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Check it out!!
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 The newest addition to the Kubota family at the ready to help load your truck! |
| Question of the Week |
"Is it bad to pile mulch around the trunk?"
Check out the answer below. |
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A riot of color!
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Viburnum x burkwoodii
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Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
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We will be OPEN on Columbus Day!
Monday, Oct. 8th
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A Quick Glance at Sugar Maples
 | | Acer saccharum 'Fall Fiesta' |
A couple of weeks ago it was still summer and now, in the blink of an eye, the leaves are turning and carpeting the ground. Here in Newtown it's the Sugar Maples that are calling our attention. Customers are asking for them, curious about the differences in the varieties we grow. While they are subtle, the information here may help you decide between them. All are PC Grown at our Connecticut Farms. Here's what we currently have in stock:
'Commemoration' has an oval habit with a dense, leafy crown. A fast grower reaching 50' high x 35' wide. Yellow to pumpkin-orange fall color.
'Fall Fiesta' Fast grower with an upright, rounded habit and full symmetrical branching. It reaches 50-60' high x 45' wide. Yellow-orange-red fall color.
'Flax Mill Majesty' is also a faster grower than the species. It has large leaves and a symmetrical habit growing to 60' high x 40' wide. It is very hardy and resistant to sun scald and frost cracks. Yellow-gold to warm red fall foliage.
'Green Mountain' Dark green leaves turn brilliant orange-red in fall. Upright, oval habit growing to 45' high x 35' wide. Of all our cultivars it is the most like the species.
Call for sizes and availability for your upcoming jobs. |
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Bulb Blurb: Tulips anyone?
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Bottom row l-r: Centennial Mix, Strawberry Triumph, Sweet Pink Mix, Apeldorn Elite, Queen of Night, Menton, Hemisphere, White and Golden Emperor, Angelique and Red Emperor.
Top l-r: Sweet Pink and Blue Ribbon Mix (and Bulb-Tone!)
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Most of us spend too much time and effort battling deer year round, so when it comes to bulbs, why tempt them even more with Tulips? Since it's a shame to let a whole genus of plants go unused, here's a few tricks to help guard against deer and squirrel damage so your customers can enjoy some vibrant spring color:
Deer Fencing! Yes, we carry all you need to ring the property with 7 1/2' poly deer fencing. Stop in and ask your salesperson or call in for a quote.
Repellex Tablets As a matter of fact we just heard they are used in a trial for the display gardens at the Tuliptime Festival in Holland, Michigan. They added the tablets to the tulip beds very early spring, as soon as the ground was workable (if put in the ground at fall planting, by spring it would not be full strength). The plant takes up the active ingredient (Capsaisin which is the heat in chili peppers) systemically via the roots so the leaves and flower buds will not be enticing to deer or squirrels. They have had great luck with it.
Bobbex Start spraying once the leaves are up and continue the program up until the buds swell just before they open.
Bobbex Dip the bulbs before planting in some Bobbex concentrate for 3-5 minutes and let dry. A stinky process, yes, but worth the effort to keep burrowing rodents and deer from eating them.
Small gauge chicken wire - This was a topic of conversation heard at the counter this week. Just wrap the bulbs in a small square of the wire and plant. The roots and leaves will grow right through it but the bulb will stay in place. Squirrels and voles will find it very difficult to steal.
Pea gravel can be used at planting surrounding the bulb so rodents have a hard time reaching it as they burrow.
Planting in protected sites like a court yard or up close to the house can help increase your chances of seeing tulips bloom uneaten.
Have your own tips? Let us know!
Good luck!
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Question of the Week
This is worth repeating...
"Is it bad to pile mulch up around the trunk?"
Answer:
We've all seen this...Volcanoes of mulch rising 6, 8, and 12 inches up the trunks of trees at commercial sites and residences around the state. It doesn't take the mulch police to crack down on this practice, just a little education.
