Ornamental Grasses Are Low Maintenance Plants!

Our favorite ways to use Ornamental Grasses:

• For privacy 
• To define property lines
• Soften corners
• Create interest within a landscape
• Small grasses make good border plants
• Great backdrop plantings
• Create informal hedges 

Ornamental Grasses

Gardening is Good Exercise and Good for Your Health

Everyone is on a kick to be healthy, but rarely think about gardening to become healthy. Granted, the food you grow in your garden will be better than store-bought, it’s the weeding, watering, and trimming that keep your body in great shape. If you want to lose weight, garden for a month or two. 

You can’t go wrong with gardening, even if you have a brown thumb.  All plants need are light, soil, water, and nutrients.  Some plants don’t even need nutrients since Mother Nature supplies all the food they need to eat. The plants in your garden can easily be added to your dinner table.

If you just want to tone your body, gardening can to that, too. You lift plants around, hull the water hose around, lean over and weed, and plant seeds, which work all the muscles in your body. What a great way to lose weight and put food on your dinner table.

In several studies it has been shown that gardening help 9 out of 10 people lose inches in their waist after just one month of gardening. You can tell it helps because the next day your muscles will be sore. If you continue to garden, those muscles will tighten up and tone your body. You can have that beach body in a few months and fill your dinner table with all the food you need.

Not to mention how much fun gardening is when the whole family joins in to raise all the tomatoes you can eat or planting beans and peas for the table. The kids will love watching the seeds sprout up and spring into a veggie they like.  It also teaches them responsibly when they have to water and weed their very own garden patch.

So, you see how much gardening can help your health? Plus, it’s  fun to watch tiny seeds growing into a giant watermelon, carrot, or any other type of vegetable or fruit.  You can also garden in apartments, condos, and houses whether you have a large or small plot of land.

There are thousands of vegetables, fruits, shrubs, and trees that can make your garden a lovely place to relax, have a picnic, or grow a culinary herb garden. You can use any type of container or plant your garden right in the ground.  You can also grow vertical gardens  up walls, fences, and the side of a house or apartment.

You can let your imagination sore to new heights while supplying your dinner table with fresh herbs and vegetables or a lovely bouquet of flower for any surface. The amount of scents you can enjoy while your garden shines with a plethora of colors to lighten up any day. 

Lavender Tips and Information

The lavender plant is an ancient plant that has been used for medical purposes throughout the ages. Some of the formulas have been passed down through generations to use for fatigue, anxiety, insomnia and depression, not to mention it looks and smells great in your garden. Not only has it been used medically, but it can be used dried, fresh, and as an essential oil in flower arrangements, wreaths, and anything else you want to use lavender for in your home or office.

There are many varieties of lavender plants such as Provence Lavender, Grosso Lavender, Munstead Lavender, and Hidcote Blue Lavender. However, the most widely used is English lavender. Its Latin name is Lavandula angustifolia and ancients have been using it for formal gardens, to relax and calm the nerves for ages.

Today, it’s used in sachets, soap, and lavender dream pillows as well as balms, salves, perfumes, cosmetics, and topical applications. It’s great for wounds from acne or uninfected wounds. Lavender has great antibacterial properties as well as antiviral properties. It’s also use in aromatherapy and hydrotherapy to relax the body, mind, and soul when stress is taking over. There are many way to use lavender for medical purposes, but you can also use it for culinary dishes.

Lately, there have been many recipes involving the lavender plant. The flowers are used for decorations but they can also be added to drinks for a slightly different flavor.  Lavender essential oil is used by massage therapist, chiropractors and acupuncturist. Lavender lifts the mood, reduces anxiety and improves concentration. There are many uses for lavender and the plant can grow in most area.  All it requires is well drained soil, water, and sun. If it’s watered too much the lavender plant will develop root rot and die out. However, it will come back year after year, if treated properly.

It’s best to purchase a lavender plant since the seeds can be hard to start. You can make a lavender border or use it in the herb garden. The smell of the lavender plant is wonderful when walking through the garden. It’s one of the first smells in the spring.

