Christmas Has Arrived!
Leave a reply
Category Archives: blog
Apple Bees Knees Cocktail ~ As featured on KEZI “In the Garden”
INGREDIENTS
HONEY SYRUP:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
3 springs rosemary
COCKTAIL
2 ounces gin
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce apple juice
1 ounce honey syrup
rosemary and/ or apple slices, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
SIMPLE SYRUP
Place the water, honey and rosemary in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Turn off from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature before using and then store remaining syrup in the refrigerator for up to one week.
COCKTAIL
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add the gin, lemon juice, apple juice and honey syrup. Shake to combine and strain into a glass. Garnish with a rosemary and apple slices.
*Adapted from @asaucykitchen
Lemon Spaghetti Squash Bread & Butternut Squash Bread Recipes ~ As featured on KEZI “In the Garden”
Lemon Spaghetti Squash Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest from one lemon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup spaghetti squash (roasted and then grated)
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions:
Grease and flour a 9×5″ bread pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the eggs. Add the 1/2 cup of oil and 1 1/3 cups of sugar and mix until well blended.
Add 1/2 cup of applesauce, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and lemon zest to the mixture and blend well.
Add the 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 2 teaspoons of baking powder all at once. Blend on low speed just until everything is incorporated and most of the lumps are gone.
Add the one cup of grated spaghetti squash and fold in using a spoon.
Pour the batter into your prepared bread pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes in the pans. Then slide a knife or spatula around the edges to loosen and turn out onto a cutting board. Allow to cool completely.
*Adapted from @icecreamandinspiration
Butternut Squash Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
- 1 cup butternut squash puree*
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (or your favorite nuts), chopped and toasted
Glaze
- 1 TBS Honey & 1TBS Bourbon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack in center of oven. Generously grease a 9×5-inch loaf pans. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine butternut squash puree, sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and water until well blended. Add the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Lightly stir in the chopped nuts.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. NOTE: Be sure and poke the toothpick already to the center of the loaf. A good check is to use an instant digital thermometer to test your bread. The internal temperature of the bread should be at 200 degrees F. when done.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan. Pour glaze on top. Cool completely before slicing.
*Adapted from @whatscookingamerica
Do you love plants? Follow us on Instagram @JohnsonBrosGarden
Join us for our Christmas in the Country Weekend: December 6-8th!
For more details on this event and plant information, follow us on Instagram @JohnsonBrosGarden
Potted Fruit Trees Are Here!
Don’t miss out ~ Sign up for our Enews!
Sign up for our monthly enewsletter to stay up to date on our upcoming classes, events and in store specials! Plus, get exclusive coupons and tips on what to do in the garden!
Pinwheel Class- In case you missed it!
This last Saturday we had a fun class on making Paper Pinwheels! Our guest teacher Kathy from Art-sy did a wonderful job!
Here are some pics and easy instructions in case you missed the class!
Here are a few examples of the finished product to give you inspiration! These are so fun to place in a plant as a gift or use a cake topper! Below is a pictures of the items needed to create these cute little decorations:
2 sided paper (can be scrapbook paper or you can get creative and use old maps!
Straws (we used thick paper straws)
Paper piercing tool
Buttons
Coated wire to attach buttons
Ruler
Scissors
Pencil
Here are some steps to create paper pinwheels:
- Start by drawing an “x” on your paper from corners to corners.
- Then, use your scissors to cut the “x” but leave about a half inch from the center. The middle spot needs a small hole punched (use the paper piercing tool).
- Take your paper piercing tool and make 4 holes in the left hand corners of each section.
- Now take a button and thread it with some coated wire
- Thread the button through one of the holes in the left hand corner of the sections. Now repeat this for each of the corners. Once all of the corners are through the wire, pull the wire through the center hole.
- Now pierce a hole through your straw about a half and inch from the top. You will now take your pinwheel and thread it through the hole of the straw and wrap around.
- There you have it! I hope you enjoy making your own!
Take a look at what’s new!
I love this time of year because the store changes daily. We have so many beautiful plants coming up from the back growing greenhouses. You never know what treasures you will find when you stop by. Here is a sampling of what you can find this week at Johnson Brothers!
So, come and wander to see what treasure you will find!
-Katie
2nd Annual Spring Kick-Off Party~ Thank you!
