Exciting New Plants for 2015

You’re Invited!

Flowering Pear in bloom at the nursery today

Here at Allisonville Nursery we are finally seeing signs of spring! This is a fantastic, fast paced season for those of us in the plant world, and I’m sure you as homeowners can relate.

If you’ve been around our store recently you’ve noticed a lot more color and a lot of busy people moving around outside. We have been receiving some fabulous looking new plants and can’t wait to share them with you!

Fortunately we’ve developed a great little overview of our buyers favorites for the upcoming season and we’re willing to give you the scoop on why they’re so phenomenal. This Saturday (3/21/15) at 10am there will be a seminar highlighting our perennial favorites and some wonderful woodies that are must haves.

Roxie and Jacques, our buyers here at Allisonville Nursery, have been working tirelessly to order the best, brightest, and boldest plants that will allow you to make a statement with you landscape regardless of size. They have decades of experience between the two of them, and it will be a real treat to glean some insight on what we can look forward to getting our hands on in the season to come! We’ll cover cool catmints, sultry false-indigo, gorgeous hydrangeas, and stylish dwarf conifers among many others.

Following our presentation, at 11am we will have our first monthly #AskAllisonville question and answer session. This round-table, panel discussion will allow gardeners of all backgrounds and skill levels to come ask the experts at Allisonville Nursery whatever’s on their mind. We will take questions from our visitors as well as from Twitter (use #AskAllisonville), Facebook, and our e-mailed inquiries (ask@allisonvillenursery.com) and post an overview of topics covered online the following week.

So on Saturday morning while you’re out and about please stop by for one, or both events. We look forward to meeting you!

Orange is the new green! (Or, fall is the best time to plant!)

The season is changing, the leaves will be falling soon, and the weather is turning cooler. For many people, this is a time for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, apple cider, a trip to the pumpkin patch, kicking back and watching some football; but to us it is the BEST time for planting!

While it might sound counter-intuitive, the best time to plant a new tree, shrub, or perennial is actually in the fall. When a plant is put into the ground in fall, it may be facing the cold above ground; but in the Midwest, root growth continues until deep soil temperature drops below 40 degrees.

If you plant a shrub in spring, it must acclimate itself to its new home and begin growing immediately. At the same time, it has to produce leaves, flowers, and then endure the rapidly arriving summer heat. Plant the same shrub in fall, and here’s what happens: It becomes happily dormant above ground soon after planting, but the roots have several months to grow and become comfortable and strong in their new home. When spring does arrive, the plant is established and ready to put out strong leaves, new growth, and lots of flowers! So the difference is obvious: Fall planting gives your plant’s roots a wonderful head start over spring planting.

For newly planted and established plants, fall fertilization is incredibly important. If you only fertilize once a year, make it in the fall instead of in the spring!

Unfortunately, spring is still the season you’ll find the greatest selection of shrubs and trees. But most nurseries and garden centers are beginning to recognize the value of fall planting and making special efforts to provide their customers with the best selection possible throughout the fall and early winter season.

When selecting those special plants for your landscape, always look for healthy, well-grown plants. Always buy from a reputable nursery with an experienced staff. These nurseries are in the business of selling service year-round, and in turn, they depend on loyal customers continued confidence in their business.

Plants come in a vast array of shapes, sizes, colors, and most importantly, qualities. It is just as important to evaluate plants individually before purchasing as it is to carefully inspect a new shirt of a television set. Shopping for plants by telephone or looking for the least expensive price can be a costly mistake. That old saying “You get what you pay for,” is often true, and certainly applies to the purchase of new landscape plant materials. Many times you will find that not all nurseries and garden centers are created equal.

A new tree or shrub can be a large physical investment. Why not give your new plant the best possible chance of survival and make care of the plant easier on you? Get outside and take advantage of this fall planting season!

Pansies - or are they?

How could Pansy ever mean anything other than strong and hardy? These guys are hard workers and will thrive in the early spring weather. Here are some tips for keeping the Pansies as happy as possible:

General Care

Light: Pansies grow best in a place with at least 6 hours of sun. Some afternoon shade is beneficial in spring.

Soil: Pansies grow best in rich, moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter. Add peat or composted manure to enrich your soil.

Temperature: Pansies will develop best when night temperatures are in the 40’s and day temperatures are in the 60 degree range. They are extremely cold hardy and will bloom any time that the temperature is above freezing.

