Summer 1996
HomeSite MapGuided TourWebsite NewsWhat's New?CorporateProductsWorkshopsNewsletter 
Ongoing ProjectsTrough GardensWater GardensAlpine PerennialsHardy CactusWarrantyAffiliationsAwardsReviewsDIY GreenhouseIPMCompostingReviewsHorticulture LinksUSDA ZonesWeather ReportsFAQsRegisterMeConsulting ServiceAdvertisingEmploymentVisitorsJohn's JournalContact UsLast Summer's long drought and oppressive heat proved the value of drought-resistant plants in your Garden. Little or no watering is the main virtue; with consistent blooms coming in second. Achillea (Yarrows of all colors), Artemesia (four varieties), Buddleia (Butterfly Bushes in 23 colors), Sedums (hundreds of varieties), Hardy Cactus (60 varieties to date), Shasta Daisy, Thyme (dozens of possibilities here), ornamental grasses and bamboos (50 varieties available), Pennstemmons (six varieties), Arum, Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susans and Gloriosa Daisy), Echinacea (Pink, Purple and White Cone Flowers), and several dozen more can be found in our Production Greenhouses 3 & 4. Enjoy them all.
Planning For The Fall Garden
Now is the best time to install perennials and colorful shrubs so they can provide color and interest when most everything else turns brown. Our Display Gardens are loaded with fall color year after year, since we install these plants in the spring every year. Aronia Brilliantissima, Asters, Burning Bush, Fothergilla, Oxydendrum, Pennstemmons, Sedums and many others provide just that: weeks of color!
Mulch Well and Water Less Often
Mulching to 2" in the Spring pays dividends all year long, right up until you re-mulch 2" more in the Fall. A solid 2" layer of quality Dark Bark Premium Mulch lets water, fertilizers and air in, and prevents the ground from drying out. A 2" coating in the spring helps retain moisture and keeps the plants alive even in a drought. Don't be misled into spreading 4" of mulch in the Spring. It's too much for plants to live in, they need soil.
In this Issue:
Page 1:
Beat The Heat With Drought-Resistant Plants
Planning For The Fall Garden
Mulch Well and Water
Less
Page 2:
Figuring Out How Much Mulch To Use
Milk Jug Watering
Page
3:
106 Newly-Released Plant Varieties
Under Stress: Plants That Can Take It
Hardy Cactus Garden Update