Is it Winter?
What a difference a year makes, just think back to the deluge of snow we had this time last year. The poor plants might just need therapy if this weather continues, and there’s not a thing we can do about it. But, winter is not over yet and February and March can be a bear, and don’t forget April snows we’ve had in the past. We have a theory that our weather calendar has been moved up a notch, so anything can happen.
This weather pattern tests our patience and eagerness to start seeds and look forward to an early spring. Beware of the Ides of March, our normal planting season start date; even the poor pansies shiver at the thought of exposure to obscene weather conditions.
So, be patient, don’t get too anxious to get ahead and start those tomato plants, even if you can taste them by looking at the seed packet photo. Nature has a way of making up for bad weather and we tend to rush the season. The later you plant warm season plants, the better they do! Think Warm soil, Hot sunshine, Dry days!
GIANT SALE!
Ganims Garden Center and Florist in Fairfield is having a GIANT TREE SALE!
All Flowering, Shade and Evergreen Trees are BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!
All Shrubs are all 25% off
All Weeks, Star and David Austin Roses are 50% off
All Tree Roses are 25% off
All David Austin Roses are 50% off
All Knockout Roses are 30% off
and
All Tropicals are BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!
Hurry down! While supplies last!
Delivery available, Cash and Carry only
No Guarantees, No Rainchecks, Store Stock Only
Sale from Sept 1 thru Sept 11th 2011
Cleanup after Irene…..
AFTER IRENE
Ok, so your power is out, your TV doesn’t work, and if you have an electric stove, no coffee. Now your gas grill has a daily obligation for some grilled delicacies from your freezer selection. Keep the faith; it will probably be a while for some folks, since there is excessive tree damage and lots of downed lines.
So, what should you do with all your downtime in your yard? Avoid downed lines, just to be safe. Prune any broken branches on your manageable trees and shrubs. Wait until your perennials and vegetable plants dry off before pruning or staking them. Pick up all fruit on the ground, your green tomatoes will still ripen on your window sill.
Keep off your lawn if possible, except to remove debris and fallen leaves. You have plenty of time to cut your lawn later in the week. Delay applying fall fertilizer, new seed or running equipment over the soggy soil. We received a months’ worth of precipitation in the last day or so. Turn off your sprinkler systems if you are lucky to have not lost your power.
Be patient and smart, it’s not the end of the world. Plants are very resilient and need a drying out period to recover to pre storm conditions. We will be bringing in mums and assorted fall flowers for the Labor Day weekend. As we experienced last year, the hot weather has delayed bud set and bloom by at least two weeks.
A landscaping note, if you are in need of a tree or shrub that you have lost in the storm, we have a tremendous supply of mature trees and shrubs for planting this fall. Fall is really the best time to plant any of your favorite trees or shrubs. Fall is also the best time to renovate your lawn if needed.
Stop in for all your planting needs, we have anything you need to fix up your yard and the best advice in the business.
Hoping everyone fared well through this storm.
The Ganim family and staff.
Day Five: We made it
Day Five: Everyone’s Alive!
352 Miles, 5 states traveled
We began our early morning trek home with stopping at 1 nursery and 2 garden centers on the way home!
Eva’s favorite plant of the day: Hinoki cypress. This plant has been around since 1983. Its foliage is stunning and just a spectacular plant to see.
Merrilee’s favorite plant of the day: Fields of Boxwood’s. There are so many new varieties of boxwood’s and many new ones that are more bug resistant. We were happy to learn all about them and see ones that are colorful – green, light green, dark green, variegated, and more!
As our journey came to an end last night, we talked about future visits to local places and what we learned. This trip was very educational and gave us alot to think about and bring new ideas and plants to our own garden center.
Spring 2012 looks very promising!
-M & E
Day Four, Adventures of E and M
Day Four
1 nursery, 1 garden center, lots of driving, 2 states
Miles driven today: 350
Today was a little more driving and less viewing as we head back towards CT. We enjoyed a morning visit to a nursery that has over 200 acres, with many many hoop houses. This nursery shall be known as the Boxwood Kings!
Eva’s favorite plant of the day: Golden Dreams Boxwood. She loved it for it chartreuse and dark green color, all mixed in one. She’s a boxwood lover!
