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Kudos to last year's Best in Show...
It's Fair Time in Dutchess County!
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'Backyard Paradise' is Organic Matters' winning entry from last year -
Nicely executed with a great design and great plants (all grown right here at Planters' Choice)!
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If you haven't already made plans for next weekend you might want to shoot over to the Dutchess County Fair. You'll see everything there from bull riding competitions, an antique village, hundreds of vendors, crafts, livestock, live music and tons more. You'll also see awesome entries in the garden design category like this entry from last year's fair from Heather and her crew at Organic Matters. She writes: "Last year we won "Best in Show" with our take on the "Backyard Paradise" theme: Our Backyard Paradise is for the Birds! We created this colorful garden using plants that attract wildlife - particularly birds. These plants offer a wide assortment of seeds, nectar, berries and insects for birds to feast on. We've also made houses for nesting and provide fresh water for bathing. Sharing this space with the birds makes our backyard paradise! Right now we're getting ready for next week's Dutchess County Fair - the theme this year is 'Lights, Camera, ACTION!' Hope to see you there!"
Good luck this year, Heather!
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Perennial Highlight
Echinacea x 'Sunrise'
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| | Sunrise Coneflower is seen here, appropriately enough, early in the morning. |
If you haven't noticed, the Coneflowers are in full bloom right now. Not only the common purples but yellows, reds, pinks and the multi-colored 'Cheyenne Spirit' (seen up top). They attract many varieties of butterflies and bees - and Ana even saw Goldfinches checking them out! They're a solid choice for cottage gardens, perennial and mixed borders, wildlife gardens, walkways and patios - you name it! The seed heads provide fall and winter food for birds and look awesome for winter interest. The preferred soil is moist, deep and well-drained in full sun to partial shade. Need some companions to keep it interesting? Try Amsonia (Blue Star), Baptisia (False Indigo), Dianthus (Maiden Pinks), Liatris (Blazing Star), Nepeta (Catmint), Phlox sub. (Mountain Pinks), Platycodon (Balloon Flower) and many ornamental grasses. Now you're off to a good start in creating something called a garden. Take a walk through the perennials and see what catches your eye! |
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NOW!
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These Thuja occidentalis 'Nigra' (Dark American Arborvitae) 10/12' came in this week along with some 5/6' and 12/14' Thuja plicata 'Green Giant' (Western Arborvitae). Fall is just around the corner. The crews have been out preparing the site for a full compliment of evergreens to come. Need your fall jobs quoted? Just send them over to quotes@planterschoice.com! |
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Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) attracts hundreds of butterflies, moths, bees and hummingbirds for weeks on end. Check out our 'Black Knight' (seen here), 'Nanho Blue', 'Royal Red', 'Lo & Behold Blue Chip' and others. Easy to plant and care for, they add nice bold color with their large flower heads and the gray-green foliage works well into any color palette. They're best cut back late winter/early spring and fear not, they will bloom on cue in the summer without missing a beat. We have sizes and colors for every sunny site - butterfly gardens, massed on hillsides, island beds, perennial gardens and containers.
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We've had some nice hot weather this past week and the Sedum were loving it! Both S. Autumn Joy and Vera Jameson, about ready to bloom and Sedum rupestre 'Angelina' (barely visible at the top) all look superb.We've more than a dozen varieties of Sedum in stock, both upright and low spreaders. They are one of our go-to perennials for drought tolerance. Not to mention, they're just cool plants!
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Last Week's Plant I.D.
Sophora japonica
(Scholar-tree)
[New name is
Styphnolobium japonicum]
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Plant I.D.
Last week's Plant I.D. was the Scholar-tree ( Sophora japonica or Styphnolobium japonicum as it's now called). It's an underused tree that has lots to offer. Creamy flowers that bloom July to mid August, pinnately compound leaves (like Honey Locust), tolerance to poor soils, heat, drought (once established) and city conditions. Great for the lawn, city parks, golf courses etc. Also known as the Japanese Pagoda Tree, it will grow 35-50' tall and wide. Hardy to Zone 4.
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