 Check out the limey trailing 'Neon' pothos! We all know that these dependable standbys are great in hanging baskets and decorative containers on top of bookcases where the pieces can trail down. (Just remember that if the decorative pot has no drainage hole you will need to be very careful about the watering.) Trailing pothos is easily rooted, too, by simply breaking off a section and sticking it in a vase of water. Once it has roots you can stick it back in the existing pot to make it fuller, or start a brand new pot.
 Crotons (Codiaeum) look great outside in the summer in colorful container combinations, and also in the early fall with your mums and pumpkins. A co-worker who has grown these indoors over the winter says that they retain their fiery colors as long as they are receiving bright light. Crotons will drop a few leaves if they need water or temperatures are too low. You just know that Martha Stewart or Southern Living magazine must have, at one time, published photos of these plants used as table decorations around Halloween or Thanksgiving, right?
 The unusual "sticks" are tropical Euphorbia tirucalli (also called Sticks on Fire), and I know from personal experience that this is a very undemanding houseplant during the cooler months. Be careful not to overwater it and give it plenty of light. You may have seen dramatic photographs of this plant online, with bright orange-red "sticks", however the color range on this plant seems to be somewhat unpredictable. I still find this plant worth growing, even if the plant stays quite green, because of its unusual form. You can also enjoy Euphorbia tirucalli outdoors in the summer, where it looks great next to sedums and hens-and-chicks.
 Aren't these two Rex begonias dreamy? The Rex begonias available today are all hybrids and are grown primarily for their foliage. The flowers are insignificant and are often removed. Their leaf surfaces can range from waxy and smooth to dull and deeply puckered. Overwatering these begonias is definitely a death sentence and they can't tolerate direct sun either. Other than that, a bright window over the winter months should satisfy them. If vou are especially partial to a particular Rex begonia, root yourself a few leaf cuttings as insurance.
 Bromeliads look very exotic but they actually are quite easy. Just put them in a bright window with a southern or western exposure and don't overwater them. Many people feel that the look of these plants better suits a modern décor, however temptation may win out if a blooming plant at a garden center is reasonably priced! Like orchids, the flower stalks persist for a long time, but be advised that your plant may not flower for several years.
We have even more unusual goodies, like the elegant multi-colored Philodendron 'Prince of Orange', Nun's orchid (Phaius tankervilliae) and Devil's Backbone (Pedilanthus)---- so visit us soon. Remember, besides being attractive, houseplants help clean the air inside your home. That's one less thing you'll have to worry about!
Ann Weber |
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Fall Blooming Camellias
 November is not my favorite month, primarily because it heralds the onset of colder weather and less daylight. Though it does have a holiday at the end of the month that involves eating, that only puts the month just above February in my ranking. One of the things that make the month more bearable for me are the flowers from fall blooming camellias. Just when everything else has shut down, other plant's flowers are a fading brown memory and the trees are becoming bare - it is time for these gems to shine. Most varieties will start to bloom in late October and will last until December, but November is their peak month in this area.
 There are several species of fall blooming camellia, but the most common is Camellia sasanqua, and there are some interesting hybrids as well. Unlike the more common Camellia japonica, which is a late winter, early spring bloomer - these evergreens will grow in full sun to partial shade. Most varieties will grow 8-10' tall, but there are some that will get bigger, as well as some that are dwarf and stay under 5'. All camellias are surprisingly drought tolerant once they get established, but ideally they should be kept evenly moist in well-drained soil high in organic matter.
The flowers of fall blooming camellias are either pink, white or red with some bi-colors. While each individual blossom may not be as large or as showy as C. japonica blossoms, they more than make up for it in sheer abundance, plus they are nicely fragrant. The blooms can come in several forms from single, double, semi-double to peony forms.
 While there are too many varieties to list all, I would like to name a few of my favorites. If you are looking for a dwarf variety, you may want to seek out 'Bonanza' which is a nice bright red, plus it is an early bloomer. If you prefer white, another good dwarf is 'Mine-no-yuki' also known as 'White Doves'. One unusual variety is a recent introduction; 'Autumn Rocket' has white blooms and gets 8' tall, but only 2-3' wide. One of the most vigorous varieties in my own garden is the vibrant pink 'Kanjiro', which is also a very long blooming selection, often lasting until February. An aptly named variety is 'Yuletide' which usually peaks in late December and its flowers are Christmas red.
 These are just a few of the many varieties that we carry at Smithfield Gardens. If you are interested, come in this month and you can pick out a variety while it is blooming, plus it is a great time to plant. Whether you are fond of this month or not, these plants will give you a reason to look forward to November every year.
Les Parks |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Six Six Easy Steps to a New Landscape
Now that the cooler months of fall are upon us, we find ourselves spending more time outdoors in our gardens, which have often become neglected during the long hot days of summer. If you look around a bit, you may begin to notice plantings that may not be living up to your expectations, beds overrun with weeds, shrubs that have outworn their welcome, or simply a lack of thought concerning arrangement of plantings. All too often we know that a change is needed, but then come those pesky decisions as to what, where, how and why. If hiring a landscape designer were not so expensive we could easily let them make all the choices for us. What if you could get advice for a nominal fee, or even free? Everyone knows there is always a price for "free advice". However, if you are willing to put in your own effort to make the advised changes, then the advice truly does come free with Smithfield Gardens' Do-It-Yourself program. Let me explain how this program works.
1. Pick up a simple kit from our garden center which contains a brief questionnaire, along with a piece of blocked graph paper.
2. Decide which area in your yard you want to focus on, and then you map it out on the graph paper. For example, make one block equal one, two or three feet, whichever works best for you. Then draw to scale any currently existing items like, sidewalks, trees, house or porch foundations, patios, pools, utility boxes, driveways, etc... It is also very important for your safety that you know where your utility lines are located (there is a free service that will come out and mark the area before you begin digging).
3. Make sure you indicate which direction north is, and note how much sun and shade the area in question gets. You will also want to mark any areas that stay unusually wet or dry. This will make sure you get plants that are going to do well.
4. Take lots of photographs of the area you want to work on and include shots from different angles. Also, if there are pictures from books or magazines of gardens and landscapes that you really like enough to try in your own yard, bring those in as well.
5. Compile all of this information and bring it in to Smithfield Gardens in order to get started. Typically it takes about two weeks for me to put ideas on paper and to arrange a meeting with you to present the ideas. At this time you will be shown the various plants in order to visualize the overall design.
6. Once you have agreed to the suggested design ideas, then you purchase the plants from Smithfield Gardens, and at this time you will get the design for FREE. This design will tell you exactly how many of each plant to put in and how to space them.
Now put on your gloves and get out the shovel, and you will be on your way to a fresh new look for your landscape. When done, you will receive the satisfaction of saving a good bit of money and from doing the work yourself.
Jeff Williamson |
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