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Collier's Garden Scoop
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April 2016
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Spring is nature's way of saying,"Let's party!"
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Warm-season annuals, perennials, ground covers, herbs and veggies have begun to arrive and our tables fill up a bit more each day! This is the time of year when it feels most like a 'nursery' here, with young, healthy plants around every corner. During April & May our growers are at their peak production, which means the largest and most varied selection for you to peruse. April is indeed a 'party' for all of us who love gardening! Here's a peak at just a few among the huge variety of plants that will cover and transform the nursery this month- too many to even begin to mention them all. Stop by this month and browse the best selection of the year. We look forward to seeing you!
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April Hours
Monday - Saturday 9 to 5:30
Sundays 1 to 5
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Now 'hanging around' the nursery are many hanging baskets overflowing with blooms for sun and shadier spots. These are easily moved if we happen to get a sudden, late freeze (doesn't seem likely, but you just never know!) and are an easy way to make your garden 'pop' with color instantly. There's also the option to remove the hangers and set the pot on a table or in a more decorative container.
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Trailing Petunias
Best in partial to full sun with regular water. Pinch off spent blooms to increase flowering.
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Million Bells
Thrive in 2 to 3 hours of sun or more. No dead-heading required & one of our favorites!
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 Tropical ferns such as the essential Kimberly queens
(for the lushness of green fern fronds in very sunny spots there is no equal!), Boston and macho ferns (these two thrive in shady areas), as well as flowering tropicals such as mandevilla (sun-loving vine with large, trumpet-shaped blooms in white, pink & red) have already arrived, with many more to come during April! Simply set one of these beauties into a decorative container on your porch or patio to transform the space in a snap.
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A Southern garden wouldn't be complete without a few impatiens tucked into shady corners and beds. Water consistently & enjoy blooms until fall!
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For something a little different in your shade garden try double impatiens. Delicate rose-like blooms will have garden guests looking twice!
| A relatively recent arrival to the gardening world, sunpatiens look almost identical to New Guinea impatiens but will tolerate full sun! Water consistently.
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Dahlias are so jaw-droppingly gorgeous it's no wonder they are a garden classic, loved by all. Tall & dwarf varieties in stock for beds or containers.
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For dahlias to look their best they need well-drained soil & regular moisture. Snipping off dead blooms increases bud production.
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Without question one of our best sellers, and with good reason, angelonia bestows non-stop blooms from spring til fall. Excellent height accent in beds or containers.
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Sporting the same snapdragon-like blooms but with a low, spreading growth habit, spreading angelonia also (like the upright type) thrives in part to full sun.
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Newer varieties of dianthus have been bred for heat-tolerance & can be enjoyed longer into the summer. Several of our customers know these to be deer-resistant!
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Possibly the flowers that shout "Spring!" the loudest are these large, happy gerbera daisy blooms. Best grown in lots of sun. Don't overwater!
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Jewels of Opar are fairly new to us, and we have come to love them! Low, mounding chartreuse foliage is topped by dainty, nodding red berries.
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Versatile and extremely durable, lantana can be used to cover large areas in beds or paired with other sun-lovers in containers.
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Marigolds are garden favorites because of how effortlessly they grow & bloom if only watered regularly. The are known to deter pests and so are often planted with edibles.
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An indispensable addition to every cottage garden (and those that aspire to be). Mealycup sage thrives in hot sun and blooms non-stop from spring until frost. Attracts butterflies as well!
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Many are familiar with verbena trailing from containers and hanging baskets. This year we also have upright verbena with more of a mounding growth habit perfect for flowerbeds.
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Never underestimate the visual power of foliage in the garden. Dusty miller, common but still quite lovely, looks especially good paired with pale blue, lavender & yellow. Plus, it will grow in sun and shade!
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With extremely vivid coloring, some solid like these 'Wasabi' coleus, and others with leaves splashed bright yellow, orange, purple or red, coleus can be used as a backdrop for blooms or looks spectacular en masse.
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'Magellan' zinnias are a compact-growing zinnia (12-14" tall & wide) with extra-large, sturdy blooms. Great choice for massing in flower beds.
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They thrive in full sun (or at least 3 or 4 hours per day). Given well-drained soil & consistent moisture they bloom all summer. Deadhead occasionally.
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The most reliable of the zinnias is star or narrow-leaf zinnia. Growing only 8-12 inches tall & spreading wider, they look great in front of taller blooms.
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 Combos We Love
For full or partial sun
Enjoy the nearly-effortless, non-stop blooms of angelonia (tall-growing in white, pink or purple), double begonias (deep red leaves and white, pink or rose flowers) and million bells (trailing habit and many colors to choose from!)
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 Combos We Love
For partial sun to mostly shade
This trio will thrive with only 1 to 3 hours of sun a day. Coleus leaves are as colorful as any flower and accent hot pink double impatien blooms and bright white trailing torenia.
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Look for many varieties of succulents at the nursery this spring, including perennial types like this 'Lemon Ball' sedum, as well as hen & chicks and ice plant. These thrive in the ground in 4 to 5 hours of sun per day or more. Great for rock gardens, perennial beds and between pavers!
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Also in stock are annual or tender succulents like these echeverias, that love temps above 40 and need to be protected during winter. Best choices for containers that can be moved indoors in cold weather, or you can grow them inside year-round in a sunny window!
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Salvias grow into show-stopping spectacles by mid-summer and fall, so get them planted now for maximum growth! Durable and tolerant of hot, sunny conditions. When given ample root space they can grown large and bushy, from 18 to 36 inches depending on variety. Abundant blooms attract hummingbirds.
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Dianthus is a hardy perennial that thrives in hot, sunny areas of the garden. Low mounds of blue-grey, grass-like foliage clump and spread a little each year but are not invasive. Excellent ground cover with beautiful blooms in spring and sporadically through summer. Pictured here, 'Apple Slice' dianthus.
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 Fresh off the truck from Oregon: stately pyramidal American boxwoods, flushing with bright green new growth & ready to make a grand statement in a large container in your garden or flanking steps into the house. Boxwoods are slow-growing & only need occasional pruning to shape. Will tolerate part to full sun. Container-grown boxwoods should be watered well during hot, dry spells. |
Irrigating with oyas is a truly ingenious ancient idea that works in the modern garden as well!
Oyas are made of unglazed pottery, and have a bulbous body and narrow neck that prevent evaporation, even in hot weather. Since the pottery is unglazed, water seeps through and into the surrounding soil! Bury the oya, leaving the neck exposed so you can pour water into it. Oyas can be used in containers when you go out of town or at vacation homes, in flowerbeds or pots that are prone to drying out quickly or in the veggie garden- they are simple, but effective! Two sizes available in store now. |
Collier's is now on Instagram!
Follow us for fun and inspiring pics of
plants & decor as they arrive this spring, along with info & ideas to help you along as you create and dig in your own garden.
You can also find us on facebook.
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Collier's Nursery
205-822-3133
2904 Old Rocky Ridge Road
Birmingham, AL 35243
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