Check Out Our New Fountains

    

Water fountains are a great way to create a relaxing oasis in your backyard. They can also be used as an attractive focal point. We have received some new fountains that can help turn that special spot in your garden into a forest retreat. Or, if you have a flair for the modern, try a granite wall fountain called ‘The Wave’ because of the wave pattern it makes as the water rolls down the slate which can be enjoyed from all four sides.  

Other New Features This Week

 

This time of year we are always getting in new and exciting things for the garden. At the end of last week, received some slate planters that have a new contemporary look but that could also be used in a more traditional setting. We also got in some new benches including two slate ones and a solid natural jade bench.

There is substantial weight to these benches which make them ideal for your garden since you won’t have to worry about them being unsteady or falling over. And the good news is we offer free delivery in the area so you won’t have to worry about how to get them home either!

Relax

Perfect Weather for Relaxing Outside

After a long day, sitting outside and enjoying your garden is one of the best ways to relax and wind down. We recently got in these classic retro chairs in bright primary colors that are comfortable and stylish. We currently have them in aqua, red, yellow, and lime. If you need a specific color, let us know and we can bring that in for you. In the featured image, we have the aqua colored classic retro chairs combined with earthenware blue pots filled with geraniums and a sago palm. A beautiful blue elephant side table between the chairs is holding a candle and a cup of coffee. Since Easter is almost here, we also have a wide variety of metal art with bunnies and Easter eggs scattered throughout the nursery. 

Lightweight Containers

If you need some containers that aren’t heavy but have a very solid look to them, try some of our resin and fiberglass pots. Right now we have an assortment of sizes and shapes in different colors. The white pots featured in the image only look like they weigh a ton, but are really light and easy to carry. This same style also comes in black. We also have other resin and fiberglass containers that are made to look like concrete, while others look like glazed pots. Also featured in this image is some light weight metal wall art and a butterfly to liven up your garden and bring it all together.

Weeping Cherry Trees

        

Weeping Cherry trees are a wonderful addition to any garden planted in the ground or left in a container. They are covered with small blooms along the branches that weep over and practically touch the ground. The cascading growth habit contrasts with other trees making it an interesting ornamental throughout the year.

Japanese Maples Leafing Out

       

When Japanese Maples first start to leaf out in early Spring, they have striking foliage color in shades of red, orange, yellow, and green depending on the variety. Their colors along with their elegant growth pattern make Japanese Maples a must for any shade garden or understory tree. Right now, we have a wonderful selection in all shapes, sizes and varieties.

Sweetness in the Air

Sweetness in the Air

 

The walkway in our nursery right now is filled with the sweet aroma of Gardenias and Evergreen Clematis. These are two early Spring bloomers that are sure to delight anyone who plants them close to a doorway or a walkway where they catch their sweet fragrance. The Evergreen Clematis is a vine with tiny star like clusters and a long dark green leaf that stays all year round unlike other Clematis which die back in the winter. Gardenias are also an evergreen and do very well in pots with protection from the afternoon sun. Both the Evergreen Clematis and Gardenia have white flowers which make them a great choice for moon gardens.

Starting to Feel Like Spring

Starting to Feel Like Spring

     

Today we got our first shipment of tropicals for this year, and nothing brings the greenhouse to life like the beautiful lush foliage of ferns and the bright colors of Crotons and Dracaena Spikes. We also have a succulent and cactus table set up in the greenhouse full of an assortment of drought loving plants in interesting shapes and colors. These plants are tender and we are still not out of the woods yet despite the beautiful weather we are having, so if one of these plants finds their way to your garden, don’t forget to protect them if we have another frost.

Glorious Color

Glorious Color

The color display of geraniums in full bloom can actually cause a traffic jam outside of our nursery this time of year. Exaggerating? Not really. Nothing beats the vibrant colors of lavenders, whites, pinks, corals, salmons, reds, and violets. When massed together they are a real showstopper. They also do beautifully in pots by themselves or with some trailing ivy or alyssum. Sometimes we use it here to brighten up an herb container. We also have some trailing geraniums that are great for hanging baskets.