Thank you to all the wonderful customers and vendors who made this event a great success! In case you missed it, check out these fun photos!
Roses are here!
We are excited to announce our 2017 Rose Collection is available for purchase! Check out our list of roses in this year’s collection:
Enter to win a Plant of The Month Club Membership!
We are excited to welcome Meso Nutso Pantry!
We are excited to welcome Meso Nutso Pantry to Johnson Brothers! We will now offer a permanent selection of Meso Nutso Pantry Sugars, Extracts, Nuts and more!
Visit Meso Nutso Pantry website to learn more!
Winterizing Class Series
Upcoming Classes ~ Winterizing Series
All classes are free!
Winterizing Your Cane Fruits and Berries ~
November 5th from 12-1
Winterizing Your Roses ~
November 12th from 12-1
Winterizing Your Containers ~ How to refresh your containers for winter interest! ~ November 19th from 12-1
Winterizing Your Fruit Trees & Other tips for fruit tree success ~
December 10th from 12-1
Taking care of Clematis
If you are looking for a tropical looking vine with beautiful colored blooms then a Clematis may be just what you are looking for! Clematis roots are long and deep as they prefer cool and moist conditions, but not soggy or waterlogged. Now is a perfect time to plant as the soil in the Willamette Valley is moist and cool in the beginning of spring. when planting, we recommend a fertilizer called ” Bud & Bloom” from G&B Organics which contains Soil microbes and Mycorrhizae that will help with the perfect blooms of your Clematis! Depending on variety, Clematis can grow in any light condition, but like to have their roots cool so make sure to have to have ground cover or low-growing shrubs around the base of the Clematis. Your Clematis should be well watered and not dried out as they like moist soil for their roots, and as the plant matures you should soak it in water once a week during dry weather. As always we recommend our Johnson’s Max fertilizer which is a slow release granular that helps for full growth and beautiful blooms in which you can put around the soil of your plant 3 times a year.
Thank you for 30 years!
We would like to thank each and every customer who has helped us be in business for the past 30 years! Johnson Brothers started in 1985 as a small roadside stand. Now, 30 years later we have expanded to over 5 acres of retail shopping and over 30 growing greenhouses! We feel extremely blessed to be a part of this community and work with such great customers everyday!
Come out this weekend and help us celebrate with some fun activities:
Do’s and Dont’s for growing Citrus Trees
I know many customers, like myself, LOVE Oregon for its distinct seasons; we are fortunate enough to truly experience a difference between all four! However, with distinct seasons that means one of which is winter; mostly soggy, sometimes frozen winters–which creates a problem if you like to grow plants that prefer a hot, dryer climate. Despite popular belief, there are quite a few “tropical” plants that you can actually grow here in the valley and enjoy all year round! They may just require a little extra special care during our chilly times, you know like hot cocoa, ear muffs, and a warm blanket…
But, in all seriousness, you CAN grow TROPICALS in Oregon! No, cocoa and a blanket are not the answer, but citrus care is still very manageable. This last Sunday we had the pleasure of hosting John Neeway of WeHoP who gave us the low-down on how to grow citrus! Yes, I said citrus… you know, the pride of warm sunny areas like southern California and Florida… we can do that too!
First thing that you need to know, don’t plant citrus trees in the ground here–unfortunately we can’t just plant, water, and walk away.. BUT we can plant in a large pot and enjoy it outside from May-September! You’ll want to use a fairly large pot and probably place it on a rolling, or another easily moveable, plant stand so that transitioning is easy every year. Obviously citrus love the sunshine, so outdoors for as long as possible is the way to go, but during our chilly times a bright window does just fine. Plus, one of the perks of having your citrus as a houseplant is that when it blooms, you get that fresh delicious citrusy scent without the use of candles or cleaners.
Next thing to make sure of, is that you treat this plant as it would be treated in nature, which means adapt to its year round sunshine schedule as best you can.. Think cactus or succulent care; very well draining soil (NOT POTTING SOIL) and infrequent watering. John recommends using a coarse bark and sand mixture so that little to no moisture is retained around the roots of the tree. If your tree starts to drop it’s leaves rapidly, chances are you’re over watering–definitely err on the side of borderline dehydrating it to death than trying to water on a weekly schedule. *Outdoor planting mediums are preferable to potting soils, and amend with sand, perlite, or coco fiber as needed. Avoid any mix that contains wetting agents or fertilizers!
