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 Beyond The Ordinary
A few exceptional choices for your fall garden...
PINUS densiflora 'Oculus Draconis'
Dragon's Eye Pine
Conifers have a particular sparkle in the fall and this pine is eye candy on clear autumn days. The bright yellow banded needles are stunning from September on through the winter.
LESPEDEZA thunbergii 'Gibraltar' Bush Clover
Extend the bloom in your garden with these rounded shrubs. They are cloaked with small pea flowers of deep rose purple from late summer through October.
LAGERSTROEMIA Crape Myrtle
Tree like shrubs bloom in late summer, but the show continues into the fall with shiny, orange-red foliage. The exfoliating bark on multiple stems is terrific throughout the year. New hybrids are hardy to Zone 6.
ARONIA Chokeberry
We have a wonderful selection of these native shrubs that are in their glory in the autumn. The glossy foliage glows in shades of red and purple. The edible fruit persists into the winter. This is a very useful plant for naturalizing in moist soils.
ACER palmatum 'Mikawa yatsubusa' Dwarf Japanese Maple
This maple makes up for its small stature with unusually tight, overlapping leaves and bright green bark. The name translates to "shingles on a roof". Slow growing, but it will become a focal point in the garden, a must for the collector.
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Gardening with Kids--Persistence
By Amy D'Orio
 I was walking in Boston the other day, and in a few lousy square feet of earth between sidewalk and doorstep, were some tomato plants ripening. It was the perfect manifestation of our irrepressible need to garden. I wince at gardening's future, however. Kids don't do much of it these days. So, introductions are--to say the least--vitally needed. Think about involving a younger person next time you turn a shovel full of earth, plant a seed, or stake a heavy peony. Eager children are most gratifying to work with, and the reluctant ones are decidedly my favorites. They are like those finicky, trophy plants you will do almost anything to keep.
My youngest son requires vast amounts of pediatric plant persistence. He is an ESPN groupie, a baseball-a-holic, a slam dunk when it comes to sports. He cries foul, however, when it comes to working in the garden. Finally, last year he took a real shine to growing watermelons. Today, he is growing three varieties. Is he out there everyday weeding and watering? No. But he did plant them, checks on them regularly, and certainly looks forward to eating them. The other day he looked at me and announced he will always have a garden. While he is no garden addict like me, I am sure he will plant a tomato--or perhaps a watermelon--between the sidewalk and his doorstep.
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 September Lawns
By Paul Janisch
Lawns can have a unifying and calming effect on the landscape. September is the best month of the year for lawn renovation or installation. Grass plants love the cool weather and increased rainfall. Lawns are a complex system of dense plants that coexist in a rather delicate balance. A combination of light, air circulation, favorable soil conditions and moisture are all elements in maintaining that balance. A soil test can be extremely helpful in determining any shortages in nutrients. For information on collecting soil samples visit www.soiltest.uconn.edu/.
An established lawn that has bare spots and is generally not thriving can be renovated with a few simple steps. Over the years a layer of thatch builds up in the lawn. Thatch is a tightly woven mat of dead and living tissue at the soil level. Excessive thatch makes lawns more susceptible to both disease and drought. Thatch can be removed by hand raking smaller areas or for larger areas use a power rake. Once the thatch has been removed, the area can be over seeded at a rate recommended on the grass seed label. Mulch hay over the top helps to retain moisture. Water the area consistently for germination and new growth. Lawns that have less than 50% coverage of grass will need complete removal and replacement.
 Seed or Sod?
Sod has an amazing and instantly gratifying effect. Once again, soil testing and preparation are hugely important. In areas of six hours of sun or more, sod is hard to beat for uniformity of color and density. On installation sod requires daily watering until it is well rooted.
Seeding a lawn is initially more economical. There is a wide array of seed mixtures that will meet particular light and traffic requirements. Many mixes are formulated to be drought tolerant as well.
Water is the essential key to success whether seeding or installing sod for a new lawn. Slow deep watering is the most beneficial. Organic fertilizers can be used to start a lawn and can be applied through the growing season. The last application should be completed by October 15th, also the cut off date for planting seed.
Smaller lawn areas are fairly easy to renovate or install on your own. For larger projects you may need professional help. When in doubt, give us a call.
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 In 1961, our first full year of operation, we made a large sale to Mary Rockefeller. She purchased seven, 2-2 1/2' Azalea Palestrina. The sale totaled $49.00. It was our largest single retail sale of the year. I was thrilled, not only by the amount, but by the personality involved. I was alone in the nursery that day and her chauffer helped me dig and ball the plants. She said, 'I guess I made your day!" Little did she know!
--John W. Oliver
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 Fall Hours: September-Mid-November; Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
For more information visit our Web site at www.olivernurseries.com, or call us at 203-259-5609.
Image in header: Detail from Spring, engraving by Bruegel. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dick Fund, 1926.
Photo in September Lawns: Amy Vischio
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