Gardens of The Blue Ridge Inc
PO Box 10 Pineola NC 28662
Ph 828-733-2417 Fax 828-733-8894
www.gardensoftheblueridge.com
contact@gardensoftheblueridge.com
E-Newsletter
Newsletter Fall 2011
Summer Update
It has been a hot summer here in the mountains and we are sure it has been even hotter for many of you, but the good thing is we have been getting some pretty good rainfall amounts throughout the summer. Summer is our slow months as far as shipping goes but we have plenty of other things to do to keep us busy. One of the main things is trying to keep ahead of the weeds, with the rain comes the weeds. We are stepping up our small plugs into larger pots getting them ready for next season as well as planting some of these in our beds for our bareroot production. We have done a lot of propagating during the summer months, taking stem and root cuttings as well as root divisions, and as we get closer to fall we start gathering seeds as the plants begin to go dormant. It has been a good growing season for most things. Now that September is here we are getting ready to start our fall shipping season.
Fall Shipping Season
As mentioned earlier we will start shipping our bareroot plants right after Labor Day. Fall is an excellent time to plant many wildflowers. This gives them time to get their roots established before Winter comes and they will be ready to grow and bloom come next Spring. With the hot weather this summer many of our woodland plants have already gone dormant for this season, and now that they are dormant this means they are ready to be harvested. When planting in the Fall, since you are planting dormant root systems they do not require much care in the way of watering. Water them in good when planting and add a little mulch for Winter protection, under normal conditions you should not have to do anything else to them this season. We start shipping September 6th and will continue through winter as the weather permits. Visit our website today www.gardensoftheblueridge.com to see what we have available for fall shipping.
What Should I Plant In the Fall and Why?
As we mentioned Fall is a great time to plant just about everything but there are some plants that respond better to fall planting than others. The list is too long for them all to be listed here, but we will look at a few. As you browse our webpages, www.gardensoftheblueridge.com, or look over our Catalog and price list you will see the plants we offer in bareroot form, any of these can be planted in the Fall. Now to narrow this list down a little further note which of these are early Spring bloomers. These will be the ones you will want to plant now for several reasons. At this time they are going dormant and by planting them now they will put some root growth on before the ground freezes then they will rest for the winter and when spring comes they will be ready to grow with your local environment. Whereas if you plant these in the spring as soon as you plant them they will start to come up very soon after planting, which leaves little time to put on new roots before growth starts and it can stress the plant and cause a shorter and less spectacular bloom period. Another thing to keep in mind is that when we dig our plants we grade them by size and pick the largest ones out for shipping and replant the smaller ones to harvest another season. Then when we start shipping we naturally select the largest ones from these we have harvested and ship them first so you will be getting the best plant possible. We also run out of some items by the time Spring rolls around. So you will be getting the cream of the crop and we are less likely to be sold out of the plant you want. So go ahead and get your order in now and we can schedule a ship date anytime you want this fall. Here is a short list of some things to order now, Dolls Eye, Black Cohosh, Ramps, Jack in the Pulpit, Ferns, Dutchman’s Breeches, Shooting Star, Troutlily, Turk’s Cap Lily, Solomon’s Seal, Indian Pink, and Trilliums just to name a few. One other point we would like to make is, for most of these, not all of them, the bareroot root system will be much larger as compared to a Quart Pot plant, the root system is more comparable to the size of a Gallon size potted plant.
With all of that said keep in mind you can also plant any of our potted plants in the fall. Most of these will also be dormant so you will have a pot but it will not have any tops on it. Just plant them as you normally would. It is sometimes a shock when you receive an order of potted plants and all you have is the pot and no tops. The website will inform you to as which plants are available for fall shipping.