Merrilee’s favorite plant of the day: Hearts of Gold Redbud. This beautiful tree is also well liked because of its chartreuse color and would make a great complimentary companion to the boxwood.
and on our stop to a local garden center, we met our friend of the day: Mister Oinky
Last day of our tour starts now! bright and early as we head for 3 more nurseries on the list, and begin to head back to CT, hopefully driving in dry weather, not rain!!
Day 3 of E and M’s adventure
Day Three: one grower many many many acres of trees\shrubs
mileage: unknown
Good Evening All! So I was told that I forgot to mentioned our drama yesterday: as we got back into the truck in between our nursery appointments, the GPS decide to die on us in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to all who helped us get out of the woods and back to civilization and to a nice store to buy another GPS!
Today was a good day.
We spent all day (9am-6pm) with one grower seeing many of his million miles of growing acres. We unfortunately have no mileage today since we didn’t drive alot (he did) but we went everywhere.
Eva’s favorite plant today was the native Rhododendron. We saw many of these, not only at the nurseries but on the sides of the parkway.
It was lovely to see them in their natural environment and seeing them being prepared for us in the landscape.
Merrilee’s favorite plant of the day is the Fraser Fir tree. The trees we viewed today are the ones we will be tagging for Christmas time. It was nice to see fields and fields of them, nicely pruned and growing beautifully.
Tomorrow’s another day: 3 more nurseries on the list
Day Two of M and E Adventures
Day Two: two nurseries, 2 states and 530 miles.
Today’s journey began at 630am as we saw the sun creep up over the trees and began to enjoy the quiet VA area and then Eva began the “identifying trees while we drive on the highway” game… She’s always ready to work and keeps us thinking even in the wee hours of the night and morning!
First stop we saw over 700 acres of material- this nursery has some unique varieties of trees\shrubs. They had miles of knockout roses and hydrangeas. We saw lots of new varieties of oak and a variegated forsythia! They also had yellow wood which is a summer flowering tree with magnificent yellow color and white summer blooming flowers
Our second stop, we saw over 300 acres of material and lots of new and upcoming trees\shrubs. The Magnolia’s were beautiful and blooming – we saw a new one called Teddy Bear which will be petite in size. We viewed beautiful Spartan Junipers, many varieties of tree formed Holly including Dan Fenton, Nelly R Stevens, Dragon Lady, Ilex opaca and Greenleaf. This nursery is the kings of Crape Myrtle.
At the garden center, we have several forms of the American Hollies, swing by and see their beauty in person!
this photo below is an upclose version of the Regal Prince Hybrid Oak- has wonderful columnar form- perfect for creating hedges around garden rooms!
Another Day complete…. tomorrows journey is unknown acres and acres of nursery land!
more picture to come…..
Day One of the Adventures of M & E
Day One: 429 miles traveled through 6 states.
We began at 530am on our “reconnaissance ” mission to check out up and coming plants for next year. We visited nurseries to seek out unique trees & shrubs and see what looks good for next season.
Eva’s favorite plant of the day is Sophoro japonica which is the scholar tree aka pagoda tree. This specimen she was selecting for one of her Austin Ganim Landscape Design clients. This tree has beautiful slightly fragrant white flowers that occur during August and can grow to 40 feet tall and is a good street tree.
We do have smaller sizes at the garden center for you to come and see.
Merrilee’s favorite plant of the day is the Magnolia grandiflora. It’s beautiful leaves can be used to make fantastic wreaths! The white flowers are a must see and slightly fragrant. This specimen can grow to 30 feet tall and is an evergreen tree.
We also have smaller sizes at the garden center, so stop on by.
Early bird catches the worm, 6am we will be heading to our next destination of nurseries!
BUGS: Squash Borers and Squash Bugs…
What’s Bugging Your Garden
Now that your garden is growing in leaps and bounds and the weather is finally warm and everything is somewhat conducive to finally produce veggies after all your efforts.
Then comes Bugs Bugs Bugs
Here’s a little information on Squash Borers and Squash Bugs
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All of a sudden your squash plants are starting to weep and you can’t figure out what can be wrong. After all, you’re practicing a good watering schedule and feeding your plants monthly.
