Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Arbor Day - Friday, April 29

Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree in our community!

Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care and is celebrated on the last Friday in April.  By planting more trees in your yard or neighborhood, you will improve the environment as well. As trees grow, they help stop global warming by removing carbon dioxide, storing carbon, and releasing oxygen back into the air.

We have a large variety of tress that grow well in our climate and area.  Stop by our nursery and we will assist you with your planting ideas. 

Friday, April 22, 2011

Earth Day

Today is a great opportunity to show our appreciation for the earth's natural environment.  Stop by our nursery and pick out some beautiful plants for your garden. We have a new shipment of flowers arriving today! 

Monday, April 18, 2011

Annuals and Perennials - What's the Difference?

Comparing annuals and perennials is like comparing apples and oranges. Each type of plant has their own characteristics and advantages.

Annual flowers are those who complete their life cycle in just one growing season.  They tend to bloom from spring until the first autumn frost.  Although they must be replanted each year, annuals are hard to beat in terms of showy, season-long color. Some popular annuals are geraniums, petunias, marigolds, impatience, and many more.

Perennial flowers, on the other hand, are those that will come back year after year. Although some perennials tend to have a relatively short season of bloom, they do have a wide variety of textures, color, and size.  Some popular perennials are daylilies, peonies, hostas, coreopsis, and mums. Combining perennials that bloom at different times throughout the season will provide season-long color. 

When designing your flower beds, we recommend a combination of both annuals and perennials.  Use the perennials for the back drop and then add annuals for color and show. One thing to remember is that a hard freeze as we had in January can damage established perennials.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Don't Smother Your Plants

Earlier we discussed some plants that are drought tolerant and work well in this area.  But if you are using these plants in a rock bed, here is an important tip.  When laying rock beds or installing rock in place of grass, we use a weed mat as a base for the rock.  This mat allows water or rain (if we get some) to seep through the weed mat and nourish any plants or trees.  If a plastic mat is used, neither water or air can penetrate the plastic and the plants and trees will suffer.  The weed mat will provide a healthier environment and allow the plant roots to breathe.  Remember, if you do have a rock lawn, your plants and trees still need sufficient water and fertilizer.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Home and Garden Weekend

Planning to visit the annual Home and Garden show this weekend?

You won’t see us there this year, but we encourage you to stop by our nursery after your visit and turn your new ideas into reality.

We have a wide variety of landscaping material and our greenhouse is filling up with flowers, vegetables, and shrubs to help you kick start your spring garden. Mike will be on hand to answer questions about your ideas on landscaping, planting, ponds, and well, just about anything that pertains to your yard or garden.  

Show us your Home and Garden ticket stub and receive 5% off your Saturday purchase! Some restrictions may apply.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Water? Not here!

Last week the US Drought Monitor confirmed that the Clovis area is in a severe drought. Check out the map here: http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/DM_state.htm?NM

Looks like this summer will be a good time to check out Xeriscaping plants.  Xeriscape is no longer just a cactus… ouch!!!

There are many varieties of drought tolerant plants that can add interest and beauty to your garden.  Salvia Gregii, for example, is a great shrub that can thrive on less water and also produces red or pink blooms all season long.  A Desert Willow tree looks like deciduous tree that blooms throughout the summer.  Indian Blanket Flowers or Black-eyed Daisies are some of the flowers that can add color to your drought-tolerant garden.  Here are a few zeriscaping plants that we carry:

  • Apache Plume
  • Black-foot Daisy
  • Blanket Flower
  • Chinese Pistashe *
  • Cotoneaster
  • Daylily *
  • Desert Willow
  • Fountain Grass
  • Honeysuckle
  • Indian Blanket Flower
  • Mexican Evening Primrose
  • Mexican Heather *
  • Pampas Grass
  • Penstemon
  • Purple Iceplant *
  • Rosemary
  • Salvia
  • Sedum
  • Snow-in-summer
  • Spanish Broom *
  • Yuccas *
*our personal favorites

Stop by the nursery for more information about drought-tolerant plants for our area.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Look What We've Been Up To

We survived the tornado of 2007, but the winds of 2010 gave us a beating. We lost our greenhouse and our sign. No worries. We looked at the loss as a chance to renew. The first part of this year we have been busy rebuilding our greenhouse and revamping our grounds.