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9056 Pittmans Gap Rd Newland NC 28657
Ph 828-733-2417 Fax 828-733-8894
[email protected]
www.gardensoftheblueridge.com
Weather Update
The Winter was mild to start but since January it has been cold with quite a bit of snow. We have also had lots of
windy days this year, more than normal it seems. Our low temps have reached zero several times this year. With
March here now Spring cannot be far away. Soon everything will start springing to life and we will get to enjoy natures beauty once again.
Shipping Season
Our Spring shipping season is in full swing so be sure to visit our website and get your order placed today! We are
shipping all of our Bareroot plants now and will continue to do so as long as the plants are dormant, which is normally early to mid-April. Of course this varies greatly depending on the plant. For example Trout Lilies and Dutchman’s breeches are some of the first plants to come up and bloom. Since they bloom so early they will have to be
shipped in pots after mid to late March. On the other hand the plants that bloom later in the season can be shipped
up through April because they will still be dormant. We are shipping a few of our Potted plants now as long as we
can determine if the plant is good and viable. Over the winter there are so many factors that determine the health
of the plant as they sit in our cold frames and when they are dormant it can sometimes be difficult to determine
their viability. We will backorder the plants that are difficult to determine the health of the plant until we see new
growth coming up in the pots. We always want you to get the best possible plants from us so they will succeed in
your garden. If you receive an order and something is backordered, be patient – we will ship it to you as soon as it is
ready unless we have problems with that particular plant. Normally by late April most of our potted plants will have
some signs of growth and will be ready for shipping.
If you live in a warmer climate and things are starting to bloom you can still order our bareroot plants now since
ours are still dormant. Plant them now and they will come up shortly and bloom for you this year. If your weather is
cold and snowy like ours is and you’re stuck indoors you can take this time to go ahead and order your wildflowers
and then we can ship them when your weather warms up. As you browse our webpages,
www.gardensoftheblueridge.com, maybe the pictures of the flowers will make you feel like it is Spring.
What Is Going On At the Nursery Now
Our shipping season has begun so we are busy with that. We are updating our website as often as we can. We
have fired up our Greenhouses in which we are sowing seeds for our future crops. We are also stepping up our
plugs into larger pots for sales later this season. And as we harvest our bareroot plants for shipping we pick
select size mature plants and are potting them up for this season sales. Everything is looking really good this
year. We have a good supply of most items.
New Plant Spotlight
Meehania cordata - Creeping Mint
This is a beautiful deciduous, herbaceous perennial ground cover that spreads in part
shade and moist, well-drained to average soil. It will tolerate a dry shady site but may
not spread as freely or bloom as profusely. Its long trailing stems run across the ground
and root as they trail. In late Spring the blue violet flowers open above the green carpet of leaves to about 2 to 4” tall. Meehania cordata is a beautiful substitute for Ajuga
or Lamium and an excellent nectar source for beneficial insects and bees, moths and
butterflies. This beautiful ground cover is easy to propagate from stem cuttings and by
division. It is a very useful ground cover for dark corners as well as part shady areas of
your landscape.
Semi Shade, Moist, Average Soil, Blue-Violet, Late Spring, 2 to 4 inches Tall, Zones 5-8
Phlox glaberrima - Marsh Phlox
Marsh Phlox, also known as Smooth Phlox, prefers rich, moist soil, in fact
it tolerates more soil moisture than most other species of Phlox. A summer mulch helps keep roots cool. It is a clump-forming perennial which
grows 2-4’ tall. This is one of the few tall Phlox to bloom in the spring,
with reddish-purple tubular flowers atop a stiff upright stem that seldom
needs staking. It also has excellent mildew resistance but spider mites can
be a problem if it is hot and dry. Garden uses are good for perennial borders, native plant and open woodland gardens. It makes a good cut flower
and attracts Hummingbirds and Butterflies.
Sun–Semi, Rich, Moist Soil, Reddish Purple/Pink, April-May, 2-4 ft. Tall,
Zones 3-8
Helianthus strumosus - Woodland Sunflower
This sunflower belongs to the aster Family and is one of 20 species of Sunflowers with yellow disk flowers. It has 3 to 15 flowers at the top of stems, 1
½ to 4 inches across with 8 to 20 petals and a yellow center disk. Stems are
mostly smooth but may be rough near the flowers, but have hairy leaves
about 2 ½ to 7 “long, ¾ to 4” wide. They grow in open woods, roadsides and
woodland edges to 3 to 6’ tall and bloom July to September. The yellow flowers stand out in fields near the open woods where the wind can blow them
around for germination. They also spread by rhizomes which will keep them
more together in one area. Birds and Butterflies are pollinators and they are
considered Deer Resistant.
Full Sun-Semi, Average Soil, Yellow, July-October, 3-6 ft. Tall, Zones 3-8
New Plant Spotlight (cont.)
Helenium autumnale - Dogtooth Daisy
This is an upright clumping perennial wildflower, with stout green winged stems and
shallow fibrous roots. Leaves are lance shaped about 5” long. Stems end in many 2”
daisy-like heads and each head has a golden globe shaped cluster of disc florets surrounded by yellow or bronze ray florets. Each ray is narrowly triangular with two teeth
on the tip, thus called Dogtooth Daisy. Flowering begins in late summer and may continue up to 2 months. Avoid fertilization which causes stems to become weak. These
plants are pest resistant and Deer will not eat. Native bees, honeybees, butterflies and
beetles seek the nectar. The foliage is bitter and poisonous to livestock
Shade-Semi Shade, Moist Soil, Yellow/Bronze, July-September, 2-5 ft. Tall, Zones 3-8
Eutrochium maculatum - Spotted Joe Pye Weed
This herbaceous perennial is easily grown in medium to wet soils in full sun and
prefers moist, humus soils that do not dry out. They are sometimes called Spotted
Joe Pye Weed which refers to the stems, not the leaves, which are sometimes purple and sometimes green with purple spots. These plants can grow 4-7 feet tall on
branched stems with 8” long medium green leaves, and the flowers are showy and
fragrant, rose to deep purple from mid-summer to early fall. Butterflies are attracted
to these wildflowers and they are deer resistant. Excellent for native plant gardens,
water margins and back borders with a reputation for low maintenance.
