A Summer Favorite:  the Hydrangea

by Jenny Rash 

One of our favorite shrubs for summer color is the hydrangea.  There are so many to choose from, and with new cultivars coming out each year, it is easy to become a collector!  First the basics:  The classic mopheads (macrophylla . . . also includes the lace caps), the oakleafs (quercifolia), the smooth hydrangeas (arborescens), and the panicles (paniculata) make up the different groups of hydrangea.  Within each of these groups, you should be able to find the right plant for your yard.

The mopheads are pink or blue, depending on the acidity of your soil.  A higher pH delivers a pinker flower (add lime) and a lower pH, a blue flower (add sulphur).  The macrophyllas bloom on old wood, and this used to create a blooming issue . . . or lack of blooming to be precise . . . if pruned at the wrong time or if Mother Nature delivered a late frost.  These days  you can purchase any of the Endless Summer brand, which includes "Twist-n-Shout" and "Blushing Bride" in order to have blooms all summer regardless of last frost date or bad pruning.  Other macrophyllas that bloom on old and new wood include:  "All Summer Beauty", "Penny Mac", and "Mini-Penny".  Other interesting macrophyllas to collect:  "Variegate", "Nigra", "Lady in Red", and "Buttons and Bows".

The oakleaf hydrangeas are one of two groups that are native to the eastern U.S.  They get their name from the shape of their leaf.  The blooms are not round, but panicled, and they are only available in white.  They can be single or double . . . and quite huge!  I measured one in my garden this spring at 14 inches long and very showy!  The oakleafs also offer beautiful fall color of their leaves, with reds and plums that hold on for quite a long time.

The smooth hydrangeas are the second group of native hydrangea.  This group has been known as the Annabelle Hydrangea for years, as it was the cultivar most readily available to consumers.  It has a round, white flower unaffected by pH and, since it blooms on new wood, it can be cut to the ground in January and still provides loads of blooms that summer.  Recent introductions include:  "Invincibelle Spirit" (pink), "White Dome" (lace cap), "Incrediball" (HUGE white flowers), and "Bella Anna" (Endless Summer's pink Annabelle)

Last, but certainly not least, are the panicled hydrangeas.  This group blooms later than theothers and is much more adaptable to sunny situations.  The panicled flowers are white to pink, unaffected by pH, and occur on new wood, so you can prune whenever you want.  "Pee Gee", "Tardiva", and "Grandiflora" are the standy-by varieties, but "Limelight" began an avalanche of fun and exciting cultivars.  Look for "Pinky Winky", "Vanilla Strawberry", "Pink Diamond", and "The Swan".

Do you love hydrangeas as much as we do?  Send an email and pictures of your favorite hydrangea to jenny@sneedsnursery.com.  You will be entered into a drawing for a free hydrangea!   

Visit Juniper at Sneed's!

 Juniper came to us in a circuitous, but fortunate, fashion.  One of our regular customers was asking whatever happened to Ringer, our sweet calico that passed away three years ago.  Three days later, the customer called with a lead on a kitty in need.  Juniper was at the Henrico County Animal Shelter, and she needed a home.  The woman who had been caring for her had moved to Westminster Canterbury and could not bring the cat along.  She was very upset and asked her church to get the message out.  The customer remembered our conversation and stepped up to get the cat out of the shelter and over to Sneed's.  We thank him for that!

We held a Name the Kitty contest the week before Juniper joined us. Customer Terry Miffleton came up with the name and received a $10 Garden Center gift card.

"Things to Do" in your Garden for June 

• Monitor for pests.  Don't know what you're seeing?  Bring it to us for identification and for an organic solution.
• Keep plants watered . . . especially new ones!  Remember that established plants need one inch of water per week.  Water deeply and less often in order to encourage deep roots.
• To help with your watering, consider gator bags for new trees.  Rain barrels are also a great way to collect water for plants, get tax credits (in Richmond), and reduce run-off into the river.
• Turn your compost.
• Deadhead perennials in order to encourage re-blooming.
• Are slugs and snails getting to you and your flowers?  Try Espoma's organic slug killer . . . it works!
• Deadhead roses and feed with Rose-Tone.
• Get cages on those tomatoes and feed with Tomato-Tone.  Are you seeing blossom end rot on your tomatoes or squash?  Side dress with garden lime.
• Start seeds for fall vegetables this month.  They will be ready to plant out in August.
• Are birds getting your berries before you do?  We have bird netting available.

