Plants That Make the Transition from Spring to Summer

Many assume that once the growing season starts, plants are on constant display. If you live in an area where winter brings constant snow and lack of foliage, any live growth might seem like a display and this might be true. But the reality is, there are natural lulls of excitement in most gardens across the country. One time where a lull often occurs is in the late spring and early summer. This is because the plants that explode with growth early on begin to fade in the late spring, while the later season bloomers are still developing for their summer show. But there are some wonderful exceptions.

For a great show and a seamless transition from late spring into summer, try adding some of these plants to your landscape.

·       Roses: Throughout most of the country, roses are wonderful landscape shrubs that really shine in the late spring through the rest of the summer. Many overlook roses for landscape plantings, as roses have gotten a reputation for being difficult to grow and maintain. This just isn’t true for many of the wonderful new landscape-ready roses available now.

o   The Knockout series of roses are a wonderful example. We especially love the double pink Knockout shrub roses. With minimal care, this disease resistant and dense growing shrub will bloom profusely from June until frost, which carries the garden from the spring display into the warm days of summer. We also carry Red, and a bicolor of yellow and white blooming in the series. You can also grab all three colors in our collection at a great price.

o   The Drift series is another disease resistant and landscape ready rose shrub- and at a smaller size, they make a wonderful perennial for the front of the border for easy color that transition from spring into summer seamlessly. Apricot is a lighter pink version of the Drift family and has a more old fashioned appearance. The flowers are more than double, like the old English roses. This color is also harmonious within most landscape schemes and fits in well just about anywhere.

o   If you have a bigger landscape and need some beautiful late spring coverage fast, try a rose from the OSO Easy line. One of the most popular is the super fragrant pink Oso Easy spreader rose. This rose is great to plant on difficult slopes where it can spread out and cover. Spreading to almost 10 feet but with a very short height of less than 2 feet, this is a perfect groundcover choice too. Plus, this rose requires no pruning (every few years some rejuvenation pruning would be good but it’s not a necessity) and is highly resistant to disease. Try mixing this rose among a backdrop of Munstead lavender on a difficult sunny slope, and enjoy the mix of beautiful fragrance from the spring throughout the summer.

o   The Julia Child rose is a wonderful cherry bright yellow heavy petaled rose that is named after the famous chef Julia Child. Much like her life spent bringing Americans the wonderful world of French cooking, this wonderful rose brings home gardens the flavor of exquisite color and performance. Unforgettable, this small to medium-sized shrub is a great performer in the landscape. While many of the great landscape roses we carry spread, the Julia Child rose grows more upright than out, adding another dimension to the landscape that also brings late spring color when early spring fades and carries the landscape into summer.

·       Mentioned above, lavender is a wonderful companion in the garden with roses, and many types of lavender are also excellent for late spring, early summer blooms. In fact, there are several kinds of lavender, all with different bloom times. For example, Mediterranean or French lavenders tend to be earlier spring bloomers and last into the middle of spring. For lavenders that bloom during the transition from spring into summer, look to English lavenders.

o   Hidcote is one example of English lavender that blooms in the late spring and carries what is considered one of the best sources for pure lavender fragrance. Hidcote is grown as a crop where it’s made into oils and other products that are used in bath products, cleaners, natural medicines, perfumes, and other products that require the best lavender scent. In the garden, Hidcote is a smaller growing lavender which is perfect for the front of the perennial border. Its compact growth is excellent for formal edging.

o   Munstead is a larger lavender than Hidcote but carries the same excellent quality in fragrance, and is also perfect for edible use as well as other uses. Try Munstead in a more natural setting that’s dry and drains fast. It’s also highly attractive to bees, making it an essential in the garden.

o   For a more extended bloom time among your lavender plants while enjoying the late spring English types, try our lavender collection. It includes Hidcote, Lavender du Provence, and Lavender Grosso.

·       There are some blooming trees that will put on a great show after the cherries and crabapples have finished. One of the best is the Kousa Dogwood. Happy in areas where it’s a little more shaded, this dogwood brightens up a dark corner with its late spring display of big white blooms. On top of the spring show, its trunk and stem form is a wonderful architectural addition to the landscape, and the fall brings beautiful color of purples and reds. And finally, bright red berries persist into the winter, which feed birds and make the winter landscape merry. A landscape must!

·       And finally, this amazing daylily mix can be grown throughout the country- from the coldest parts of the north down into the warm south. We include a wide range of colors in bloom in this mix which also means a great extension of blooms from these daylilies when planted in a big mass. Starting in late spring and continuing through summer, this mix is very impressive!