Plant Propagation and Availability
We have been working very hard on propagation in order to supply you with your favorite native plants. Some plants are easy to propagate while many others present quite a challenge and are very slow. While our supply is very good on most plants we still have some that we run short on every year due to the demand. In particular would be the Native Orchids, not only are they very difficult to propagate they are slow to reach a mature size. Take the Yellow Lady Slipper, we are currently growing these from root divisions and rhizome cuttings. From root division we can usually have a blooming size plant in 3 to 4 years depending on the size of the division, while a rhizome cutting is more like 4 to 6 years to reach blooming size. We do have a good supply of these so reserve yours today. Another plant that is very slow to propagate is the Oconee Bells, Shortia galacifolia, it is on the endangered and protected list. We have grown these for many years and several years ago we had a severe drought and it damaged many of our stock plants. We have been working trying to get our stock back up and we are finally almost there. We need one more growing season and we will have several of these ready to sell, it will be the Fall of 2012 when they are ready. If you would like to reserve one of these please send us an email to contact@gardensoftheblueridge.com with your name and address and we will put your name on the list for a Fall 2012 shipment, please note at this time will are limiting these to 1 per customer.
Fall 2011 Bareroot Specials
Actaea racemosa Black Cohosh
A great plant for the back of your shade garden. Has a tall white, slightly fragrant, spike flower in the late summer. These will tolerate some sun in cooler climates. Needs to be in rich soil, moist but well drained. It is much sought after in the medicinal field for its medicinal properties.
Shade to Semi Shade, Rich Soil, Summer, 3-5 ft Tall, Zones 3-9.
Bareroot - $5.95 each
Allium tricocum Woodleek, Ramps
Two leaves emerge from the ground very early in the spring bearing white flowers. This plant is well known for its great tasting root, resembling the taste of garlic or onions. Must have a wet location, often found along creeks and springs.
Shade, Rich Moist Soil, Spring, 6-12 in Tall, Zones 4-9
Bareroot Bulb - $1.95 each (1 bulb)
Astilbe biternata False Goatsbeard
This is the native Astilbe that gets rather tall. Has a plume of white flowers, which shows up nicely in the shade. This plant can get quite large with a spread of 24-30 inches, so give it some room. Does look somewhat like the Goatsbeard hence, its common name.
Shade, Rich Soil, Summer, 3-5 ft Tall, Zones 4-9
Bareroot – $4.95 each
Dodecatheon media Shooting Star
A small but pretty plant with white flowers in the spring. The basal foliage is very tender and will curl up some if over exposed to the sun. The ideal spot is a shady area where the soil is rich and somewhat moist. It usually goes dormant in the late summer.
Shade to semi-shade, Rich Moist Soil, Spring, 9-18 in. Tall,
Zones 4-8
Bareroot - $4.95 each
Geranium maculatum
Wild Geranium
Looking for some blooms in the shade, this is the plant. Has light pink to purple flowers from late spring to early summer. It will spread and make a very nice size clump quite quickly. In cooler climates it will tolerate about a half a day of full sun. This is one of our best selling plants.
Shade to Semi-Shade, Rich Soil, Spring – Summer, 1-2 ft. Tall, Zones 4-9.
Bareroot - $4.15 each
Mertensia virginica Virginia Blue Bells
A very early spring bloomer, has purple blue flowers on a leafy stem about 2 feet tall. It dies back shortly after it gets through blooming so plant something close to it so you will not have a bare spot in your garden, ferns are a good choice.
Shade to Semi-Shade, Moist to Wet Rich Soil, Spring, 12-18 in Tall, Zones 3-9
Bareroot - $6.75 each
Podophyllum peltatum
May Apple
Each plant has a pair of large deeply lobed leaves, often reaching 8 inches across. The white flower nods down below these leaves. Will tolerate some sun if the soil is moist, but does best in a shady moist spot.
This is a good spreader.
