Northampton Nursery and Building SOlutions
Courtesy of Northampton Nursery & Northampton Building Solutions   
 
February 2011   
  



Northampton Nursery

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Landscaping
LandscapingProTipTips from the Pros
Money Can Grow on Trees, if You Choose Wisely

You don't have to be a poet to know there's nothing as lovely as a tree. And everyone knows that planting a tree is good for the environment. But did you know that if you plant the right tree in the right place, you can save money on energy bills? And by using less energy, you'll help the environment even more. Deciduous trees - those that lose their leaves in winter like maples, beeches or oaks - are the ones to choose. Plant these trees where the sun shines brightly on your house and you can keep it cooler in summer and warmer in winter. In summer, the leaves block the sun's hot rays, keeping the house cooler and reducing the demand for air conditioning. In the winter, after the leaves fall, the trees allow the sunshine to hit your house, keeping your home brighter and warmer and reducing the amount you have to pay for heat. So as you plan your outdoor landscaping, think about trees. It could pay dividends for years to come.

PlantMonthPlant of the Month
Red Twig Dogwood

Red Twig DogwoodWith the Valentine's holiday, the colors red and white get a lot of attention during the month of February. But cards and candy aren't the only way to add this cheerful color combo to your life. With addition of a few red twig dogwoods, you can enjoy it in the winter months for years to come. Red twig dogwoods aren't full-size trees like their famous flowering namesakes. They are hardy shrubs whose bright red branches are never more beautiful than when set off by an expanse of snow. Red twig dogwoods are hardy and versatile. They work well as accent plantings, as groupings and as hedges along a property line. They like full sun, but are tolerant of a wide range of soils, preferring moist-to-wet locations that are slightly acidic. At maturity they can grow to be 4-8 feet tall with a spread of 10 feet, but regular trimming can manage their size effectively. In spring they boast creamy white flowers, in summer they have variegated leaves and in fall they present attractive white fruits and beautiful maroon foliage. All told, they're a great year-round addition to a yard, but they are never more appreciated than in the dreary or snowy days of February. So here's to the red twig dogwood - and Happy Valentine's Day!

LandTrendLandscaping Trend
Think About Bulbs for Summer Flowers

In another month the snow should be gone, and people will start to look for sprouts from the bulbs they planted last fall for their tulips and daffodils. But many people have discovered that bulbs can produce a variety of spectacular flowers in summer as well. Dahlias, lilies, begonias, gladiolas and caladium are just some of the summer bulbs that can add color, variety and fragrance to your landscape. Most require full sun, and you do need to replant many of them every year (storing them in winter). But they are worth the effort. Dahlias, for example, produce a variety of colors and blooms in all different shapes and sizes. Gladiolas are another popular and prolific summer bulb, producing tall spikes of blooms in a wild range of colors. Begonias are a wonderful plant for either hanging baskets or in-ground gardens and provide bright and colorful blooms and handsome foliage. Caladium is a great choice if you have a shady area to brighten up, with heart-shaped foliage in hues of green, pink, burgundy and white. Finally, if you are a lily lover, take a look at the spectacular Asiatic and Oriental lilies. Asiatic lilies are easy to grow in a variety of soils and Orientals have become increasingly popular with huge blooms and a strong perfumed aroma. Both can make your late-summer garden a showpiece in the neighborhood.

TimeToIt's Time To ...
Jump Start Some Spring Inside Your Home

February is a great month for getting in a gardening mood - even if you still can't do much outside.  

  • Start by bringing in sprays and branches from flowering shrubs and "forcing" them to bloom indoors. Forsythia, pussy willow, quince and dogwood are all good choices.
  • When forcing flowering shrubs, make long, slanted cuts when collecting the branches and change the water every few days for best results.
  • Now's the time to place your seed and plant orders from the catalog companies. Try combining orders with another gardener to get volume discounts or free seeds.
  • Don't miss deadlines for early order discounts from the plant companies.
  • Don't start vegetable plants from seed too early indoors. Six weeks ahead of your planting date is early enough for fast-growing seeds like cabbage, lettuce or broccoli; eight weeks is enough for slower growing types.
  • Check bulbs or tubors you're storing for summer flowers and get rid of any that are soft or appear diseased.
  • Don't remove mulch from outdoor perennials too early, even if a warm day makes you think spring has arrived.
  • Have your lawnmower professionally sharpened and tuned now to avoid the rush later.
  • Also spend time this month getting the rest of your garden tools ready. Sharpen and oil tools such as shovels, shears and trimmers and tune gas-powered weed-eaters, if necessary.
Masterpiece Project
MasterpieceA Walkway Brings Guests Gracefully Down to a Home
Tom and Kathy's new tiered walkway features
12 steps and three landings next to their driveway.

