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Four Seasons
Landscaping Nursery
Newsletter |
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Greetings!
We are now more than half way through winter, and hopefully a beautiful scene like the one above from February 8th will not be repeated this winter!
This has been an exciting winter for us, as we have been working on a new website and a Facebook page. See the links on the left, and keep checking both for updates, news, specials, and garden-related information.
We plan to open for the season on March 25, although we won't have our full complement of plants available until around Mother's Day. Watch for notice of our early spring mulch sale to start the year off right! |
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 Snow, Snow, Snow . .
We have recently received phone calls asking, "should I knock the snow off my evergreens or just leave them alone?"
Of course this problem has pretty much resolved itself this week, but conventional wisdom must be incorporated into the answer since there are numerous varieties of evergreens in many different scenarios. If you have upright Arborvitaes that become so laden with snow that they bend over, it is probably OK to remove enough snow to allow them to return to a vertical position. However, if the branches are encased in ice, it is best to leave them alone and allow normal melting to solve the problem, since your attempts to remove the ice will likely cause additional damage to small branches.
Also, when snow cover remains as long as it has this winter, it will be likely that small rodents, like field mice, voles, and even rabbits will be sheltering beneath low lying or spreading evergreens. Of course, these critters get hungry, and the most convenient food source may be the bark of your landscape plants. We have witnessed this type of damage many times since 1975, and have often seen even large shrubs and trees up to 4 - 5" caliper that have had their bark chewed off. This "girdling" removes the vascular tissue (Xylem and Phloem) and, if this tissue is removed around the entirety of the trunk or a branch, there would no longer exist any means for the plant to transport nutrients, moisture and oxygen from the roots to the leaves and stems beyond the damaged areas. It is always a wise idea to inspect your landscape plants each spring for signs of such damage, especialy when we experience snow cover for an extended period of time. |
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Amsonia-Fall Colors
Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc. |
Perennial of the Year
The 2011 Perennial of the Year is Amsonia hubrichtii or Arkansas Blue Star.
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Amsonia blooms
Photo courtesy of
Walters Gardens, Inc. |
This native is a rapid grower that adds a billowy, fine texture to the landscape.
After blooming in late spring or early summer, it quickly grows to about 3 feet in height, forming a dense mass. It needs at least 4-6 hours of sun for the best fall color and spring bloom production and thrives in poor to average soil. Some good companions would be Heucheras, Caryopteris, Fall Asters, Sedums, Mums, and Ornamental Grasses. |
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226 E. US Hwy 6 (1 Mile East of St. Rd. 49)
Valparaiso, IN
219-464-4941
www.fourseasonsvalpo.com
newsletter.fsln@comcast.net
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