Fall Garden Care

Every month we post our This Month In Your Garden (find it under the Resources tab!) to ensure you have a checklist of just want to plant and what plants need a little extra love. As we near winter, it is important to keep an eye out for anything that needs last minute attention before the weather grows colder, the days darker and we take shelter in our cozy abodes. Here are a few of our must-have garden tips we practice in our own yards, and a few things you shouldn't miss on your next visit...

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LAWNS

Feed lawns with Master Nursery's Fall & Winter Feed 20-6-7. Apply monthly to keep your lawns at their best. Why apply this over regular lawn food? The nitrogen in the Fall & Winter Feed is formulated to work even faster in the colder months of the year. 

 

FLOWERS AND FRUIT TREES

Feed spring-flowering plants and fruit trees monthly with Master Bloom 0-10-10 or E.B. Stone Organics Ultra Bloom 0-10-10. These fertilizers are formulated with without nitrogen to boost flowering and fruiting.

We especially recommend feeding your azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons for spectacular blooms. A 0-10-10 will also improve your yield, quality and sweetness of your citrus and other fruit trees! 

PEACH AND NECTARINE TREES

We love their luscious fruit, but peach and nectarine trees are all susceptible to leaf curl, a fungal disease that causes curly, distorted leaves and reduced fruit production. Now is the time to start spraying your trees for prevention of leaf curl. Spray with Copper Fungicide at the rate of 2 ounces per gallon of water. Make your first application at 80% leaf drop, (which is generally around Thanksgiving.)

Make additional applications at bud swell (late winter), popcorn (buds just showing color), full bloom and petal fall. Remember to reapply if it rains within 24 hours of application! 

 

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FROST TENDER PLANTS

As we approach our first frost (could be any day now!), stock up on our recommended tools to protect your frost tender plants! Apply Bonide's Wilt Stop to prevent drying out, winter kill, wind burn, transplant shock and more. 

We also recommend covering your plants with our Frost Protection Blankets. Available in a range of sizes and by the foot, we use frost blankets in the nursery ourselves to protect our plants through winter (especially our succulents and citrus) and highly suggest it for your garden. Find Wilt Stop and Frost Protection Blankets near our outside shop. 

Looking for something frost hardy for quick greenery and a burst of color? Check out our Bedding Department's stock of Ornamental Kale and Cabbage. With varied foliage and available in a range of colors, these ornamentals are one of our favorite winter plants! Questions? Stop into the nursery and let us help you get your garden winter ready! 

ONION SETS

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It's not all about preventative care this month; just in at the nursery are our onion sets! Sold in bunches of 25, we also have 6-packs available. With red, white and yellow onions available, we're sure you'll find a variety to your liking. Plant now in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil (we recommend mulching!) Hurry in, they’ll go fast!

 

BAREROOT ROSES AND FRUIT TREES

The deadline to receive 20% off your prepaid order of roses and fruit trees is approaching - December 1st to be exact! All stock will be arriving bareroot in January.

Our Rose List features our must-haves and several new beauties and be sure to check out our Bareroot Fruit List for your favorite farmer's market varieties. December will be here before we know it, give us a call or stop in to place your order this week! 

For more of our tips for your fall garden, be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter!

From Our Florist: Seasonal Arrangements

A floral arrangement is the perfect way to bring in the best of the season. Whether you are designing the perfect dining room table centerpiece, dressing up the mantle or adding a bit of color and freshness to your guest room, the possibilities are endless. (And we're not even talking flower variety, color palette, style or shape!)

Although with endless possibilities, it's hard to know exactly what you want until you see it. If you have a clear vision, speak with one our floral designers today and have them help create a custom arrangement to ring in the holiday season! 

If not, keep scrolling and audibly ooh and ahh over the handiwork of our florist team...

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 Balance colors across a kitchen arrangement with varying textures in odd numbers to keeping it unique and compelling. Think outside the box when adding edibles and keep in mind seasonality! 

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And hey! While we're in the season of giving, why not indulge in a little self-love and treat yourself to a beautiful bouquet?! 