Lavender is grown throughout the world regardless of the climate. They need well drained soil and plenty of sun. If you live in a cooler climate, Hidcote Lavender is well suited for colder areas. If you live in an area that has more humidity, Spanish Lavender plants like that type of environment. It’s not as sweet smelling, but will attract honey bees but other insects tend to leave it alone.  Lavender honey is great for keeping anxiety down, plus, honey is also antibacterial, so they makes lavender honey twice as strong for wounds.

There are over 30 species of lavender plants you can use in your garden. Not all of them have medical properties and can be used in culinary dishes, but they can be used as ornamental plant in any type of garden.  You can use you lavender plant for bouquet and wreaths as well as magic wands and dream pillows. Lavender is one of the most used plants, not only for the scent, but it medical properties, as well.

Plants that will grow under black walnut trees

What are plants to plant under black walnut trees? This is a question that we at Greenwood Nursery hear quite often. It is a good question, because not all plants thrive begin planted near or under black walnut trees.

Juglans nigra, commonly known as black walnut, is the largest of the twenty species of Juglans native to the United States. It easily grows to a height of 100 feet; its strong, straight trunk and magnificent canopy enhance most any landscape that has an appropriate scale for the trees massive size.

It is prized by the high-end furniture market because of its uniformity, durability and the luxurious chocolate-brown color of its heartwood. Many landowners, who have a few acres to spare, are planting genetically superior black walnut trees as an investment which will mature in 25 to 30 years.

Horticulturists discovered that certain plants did not do well, while some withered and died, when planted close to or underneath the canopy of black walnut trees. Black walnut trees secrete a biochemical substance known as Juglone. These secretions sometimes drip from the leaves down onto plants and ground below and leaches out from the roots below ground as well. The process is known as allelopathy.

Though Juglone is a poison to many plant varieties, making it difficult in planting under black walnut trees. However, there is still a large number of shrubs and perennials that can be safely planted under the canopy or near black walnut trees that are resistant to the effects of Juglone.

Avoid planting the following near or under the canopy of black walnut trees: Apples, white birch, mountain laurels, blackberries, blueberries, tomato plants, azaleas, chrysanthemum, crocus, hydrangeas, lilacs and rhododendron. 

And now for a few plants that can be planted near Black Walnut trees: most grasses, aster, shasta daisy, vinca, hostas, phlox, wisteria, Morning Glory, ajuga, solomon's seal, and Virginia creeper.

Tolerant trees and shrubs include arborvitae, white ash, american beech, catalpa, black cherry, flowering dogwood, forsythia, hibiscus, red maple, japanese maple, oaks, privet, eastern redbud, sumac, sycamore, tulip tree, euonymus, rosa rugosa, viburnum (except maresii), and heucheras.

A word of caution: Many factors, other than the presence of Juglone, will affect the viability of your trees and plants. Soil, moisture, temperature, shade and sunlight all play a role so results in growth may vary.

Visit Greenwood's page on Planting under Black Walnut trees for a selection of plant varieties that will grow under the canopy of the black walnut trees.

More info on plants that will and will not grow under or near black walnut trees:
Purdue University 

For more information on growing black walnut trees as an investment, visit Greenwood Nursery Black Walnut Trees.

Common Black Walnut Trees

Best Plants for Fall Color

Adding a touch of France to your garden  with our best plants for fall color will bring life to your fall landscape. Take some ideas from French gardens and liven up your landscape with new plant colors, fragrance and texture to add a touch of France to your garden. The location of France is much like that of New England making it perfect for experiencing the colors of fall foliage. The most popular flowering shrubs, trees, along with some of their favorite smaller growing evergreen perennial plants,  are used in French gardens are listed here.

• Red Barberry
• Smoketree
• Tulip poplar
• Rosa rugosas
• Viburnums
• Petiolaris
• Wisteria vines
• Hydrangea bushes
• Narrow evergreens - such as juniper skyrocket and thuja north pole
• Boxwoods
• Salvia
• Veronica
• Ornamental grasses - new varieties in smaller sizes

Herbs are everywhere, planted in landscapes, huge pots in the courtyards, window boxes. Most days warm days, apartment windows are open. How wonderful it must be inside with slight breezes brushing over the thyme, rosemary and mint carrying the fragrances throughout the living spaces.

