The foliage of Japanese Maples can be very fine and delicate, which is often part of their appeal to many gardeners. To maintain a healthy plant with such delicate parts, sometimes tender care is in order. Japanese maples need protection from the sun, protection from the cold, protection from the wind, and plenty of moisture to maintain that beautiful signature foliage that makes them so popular.
Choose a good location when planting your Acer–a tree in the open will be very susceptible to the elements. As the tree grows and establishes stronger roots it will become less vulnerable, but while the tree is still young make sure there is shade and some sort of windscreen available.
Cover your tree if you are expecting a frost or an extremely windy day. Frost, drought, wind, and direct sunlight will scorch your tree in just a day – cover your tree if you suspect unfavorable conditions to hold in that much needed moisture.
Water deeply weekly. This is probably the most important tip. Give thorough waterings, but no more often than necessary – force the roots to grow down. You want your Japanese Maple Tree to grow a deep healthy root system that will allow it to have bright, full, healthy leaves even when conditions are less than adequate.
You can read more about this topic here: Caring For Japanese Maples
You can find similar hints and tips in Wayside Gardens’ online Plant Care Library.
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Anyone who has attempted to grow a garden in areas where extreme temperatures are common can tell you it’s no easy feat. If you live in a drier part of the country, you might feel limited to only a few weedy greens than can tolerate severe climates. But a drought-proof garden does not have to be a dull one! If you are looking to conserve water but you would still like to have a beautiful and colorful-drenched landscape, here are 5 must-haves.
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Year after year, hostas continue to be one of the best selling plants on the market. It's interesting because when most people think "herbaceous perennials" they are looking for blooms, but hostas are a primary source for foliage interest in many flower beds and small gardens nationwide.
Hostas are closely related to lilies, and they do produce blooms–some actually produce very pretty, long-blooming flowers. They are grown from tubers and usually begin sprouting new growth in the early
spring, and most will stay green well into the cold of winter. They are generally hardy, and because of their penchant for thriving in shade/part shade, are often a staple in shade gardens.
Wayside Gardens is offering a variety of impressive hostas this season in golds, greens, blues, and even some foliage thats almost white. Bright variegated hostas with intricate striping on big full leaves will fill in those empty spaces in your flower garden. You should really check out the "Blue Mouse Ears" It is a customer favorite–it is include in the Collector's Choice Hosta Collection, which included hand-picked varieties to give you a nice range of what hostas have to offer.
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It's obviously too late to order them for the holidays, but there is plenty dull winter left to brighten up, and a huge blooming fragrant houseplant is just what you need. We've got Amaryllis in green, red, and white–the Jade Serpent is my favorite. With up to 8 huge, lime-green to white blooms in just over a month, it is sure to give you the winter sparkle you're looking for.
It isn't all about the blooms. They grow so fast, you can actually notice the change throughout the day. A coworker who's desk is next to mine has been tracking hers every few hours for the last couple weeks. They are really fun to grow, and the spectacular blooms are really worth the build-up.
You can see here where she was keeping measurements for the the first nine days, from 12/15 until Christmas Eve. But now it's too big for this envelope.
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We've really got some interesting flowers in our line-up this spring. Wayside Gardens is known to many gardeners as the place you go to get the varieties you can't find anywhere else, but some of the new blooms are extraordinary.
One of my personal favorites is the Centaurea "Gold Bullion". This beautiful little perennial ground cover will sparkle in your garden. It is hardy from zones 3-8 and does well in part shade or full sun. The bright chartreuse leaves and delicate blue blooms will add the color variety you need.
Another plus for many gardeners, Centaurea are big nectar producers which make them attractive to pollinators like butterlies, humming birds, and honey bees. And, they are less than $10 apiece!
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The new catalogs are on their way if you haven't gotten one already. There are beautiful new items and, of course, all the classic Wayside Gardens favorites. The 2009 Wayside Gardens Catalog is really beautiful. I am especially impressed with the rose line-up. We have many old favorites, but there are also a few really amazing new roses this year.
Request Wayside Gardens Spring 2009 Catalog
View 2009 Spring eCatalog
For example, the brand new Rose 'Fragrant Wave' is a really impressive plant. You can see from the picture that it is extremely floriferous. 'Fragrant Wave' is a hardy, disease-resistant re-bloomer with big, fluffy white blooms with subtly golden center and a spicy fragrance.
I believe Rose 'Wildberry Breeze' is my personal favorite, but mostly because it is so pretty. This is not to say that this new Rugosa cultivar doesn't have much more to offer than her stunning looks. This is a cold-hardy (zone 4), black-spot resistant, beautifully fragrant rose that will bloom through two long seasons.
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Camellias are blooming right now! Everything is gray, cold, and (if you
live on the east cost) very damp. It is very dreary outside, but
camellias are bright and cheery. If you have this little evergreen
workhorse shrub planted in your garden you will have bright blooms
through the holiday season.
They live for a very long time, hundreds of years, and they are very cold-hardy, blooming and thriving in the winter months to temperatures of
0ºC. Camellias can be a dependable source of year-round beauty in your
garden or landscape design.
These woody perennial shrubs have been bred into thousands of
colorfully blooming cultivars. It should be very easy to find the
camellia that fits your specific tastes and needs. They work well in
containers or as part of a large landscaping plan.
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Exciting news! Two of the
Buddleias that will be offered in our new
Spring Catalog have placed
first and second in the 2008 Buddleia Trials from the UK's Royal
Horticultural Society (RHS)! Miss Ruby and Lo &Behold Blue Chip, both Proven
Winners Colorchoice varieties, placed first and second,
respectively in the trials. They were up a few really strong
contenders this year, like the favorite Pink Delight. The general public was asked to vote on over 77 varieties and Miss Ruby came away with 17% of the votes and Blue Chip getting 8%.
The Royal Horticultural Society is the United Kingdom's leading gardening
charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good
gardening.
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