Fertilizer: When planting, water in with root stimulator fertilizer.  We suggest using an organic fertilizer such as Espoma’s Flower-tone to continuously release fertilizer to your flowers.

Bloom: Keep old flowers pinched off to force more blossoms. Pansies will slow down in hot late spring temperatures. Pinch back, keep well-watered and mulch to keep roots cool. Replace with annuals in early summer.

Sub-Zero Pansies  are guaranteed by the grower to bloom in fall and again in spring when planted in late summer or early autumn.  Avoid wind-swept/exposed locations.  Do not place where plants are exposed to road salt or standing water.  Not recommended for container gardening.

Friends of Pansies

Spring: Combine  pansies with primroses, late blooming bulbs and early vegetables such as frilly red lettuce and cabbage.

Fall: Combine pansies with ornamental cabbage, kale, mums, and ornamental grasses.

Give the Pansies a shot! They will keep your garden bright and cheerful at times when summer annuals are hiding in the greenhouse!

Starting Seeds - Get a Head Start on Spring!

It's beginning to look and feel a lot like spring! We get so excited to get to planting that we don't always remember that this is still Indiana... Let's start growing our plants inside and then move them outdoors when the time is right!

Here are some tips and tricks that we have learned over the years. Seed starting may sound like something that only advanced gardeners do, but with a little research and help from Allisonville Nursery, it can be a very fun, easy, and rewarding project!

Containers
Many different types of containers from commercial trays and inserts to yogurt cups are suitable for seed starting provided they have drainage holes. Used containers must be sterilized by rinsing them in a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water.

Soil Mix
Always start with a sterile germinating mix. Do not use garden soil, it can harbor disease organisms. Moisten mix with room temperature water prior to  filling containers. Fill containers and gently tamp soil mix down. As a rule of thumb, plant seeds at a depth 2-3 times their diameter.

Planting
Very fine seeds such as petunia or begonia should be sown on the surface. Moisten the surface after planting with a fine mist. Large-seeded vegetables that resent transplanting, such as cucumber, cantaloupe and watermelon should be planted directly into peat pots.
Some seeds have specific light or dark requirements for germination. Sow seeds that require light such as dill, lettuce and impatiens on top of the soil. Cover seeds of cabbage, cauliflower, parsley and spinach
for germination.
Cover containers with clear plastic bags and place in a warm location for germination. Do not place covered containers in direct sunlight. Check daily for germination.

Special Techniques

• Scarification is nicking or roughing up a hard seed coat with sandpaper to enable the germination shoot to emerge. Seeds that benefit include lupine, moonflower and morning glory.
• Stratification mimics the cold/moist condition of winter. Place seeds between layers of moist soil mix, cover and refrigerate for several weeks. Purple coneflower, columbine and violas benefit from this process.

Timing
Don’t plant seeds too soon. Check seed packages for proper timing. The last frost date for central Indiana is May 10.

The Meaning of Flowers

Since it's Valentines Day (or Singles Awareness Day, celebrate as you wish,) I thought it would be fun to look into the meaning of the flowers that we plant and give.

Pink Rose - Grace

It's called the Language of Flowers, and it has an exciting history. Flowers have had various meanings for thousands of years, but it really gained popularity in Victorian society. Since it was taboo to talk about many things and express your feelings, lots of folks sent flower arrangements that would tell a story.

The definitions we have are from the book The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. While some flowers have different meanings depending on which "dictionary" you read, these seem to be generally accepted. Here are some Valentines Day favorites, good and bad, in no particular order:

• Roses
• Red - Love
• Pink - Grace
• Purple - Enchantment
• White - A heart unacquainted with love
• Orange - Fascination
• Peach - Modesty
• Yellow - Infidelity (Surprise!)
• Lily - Majesty
• Acacia - Secret Love
• Baby's Breath - Everlasting Love
• Bouganvillea - Passion
• Cactus - Ardent Love
• Carnations
• Pink - I will never forget you
• Red - My heart breaks
• Striped - I cannot be with you
• White - Sweet and lovely
• Yellow - Disdain (What is it with these yellow flowers??)
• Clove - I have loved you and you have not known it
• Freesia - Lasting friendship
• Oak Leaf Geranium - True friendship
• Honeysuckle - Devotion
• Hyacinth
• Purple - Please forgive me
• White - Beauty
• Peach - Your charms are unequaled
• Passionflower - Faith
• Pear - Affection
• Phlox - Our souls are united
• Potato Vine - You are delicious
• Stephanotis - Happiness in marriage
• Tulip - Declaration of love