It is ironic that we travel to exotic destinations for new experiences and scenery, but, once there, we find certain familiarity which is probably what most of us enjoy most. Whether you are in Paris or Nashville, autumn is in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere.

Time to plant, time to enjoy!

Nutritional Value of Strawberries

Just the thought of strawberries brings to mind summer, strawberry shortcake, strawberry jelly and chocolate covered strawberries. Bite into a big red juicy strawberry and it explodes in your mouth making your tongue tingle with delight. With the red heart shape of the strawberry, no wonder it’s the symbol for Venus, the goddess of love. Maybe that’s why strawberries go so perfectly with chocolate and champagne.

A member of the rose family, it is documented that strawberries have been enjoyed as a domesticated fruit as early as the 1400’s. Now, we know the nutritional value of strawberries. They contain amino acids and beta-carotene as well as A, C, E, K, B-complex vitamins.  An excellent source of calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, copper and zinc, strawberries are high in sugar so should be eaten in moderation.

Some of my favorite ways to enjoy the fruits of strawberry plants are serving on waffles (Yummy!), in a spinach salad with walnuts, in a cucumber & strawberry salad, or served with only a splash of balsamic vinegar. Harvest strawberries in early summer and freeze to preserve them for future use.

Tips for enjoying strawberries:

• -Do not wash strawberries until ready to eat
• -Remove caps after washing
• -Store in colander (or vented container) in refrigerator for air circulation
• -Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving
• -To whiten teeth – mash one strawberry and mix with baking soda, brush on teeth and leave on for 5 minutes then rinse

Links:

• Planting and Growing info for strawberry plants
• Freezing information and recipes

How to Build a Healthy Lawn

Building up your soil naturally is the key to healthy lawn care. Following these lawn care tips will provide you with the information to build a healthy lawn that is not only a maintenance free lawn, but a safe lawn for your family, pets and the environment.

Whether you refer to it as natural or organic, it really comes down to the fact that so many of us just want to participate in healthy lawn care. In order to get the desired results, it takes up front dedication, time and knowledge. Much like when someone must change their diet to become healthier, not only do they change what they eat, but there are other alterations within their lifestyle that are made and it takes dedication and time for the change to take place.

We know that we are going to make the change to healthy lawn care, so where do we start?

Improve Your Soil - Healthy soil contains everything needed to grow healthy grass and, as an added bonus, weed seeds don't germinate as well, so less weeds. A soil test can give you a starting point. This can be arranged through your local conservation district office or local agricultural extension agent's office. The results of the test should give you needed amendments to put your soil back into a neutral pH.

Select the Proper Grass for Your Area- Once your soil has been amended, you are ready to sow the seed. A visit to your local hardware store is needed here and should be educational. Visit one of the locally owned stores such as Ace Hardware or True Value Hardware or even your local Farmer's Co-op as these stores typically have staff that is knowledgeable about these things. If you have shaded areas, you need to let them know as they will need to help you select a seed blend especially for that area. After sowing the grass seed, covering the newly sown area with a light layer of straw can prove beneficial as it will help to keep birds from eating the grass seeds, protect the area from washing should there be heavy rainfall before the seed can germinate, provide light shade and keep the soil moist. All of these factors, including warm weather, will help to speed the germination of the grass and it decomposes into the soil.

Mow less with taller grass- Allow the grass to grow a bit more before mowing. Set your mower blades for 3 inches and let the grass grow to 4 or 5 inches before mowing. Cutting grass down much lower can damage the roots and dry out the soil.

There are many organic lawn care products on the market that will naturally help your plants grow, keep weeds down and assist in building up the soil. Calcium, specifically, helps to energize plants and reduce weeds. Soil Conditioners helps to percolate and aerate the soil. Some are also available that contain biological components that can help to detoxify chemical applications from fertilizers and other products as well as help to keep flying insects at bay.

Now that you have healthy soil and grass is growing, how often do we water? Well, that will vary, but the University of Missouri Extension will help guide you through that process and give you tips on watering your lawn:

Home Lawn Watering Guide

Natural or organic lawn care isn't completely without work, but it is certainly worth the initial effort to know that your lawn is healthy naturally and safe for humans, animals and the environment.

How to Plant Strawberries

To plant and grow strawberry plants is an wonderful way to garden and quite easy when following just a few simple steps.