When fertilizing your citrus, the key is to use a high nitrogen slow release granular formula quarterly, and NOT a water soluble variety; as the soluble kinds tend to burn the roots of your tree. Feel free to supplement with minerals such as iron & manganese as needed. If you start to notice the leaves of your citrus yellowing, this is an indicator of not enough food.
The only other trick to happy healthy Oregon grown citrus is to watch for bug problems. During the times that your citrus is nestled in the house for the winter it becomes especially susceptible to insects. Often times with these pests you don’t notice them until the damage is already being done so don’t hesitate to take preventative action. Horticultural oil or good ‘ol soapy water are the perfect treatment, applied every few weeks or as needed to keep ants, scale, and fungus gnats at bay.
So for those of you who may have missed out on our care class, that’s the basics of Citrus care here in the pacific northwest. Feel free to stop by the nursery and chat with our staff about your care questions or come and pick out the newest fruit in your life! We’ve got multiple varieties of lemons, limes and more, to choose from.
Big thanks to Four Winds Growers for supplying us with their wonderfully grown citrus plants time and time again, as well as all the media for John to come and teach us your skills! Check them out for ourself to find even more varieties for your citrus collection at fourwindsgrowers.com
A special announcement from Caleb and Katie Johnson
We are excited to announce we have officially purchased the business from Caleb’s parents, Vern and Gail. We are extremely proud to be able to have Johnson Brothers be not only a local business, but a second generation family business. We are exited for the future and to see our dreams for the business come to life and look forward to continue to growing healthy, beautiful plants for Eugene and the surrounding areas. We want to say a huge “thank you” to all of our customers who have supported Johnson Brothers over the last 30 years! We wouldn’t be here without you and appreciate you all.
Cheers to another 30 years and beyond,
Caleb, Katie and Elle Johnson
Learn more about the history of Johnson Brothers: http://jbgardenmarket.com/about-us/
Johnson Brother’s Greenhouses Announces New Family Ownership
Family owned nursery plans for future generations, new initiatives.
EUGENE, ORE.—(5/4/15) Johnson Brother’s Greenhouses, Eugene’s largest grower/retail nursery, announced today that Caleb Johnson and Katie Johnson will acquire the company from Vern and Gail Johnson.
Under the new ownership, they plan to expand their offerings to help their customers create outdoor spaces that bring family, friends and neighbors together – from relaxing yards you can hang out in to edible landscapes, along with more events and classes to help the next generation explore the exciting possibilities of gardening.
“We are passionate about providing our customers with the best selection, variety and prices on plants and growing our involvement in the community,” said Caleb Johnson. “We are excited about keeping the business in the family for the second generation.”
Katie and Caleb joined the Johnson Brother’s team in 2013 when they launched several new offerings and classes including the Seedlings Garden Club for Kids. They plan to continue these programs and expand to offering school field trips and other free educational programs for customers. Both graduates of University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business, Katie and Caleb are looking forward to partnering with university students to create internships for marketing, advertising and management.
About Johnson Brother’s Greenhouses Johnson Brother’s Greenhouses is a Eugene, family-owned and operated garden center. Founded 30 years ago, the company is the largest provider of homegrown hanging baskets, poinsettias and annuals in the Eugene area.
Press inquiries please contact:
Sarah Robinson
Get your garden off drugs with Gardener & Bloome organics
We want to help you kick that drug habit for good, in your garden that is. This past weekend we showcased our favorite organic line, Gardener & Bloome. We gave away a ton of organic fertilizers and soils in our effort to send your gardens to rehab. Sure conventional fertilizers have their purpose, and we’re definitely not against them by any means, but there’s a place for everything! We want to educate you all on the benefits of keeping your edible gardens organic!
There’s the obvious, that you don’t want to put synthetics or chemicals onto the food that you will be eating, but it is also important to not put chemicals into your soils either. The Gardener & Bloome line offers many different soils and amendments that can safely and naturally enrich your garden beds without the use of harmful synthetics or chemicals. The Harvest Supreme is our favorite for edible garden amending. It can be used as a top dress or mixed in with last years garden soil to give it that boost of nutrients your plants need to thrive this season.