Peach Blossoms - Your charms are unequaled

Maybe you should avoid including some of these in an arrangement for your sweetie:

• Lavender - Mistrust
• Lichen - Dejection
• Hydrangea - Dispassion
• Scarlet Geranium - Stupidity
• Buttercup - Ingratitude
• Candytuft - Indifference
• Foxglove - Insincerity
• Meadow Saffron - My best days are past (I would avoid this at a wedding...)
• Redbud - Betrayal
• Rhododendron - Beware
• Tansy - I declare war against you

Hydrangea - Dispassion

If you're celebrating Singles Awareness Day, here are some suggestions:

• Narcissus - Self-love
• Cranberry - Cure for heartache
• Black Poplar - Courage
• Sage - Good health and long life
• Scarlet Pimpernel - Change
• White Monte Casino - Patience

Sage - Good health and long life

So what does your arrangement mean? I know I'll be careful next time I pick up flowers for my sweetie... And maybe I'll put more thought into what I give my mother-in-law, too...

Feeding Birds in Cold Weather

Around here, we love to take care of our feathered friends. Personally, I love the sound of birds chirping in the morning to wake me up! Even still, when the weather dips, we have a tendency to forget about helping out the birds in our area.

Many birds stick around for the winter, and they can really use our help to make it through this cold weather. Birds are warm-blooded, and they require more calories in the winter than they do in the summer. The problem is that the bugs that they usually love to eat are either dead or dormant, so it's a challenge for birds to find their needed nutrients. If the birds are used to having a constant supply of food from you in the warmer months, it makes finding food in the winter even more challenging.

What should you be doing in the winter to help the birds in your area? Keep feeding them! They need foods that are high in calories and fat (I'm starting to think I'm a bird, because this sounds like my winter diet...) Try things like suet, which is very fatty and high energy, and things like peanuts and oil sunflower (we have great luck with Cole's Bird Feed.)

Different types of birds prefer different types of feeders, so you will want to have feeders on the ground, feeders on trees, and hanging feeders. The hanging feeders have a tendency to blow around more in this kind of weather, so only certain types of birds will be able to use them. In general, try to keep your feeders in a protected area that is relatively out of the wind.

Don't forget that the birds have lost a lot of the protection they normally get from trees. Bird houses can really be helpful this time of year. The birds don't want to be out in the elements, and they always need protection from predators. Make sure you keep them clean so you can help prevent the growth of parasites.

Birds are a wonderful addition to your landscape year round. They provide lively color, beautiful songs, and lots of entertainment. If you take care of them in the winter and become a reliable source of food, your yard is sure to become the new hot spot in your neighborhood for the best bird watching!

Watering Plants in the Winter

I always used to wonder if I should water plants in the winter. It's freezing, but the plants are still alive, so what should I do? Do I actually go out and water my plants in the winter?

The easy answer is YES, you should water your plants in the winter!

You don't have to water as much as you do during a summer drought or anything, but you definitely don't want your plants to totally dry out. You can water your plants any time the weather is above freezing, preferable above 40 or so. If the weather drops to freezing after you water, that's ok, it won't hurt the plants, but you don't want to water when it's freezing.

A good soaking every two to four weeks should do it. You want to make sure that your water gets down about 6" in the soil each time you water. That's typically about a half an inch to an inch of water. To measure that, place cups or bowls down where you are watering and water until you fill them to that depth. A slow, steady water is always best, no matter what time of year it is.

Obviously, if you are getting a lot of rain or snow, you don't need to worry about watering. Long story short, you are good for this January so far!

It's important to water all of your plants, but it's especially important to water any newly planted trees or shrubs, or any plants that are particularly exposed to wind or sun. Pay attention to any evergreen trees, as they are the most susceptible to winter droughts.

Don't forget after watering to take your hose off of the spigot. You don't want the hose to freeze and burst! If you have an automatic sprinkler system, make sure you aren't using it. You should have that winterized by a professional each October or so.

Have any more questions about winter watering? Just reach out to us, we are happy to help!