Well, after further inspection, your investigation unveils the problem. At the base of your plant, someone or something has drilled holes in the stalk.
Now you know who the culprit is that has invaded your plant- its the “squash borer”. 
Remember those cute little white moths that were circling a few weeks ago? Those moths have laid eggs at the soil base of your plant and they have hatched into larvae. Now, they have drilled into your stalks and are sucking the juice and interrupting water and nutrients to your plants leaves.
What do you do now to try to salvage your long awaited crop?
The best attack is preventing the moths from laying eggs around your plants. Garden fabric is a great deterrent, but tedious since the plants achieve large foliage so quickly. An application of ‘’Carbaryl’’ or ‘’Sevin’’ on a weekly basis will prevent the invasion of the larvae. Organically, you can try ‘’Captain Jack’s Deadbug’’ or Diatomaceous Earth will help.
The best and quickest First Aid method requires “minor surgery” using a sharp pocket knife. You find the point of invasion and simply slice into the stalk until you locate the grub looking borer. Merely remove them and cover the incision with some garden soil and give them a handful of granular fertilizer, and a good deep soaking.
SQUASH BUG
The squash bug is another common pest. While all of the cucurbit crops can be attacked, it shows a preference for squashes and pumpkins. This insect can be very difficult to control when populations are allowed to build up.
Squash bugs damage plants by removing sap and causing leaves to wilt and collapse. Young plants and infested leaves on older plants may be killed. More importantly, they are the vector of a newly recognized disease of cucurbit crops, Yellow Vine Decline. Melons, watermelon, and pumpkins are susceptible to this disease. The bacteria that causes this disease is injected into the plant while squash bug feeds. The disease results in yellowing, wilting and death of the plant. Early infection by the bacteria that causes the disease can result in severe yield loss, so it is very important to prevent squash bugs from feeding on young plants early in the season.
Only the unmated adult bugs overwinter in Connecticut. Adult squash bugs begin to fly into fields and gardens in late May and early June. Soon after beginning to feed, they start laying eggs, primarily on the undersides in the angle of your leaves between veins.
The bronze eggs are football shaped and lie on their sides in groups of 12 or more. Eggs hatch in one to two weeks. Initially the larvae are dark red with a light green abdomen.
Older nymphs are light gray in color with black legs. Young nymphs are gregarious and feed together in groups. Nymphs require five to six weeks to mature into adults. Squash bugs spend most of their time around the base and stems of the plants and on the undersides of leaves.
Applications of Carbaryl or Sevin on a weekly basis prevent the larvae from maturing into adults. Tenting with floating row covers discourage regeneration and interrupts the cycle of this noxiousinsect.
So, check your plants each morning, keep up good watering practices, 1” of water at the base of your plants and only once a week.
Butterfly Bushes!
Butterflies for Buddleia
“Butterflies are free” as the saying goes. They are free to fly all over the world each in their own little domain. Every species has its own little world to metamorphoses and survive.
If you like butterflies, then you must have a Butterfly bush to attract and satisfy their needs. There is nothing more spectacular than a Butterfly bush in bloom. The varieties and colors are expanding each year.
Choose from somewhat dwarf varieties like “Lo and Behold” or the Buddleia Lochnich. Standard varieties include the “Nanho” series and the “Adonis” series which both include Blues and Purples. They also come in pink, white, magenta, red, yellow, and even two-tone.
Basically all butterfly bushes are treated the same, and if you’ve gone by a house with 10-12’ tall shrubs then you know they are not being maintained.
The pruning schedule is simple, each spring cut back your butterfly bushes to 2-3’ from the ground. In more severe climates, you can actually cut them back to ground height. These amazing shrubs will grow back quickly each year and produce tighter bushes and more flowers.
You can also prune in mid-season if time has restricted your spring pruning. Deadheading is also a good practice to produce more blooms for a longer blooming season.
So plant a butterfly bush today, they require more sun than shade and drier soil. Then sit back and watch the show of butterflies and even hummingbirds flock to your plant each and every summer.
Sun to Part Sun
Average Height: 4-12 ft
Average Width: 4-8 ft
Blooms in July and August
Unique Fact: Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