Here are a few gardening tips that will get your strawberry plants off to the best possible start. Soon you will be enjoying the strawberry fruits of  your labor.

Strawberry plants grow best in well drained soil that has been amended with lots of organic matter. Do not plant strawberry plants in or near soil where eggplants, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, or tomatoes have grown over the past 3 to 5 years, because strawberry plants are susceptible to verticillium wilt. It is also advisable to move strawberry beds whenever verticillium wilt appears. Soils with high lime content may also be unsuitable for this plant. Protect strawberry plants from freezing during the winter months. In addition to mulching, planting your strawberry plants at the top of a gentle slope helps minimize winter kill and frost damage to blossoms.

Plant strawberry plants in rows or hills in areas that receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Plant the plants 15 to 18 inches apart in rows spaced about 2 feet apart. When planting bare root strawberries, be sure to trim the roots to six inches long. Dig holes deep enough to accommodate the roots. Inside the hole, mound enough dirt to be able to have the plant sit on the mound with the roots spread evenly around. The base of the crown should sit at the soil level. If the crown is set too high above the ground, the plant will dry out. Smooth and water to settle the soil. If your plants experience a drought immediately after planting, it may stunt the growth of the plants. Inspect after frost to see if any plants were lifted out of the soil. If they were, gently push them back into the soil and cover.

Once strawberry plants have begun to leaf out, fertilize can be applied. A balanced 10-10-10 blend can be added according to directions on the label. When the plant begins to form blooms until harvest is complete, is the time period that the plants will need the most water. One to two inches of supplemental watering a week may be necessary to keep the plants hydrated. Check the soil for dampness if in doubt.

Their first growing year in the ground, pinch off any strawberry blooms. This will force more growth into the plants size, creating larger plants with the potential for more blooms producing more fruit the next growing season.

Build Your Own Butterfly Garden

What could be more enjoyable than sitting in your garden with lots of beautiful butterflies fluttering about? Gardeners are planting butterfly gardens, which not only have become a popular hobby, but, also, make for very beautiful gardens. While many gardeners plant amazing flower gardens with hopes of attracting butterflies, however, the butterflies don’t come because the wrong shrubs and perennial plants have been planted.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sometimes butterflies will not come to a garden because of pesticide use. The first thing you should do in planning for your butterfly garden is to rid the area of unwanted pests without using chemicals.

There are a few other things you can do to ensure that butterflies will come to your garden. Choose an area in your garden that is sunny with about 5 to 6 hours of sunlight per day, as adult butterflies only feed in the sun. The area needs to, also, be sheltered from heavy winds. As much as butterfly need to eat, they also do not want to fight harsh winds while trying to feed.

Another important aspect to a good butterfly garden is water. Like humans, butterflies need water. A couple of shallow bird baths where you can keep clean water will not only allow butterflies a drink, it will give them a place to rest.

There are two types of plants that butterfly use, those that provide food for the offspring and those that provide nectar for the adults. In a quote from the National Wildlife Federation, "Attracting butterflies involves incorporating plants that serve the needs of all life stages of the butterfly.” They go on to say, "The insects need places to lay eggs, food plants for their larvae (caterpillars), places to form chrysalides and nectar sources for adults."

Most butterflies, including the Monarch butterfly, feed on buddleia, commonly called butterfly bushes, for nectar and milkweed to feed the caterpillars. Other ways to make the area more butterfly friendly are using flat stones or other large flat surfaces where butterflies can rest and spread their wings. Because butterflies are such delicate creatures, they will also need shelter and a little shade.

Plants that attract butterflies are buddleia or butterfly bushes, lavender, monarda or bee balm, veronica, salvia, rosemary, thyme, sage, roses, yarrow, lamb’s ear, hydrangea, weigela, rudbeckia, echinacea, Shasta daisy and yucca are excellent selections for a beginners butterfly garden.

Recap of How to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden:

• Limit pesticide use
• Place your garden in a sunny area protected from heavy winds
• Plant fragrant, summer flowering butterfly plants
• Use flat surfaces for the butterflies to rest
• Have a shallow water source

By adding some of these suggestions into your garden, you can attract butterflies all summer long.

Greenwood Nursery Your Online Garden Center