It's good time to fertilize those plants that need a little help. Roses peonies etc are all the heavy feeders.  Even the poor daffodils can benefit. They might flower better next year. Don't over fertilize!  It can lead to pollution run off

 and, believe it or not,  make plants more vulnerable to insect attack! Here at Greystone Gardens we like the Espoma Tone products. (Hollytone, Treetone etc. ) They are good organic, slow release fertilizers. In fact, this afternoon, I am going to fertilize my box hedge at home. It looks a little stressed.

It's a great time to plant trees...we have some excellent varieties this year. I'll be compiling my new list this week and post it on next weeks news letter.

Arum italicum is a striking spring foliage plant which will lead to bright orange berries in the fall. GARDEN CENTER---The frosty mornings have nipped many of our plants new growth, but they will re-shoot quickly now that warmer temperatures are forecast.     A fresh supply of spirea has arrived, 'Gold Elf', perfect as an edging or the front of a bed, eye-catching 'Goldmound', 'Neon Flash' and 'Magic Carpet', and the popular white spring bloomer, 'Snowmound'. The fragrant Viburnum 'Burkwood' and spring bloomer 'Summer Snowflake' perfect in a mixed bed and the popular doublefile viburnum now comes in a more upright form.    Microbiota 'Fuzzball' is a new low growing evergreen with fine green foliage and we have a blue and white aquilegia already blooming along with cushion and 'Fens Ruby' euphorbia.  Allegheny pachysandra has wonderful mottled leaves and pale pinkish-white bottle brush flowers. GARDEN SHOP--- Check out our limited edition beeswax candles that are new in the gift shop this week. Beeswax burns very cleanly, and Root candle has combined sleek packaging with very subtle fragrances along with a hint of vanilla, like Vanille & Berries, Vanille & Bourbon, Vanille & Coconut, and Vanille & Tobacco!  Root Candles Limited Edition line are a lightly scented beeswax candle.     Its been a breezy spring this year and the sound of chimes in the garden bring another element to the garden. We have a wide selection of chimes including a wind bells, Buoy bells, a selection of Music of the Spheres chimes with their rich tones, and the softer sound of the art bells with leaves, butterflies, birds or dragonflies.   Stock up with lovely gardening stuff! Plant mid, early, and late blooming daffodils to assure flowers. This is one of the few clumps whose blooms defied the freezing temperatures and snow load and have remained upright. Our later blooming daffs  will be fine! SUSAN'S GARDEN---This week, I took the protective deer netting off the rock gardens. Pegging the ends really helped keep leaves from getting underneath and also kept the rabbits out. The hardy cactus collapsed as it does every year, but it will slowly straighten out. Be very careful when working anywhere near this vicious plant. The slightest touch and tiny clumps of stinging hairs embed themselves in my gloves and then work their way into the skin where they break off. Why plant such a nasty character in the garden? Nothing else hardy for this area, has its flat pancake, paddle-like stems or its frilly yellow flowers that sprout like stuck-on barrettes. And they look very at home among the small gravel and rocky outcrops of the rock garden. Helleborus odorous or stinking hellebore is a striking plant with chartreuse flowers against dark greenish-blue leaves.    Another spiny plant that always seems to find that bare piece of skin to attach its self to, is the barberry. The columnar forms are easy to prune by simply pruning back a few whips. Large over-grown shrubs require multiple layers of protective wear, thick leather gloves which usually means less flexibility, and a sharp pair of pruners. And alot of time. Nipping back about six inches at a time means you can actually get them into a large garden bucket instead of finding yourself bound up in the thorns of a long stem and calling for help. Its tedious, I know, but I've tried hedge clippers and the pieces end up everywhere while half remain inside the plant where they eventually die and become brown. Raking will remove some but then they have to be picked up, and that means contact and more then a few infected thorns. On the plus side, my barberry are trimmed back, old, dead branches broken off at the base and removed, the new growth will be full and colorful and the beds will look slightly tidier. Sorbaria, spirea and yucca are a bright shot of color for the garden.

 

Hours:Tuesday through Saturday 10am - 6pm

Sundays 11am- 3pm 

 Phone  570 586 5493