Shade to Semi –Shade, Moist Rich Soil, Spring, 12-18 in Tall, Zones 4-9
Bareroot - $4.15 each
Sanguinaria canadensis Bloodroot
One of the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Has a white flower standing above its unfurled leaves, which looks maroon in color at this point. The leaves unfurl to be a lobed leaf about 3-4 inches across. The root has a red substance, and when broken resembles blood, hence its common name. Needs rich sandy well-drained soil in a shady spot, although it will tolerate some sun in cooler climates.
Shade to Semi-Shade, Rich Well Drained Soil, Spring, 6-12 in Tall, Zones 3-9
Bareroot - $4.95 each
Stylophorum diphyllum Celandine Poppy
Excellent plant for the shade garden. The bright yellow flowers really stand out in a dark corner. Blooms heavy in spring, then has sporadic blooms throughout the summer. Spreads very well to make a ground cover. Prefers rich woods soil, does not like much direct sun.
Shade, Rich Soil, Spring to Summer, 1-2 ft Tall, Zones 4-9
Bareroot - $4.95 each
Trillium cuneatum Toad Trillium
Has a maroon colored flower that sits atop 3 variegated leaves. This plant will reach a height of 8-18” tall. The flower sits right close to the leaves, does not have a separate flower stem as most of the other trilliums do. These are best planted in groups of 3’s and do have some fragrance. They bloom very early in the spring..
Shade - Semi-shade, Rich Moist Soil, Spring, 12-18 in Tall, Zones 5-9
Bareroot - $5.95 each
Ferns
Dryopteris marginalis Leather Woodfern
A dark green leathery looking fern that is evergreen. The fronds come out of the root crown in a circle and then layout somewhat. Needs soil that is rich, humus, and moist.
Shade, Rich Moist Soil, 2-3 ft Tall, Zones 3-8
Bareroot - $5.95 each
Osmunda cinnamomea Cinnamon Fern
Probably the most recognized fern. Gets large with yellow green fronds often dropping over. The wetter the soil the taller it will get, often reaching 5 feet. They can tolerate sun if the soil is not real dry. This is a pretty fern that works nicely around shrubs or in your flower garden. Has a cinnamon colored fertile frond in the spring.
Shade to Semi-shade, Moist to Wet soil, 3-4 ft Tall, Zones 3-10
Bareroot - $5.95 each
Odd and Ends
Our State Magazine - did an article about Gardens of the Blue Ridge in their August issue. It was a great article and we have had many comments on the article. If you have not read the article we think you might find it interesting. Here's a quick info tidbit about the magazine from their website.
Our State: Down Home in North Carolina celebrates the people and places that make this state great. From the mountains to the coast, we feature North Carolina travel, history, folklore and beautiful scenic photography. Since 1933, Our State has shared stories about North Carolina with readers both in state and around the world. Our readers are passionate about North Carolina and treasure the magazine as a connection to all the great things about the state.
Click Here to read the article on line.
Catalog -
It has been several years since we have printed a new catalog and in this day and time with the internet and our website we can have so much more information and pictures on the website without all the cost of a catalog and mailing. However we know some of you may not have internet access or may just like having a catalog that you can hold in your hand and browse through. With that in mind we are going to put together a new catalog for next Spring, while it will not have all the pictures that our website has it will have most of the basic information you will need to pick out some plants for your landscape.
Christmas Greenery –
Seems a little early to be thinking about this but it will be here before you know it. We make a great variety of items for you to decorate your home or office with for the Holidays, such as Wreaths, Garlands, Centerpieces, Mantelpieces, Christmas Balls, Greenery Baskets, and Door Charms just to name a few. Or we sell a great variety of fresh cut evergreen that you can use to make your own arrangements, we offer Galax Leaves, Boxwood Tips, Fraser Fir Tips and Sprays, Winterberry Stems, and Princess Pine. So this holiday season bring some of the Blue Ridge Mountains into your home or office for the holidays, and these also make great gifts for friends, family and co-workers.
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Gardens of the Blue Ridge Inc
PO Box 10
Pineola NC 28662
828-733-2417
www.gardensoftheblueridge.com
