'Elegantisima' Arborvitae -  Don't Pass This Up!

Gold Tip Arborvitae

 Eastern Arborvitae are staples among landscape plants all throughout the Northeast. 'Emerald Green' is the one that first comes to mind but consider another cultivar that has been around for a long time - 'Elegantisima' or Gold Tip Arborvitae. The foliage is a rich green with yellow tips, which are more pronounced in colder weather, turning bronze in winter. It has a single trunk (a nice quality especially when thinking ahead to future snow loads) and reaches 15' tall.  It has a pyramidal habit that becomes wider with age making it a good substitute for needled evergreens that might become too large for a site. They are also less attractive to deer than other Eastern Arborvitae.
 

Use as a key piece on the corner of a foundation planting, single specimen or hedging. Plant in moist, deep, well-drained soil.

We will be stocking both yards next week with these beauties, they are less expensive than 'Emerald Green' and are twice as wide! 

With the amount of recent rain we have had, conditions are shaping up to be great for an early fall planting season. September is only two weeks away and NOW is the time to set up some work and increase your income.  Below are a few ideas you may not have considered:  

• Talk to your customers and remind them fall is the best time to aerate and over-seed their lawn so it is off to an optimum start in spring with mature grass plants.  
• Remember your 2012 lawn care program starts in September  2011!
• Got an ugly problem area that needs to be cleaned up?  Many times the answer can be spring bulbs! NOW is the time to sell this idea to your customer.  Rototill an area, add soil or soil amendments if needed and do a mass planting! What a great way to brighten any landscape! 
• Finally, it's not too early to think about winter screening. Do your customers need to warm up a cold bleak landscape? Some fresh evergreens have arrived with more on the way!

Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate'. Bloomtime will start in about a week.

common name: Joe Pye Weed
size: 3-4' tall x 2-3' wide
interest: Deep bronze purple foliage, large clusters of ageratum-like white flowers.
culture: Full sun, part shade. Moist, average or dry soil is tolerated as long as it is well-drained.
time of year: August - September
companion plants: Black-eyed Susan, Bee Balm 'Marshall's Delight', Cardinal Flower, Siberian Iris, Summer Phlox

Here is another work horse in the summer garden. The dark purple foliage comes to rescue any dull green-leaved border and the white flower clusters will add extra punch. You should find it very easy to grow as long as it has well-drained soil.  Dead-head 'Chocolate' before it goes to seed as any volunteers will not come true to seed.    

Check out our other Eupatorium varieties in stock:

Eupatorium dubium 'Little Joe' is a dwarf variety of our native Eastern Joe Pye Weed growing 3-4' .  

E. maculatum 'Gateway', grows 4-6' x 3', has bright mauve pink flowers and bold textured, bright green leaves and purple-red stems. Also native to the Northeast, E. maculatum will take moist soil. Both these are great for moist meadows and wetlands but also in the perennial border. Leave the seed heads for winter interest and wildlife. 

(Interesting fact: "Genus is named for Eupator, King of Pontus, who also supposedly knew of the healing properties of this plant. " UVM Perennial of the Month 2006) 

Questions Heard at the Counter  

Q:  "Which organic fertilizer is best for lawns this time of year, 8-1-9 or 9-2-5 with iron?"

A. Lebanon's Proscape 9-2-5 with iron is best to use now to give the turf a quick dark green boost. 6-8 weeks later you can use the Healthy Turf 8-1-9. The higher potassium will help thicken cell walls making them resistant to disease and increase cold hardiness going into winter.

Got a question? Chances are someone else is wondering the same thing!

Send it along by replying to this email and we'll try to get an answer for you!

In This Week: a beautiful load of Norway and Colorado Spruce... Makes it feel like fall is right around the corner!

Colorado Blue Spruce pulling in and our own Norway Spruce down from our fields.

Evergreens for Screening*

Picea abies (Norway Spruce) 5/6', 6/7', 8/10' (these sizes are PC Grown and fresh dug this week!) plus 7/8'.
Picea pungens glauca (Colorado Blue Spruce) 5/6', 6/7', 7/8'

Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Green' (Eastern Arborvitae) 5/6', 6/7'  

Thuja plicata 'Green Giant' (Western Arborvitae) 8/10' 

*We will be digging White Pine next week from our fields - stay tuned for sizes! 

Just over from Meadowbrook

Betula nigra (River Birch) 15 gallon - PC Grown. New stock  in our Newtown yard fresh from Meadowbrook. A wonderful value on these full, clump River Birch.     

All Tropicals - 50% OFF!

All Tropicals 50% OFF

Spruce up your containers for Labor Day with some great looking tropicals! Choose from Shell Ginger, Bougainvilla, Blood Banana, Plumbago, Meyer Lemon, Lantana Standards and more! Hurry, quantities are limited.

Delphinium e. ' New Millenium Super Stars'

Have A  

Great Weekend!

Don't forget to bring your appetite next Wednesday!

Hot Dogs & Drinks on Us!