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Looking familiar? You may have seen a few of our arrangements featured in Gentry HOME Magazine's A Bloom for Every Room on pages 46, 48 and 50.

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Our 3-1 container arrangement is sleek, modern and short enough to have a conversation over. 

For a bedroom, a compact arrangement is versatile and appealing to the eye at any angle. Romantic cream roses and blues provide a calming palate for a bedside table. Pair with in-style blue and white pottery for a more classic look. 

Please note that these arrangements span the seasons and not every flower seen above is in season and thus, currently available. A few of our fall favorites include spider mums, oriental lilies, protea, sunflowers, calla lilies, snap dragons, gerbera daisies and roses. 

Stop in and let us help you create a spectacular arrangement today! 

Fall Planting: Lettuce & Chard

LETTUCE

One aspect of lettuce that sets it apart from any other vegetable is that you can only have it one form, and that's fresh. There are hundreds of different varieties of lettuce and today, an increasing availability so that our salad bowls can contain a wealth of color and texture. Lettuce is rich in calcium, potassium, iron and vitamins A, E and C, along with traces of other elements. Keep in mind, the darker the leaves, the more nutritional value!  

Lettuce likes moist, fertile, well-drained soil and a sunny location. Plants grow quickly, make sure you supply ample watering and nutrients! We recommend fertilizing with either Master Nursery's Tomato & Vegetable Food 5-10-10 or E.B. Stone Organics Tomato & Vegetable Food 4-5-3 to ensure your best harvest. 

Another reason we love lettuce? They make a great alternative for annuals in pots! 

Here are the types of lettuce you'll find this season at the nursery: 

BUTTERHEADS

These are the classic lettuces seen in kitchen gardens. They have a pale heart and floppy, loosely packed leaves with great flavor as long as they are fresh. 

CRISPHEADS

Crisp lettuces, such as Iceberg, have an excellent crunchy texture and will keep their vitality long after Butterheads have faded and died.

LOOSEHEADS

These are non-hearting lettuce with lose leaves and include 'Lollo Rosso', 'Oak Leaf' and 'Red Salad Bowl' lettuces. This group of lettuce can really make a salad look colorful!

ROMAINE

Also known as "Cos", it is very upright and columnar, forming a creamy white, crisp heart, surrounded by sturdy outer leaves. Considered the most delicious lettuce, this has a firm texture and a faintly nutty taste. It is the lettuce for an authentic Caesar Salad. 

BIBB

In appearance, Bibbs look like something between a baby Romaine and a tightly furled Butterhead. They have firm hearts and are enjoyed for their distinct flavor. Like other lettuce hearts, they cope well with being cooked.

LAMBS LETTUCE OR CORN SALAD

This popular winter leaf does not actually belong to the lettuce family, but as it makes a lovely addition to salads. Called mâche in France, it has spoon shaped leaves and excellent nutty flavor.

SWISS CHARD 

Chard can take summer heat and not bolt as well as handle the cold just fine. With regular watering, chard will tolerate most garden soil. Leaves are picked as the plant grows, so one planting can be harvested over many months. Typically we count 30 days for baby leaves and 55 days for full size. Chard is highly ornamental, mix it in the flower garden for color and form! 

Did you know that chard is actually a kind of beet that grows edible leaves instead of roots? Cooking with it is easy; sautĂ©, steam or braise with olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt. (Add anchovies for a nice kick!) Great to put in salads, soups, pasta dishes or omelets, we love to substitute it for spinach! Once cooked, it is also nice to layer into lasagna. 

Don't miss the 'Bright Lights' variety! It's vibrant, multi-colored stems and green to bronze leaves are lovely to look at and delicious to eat! 

Our 'Peppermint' variety (as seen above to the right) is a unique chard with thick, white stems striped in pink on back and hot fuchsia on front. With uniform, mildly savoyed dark green leaves, it's a great color for your salad mixes! 

There is still time to plant a number of winter veggies. Check out our guide on Growing Onions, Garlic & Shallot and our tips for spinach and peas here