We have a number of items to address on the plant front this time.
Invasive species and other selling/shipping considerations
Last fall New York State released a list of sixty-nine invasive species plants which can no longer be sold in NY after 3/10/2015, as well as a list of six more which may be sold until March 2016 with appropriate warning labels attached. A complete listing may be found on our website under the Library section of the Resources tab. Some of these plants we have not seen as a problem here, and the list may be revised as exceptions are made for sterile cultivars.
|
Euonymus alata 'Big Wings' |
Similarly, Plant Boards in other states have lists of invasive species that may not be shipped to their states. There are other locations like California where the phytosanitary regulations are so strict or Alaska and Hawaii where distance to ship is so long that we have elected not to ship to those locations. The length of time to ship and be inspected may surpass the ability of the plant to arrive in good health. We have noted these shipping restrictions under the respective cultivars on the website. Please be aware of these when trying to order from our location in New York.
Early spring planting considerations
Be careful about getting out there in your gardens too early. Stomping around on ground that has not quite thawed out or is still soggy will compress the air pockets that plants need to draw from to grow. Earliest spring chores include cutting back ornamental grasses, perennials with evergreen or persistent foliage (like Acorus 'Ogon', hellebores, epimediums, or European gingers), and the early bloomers like euphorbias, and cleaning up plants that grow from a dense crown like Sedum spectabile 'Autumnn Joy.' Call us, email, or stop by the nursery if you have any questions.
We often get questions about pruning and removing winter damage from shrubs or trees. In general, pruning to judiciously enhance a plant's natural appearance is best and, not surprisingly, easiest to maintain. Evergreens (conifers) normally require little pruning, but different types of evergreens should be pruned according to their respective growth habits. Again, call, email, or stop by the nursery if you have questions.
Critter damage? Deer, rabbits, mice, moles, voles, what have you - they are getting more active in the spring. Check your plants and look for telltale tracks and bite marks - do you need to place some effective deterrents? We've got various sizes and styles of Plantskydd at the nursery to help with that.
This is an image of damage found on plants around the pond at the nursery. The severe cold turned the Blue Atlas Cedar brown (blue arrow), and the rabbits had a wild time munching on the Japanese maple (red arrows).
New items
We have lots of new plants, particularly perennials, and materials this year. Some of these plants will not be ready right away as we want them to develop healthy root systems before we make them available for sale. However, new this year, we are noting on the website just when we expect them to be available so that if you have a hankering for a particular plant you can preorder them and we will put them on reserve for you.
If you have any questions about how to choose or care for your plants at any time, be sure to ask us.