Collier's Garden Scoop

July 2014

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.

-Sam Keen

So much color & not a bloom in sight!

Caladiums are extremely tolerant of our hot, humid summers. Varieties are now available

for shade and sun.

The slower pace of the summer months allows all of us more time to absorb, create and enjoy the fruits of our labors. If you find yourself with some free time & the urge to dig in the dirt, please come in and discover just how much there is to see at the nursery during July.

You're nearly certain to find something that tugs at your soul, and begs to go home to your garden! We receive several shipments of fresh annuals, perennials, herbs, groundcovers & shrubs each week to ensure that our selection remains fresh, healthy and beautiful.

We will be closed Friday & Saturday,

July 4th & 5th

Have a safe & enjoyable Independence Day!

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July Hours

Monday - Saturday 9 to 5

Closed Sunday

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Perennial Grasses

Grasses provide low-maintenance texture & color in the landscape,

and stand up to sun and heat effortlessly. Showy plumes appear late in the summer and persist into the fall. These can be cut, dried & used in flower arrangements. If left on the plant, they will produce seeds that provide

food for birds in the winter time. Prune all perennial grasses back late in the winter, just before new growth begins to emerge.

Here are four excellent varieties that we have in stock right now:

Photo courtesy of

Missouri Botanical Gardens webpage.

Photo courtesy of

Missouri Botanical Gardens webpage.

Adagio Grass

(Miscanthus sinensis)

Also called Japanese silver grass. Grows 2-3 feet tall with plumes reaching 3-4 feet. Plumes emerge bronzy-pink & fade to white, beginning in late summer & persisting into winter.

'Moudry' Black Fountain Grass

(Pennisetum alopecuroides)

Also called Chinese pennisetum. Grows 2-3 feet tall & wide. Very unusual dark purple, "bottle-brush" plumes late summer into the fall.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Pink Muhly Grass

(Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Native to eastern U.S. Grows 3-4 feet tall & wide with plumes reaching 2 feet taller. Very showy rosy-red plumes.

Pampas Grass

(Cortaderia selloana)

Native to Argentina. Grows 10-12 feet tall & wide. Silvery-white plumes can reach 1 to 3 feet taller. Very fast growing.

Easy, breezy solar lanterns

for the summer garden

Each of these brightly colored lanterns comes equipped with a solar panel that gathers sunlight during the day & pops on at dusk, emitting a soft, glowing light.

Great accent for outdoor living areas, or fun gift for friends or family.

Fresh off the truck & looking especially nice...

There are always interesting plants arriving here at Collier's,

even during the hot months of summer!

Coral Bells

Colorful foliage

for shade or

filtered sun.

Evergreen perennial.

Golden Mop

False Cypress

Mounding, weeping foliage with a distinctive look. Sun or partial sun.

Daisy Gardenia

Lovely blooms with yellow "stitches" in the center. Grows only 3-4 feet tall & wide.

Limelight Hydrangea

Spectacular, long-lasting blooms. Open lime green, mature to white and then pink. Excellent for cutting. Sun-loving.

D.D. Blanchard

Magnolia

These are already huge! Dark green leaves with fuzzy brown undersides are a magnificent backdrop for the large, fragrant white blooms.

Curly Willow

'Scarlet Curls' boasts wonderful curly branches that develop a reddish-tinge in winter. Fast growing

& tolerant of wet soils.

St. John's Wort

(Hypericum calycinum)

This is a groundcover that we have not had in stock until recently. Perennial aficionado Allan Armitage calls it "one of the finest ground covers available." Spreads quickly, thrives in sun and tolerates a wide range of soils. Shoots usually die back during our winters, but come back quickly (blooms on new growth). Becomes covered in bright yellow flowers each summer. Relative of the medicinal St. John's Wort.

New containers for summer...

Several new shipments of containers have arrived since the end of spring. During July, August & September new items will be trickling in,

in anticipation of the fall season- stop by often to see what's new!