Theme Gardens

Theme Gardens

 

 Need a good place to start your landscape design? With so many different plants to choose from sometimes it can be hard to find a good starting point. Theme gardens are great for that. You can plan your whole garden around a central idea, or you can plan different sections to incorporate a theme. For example, on your patio or balcony, you might want a moon or fragrance garden so you can enjoy blooms in the evening and get a waft of sweet smelling blossoms. Next to your kitchen door, you could plant herbs and vegetable to create a cooking garden. Do you have an area where your sprinkler doesn’t reach? You can create a rock garden with low growing and drought resistant plants, or a cutting garden using Bearded Iris and Peonies. Butterflies and birds can be attracted to your yard by using different plant combinations and garden features like a fountain or birdbath. Hedges can be used to create screens for hidden gardens. And it’s a lot of fun to watch children play in gardens especially designed for them. Or, maybe you just want a low maintenance formal garden with seasonal color. The possibilities are endless. Come on in to the store and we would love to help you get the plants you need depending on your gardening needs. We also have some designs for butterfly, urban vegetable, and shade gardens already made to help you get started.

Things to Consider

Questions to Consider

Before Buying Plants at the Nursery

Creating a garden is an investment… an economical one as well as an emotional one since we tend to care for and grow to love the spaces that we have created and the plants therein. So just like any investment, it is good to gather some information first to ensure greater success. Here are some questions we might ask you at the nursery to help you find the right plant for your space so that you can come prepared and make the most of your visit to Nicholson-Hardie.

The first list of questions refers to light quantity and quality:

1. How many hours of sun do you get in your location?
2. Do you get morning sun or afternoon sun?
3. What direction does your house face?
4. Are there any trees or structures that might block the sun?
5. Is it direct sun? Dappled sun? Bright light? Or deep shade?

If you can, it is important to pay attention to the time the sun hits because sun at 11am might be fine for some plants whereas sun at noon will scorch them.

The next set of questions refers to water and soil:

6. Do you have a sprinkler system?
7. Does the sprinkler have good coverage?
8. How often do you water?
9. Are there some areas that stay wet?
10. Are there some areas that stay dry?
11. What is the quality of your soil? Is it hard clay? Is it sandy?
12. Is it a new bed, or an existing bed?

Pay attention to different areas in your yard. Moisture can vary in different sections of your beds. You can put empty tuna cans out in various places and run the sprinkler system to test your coverage. Remember that certain areas may dry out faster than others, so keep that in mind also.

The following questions refer to the type of plant you would like?

13. Do you want a plant that stays green all year (an evergreen)?
14. Do you want a perennial garden that comes back every year?
15. Do you want plants that bloom and bloom and bloom for a season and then replace with other plants that bloom and bloom for that season (annuals)?

Consider your space, time and energy, and the kind of garden you want:

16. How big is your space in width and depth?
17. How tall do you want the plant to be?
18. How much maintenance do you want to put in?
19. What kind of garden do you want?
20. Do you want a formal look to your garden?
21. Would you love a cottage English style garden?
22. Are you interested in growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs?
23. Do you want to attract butterflies or birds to your garden?
24. How about a fragrant or cutting garden?
25. Would you like to involve children in your garden?
26. Are your plants going in a container, in the ground, or a mix of both?

This is a long list and a lot to think about, so if all else fails, just come prepared to answer questions about how much sun you get and we can go from there!

What Is All the Hoopla Over Azaleas?

What Is All the Hoopla Over Azaleas?

  

They are gorgeous! Have you ever driven around the Turtle Creek area in Dallas and seen the outstanding display of flowers in all shades of whites, pinks, corals, oranges, and reds that appear in early Spring? Those are Azaleas. They are wonderful plants that can be an evergreen shrub in your garden with a breathtaking display of flowers in the Spring.

There’s only one catch… they are allergic to our soils! Well, rather the high PH level and salt content in our soil is toxic to their roots and they will die a slow, ugly death if planted directly into our native Dallas soil. However, with the proper planting and a lot of initial work, which requires excavating your soil and replacing it with Azalea Mix, you can grow Azaleas quite easily in your garden. 

A previous post about soil recipes goes over what you need to do to prepare your Azalea beds, but I’ll repeat it here so you don’t have to go back and look for it.  

Azaleas need to be planted in a bed 15”- 18” deep with Azalea Mix which is a mixture of 50% moistened Peat Moss and 50% Pine Bark Mulch. Our Nicholson-Hardie Azalea Mix is ready to go and a lot easier than trying to mix it yourself which can be laborious and time consuming.

