Thank you so much for joining our email group!  Everyone at the Garden Gallery is getting ready for opening day, February 1, 2011.  This is a busy time -- we're getting plants arranged (and rearranged!), hanging artworks, painting, and generally preparing for you!  I hope you'll be a regular visitor to Papershell and that you'll share your thoughts, ideas and comments with us.  You're in on the ground floor -- this is your chance!  What events are you interested in?  What plants are you looking for?  What supplies do you need?  We'd be grateful for your input.  Respond to this email or just give us a call at (281) 232-4485.

Thanks again, and we'll see you soon!

Remember last winter?

According to Eric Berger, the Houston Chronicle's SciGuy, the middle of January will be very, very cold.  A large Arctic mass will move into coastal Texas by the 11th or 12th, and then settle in until around the 17th.  Nighttime lows could be in the mid-20s and even daytime highs may reach only into the 20s and 30s.

What does this mean?  Prepare to cover tender plants, look after pets and possibly protect exposed pipes.  Stay alert!

Our first shipment of roses has arrived and they are beautiful!  We have lovely old favorites, like the classic
Souvenir de St. Anne, as well as new award-winning roses like Dick Clark!  We also stock plenty of Knockout roses, including the dainty, pale pink Blushing Knockout.

Roses do best in a well-drained location that receives at least 6 hours per of sun per day.  Select varieties that are able to withstand our heat and humidity and keep an eye out for Earth-Kind roses.  They've been tested and are happy to grow without chemical sprays.

We are!  This is the ideal time to plant dormant fruit trees like apples, pears, peaches and pecans.  The young trees have time to establish a stronger root system before the hot summer arrives and the selection in nurseries is typically best right about now.  We recommend waiting until all danger of frost is past before you plant tropical and semi-tropical fruit like citrus, avocado and mango.  Plants in a pot are just easier to protect than ones in the ground.  Wait until mid-March for those.

We're still ordering fruit for the spring 2011 season, but the link below will give you an idea of the varieties that will be on hand when we open on February 1.  Click the link below to download a PDF document.

Please stop by and visit!  The coffee's on us -- we'd love to meet you!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Barrow
Papershell: A Garden Gallery