When a yard has different elevations, it can pose challenges for homeowners. It also provides opportunities for creativity and imagination. Tom and Kathy's home did both. They have a beautiful home, with a driveway and yard that slope down from the street at a pretty steep incline. The drop is dramatic to look at, but it leaves the front door about six feet below street level. When family and friends came to visit they had to walk down the driveway from the street. As you can imagine, when there was  weather like we've had recently, this was not the easiest task.

Tom and Kathy wanted a way to provide easy walking access to the home from the street, so guests would not have to negotiate their steep driveway. At the same time, they wanted something that would increase the visual appeal of their front yard.

We met with the couple and talked about their needs. Then we designed a terraced walkway and staircase that worked its way down to the home from the street in stages. All told, there are 12 steps broken up by three walkway landings. The landings give guests a break between each set of steps, allowing adults to take a few paces before the next set of steps while providing a comfortable and attractive transition space. Each step was constructed with Techo-Bloc Rocka step treads, which is a manufactured product that looks like natural stone. The landings were made from EP Henry Devonstone, which gives the look and feel of flagstone. With a little landscaping on each side, Tom and Kathy not only achieved a path that was easily accessible from the street, but one that added to the beauty of their yard.

Would you like a project like this for your home? Ask the team at Northampton Nursery & Northampton Building Solutions how we can help turn your dreams into reality.

Home Improvement
HomeImprovementTipTip of the Month
Need a Project? Paint a Room! In a Weekend!

By the time February rolls around each winter, many homeowners are getting cabin fever. They can't get outside for projects, but they're itching to do SOMETHING to spruce up their home. So here's the solution: Paint a room this weekend. Yes, plan it so it will be completed in two days and ready to be enjoyed by Sunday night. It's not out of the question, according to the Paint Quality Institute, which studies such things. "That's a realistic goal," the Institute's Debbie Zimmer says, "but to achieve it you have to plan and be well organized." So here, thanks to the Paint Quality Institute, are 8 tips for painting a room in one weekend. 1. Get all of your furniture out of the way by moving it to the center of the room and covering it with plastic. 2. Scrub all the surfaces you'll be painting with a sponge and mild household detergent solution before going to the paint store, so they'll dry while you're out. 3. Check your tools and accessories and make a shopping list so you make JUST ONE trip to the paint store and don't have to go back. 4. Buy top quality 100 percent acrylic latex interior paint, which hides the color that's underneath quickly and effectively. 5. Tape the edges of the surfaces you'll be painting so you can apply the paint faster. 6.Work "top down": paint the ceiling, then the walls, then the windows and trim and last the baseboards. 7.When painting a ceiling or wall, start by "cutting in" a corner section with a paintbrush, applying a 3" band of paint around the edge so you can more more efficiently paint with the paint roller. 8. Don't try to "stretch" your paint by applying a thin coat because you might end needing a second coat to complete the job. For more painting tips, you can visit the Paint Quality Institute website.

Living Green & Well

GreenA Prediction for 'Purposeful Gardening' in 2011

Living Green can mean different things to different people. So what will it mean for gardeners in 2011? The Philadelphia-based Garden Media Group keeps track of trends, and it has just issued its 2011 list of garden trends to watch. At the top is the concept of "gardening with a purpose." The purpose may be growing your own food, replacing lawns with native plantings, choosing shrubs that attract wildlife or mixing flowers with vegetables, herbs or fruits in planned garden spaces. The goal is to make outdoor space around homes more diverse, productive and environmentally sustainable. "We had trouble wrapping our heads around saving the rain forests," says Garden Media Group outdoor living expert Susan McCoy, "but we clearly can wrap our arms around saving our own backyards." Use of "edible ornamentals" ranging from blueberry bushes to parsley to colorful greens will be a rising trend this year, GMG predicts, and so will construction of "vertical gardens" of herbs or flowers against walls or on patios. Vertical gardens feature compartmentalized niches that can support pockets of soil and a variety of compact, hanging or climbing plants.

Check Out Our Video Series
On our website we're now featuring our new Northampton Nursery Video Series, in which we show how we work and share our ideas for creating home masterpieces. Click on this link to view.

215-364-7040  info@northamptonnursery.com   NorthamptonNursery.com
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