October Newsletter - Newcomer's Workshop Friday Oct 1

SASANQUAS - This evergreen shrub, a cousin to the Camellia, comes in many varieties that range in height from 3 feet to 10 feet at maturity. Our Fall shipment just arrived and some of the plants are already blooming. They can be planted in full sun or shade.

CONFEDERATE ROSE - This plant is not a rose at all. It is in the hibiscus family. It grows tall (10-12') and produces large pink peony-like blooms in the Fall. We have a large one planted to the right of the front porch of my grandmother's house at the nursery. It hasn't started blooming yet, but it will soon.

ANGEL TRUMPET - Many of you probably remember seeing our large yellow Angel Trumpet blooming every Fall at the corner of the straw shed near the parking lot. Unfortunately, we had a death in the family last year. Our fabulous Angel Trumpet froze to death during last winter's unusually cold weather. We planted a new one in its place, but it is going to take several years for it to become a show-piece for us again. For those of you who like a tropical look, this is a must-have plant.

GRASSES - We don't often think of the plumes on the tops of grasses as "flowers", but they are. And, they are beautiful in the Fall. The once-popular pampas grass has literally grown out of favor with most gardens since it gets so large and hard to manage. We sell a dwarf variety (5-6' tall), which is much more easily contained. Also, there are lots of other grasses that get about 3-4 feet tall and wide, each with a slightly different look. They're all perennial, except Purple Fountain Grass.

PURPLE FOUNTAIN GRASS - YOU HAVE TO PLANT IT EVERY YEAR - The State Newspaper ran an article last Saturday about the variety of Purple Fountain Grass called "Fireworks". This is a particularly stunning grass, especially at this time of year when its color is rich purple-red, and its airy plumes are swaying in the cooler breezes. Buried somewhere in the article was a small statement about this grass being hardy to Zone 9. We are Zone 7b (or before this last cold winter, we were thinking that had changed to a warmer Zone 8a). This means we can plant things that are hardy down to 10-15 degrees. Plants that won't live in temperatures colder than 10-15 degrees will die here and not come back to life next year. Purple Fountain Grass is hardy down to 25-30 degrees, but it gets colder than that here. So, you have to replant Purple Fountain Grass every year. But don't wait until it looks beautiful in October to think about planting it. Next year, buy it in the Spring, let it grow and establish itself throughout the summer, and you will be rewarded with a brilliant show of "fireworks" in the Fall.

REJUVENATED PERENNIALS AND SUMMER ANNUALS - If you cut back and fertilized your heat-and-drought-weary perennials and summer annuals in late August/early September, you are going to be rewarded this month with a new flush of color. If you didn't, it's a little late, but you might try it anyway. If winter comes late this year, you might have extra color until Christmas!

ROSES - If you treat them right, roses will continue to bloom until we get a hard freeze. We pruned and fertlized our roses back in August and they are looking beautiful again. They're still buy one get one free (except for Knockouts and OSO Easy roses), so it's a good time to select some new varieties for yourself. We have a large selection of shrub roses still available. They're just as pretty as Knockouts, and they come in a wider variety of colors. If you want to see some beautiful Knockout roses planted, look at the front of my parents driveway leading into their carport. They live across Pilgrim Church Road from the nursery, and their knockout roses are particularly stunning right now.

MAPLE TREES - There is no more beautiful tree in the Fall than the Maple. Varieties, such as October Glory, Autumn Flame and Autumn Blaze, have been developed to have consistently brilliant color. They are fast growing and mature into a large shade tree. Additionally, Japanese Maple trees are stunning the Fall. The many varieties range in height from 6-8 feet to 15-20 feet at maturity. Their leaves are smaller and more delicate than the regular Maple trees. The Japanese varieties are slower growing and thrive despite South Carolina's hot summers if they are planted in afternoon shade or filtered sun. Best of all, we're running a special on Japanese Maples this month -- 25% off.