"The Bottom Line" in Landscaping

  by Bob Sneed 

We are asked all of the time . . . "Can I put sod down, because I have no luck with seed?"  The reality of good lawn results for the Central Virginia area is that, without an irrigation system, you will not have much success.  Sod does best when watered deeply, and new sod must be kept saturated for two weeks following installation.  This means watering at least three times per day, 10 minutes per time, for those first two weeks.  Of course, you can attempt this with a hose and sprinkler and achieve fair results.  But bottom line, we recommend having an in-ground irrigation system before you "invest" in sod.

Landscape Lighting News

by Steve Moore 

We are pleased to announce the addition of FX Lighting to the Garden Center and Landscape Department.  FX Lighting is owned by Hunter Industries and is manufactured in California.  The lights are a heavy gauge metal (copper or nickel alloy) and offer a 10-year warranty.  Lights come complete with stakes and bulbs, and tree mounts are also available at an extra cost.  This is a do-it-yourself product, or you can have it professionally installed by our Landscape Department.  

If you're thinking of doing it yourself, here are some helpful design hints regarding uplighting:

1)  When uplighting a masonary wall, lights look best if they are close to the wall.  Clapboard walls look best with light washing the wall from a distance.

2)  Trees with interesting bark and broad canopies work best for uplighting.

3)  Regarding scupture and stone, the predominate viewing angle and the piece will determine the best lighting technique.  For 360-degree viewing, an even uplight usually works best.  For viewing a piece from afar, a close-up backlight and another spotlight in the front of the piece at a distance will add alot of drama.

Stop by our Garden Center for a look at the product, or call Pam at 320-1101 for a free, installed estimate appointment.  Don't forget to check this newsletter for a landscape lighting coupon that is good through August 31! 

Lawn Care Tips for June

by Mark Alfred  

June is a good time to think about analyzing pH levels in the soil prior to fall lawn over-seeding.  Cool season tall fescues need a pH range between 6.5 and 6.7.  This is important for plants to transfer nutrients.  If the pH is way out of bounds, then any fertilizing will be a wasted effort.  Therefore, a laboratory soil test is a good investment to assure that your efforts for green grass are not in vain.

We lime to increase the pH and to offset decomposing organic matter, such as grass clippings or chopped up leaves (which leech out acids that decrease the pH levels).  It is not absolutely necessary to catch (or bag) the grass every time you mow, because the decomposing organic matter does have nutritional value.  But everything in excess is bad.  Consider how much of the length of the grass you are cutting each time.  A third or less of the length of grass can be consumed without decreasing pH levels significantly or adding to thatch problems.

Mid-June is considered the cutoff date for pruning most varieties of azaleas, because they set next year's flowering buds soon after, and hard pruning after this time will reduce next year's show.  June is also one of the best times to do general spring flowering shrub pruning.  When pruning, always consider whether the plant produces flowers from current year growth/old wood (like hydrangeas, in particular).  A general rule of thumb is to remove a third of the oldest growth as low to the base of the plant as possible.  This helps the plant rejuvenate itself as it would do in nature.  After any significant pruning, it is a good idea to fertilize and water.   

Upcoming Events/Specials at Sneed's

Stop by on Fridays to find out the "Pick of the Week" (buy 3 get 1 free) for annuals and perennials.  All sales and promotions run Friday through Thursday!

June 24 . . . All roses are buy 1, get 1 half off

June 25 . . . How to Grow Roses with Lynn Pappas, 11 a.m. 

July 1 . . . Viburnum special:  Buy 1, get 1 half off

July 8 . . . Boxwoods are buy 1, get 1 half off

July 9 . . . Awesome Plants for Richmond with Jenny Rash, 11 a.m. 

July 15 . . . Butterfly bush special:  Buy 1, get 1 half off

July 22 . . . All houseplants are 30% off.  Cotoneasters are buy 1, get 1 half off

July 23 . . . How to Create a Terrarium with Jenny Rash, 11 a.m.  

July 29 . . . Juniper special:  Buy 1, get 1 half off.

Riverside School:

"Adopt-a-Garden" Winner for May!  

Congratulations to Riverside School, 2110 McRae Road, the winner of our

"Adopt-a-Garden" program for May!

Riverside is a small, private school (grades K-8) dedicated to meeting the needs of children with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.  They are working with Terra Technologies and Solutions to create and maintain an edible garden for use throughout the year.  The garden supports their curriculum, "What we do, what we chew, and what we view", which was created to increase the activity level, decrease time spent watching TV, and improve the nutritional habits of their students.