Besides looking ridiculous, it is not healthy for the tree or shrub. In fact, it will cause long term damage and the tree will most likely need to be replaced. Why? It holds moisture on the trunk causing bark tissue to rot from being constantly wet. It also provides a habitat for mice and voles to chew the bark under cover.
While the tree will not show immediate signs of stress, it is inevitable. It may not be too late to remedy the problem by mulching the tree properly. Remember to keep the mulch 6" away from the trunk. Use just a 2-3" layer of a natural bark mulch and spread it over the exposed soil after planting. Supplement this yearly if necessary as old mulch will break down adding organic matter to the soil.
To learn more check out the Scott Arboretum article on the Mulching of Woody Plants.
Submit your landscaping question via email to sbarbier@planterschoice.com and you'll be entered in a monthly drawing to receive 10% off your next purchase (pick up only, does not apply to deliveries). Please use "Question of the Week" in the subject line and let me know if you want your name and business mentioned. |
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Perennial HOT List
Here's a list of great looking perennials - in stock and in good supply - ready for your next job!
 | | Pincushion Flower 'Butterfly Blue' |
Carex glauca (Sedge) Nice silvery-blue blades on clumping Sedge.
Dendranthemum 'Sheffield Hybrid' (Hardy Mum)Large plants, some budded. Will open to a soft, apricot daisy.
Leucanthemum 'Becky' (Shasta Daisy) Full plants!
Ophiopogon nigrescens (Black Mondo Grass) Deep, dark foliage - awesome plant for texture and contrast!
Phlox divaricata 'Blue Moon' (Woodland Phlox) Great plant for spring bloom!
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' (Pincushion Flower) Blooming and deer resistant!
Thank you Heather.
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Special of the Week:
Low-bush Blueberry 10% off 10 or more
Vaccinium angustifolium
 On SPECIAL this week are one of our favorites - low-bush blueberry. This time of year they are developing gorgeous fall color, next spring you're rewarded with small white flowers followed by small, delicious blueberries in summer - a great three season plant. A low shrub that grows naturally in full sun and dry rocky soils. They can tolerate part shade, though fruit production may be less. Try using them as an awesome groundcover. A native plant and deer resistant!
Continued specials on:
All Magnolia 1 - 10% off, 2 or more - 20% off
B&B Cherry Laurel -10% off ('Otto Lyuken' & 'Schip.')
All Fruit Trees 10 & 15 gallon - 20% off
All Tropicals 75% off!
Valid: Friday, Oct. 6th-Saturday, Oct. 12th
*Price is net. No further discount applies. |
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NOW!
Incoming and noteworthy this week:
 | White hybrid Dogwood 'Aurora'
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Deciduous Trees
Acer palmatum dissectum (Cutleaf Japanese Maples) Check out their fall color!
Cornus x 'Aurora' Hybrid Dogwood Fresh supply looking sweet!
Broadleaf and Specimen Evergreens
Azaleas 'Delaware Valley White', 'Pleasant White', 'Tradition'
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides' (Fern-spray Cypress) Looking
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good in 6 gallon containers!
C. pisifera f. (Gold Mops Cypress) 3 & 10 gal. Ilex x 'Blue Princess'
Pinus leuco. (Bosnian Pine) 'Mint Truffle'
P. mugho (Mugho Pine) 7 gal.
Evergreens for Screening
Picea abies (Norway Spruce)
P. omorika (Serbian Spruce) P. pungens (Colorado Spruce) Groundcover
Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese Spurge) flats
Hardgoods
Grass seed
Annuals
Mums!
Cabbage and Kale are looking great! The cooler the nights, the more intense the color is on these interesting ornamentals.
Perennials  | Painted Fern 'Ghost'
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Many fabulous looking perennials, grasses and ferns like this Painted Fern Athyrium x 'Ghost' - a cross between Japanese Painted Fern and Lady Fern. It's got silvery fronds on an upright, hardy plant.
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Have a Great Weekend!
Remember we're OPEN on
Monday - Columbus Day!
As always, we appreciate your business!
Sincerely,
Chuck and Darryl Newman
Planters' Choice, LLC |
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