Raised beds are preferable since it ensures drainage, allows more depth of Azalea mix, and allows you to be more flexible with your location.  

1. Excavate 2” to 4” of your existing soil. Prior to this you will need to think about where you want to put this soil… in your garden or have it hauled away.
2. Raise your beds 14” to 16” with Nicholson-Hardie Azalea Mix.

 Once your beds are prepped, you can start planting your Azaleas.

Apart from your bed preparation, there are a few more things to consider when planting Azaleas. Be sure to choose the right location. Azaleas like shade, but not deep shade. They prefer half a day of morning sun, or bright dappled sun. They can take the sun after 4pm, but they don’t want to be in our scorching midday sun.

If you just planted new Azaleas, it is important to create a basin around the plant to funnel the water to the roots ensuring that it is getting the necessary amount of water. Hand watering is crucial at this stage! The amount you water depends on their location, so be sure to check them by sticking your finger down into the root ball and feeling for moisture. (This is true for all plants that haven’t rooted out yet.)

Fertilize with Fertilome Azalea, Camellia, and Gardenia food three times a year – once in April after they bloom, once in June, and again in September. Wash any fertilizer off the leaves to prevent burn. You can also fertilize with Rose Glo as an organic option – just follow the same feeding schedule. If your Azaleas have yellow leaves with green veins, use Carl Pool Mineralized Acidifier.

Do you want blooms two to three times a year – Spring, possibly Summer, and Fall? Encore Azaleas are a newer variety, but have proven to be wonderful bloomers.

If you want Azaleas in Dallas, it is possible… you will just have to jump through some hoops at first to get your beds just right.

Soil Prep Recipes

Soil Prep Recipes

 

Just like with food, there are many different recipes for prepping your garden beds. Here are our favorites.

 For New Beds (Great for all annuals, perennials, roses, trees, and shrubs. Not Azaleas – see special recipe for Azaleas.) 

1. Start by tilling the soil 8” – 10” deep.
2. Mix in some soil additives to ensure that plants grow strong roots, get good drainage and have access to nutrients.
   1. Mix in 3-4” of compost.
   2. Dust with Plant Success Granules which add Mycorrhizae and Trichoderma (two beneficial Fungi groups).
   3. Add ½” to 1” of expanded shale.
   4. Put some fertilizer in with the soil.

                           i.      Texas Tea 6-2-4 is a good organic choice.

                           ii.      Fertilome Start-N-Grow 19-6-12 is a good inorganic choice.

5. (Optional) Dust with green sand to provide essential trace elements.
6. (Optional) Dust with dried molasses to feed beneficial microbes in the soil.

For pocket planting follow the recipe for new beds in proportionate amounts to the size of planting hole you are making.

For Existing Beds 

1. Top dress with about 1 ½” of compost.
2. Fertilize with either Texas Tea (organic) or Start-N-Grow (inorganic) or Nicholson-Hardie Lawn and Landscape Fertilizer 20-5-10.

For Azaleas

Remember that our native Dallas soil has a high PH balance and high mineral salt content which is toxic to Azaleas so they require special bed preparation.

 Azaleas need to be planted in a bed 15”- 18” deep with Azalea Mix which is a mixture of 50% moistened Peat Moss and 50% Pine Bark Mulch. You can get the Nicholson-Hardie Azalea Mix which is ready to go and a lot easier than mixing it yourself.

 Raised beds are preferable since it ensures drainage, allows more depth of Azalea mix, and allows you to be more flexible with your location.   

1. Excavate 2” to 4” of your existing soil. Prior to this you will need to think about where you want to put this soil… in your garden or have it hauled away.
2. Raise your beds 14” to 16” with Nicholson-Hardie Azalea Mix.

 Then you are ready for planting your Azaleas.

These recipes will help you get the best results for new beds and help maintain existing beds. Right now is a great time to start prepping your garden beds to get ready for the Spring.

Healthy Roots Equal Healthy Plants

Some Products to Help Your Roots Along

While looking over our inventory, we saw some products that we would like to share with you this week to help promote root health and plant growth.

