Wayside Gardens Voices

Most Popular Plants For January 2009

If you were wondering what's going to be hot in gardening this spring, January is always a good indicator. Everyone has gotten their catalogs and they are eager to start digging.

Our best seller this month, by far, was the Hydrangea 'Incrediball' - you can't help but be impressed by the look of this beautiful plant. It's like growing clouds in your garden with its enormous, fluffy clusters of pure white blooms. Hydrangeas usually do well - everyone loves the 'Endless Summer' and the Angel Collection, but Incrediball has really been a hit so far this year.

Other big hits have been the incredibly florific Syringa 'Bloomerang' and the brilliant Paeonia 'First Arrival, our number 2 and 3 top selling plants. For the complete list of Wayside's top-selling plants check here: Wayside's Most Popular Plants For January.

Flower Bulbs & Our Office Amaryllis Has Bloomed!

Does anybody remember way back on Dec. 26 when I shared some pictures of the the amaryllis in our office? Well I just thought I would follow up with a picture now that it has bloomed. It really is pretty. If any of you purchased one of the Wayside Garden's Amaryllis this holiday season and would like to share your blooms with us feel free to email them to me at tandrews@parkseed.com. If you do, I'll post them here for everybody to see. If you don't have any amaryllis pictures, I may also post pictures of your cat, if I think they are funny.

If you missed out, check out other items in the Wayside Gardens Bulb Collection. I'll post pictures of those too, once they bloom--just send them in. Here's our office Amaryllis - well, it's Jamie's amaryllis, but I believe I have the best view of it from my desk.

Japanese Maples: Protecting Fragile Foliage

The foliage of Japanese Maples can be very fine and delicate - this is often part of their appeal to many gardeners. To maintain a healthy plant with such delicate parts, sometimes tender care is in order. Japanese maples need protection from the sun, protection from the cold, protection from the wind, and plenty of moisture to maintain that beautiful signature foliage that makes them so popular.

Choose a good location when planting your Acer - a tree in the open will be very susceptible to the elements. As the tree grows and establishes stronger roots it will become less vulnerable, but while the tree is still young make sure there is shade and some sort of windscreen available.

Cover your tree if you are expecting a frost or an extremely windy day. Frost, drought, wind, and direct sunlight will scorch your tree in just a day - cover your tree if you suspect unfavorable conditions to hold in that much needed moisture.

Water deeply weekly. This is probably the most important tip. Give thorough waterings, but no more often than necessary - force the roots to grow down. You want your Japanese Maple Tree to grow a deep healthy root system that will allow it to have bright, full, healthy leaves even when conditions are less than adequate.

You can read more about this topic here: Caring For Japanese Maples

You can find similar hints and tips in Wayside Gardens' online Plant Care Library.

Fearing a Hot, Dry Growing Season? Try Drought-Tolerant Plants!

If you live in a drier part of the country, sometimes it can be pretty difficult to plan a garden, because there are a limited number of plants than can tolerate severe climates. Here in South Carolina the springs and summers have been very dry for the last two years. If you are looking to conserve water but you would still like to have a beautiful, colorful garden, you should check out some of Wayside Gardens' drought-tolerant plants. These hardy plants will tolerate hot, dry conditions, and you will still have a landscape overflowing with brilliant colors, fascinating textures, and unique forms.

Watering your plants properly will also help you conserve water and save your garden during a drought. Water deeply to ensure that your roots grow deep into the ground - light waterings lead to shallow roots which tend to lose moisture to evaporation during dry spells. Also try to skip a few days between waterings unless your plant is in danger of scorching - this time will force your plants to seek moisture deeper under the ground, promoting strong root growth.

Hydrangeas: Easy Winter Pruning Tips

Hydrangea pruning rules vary from one variety to the next, but none of them are too complicated. The easiest to remember is white-blooming hydrangeas - most white hydrangeas bloom on new wood and can be pruned as soon as the blooms fade. If you haven't pruned your white hydrangea this winter, you can go ahead and cut them back for full spring blooms.

For most macrophyllas, mopheads, and oakleaf hydrangeas, blooms form on at least one year-old stems. If you prune too severely you will not have any blooms. Other than cleaning out the dead and ugly parts, it's best to leave these alone unless your plant has become too large.

If you are pruning for cut-flowers, your goal is not to make the plant look pretty, but to get the best blooms on long straight stems. First, remove all of the dead or dying material that you would normally remove. Second, you will cut the plant back to about a third of its current size. Cutting the plant really low, will force it to grow long stems, which is exactly what your want.

For more information check our Wayside Garden's Hydrangea Growing Guide.

Hostas: Work-Horse of the Flower Bed

Year after year, hostas continue to be one of the best selling plants on the market. It's interesting because when most people think "herbaceous perennials" they are looking for blooms, but hostas are a primary source for foliage interest in many flower beds and small gardens nationwide.

Hostas are closely related to lilies, and they do produce blooms--some actually produce very pretty, long-blooming flowers. They are grown from tubers and usually begin sprouting new growth in the early  spring, and most will stay green well into the cold of winter. They are generally hardy, and because of their penchant for thriving in shade/part shade, are often a staple in shade gardens.

Wayside Gardens is offering a variety of impressive hostas this season in golds, greens, blues, and even some foliage thats almost white. Bright variegated hostas with intricate striping on big full leaves will fill in those empty spaces in your flower garden. You should really check out the "Blue Mouse Ears" It is a customer favorite--it is include in the Collector's Choice Hosta Collection, which included hand-picked varieties to give you a nice range of what hostas have to offer.