Pine Hill Nursery Newsletter - Late July, 2008

In this issue:
  - What's Happening at Pine Hill
  - Hummingbird Favorites
  - Things To Do in the Garden
  - Classes & Event Schedule

Hummingbird Favorites

I've been enjoying the hummingbirds flitting around my garden. They're sooo much fun to watch, and really easy to attract if you have some of their favorite plants! Hummingbirds feed on the nectar in tube-shaped flowers. And interestingly, flowers that tend to attract hummingbirds do not attract bees, as they cannot access the nectar in most cases.

A few hummingbird favorites include:

• Butterfly Bush (which also are obviously a favorite of butterflies, and which are blooming now)
• Weigela - another shrub noted for it's trumpet-shaped flowers. The "Wine & Roses" variety also has stunning dark red foliage.
• Bee Balm (Monarda) - I love the distinctive blooms, and so do those hummers (see picture to the right)
• Cardinal Flower (perennial Lobelia) - here's a striking plant with bright red, purple, or pink flowers suited to part-shade. And the Queen Victoria variety also has striking dark red foliage.
• Hostas - here's another option for those of you with lots of shade
• Red Hot Poker (kniphofia) - showy tall spikes of yellow/orange
• Hollyhocks - every northern garden should have this cottage garden classic, and the hummers think so too!
• Honeysuckle vines - I have one by my side door that the hummers think is heaven.
• Phlox - the tall garden phlox are one of the stars of the summer garden. I just can't get enough of them with their fragrance and huge blooms in shades of white, pink, lavender, and purple. There are lots of choices of varieties and heights.
• And just a few others include penstemon, fuschia, impatiens, salvia, foxglove, and delphinium.
   

 Things To Do in the Garden

• PLANT (always - grin!) - there are sooo many tempting beauties on our shelves - come take a peek! (Think something might just hop into my arms again this week, asking to come home with me!)
• Divide Iris -  now is the time to divide or move tall bearded iris. If you have seen a decrease in bloom, or if they are looking crowded, take care of it now, so they can get settled in before winter.
• Transplant Oriental Poppies - if you want to move your oriental poppies, now is a good time. The top foliage had died down, so cut it back, and you will also get a flush of fresh new leaves.
• Perk up underperforming areas - have an area that needs a facelift? An area that doesn't have the 'pop' and interest that it deserves? Rip out the overgrown or underperforming plants, and check out some new alternatives.
• Remove old flowerheads from perennials - sometimes removing the spent blooms will prolong flowering, And in most cases, it allows the plant to put energy into growth rather than creating seeds.
• Water as needed. Did you notice the big spurt of growth after the recent rains? That's a message that water really makes a difference! And please - Remember that anything you plant needs extra TLC during it's first year. So when Mother Nature doesn't provide us with a good rain at least every week, give your plants a long, slow, deep drink!
• Mulch - if you haven't already taken care of this, mulch is a great way to prevent weed seeds from germinating. It also helps the soil retain moisture, and maintain a more consistent temperature. And it looks good, too! Now sure how much mulch you need? Visit our Mulch Calculator at http://www.pinehill-nursery.com/newwebsite/infoctr/mulchcalc.htm
• Enjoy! Sit on your deck with your feet up, sip a cool beverage and enjoy your landscape, and your pots of flowering annuals.

Class and Event Schedule

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