As far as fertilizing goes, we always encourage the use of compost, but if you need something more we recommend Gardener & Bloome organic fertilizers. We have liquid concentrates as well as granular options for just about any area of your yard and garden. For vegetable beds we like the Tomato, Vegetable, and Herb granular fertilizer. It’s very low maintenance and easy to apply, this granular can be mixed into the soil pre-planting and/or broadcast over the top of the soil to be watered in after planting. G&B fertilizers are fortified with calcium, humic acid, and other nutrients to provide just the right balance to make the fertilizer easily accessible to your plants. While organic fertilizers can take a little longer to show results, they also last a lot longer than conventional fertilizers meaning less work for you! G&B organic granular fertilizers only need to be spread every 2 months or so throughout the growing season giving you more time to enjoy what gardening is all about!
We also retail a Gardener & Bloomes organic liquid concentrate in three different varieties for those of you who like to water in your fertilizer, which is great for baskets and planters! Our favorite is the All Purpose liquid fertilizer, because it can be used on everything from containers to garden vegetables and even trees or shrubs. It’s molasses based for added nutrients and sugars that your plants need to thrive, and couldn’t get any easier than mixing directly into your watering can!
Come by to chat with our experts about any Gardener & Bloome product, or soils and fertilizers in general. We are always happy to help you get exactly what you need to be successful in all your gardening endeavors. Plus, ask us how you can save a dollar on ANY Gardener & Bloome product now through June 1st.
Hanging Basket Care
This weekend we debuted our hanging baskets for the 2015 season. This is the earliest we’ve had baskets available ever, so keep that in mind when thinking about size! By Mother’s day, they’ll be almost full size and in full bloom!
On Saturday, we offered a free basket care class so that you all can learn the tricks of the trade when it comes to basket care! We shared what we do to keep our baskets blooming clear through till fall and how you can be successful when caring for a hanging basket! Incase you missed the class and are wondering what you can do to maintain your hanging basket, I’ve got the most important tips right here!
Feed it!–A lot of people don’t realize how crucial fertilization is, especially for annuals. These plants go through their entire life cycle in one season, which is A LOT of growing in a short amount of time, and they need a lot of nutrients to support all that growth.
We recommend feeding your baskets BOTH a slow-release and a water-soluable fertilizer. Johnson’s MAXX slow release granules are perfect to be used every other month throughout the growing season along side FertiLome Blooming & Rooting water-soluble plant food every other time you water! Proper nutrition is just as important for your plants as it is for you!
Water!–Enough water is key to any plants success, but especially hanging baskets as they’re usually blooming through the hottest days of the year. Depending on the placement of your basket and whether it’s sun or shade tolerant, you may need to water your basket up to twice a day on hot days.
It is important to know your basket and what environment it will need to thrive! An easy way to judge wether or not you need to water is by slightly lifting your basket, if it feels lighter than normal-it’s probably dry and if it feel heavy-its probably fairly damp. General rule when watering baskets is to water until the water begins to run through the bottom.
Maintenance–I know this is the dreaded word for a lot of people, but it needs to be done! Some varieties of annuals require much less maintenance than others; think about the level of work you are willing to put in and shop accordingly. For example, Petunias last much longer and look much nicer when regularly dead-headed in comparison to million bells which can simply be shaken to remove any spent blooms.
Wether or not the location for your basket gets full sun or shade is something to think about when purchasing a basket. You won’t want to put Begonias in the full sun or Geraniums in a shady spot, most baskets have a preference for either sun or shade and should be chosen accordingly for maximum success.
Pruning–I know it may seem scary to prune your basket or cut it back, but trust us, it helps! If you have ever wondered how our Petunia baskets have such a rounded full shape to them, when you’re used to Petunia’s being leggy and sparse, the answer is we cut them back…more than once!
Most plants, when pruned properly, get denser and fuller when they grow back. We cut back our baskets pretty hard to get them to come back thick and full, so when you see any runners or gaps in your baskets don’t hesitate to give them a good hair cut.
Insect Prevention–A lot of baskets fall victim to insect or disease damage throughout the season, these pesky problems can really take a toll on the look of your basket and may even kill it completely. Insect and disease prevention can be a crucial step to success with hanging baskets and can be easily dealt with. We recommend an all-purpose ready to use product called Triple Action Plus that is an insecticide, miticide, and fungicide! This will take care of almost any problem you run across and has all natural ingredients!