Full sun, Medium-Wet Soil, Rose Purple, July – September, 4-5 ft. Tall, Zones 4-8
Solidago rigida - Stiff Goldenrod
Stiff goldenrod is a Monarch favorite, adaptable to many conditions and from
clay to dry sand. The sturdy stems serve as perches for songbirds who eat the
seeds as a late season food. Grows in open woods, to meadows. It features tiny,
right yellow, daisy like flowers, larger than many other goldenrods, growing
atop the stiff, broad-leaved, hairy stems which grow 3-5 ft. tall. Leaf rust is an
occasional problem and may need to be divided every 2 to 3 years to control
growth. They are a striking addition to flower arrangements and are attractive
to bees as well as butterflies in meadows and native plant gardens.
Full Sun, Average Soil, Yellow, August-September, 3-5 ft. Tall, Zones 3-9
Although many people blame Goldenrod (Solidago) for hay fever, the real culprit is Ragweed.
Other New Plants for 2016
Botanical Name
Caltha palustris
Chamerion angustifolium
Eutrochium purpureum
Parthenium integrifolium
Rudbeckia triloba
Silphium terebinthinaceum
Solidago flexicaulis
Solidago speciosa
Symphotrichum ericoides
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Symphyotrichum prenanthoides
Verbena hastata
Verbena stricta
Viola labradorica
Zizia aurea
Common Name
Marsh Marigold
Fireweed
Sweet Joe Pye Weed
Wild Quinine
Brown Eyed Susan
Prairie Dock
Zig Zag Goldenrod
Showy Goldenrod
Heath Aster
Blue Woodaster
Crooked Stem Aster
Blue Vervain
Hoary Vervain
Alpine Violet
Golden Alexanders
Few things in nature
beautify the world more than
wildflowers
Pioneers called
(Coreopsis)
“tickseed”. They put
it in their mattresses
to keep out bedbugs, fleas and ticks
Sow Your Wildflower Seeds and Enjoy
Choosing the wildflower seeds you like and sowing the seeds in your prepared garden, directly in the ground, raised bed or even in
pots can be rewarding. Combine your seeds with potting mix, one part seed to 4 parts mix, after thoroughly mixing, scatter across your
prepared soil. Tap the soil down carefully with the back of a spade or rake, gently covering lightly with the soil just enough to discourage birds from eating your seeds. If you are planting in an open field area, gently stir the soil at a depth of one to one and a half inches.
After scattering the seeds lightly cover them with your rake.
When you first plant your wildflowers, seeds or plants, they will need to be kept moist for growth to become established. After that
they will need zero watering attention from you except in an unusual drought, then give them a little water every week or two.
Stand back and enjoy the beauty provided by an array of colors that change from time to time as the flowers bloom in their own time.
In addition to your enjoyment you can observe the birds and butterflies, etc. visiting the flowers which feeds them and serve as pollinators for our continued enjoyment.
New Seed Mixes for 2016
Monarch Butterfly
Mix
Scientific Name
BUTTERFLY MIX
Scientific Name
Common Name
Color
Common Name
Color
Iberis unbellata
Annual Candytuft
Mixed
Asclepias tuberosa
Butterfly Milkweed
Orange
Cheiranthus allionii
Siberian Wallflower
Orange
Symphotrichum laevis
Smooth Aster
Purple
Eschscholzia californica
California Poppy
Orange
Cheiranthus allionii
Siberian Wallflower
Orange
Lupinus perennis
Perennial Lupine
Blue
Cosmos bipinnatus
Cosmos
Mixed
Centaurea cyanus
Dwarf Coneflower
Blue
Cosmoa sulphureus
Sulphur Cosmos
Orange/Yellow
Coreopsis lanceolata
Lance-leaved Coreopsis
Yellow
Echinacea purpurea
Purple Coneflower
Purple
Echinacea purpurea
Purple Coneflower
Purple
Gaillardia pulchella
Indian Blanket
Red/Yellow
Gaillardia pulchella
Indian Blanket
Red/Yellow
Gypsophila elegans
Baby's Breath
Mixed
Chrysanthemum maximum
Shasta Daisy
White
Liatris spicata
Gayfeather
Purple
Cosmos bipinnatus
Dwarf Cosmos
Mixed
Lobularia maritima
Sweet Alyssum
White
Dianthus barbatus
Sweet William Pinks
Red/White/Pink
Tagetes patula
Marigold, Single
Red/Orange/Yellow
Liatris spicata
Gayfeather
Purple
Verbena stricta
Zinnia elegans
Hoary Vervain
Zinnia
Purple
Mixed
Phlox drummondi
Annual Phlox
Mixed
Ammi majus
Bishop's Flower
White
Asclepias tuberosa
Butterfly Milkweed
Orange
Clarkia amoena
Dwarf Godetia
Rose/White
Coreopsis tinctoria
Plains Coreopsis
R ed/Yellow
Lobularia maritima
Sweet Alyssum
White
Verbena bonarirnsis
Purpletop Vervain
Purple
Rudbeckia hirta
Symphotrichum novae-angliae
Black-Eyed Susan
New England Aster
Yellow
Purple
All the flowers of all the tomorrow are in the seeds
of today, Indian Proverb
Monarch butterfly larvae eat only milkweed