 Growth Technology: Ionic Grow and Bloom Formulas are gentle micro-nutrient fertilizer concentrates that are formulated for use in soil. They are premixed so they only need to be diluted with water and then watered in to the soil. They are made using natural minerals, not industrial chemicals. They promote healthy growth, bright foliage, and beautiful blooming color.

Microbe Life Photosynthesis Plus is not a fertilizer. It is, however, a colony of various bacterial and fungal strains that spur root growth and optimize the vascular system of the plant for converting fertilizers and sunlight into growth. This product is like a nitrous-oxide for a plant – it helps the plants make the most of fertilizers by promoting healthier and stronger root growth and faster photosynthesis reactions. These stronger roots are what help your plants make it through the scorching Texas summer.

Microbe Life Foliar Spray & Root Drench for Trees & Shrubs is a combination of micro-nutrient fertilizer with some of the same bacteria and fungal strains that are available in Photosynthesis Plus. It is specially formulated for woody shrubs and trees to promote root growth and a very strong vascular system. It is also conveniently packaged in a hose end sprayer. This formula is a one stop shop, and will improve the chances of valuable trees and shrubs surviving the summer scorch.

 Carl Pool Bioblast is a very balanced liquid fertilizer with trace elements and root simulator  This is one of the simplest fertilizers to use. Just a few squirts from the bottle into your watering can, no mixing, and you are ready to go.  

Heirloom Plants and Vegtables

Looking for Some Heirloom Plants and Vegetables?

 

Seeds from Seed Savers Exchange are a great way to get some of those hard to find heirloom plants back into your garden. Seed Savers Exchange is a non – profit organization devoted to the preservation of heirloom plants and does not carry any seeds that have been genetically modified in anyway. This means we are able to maintain plants that have been around for centuries like the bean “Cherokee Trail of Tears” that was actually carried by the Cherokees along their long march.

 To me, this is very exciting because not only do you get to enjoy beautiful plants and vegetables in your garden, but you get to partake in history and its preservation. Plus, planting seeds are fun because you get to be involved in all stages of the growing process and it is amazing to see the first little shoots come out of a pot that just looked like dirt.

 We have a great selection of seeds at the Garden Shop located near the Tollway, so come in the store to learn more about the different varieties of heirloom seeds. You can also visit their website at http://www.seedsavers.org/

Growing Tomatoes in Containers

Growing Tomatoes in Containers

 

Do you want to go out and pick fresh tomatoes from your garden, but you don’t have the space? How about trying containers? The Garden Shop next to the Tollway has these ready made containers that include a self watering system and a trellis. The nice thing about these too is that you can get one with wheels on it so you can move it during the day to get enough sun. Don’t particularly care for tomatoes? You can also grow other vegetables like beans, peppers, or cucumbers.

The Urban Fruit Farmer

The Urban Fruit Farmer

   

Figs. Blackberries. Blueberries. Pomegranates. Peaches. Nectarines.

Yummy!

Where can I put them all? Don’t they get too big for containers? The Garden Shop has some varieties in right now that stay smaller and are perfect for the urban gardener. Just be sure to put them in enough sunlight, give them plenty of water, and maintain a regular feeding.

Why Peonies in Dallas?

Common belief is that Peonies don’t grow in Dallas. But, with the proper care and selection, they actually do amazingly well. Luckily for the lazy gardener, Peonies don’t require much care. They are very winter hardy and drought resistant. They can often be found at old cemeteries because they are so carefree and can live up to 75 years – which is a long time for a perennial. Peonies have a bitter taste which keeps them from becoming a snack to wildlife and helps ensure longevity in rural areas. Peonies also make a great cut flower so you can enjoy their beautiful blossoms indoors. You have your choice of several flower types in a variety of colors. Right now we have a great selection with more expected within the next week or so.

Diversify Your Garden

When we think of a garden, we often only think about the plants in our garden. Adding a decorative container, sculpture, or fountain can really spruce up your space and create an interesting focal point. Often times, a fountain or container can be the solution to a problem area where you just haven’t been able to get something to grow. Containers also provide an inexpensive way to give a nice pop of color throughout your garden. If you live in a high rise or an apartment, containers and fountains allow you to create a garden space and quiet retreat. January and February are good months to begin thinking about the garden features you want to add to your home this year. We have recently been receiving wonderful new items.