There are other plants that make the late spring transition a wonderful one, and we hope you enjoy these suggestions too. Add these to your landscape and you’ll quickly enjoy a long season of constant life and color!

Introducing the New Cold Hardy Phenomenal Lavender Plant

Introduced in 2012, the Phenomenal Lavender will prove to be one of the hardiest lavenders available. Lavendula x intermedia 'Phenomenal' does not experience winter die back as seen in varieties such as Munstead and Hidcote. With its proven winter survival, the Phenomenal Lavender is hardy as far north as zone 4, which is unusual for lavender plants. 

Phenomenal Lavender was named a 'Must Grow Perennial' for 2013 by Better Homes and Gardens.

The uniform mounded shape of the Phenomenal lavender provides a silvery base for the late spring to early summer blooms of deep blue to purple. Growing 12 to 32 inches tall with a spread of 24 to 32 inches, this hardy new lavender variety will stand up to dry, moist and well drained soils. 

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.

How to Use Lavender

How to Dry Lavender:

Cut flowers in morning – after dew evaporates yet before heat of day

(Rubber) band together in bunches of about a dozen or so stems
Hang upside down in a warm dimly lit space with adequate ventilation
Dry for one to weeks – until stalks are completely dried
Once dried – dislodge the buds by rolling them back/forth in a towel or newspaper
Store buds in an air tight container
Use your Hidcote and Munstead lavender plant blooms in late spring and summer dishes. Fresh blooms should be submerged into water for a minute to release any dirt or insects hanging on. Dry the fresh lavender by wrapping them in a towel and lightly squeezing them. Lavender mixes beautifully with herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano.

Use fresh or dried lavender in the following dishes:

Chicken (especially roasted chicken – my favorite!)
Tuna or other strong flavored fish
Salads (fresh lavender preferably)
Stews
Custards
Sorbets
Chocolate
Jelly
Sweets – cookies and cakes
Heavy sauces (usually made with alcohol reductions/heavy creams)
Breads
Lavender honey - heat clean fresh blooms (no chemicals used) in regular or other flavored honey on low until lightly simmering. Strain flowers or leave in honey. Cool and enjoy.

Plant your own lavender plants for culinary and crafts.

Growing Lavender

If you have never grown lavender in your garden or landscape, you are
missing out on the most fragrant plants available. My experience with
lavenders is that they are ever dedicated to making my garden a mysterious,
magical wonderland and me a better person because of it. This may sound
pretty far out there, but if you have lavender in your garden, you know what
I mean.
We have a small sitting area on the perimeter of my garden (next to the
house) where Steve and I sit looking out over our garden. I have lavender
growing along the fence (its amazing as a low hedge) and in groups on the
berm in front of the sitting area and lavender plants sprinkled throughout
the garden.
During summer and early fall evenings, we enjoy this enchanted world right
in front of us. A soft summer evening breeze brings entrancing smells of
lavender as nature comes to life. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are
all attracted to the lavender buds. If a garden were an amusement park then
lavender would certainly be the roller coaster.
Greenwood has lots going on with lavender this spring. We are offering some
wonderfully new varieties. In addition to our regular English Lavenders of
Munstead and Hidcote, we are adding the Jean Davis which is has blooms so
soft pink they almost look white. The Kew Red blooms look like tiny
pineapples which is typical of the Spanish Lavenders. Grosso and Provence
are amazingly fragrant French Hybrid Lavenders.
The English Lavenders are early bloomers beginning in mid to late spring.
Once they complete their first round of blooming, they begin again. So if
you want all season blooming, plant Munstead, Hidcote and Jean Davis. The
Hidcote Lavender grows especially well in cooler climates.
Spanish Lavenders typically bloom around mid to late spring. They are also
referred to as Rabbit Ears or Butterfly Lavender because of the petals at
the top of the bloom. The blooms are not as sweet as other lavender
varieties so they will not attract swarms of fliers, yet honeybees seem to
enjoy them. This variety is note worthy, also because it performs better in
humid areas than other lavenders.
French Hybrids are cultivars of Lavandin (lavandula x intermedia) which are
cultivated mostly in France for their oils. Both Grosso and Provence are
excellent choices for strong fragrant buds and for craft projects such as
drying for bouquets and wands. Grosso is especially cold hardy.
The favorite edible varieties are Munstead, Jean Davis and Provence.
Here is a short video that I have put together with tips on growing
lavender. A little advance planning makes Lavender really easy to grow and
even easier to enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenwoodNursery
What better way to enjoy the fruits of your labor once your lavender begins
blooming than to toast to your plants with a glass of wine. A red table wine
would be perfect as it also carries the taste of lavender in the wine.
Mmmmm, delish!
All of our lavender varieties will begin shipping the first week in March.
Book your order now and take advantage of our Lavender Preview Sale saving
you 20% off the regular member pricing. This offer is good through Sunday,
January 17th and available only to our Greenwood Gardener's Club Members
which means you do have to be a member to access the Monthly Value Page
section.
See you on Facebook.
Until next time.......Cheryl

