Odds and ends:

• While we have been putting the nursery to bed for the winter, we have also been finding some little goodies that might be of interest to any helper elves out there. More about them below.
• Taking good care of your plants over the winter is something you should be thinking about too and we have some items and some information below to help with that. If you have any questions about what to do for specific plants, please give us a call.
• We offer a deposit plan for overwintering plants we already have in stock or for pre-ordering something specific for next spring.  More information below. 
• Don't forget about the Oriental Garden Supply Gift Certificate - available in all sizes, guaranteed to please any recipient, particularly if you are not sure what they would like. We are offering 10% off if you bring in the coupon below for certificate values up to $100. As an extra incentive, buy a $100 gift certificate, and get a $20 one to use for yourself or someone else! If you can't make it to the nursery, email or give us a call and we will work out the details with you.

We encourage you to come visit us at the nursery before we close at noon on Saturday, December 21st. Just a reminder though, be sure to wear your mud boots. Hours are 9 AM to 4 PM every day, closed on Sundays, until noon on December 21st. We look forward to seeing your winter pictures and helping you finish your gift list here at OGS!

Al Pfeiffer, Owner
Oriental Garden Supply

Our climate zone often requires that we take extra measures to protect our plants over the harsh winter. Selecting plants that are hardy to our area is the first step, along with making sure that the plant goes into winter with enough moisture to fend off the drying winter winds. Here at the nursery, we have polyhouses to protect the tenderest of our plants, but out in your landscape you may need to use other means to protect your investment from the elements. Correct siting, windbreaks, and temporary protective barriers such as burlap screens, hinged wooden covers, and newer products such as Shrub Coat will help. Certain plants may benefit from the spray application of antidessicants, but never use them on Chamaecyparis (Hinoki or other false cypresses) or Thuja (arborvitae) since the waxy coating prevents transpiration in these plants.

Paper or plastic tree wraps are helpful in preventing sunscald on thin-barked plants such as Japanese maples. They are also useful in reducing damage to susceptible young tree trunks from deer, rabbits, moles, and other animals. The use of sprays or granular applications of critter repellents like Plantskydd in later winter months can also help remove your plants from their dinner menu.