With proper care and maintenance you should be able to enjoy your hanging basket all through the season until fall! We want to set you up with everything you need to be successful, so keep an eye on our website for info on what/when our next free informational class is!
We are also currently offering a HANGING BASKET SUCCESS KIT for only $19.99, a $27. value! This kit includes our Johnson’s Maxx slow-release fertilizer, FertiLome Blooming & Rooting water soluble plant food, and FertiLome Ready to Use Triple Action Plus! This sets you up with all the tools you need to maintain beautiful baskets all summer long. Plus, we’re open 7 days a week and always love to offer any advice we can so don’t hesitate to send us a message, call, or drop in with any questions you may have!
Seedlings Garden Club for Kids- Easter Baskets
This last saturday was extra special, since it was Easter weekend we had some fun extra activities planned for the kids. For their Seedlings Garden Club for Kids project they planted some “Easter grass” in easter baskets. We also brought in some baby animals for a small petting zoo and put on an Easter egg hunt!
For the Seedlings Garden Club project we planted some small perennial grasses in an Easter basket and then decorated them with Easter themed stickers and add-ons. This months project was very quick and simple, but the kids had a great time!
All you need is any small plant and any container you like! Plant your plant of choice in the container, and decorate as you wish! Here’s what ours looked like
As I mentioned above, we had the pleasure of hosting some adorable baby animals for a small petting zoo! These little sweethearts really stole the show; we had a baby lamb, a dozen little chickies, and a two week old calf! The kids and their parents (and us employees too) LOVED having the animals out for an afternoon, it was such a treat!
To finish off the Easter festivities we held an Easter egg hunt in our perennial greenhouse, where we, I mean the Easter Bunny, hid over 1000 eggs! We had an estimated 150+ kids turn out for the hunt and it lasted all of 10 minutes before they had them all cleaned up and found!
Our Easter weekend was beyond successful, thank you all so much for your continued love and support! 
Seedlings Garden Club for Kids-Seed Starting
On the first saturday of every month we hold our FREE Seedlings Garden Club for Kids from 9-5. This month, we started seeds indoors to later be planted outside. The kids got to choose a few types of flowers to plant in coconut fiber pots to go directly in the ground later in the season.
We had options like Sunflowers, Poppies, Alyssum, a few different wild flower mixes, and even Cat Grass to choose from. The kids always love being able to dig into the dirt and actually plant something so this was a nice break from our indoor winter activities.
This project is incredibly simple and can be done with any seed you like; it’s even a good time to start veggies indoors. Use anything from plantable pots to egg cartons! Plant the seeds a few centimeters deep in well draining soil and leave in a warm well light location until they sprout. Once last frost has hit move seedlings out to the garden or container where they will be growing and watch your tiny sprout grow & thrive!
Seeds are a great way to delight and teach children all the joys of planting and tending a garden. It is such a rewarding feeling to see or harvest off of a plant you sewed yourself! Come on out to the nursery and get inspired to let your love grow!
“Kleen Up” your garden now
We’re excited to introduce a new product from Bonide that we think you’ll LOVE! It’s called Kleen Up and will get your space ready for whatever you have in mind.
If you have weeds and grasses cropping up in places you don’t want them, such as driveways, gravel, flower beds, garden beds, or in-between pavers this is the perfect product for you!
Kleen Up is tough and fast acting, it contains a systemic and a surfactant. This will kill ALL green plants from the roots up, BUT it has no residual after 7 days! Yes, that means after one week you are free and clear to clean up the dead debris and seed or plant ANYTHING.
It’s safe for use in vegetable gardens (after 7 days) because there is NO residual. This is made for a one stop, all inclusive clean out, not long lasting weed control because anything can be grown once its done doing it’s job.
Now is the perfect time to get any garden or planting areas cleaned out and prepped for the spring. Like I mentioned it will kill ALL green plants so be careful what you apply it to, but for large areas that need clearing this is perfect for the job
I can’t wait to get this product home and use it in my garden beds and over the gravel in my back yard!
No space? No problem!-Berry & Fruit Tree Container Gardens
In the midst of bare root week I thought I’d try to inspire some of you who may have lost hope. Growing your own fresh fruits and veggies is one of the most rewarding things for many reasons. It’s sooo much cheaper than buying from the grocery store, you will know where it’s from and whats been put into it, AND you can pick it right off the plant as you’re ready to eat it!
I know that growing your own produce is a little bit of an investment at first, and also requires the space to do it, but it is so worth it once harvest time comes along. However, if you’re like me and rent your home, the idea of planting fruit trees or bushes sounds like the worst idea! Why invest in plants that you’ll have to leave behind when you move! They can take a few years to even mature enough to produce and who knows if you’ll still be in the same home by that time.
If you’re renting and don’t want to up the value of someone else’s property OR just don’t have a ton of space to plant fruit LISTEN UP! You can grow your own fruit such as apples, cherries and blueberries in a small space AND easily take them with you no matter where you live! We’ve got varieties of many different fruits that can easily and happily be grown in containers! Yes, even apples, cherries, peaches and other fruit trees…
We offer a wide range of container comfortable fruits that will be happy and productive never setting a root in the ground. Our customer favorite currently is our Brazel Berries series that offers 3 varieties of blueberries and a thornless raspberry that are perfect for container gardening. We also have columnar and dwarf apple trees as well as a miniature peach, a cherry bush, and a true dwarf grape.
All of these plants will do great being confined to a pot, they WILL produce despite not having much space, and they’re self pollinating. If you want to really bring up your yield have at least two separate containers AND utilize the space in the pot around the base of your plant by sticking in some strawberries. They’re shallow rooting and won’t disturb trees or bushes when planted in the same container.
Don’t be put off from growing your own fresh fruit just because you’re renting your home or if you have a small yard or patio, YOU CAN DO IT!
We have a great selection of fruit trees and berries available bare root all this week, as well as a planting success kit on special that will set you up with everything you need. For $25 you’ll have a 3 cubic foot bag of soil, all natural root stimulator, and a 4 lb. bag of organic fertilizer. Attend our orcharding 101 class this Saturday, Feb. 28th from 1-2pm for info on how to plant, prune, fertilize, and raise your own fruit.
Rose Care 101
This last week was our annual Rose Week, and we had such a great turn-out! Thank you all for your continued support, we’re pleased to see so many of you out and gardening so early in the year.
On Saturday we hosted Chris from Week’s Roses to give a class on rose care 101! For all of you who may have missed it, i’ve attached our rose care sheet below to fill you in on all the details of rose care!
Hopefully these are helpful for any rose care questions you may have, and please always feel free to call us anytime for expert advice!
Early Spring Color Starts Now!
If you’re looking to get a head start on bright spring color, the time is now! We have multiple options for semi-hardy annual color that you can get started now and have ready in full bloom by the start of March.
Sweet Pea’s can be seeded indoors now, or we have jumbo packs available for sale here at the nursery. They are fast growing and come in a wide variety of beautiful vibrant colors and are very fragrant! Sweet Pea’s work great as cut flowers and can be turned into beautiful bouquets. They are a wonderful season starter because they are so quick to grow and bloom.
If you plant your Sweet Pea seeds or starts now and then follow them up by planting Morning Glory seeds mid march, you could have continuous color through October! The Sweet Pea’s would be dying back right about when the Morning Glories would be coming into bloom. They both will quickly crawl up a net or trellis to provide a gorgeous backsplash of color to any patio or landscape.
The only thing watch out for with Sweet Pea’s is that, as their name suggests, mimic the garden vegetable pea. The flowers and the seed pods look almost identical to the vegetable peas that can also be grown this time of year to produce tasty peas for your kitchen. The problem is, Sweet Pea’s are NOT EDIBLE, they are in fact slightly poisonous (NOT ENOUGH TO KILL YOU, BUT MAY MAKE YOU SICK). The seed pods of sweet peas look like “pea pods” so make sure to separate Sweet Peas into an area away from the garden so as to avoid confusion. There are varieties of Sweet Pea’s that grow wild and tend be invasive (the bright pink ones all over the sides of the highways), the ornamental Sweet Pea is part of that family (Lathyrus), while the vegetable pea is in a different family altogether (Pistia).
Stop by the nursery today for a wide variety of Sweet Pea seeds and starts! We also have other options for early spring color that are available and blooming now!
If you forgot to plant your bulbs last fall we have tulips, daffodils, and other varieties available in containers that are going into bloom now.