Growing Blackberry, Raspberry and Muscadine Plants

Blackberry and raspberry plants are self-fertile or self-pollinating.
Although they don't need a pollinator, planting another variety nearby will
increase their fruit production. Erect plants should be planted 3 to 5 feet
apart in full sun in soil with a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5. Keep the root
collar or crown (where the root mass begins) no more than ½ inch below the
ground's surface. Trailing varieties need spacing of 8 to 10 feet between
plants and will need to be trellised. Our plants typically bear fruit in 2
to 3 years, after which they generally yield 2 to 4 quarts per plant.

Our erect or upright blackberry plants are the Apache (which is probably the
sweetest in flavor), Arapaho and Ouachita while our erect or upright
raspberry plants are Anne, Heritage (an ever bearing) and Nova Summer Red.
The Triple Crown and Cumberland are trailing varieties.

Without knowing which plant variety has been planted, it is often difficult
to tell raspberry and blackberry plants apart until harvest time. When ripe,
raspberries come off with the core remaining on the plant. This leaves a
hole in the top of the berry making it hollow and quite perishable. This is
why raspberries are pricey at the market.

Don't plant raspberry, blackberry or strawberry plants where potatoes,
tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, or other berry plants (including other
strawberry, raspberry or blackberry) have grown in the past 3 years. Fungus
disease and insect pests may still be in the soil in those areas.

Here is a quick link to our planting and care information for blackberry and
raspberry plants as well as links to recipes for the fruits, including wines
and jellies:
https://www.greenwoodnursery.com/planting-blackberry-and-raspberry-plants

A fun fact on muscadines is that all varieties bloom at the same time even
though they may bear fruit at different times. So, when you see them noted
on their description pages as early or late season, that means the time of
growing season that their fruit will be ready for harvest. Typical harvest
times often begin as early as late August (for early) through October (for
late).

Muscadines are either female or self-fertile. Female vines must be planted
within 50 feet of a self-fertile muscadine vine to bear fruit. The more
pollinators you have nearby the more fruit the female plants will yield,
although one self-fertile muscadine vine will pollinated up to 3 female
vines.

Quick info on the muscadines is:
• Black Beauty-female-late season-black berry
• Darlene-female-early season-bronze berry
• Ison-self-fertile-early to mid season-black berry
• Tara-self-fertile-early to mid season-bronze berry
• Late Fry-self-fertile-late season-bronze berry

Regardless of which self-fertile pollinator you choose, it will not affect
the color or other characteristics of the fruit from the female plant.
Muscadines, as with most fruiting plants, require full sun and a pH level of
6.0 to 6.5. Space muscadines 15 'apart with 10' rows for home gardens.

Muscadines will need to be grown on trellises. Sawdust, cottonseed mote or
peat moss will either slow down growth, damage or kill the plants. Do not
use manure of any kind around young muscadine plants.

Typical yields for female plants are 60 lbs. per vine with the self-fertile
varieties producing 80 lbs. per vine. Our plants should begin bearing fruit
in 2 to 3 years.

When reading the plant descriptions, you will see the term dry stem scar on
these plants. This refers to the plant varieties that are used in commercial
production. It means that the berries of these varieties do not tear or
separate easily from the cluster giving them excellent holding or storing
quality.


For complete growing muscadine instructions along with links to jelly, wine and other
recipes for muscadines, click here:
https://www.greenwoodnursery.com/muscadine-cultivation


You can still book your lavender plants for spring shipping as they will begin going out the first week in March. Here is our video on Tips for Growing Lavender:
http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenwoodNursery

I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to email me on the videos.
The most frequent comment is about my garden cats. About 6 rescued kitties
make their home in my garden (and yes they have been fixed!). Two of them
are quite friendly and very outspoken as you can hear. I think they are
offering suggestions to the camera operator. What do you think?

When checking out the Lavender Tips video, be sure to view our other one as
well which will offer you the basics on planting container grown trees,
shrubs and perennials. It's so simple!
http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenwoodNursery