Posts made in September, 2007

Avocado Don Gillogly (Persea ‘Don Gillogly’) is a luscious tropical tree that fruits year-round if kept in doors. This avocado is a vigorous dwarf that produces tons of fruit on a small tree. Fast-growing and pest-free, this Mexican native produces two crops a year of soft, black-skinned avocados with a flavor so rich you need nothing else for a scrumptious guacamole!

You should have your first crop in just over a year. If you live in a milder climate, it will also perform well on the patio, but bring it indoors beside a sunny window before frost. This tree can reach up to 10 feet in the wild, but it is very easy to keep it pinched and trained in a container. This is one of those really great plants that will have your guests going "wow, is this real?" and you will be able to reply by letting them try some of your delicious homemade guacamole.

This is one of Wayside Gardens’ top sellers. It has proven, in the last few seasons, to be a real customer favorite. This tree will not disappoint.

Admittedly, you’ll never achieve the splashes of radiant color that come so easily in the summer, but there is no reason to let your garden wither. If you get creative you can squeeze bits of color from this plant and that until you have a perfectly enchanting winter garden.

Evergreens are sooth with a ephemeral array of blues, silvers, greens, and golds. From The blue-gray of the Arizona Cypress ‘Glabra’, the bright Thuja ‘Gold Ribbon’, adding these colorful trees will add height and structure to your garden, while providing subtle winter colors throughout the bleaker months.

Plants that produce fruit in the winter add bright colors that will contrast well with the more subtle evergreen colors. Holly berries or Pyracantha can add nice warm splashes of reds and golds. The large, bright red rose hips of shrub roses can be very attractive in the off-months.

Deciduous shrubs and trees that have colorful bark are often used as colorful accents in the winter garden. Birches, maples, and cherries are great examples. Some Japanese Maples, for example, have bright white or red bark that really stands out against the muted colors of winter.

Lily-of-the-Valley "Bordeaux’ has larger flowers and far more of them than any other Convallaria Majalis. These large blooms rise out of Bordeaux’s uniquely deep green foliage, creating a huge impact in any garden. These flowers are bigger, there are more of them, and they hold themselves high above the dark foliage.

Convallaria Majalis ‘Bordeaux’ is very easy to grow. Enrich your soil with an all-purpose fertilizer or rich organic matter and provide moist, well drained soil and you will not be disappointed. This was one of Wayside Gardens’ top sellers last year, and it looks like they may do even better this year. Order them while you can for beautiful spring blooms.

You might also want to take a look at the standard Convallaria Majalis. While the flowers may not be as big as on Bordeaux, this little plant has a magnificent fragrance and makes as excellent ground cover in shady areas. The original Lily-of-the-Valley is very easy to care, and given good rich soil, will thrive in most climate conditions.

There would be no garden without perennial summer and spring bulbs. They provide most of the colors, textures, and fragrances which give gardens most of their allure. From spring to fall, these are your staples–just fill in along the way with a few annuals, tropicals, and short bloomers.

Your flower bulbs will also require very little of your attention, freeing you up to work on other garden projects. Daffodils, tulips, amaryllis, and other bulbs need no regular maintenance as long as they have moisture and well-drained soil. They never need to be divided or replanted – just let them clump and spread as they will for a more natural and playful looking garden.

Clematis Sweet Autumn is a wonderful treat for anyone who wants to extend the life of their garden. This fall blooming vine will reach up to 30 feet covering your garden with bushy white fragrant blooms. With silvery seed-heads and beautiful star-shaped flowers, this plants will really show out once it gets going.

It usually takes a couple seasons for Clematis Sweet Autumn to establish, but once it does, it is hardy and fairly low maintenance. It will perform best if the roots are shaded and the top part of the plant gets full sun. This will be the star of any garden from late summer to fall.