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.

Getting Ready for Spring in January and February

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The warm weather we have been having lately has brought in a lot of customers who are ready to get outdoors to enjoy their garden and start planting. However, here at the nursery we are still in between seasons. It is early in the season and a lot of perennials are still dormant and many Spring flowers aren’t out yet.

We do have a lot of the early Spring blooming deciduous trees and shrubs like flowering Quinces, Magnolias, and Redbuds (to name a few). We have a huge selection of roses and peonies. Plus, we are getting shipments of seasonal flowers, perennials, and herbs on a weekly basis as they become available. We choose to wait on some plants to ensure that you get the healthiest plant possible with a strong root system so that you have better success transplanting it to your garden or container. We also don’t want you to get a tender plant too early in case of a frost or a freeze.

If you are looking for a specific variety of plant, please call us and we can let you know if we have it or give you a call back when it comes in. Or, come on in and see what plants are currently in stock. Remember, now is the perfect time to get ready for Spring by preparing your garden beds with compost and planning what plants you want to get this year.

People’s Choice Spotlight: Nicholson-Hardie

Staff Photo by Allison Slomowitz

Nicholson-Hardie: Offering everything from the usual baskets and candles to more exotic gifts such as handmade pottery from Italy, there’s something for just about everyone at this shop.
Read more: People’s Choice 2012 Winners | Park Cities People

Read more: Park Cities People

February Is the Month for Lovin' Roses

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The month of Valentines is a popular month for roses, and an important one for rose lovers. It is a general rule of thumb to cut back your roses (not climbing roses) around February 14^th. You don’t want to start cutting back too early, like in January, because cutting back the roses encourages new growth and promotes stronger cane formation. If we have a freeze that new growth can be damaged. You don’t want to cut back too late because then you will cut off new growth.

We like to give our customers the reference to Valentine’s Day because it is easy to remember. So sharpen your pruning shears, get some clear finger nail polish or Elmers Glue to dab on the fresh cuts to seal the wounds, and take care of your roses. They will love you for it by rewarding you with a garden full of beautiful blooms.

Please call the store on how far to cut back your roses because how much you cut depends on the variety.

Once you are ready, you can use the following image as a guideline to help you determine where to cut your roses.

Nicholson – Hardie also has seminars dedicated to cutting back roses, rooting roses, and the best roses for Dallas on Saturday, February 2^nd at the Nursery located at 5060 W. Lovers Ln.

Hope to see you there!

Staying Busy in January

What does January look like at a plant nursery?? Well, this year has been a cold one for Dallas. We even had a snow day which is not common here. But, we got our temporary greenhouse built to house all of our seasonal plants for those really cold days. This is great because it helps keep them alive and beautiful (an obvious perk), but it also keeps our customers warm so they stay comfortable while shopping.


We just finished potting our modern roses and getting ready to pot up some peonies – two favorites for English garden lovers. The varieties we have are proven winners and do very well for the Dallas area so you can have the English garden look in Texas.


We are also preparing for our Spring Seminars. This is a Nicholson – Hardie tradition and we have some great ones this year. The topics include everything from English Gardens Texas Style to Shade Gardens. Rose care, herb gardens, and growing Peonies are other favorites. You can see a detailed list of our workshops on the website:


2013 Learning Experiences


You may register online or at the store.

After Christmas Sale

 

It is sad to see the holiday season go, but exciting that Spring is just around the corner. We had a wonderful season ushered in by a visit to our store from Santa Claus, a wintery wonderland with a lot full of gorgeous Christmas trees, and a big giant bow around the store. We would like to thank all of our customers and wish you a great start to the New Year. It was a joy to see all of you come in and pick out Christmas trees with your families!!

We are saying goodbye to the Christmas season with a sale on all our Christmas decorations. It’s always good to be thinking ahead and now is a perfect time to take advantage of the sale we have on all our Christmas decorations.

A Little Background on Us

Newcomers, let me introduce Nicholson – Hardie Garden and Nursery and talk about its origins. My first experience was as a young child, when my grandmother, an avid gardener, took me to Nicholson Hardie. It was an outing that seemed like a chore at first since I would have much rather stayed at her house playing outside in her yard. But once I got to the store, I found that it was just as much fun to explore with aisles of mysterious plants making it seem like I was in a tropical jungle.

She would always come for trusted advice on what was happening to her magnolia tree, why her tomatoes weren’t producing much fruit, or how to care for the banana plants that she uprooted from her home in Florida and brought to Dallas. When my older sister dug them up from my grandmother’s to plant in her yard… where do you think she went for advice on how to do that without killing them? Those banana trees have now become a treasured family heirloom.

You see, for many in the Dallas community, Nicholson - Hardie is not only a brand name – it is a household name because that is where their parents, grandparents and friends have gone and still go to meet all their garden needs. When John Bracken bought Nicholson - Hardie Seed Store, he had a vision. He wanted to create a store that stayed true to its origins by providing quality seeds to the outdoor gardener and landscaper, but wanted to expand it to include premium indoor and outdoor bedding plants to the residents in the Dallas area.

Nicholson – Hardie soon bore the reputation of being the place to go… not only for quality plants, but also for expert advice and quality service. As his two sons, Michael and Josh Bracken, became more involved with the store they also infused their own visions of creating an upscale gift and plant store while staying true to its roots of providing the community with excellent service and products.

All of this is a lot for one location to take on and maintain the atmosphere of a specialty store… thus the reason for two stores right down the street from each other.  They are two sides of the same coin… well you could say they are two distinct brands with the same name. At Nicholson – Hardie the Garden Shop you can lose yourself in the surroundings of exotic indoor plants, shelves of candles, picture frames, and a wide assortment of indoor pottery. You can find just about any seed or bulb you desire, and then some. If you explore out back, you are sure to find the tables in full bloom with annual color.

Herein lies the common ground (other than premium quality, expert advice and great service… of course). At Nicholson – Hardie the Nursery, you can also find the tables full of seasonal color. Additionally, you will find hardy perennials to last year after year, shrubs, trees, roses, cactus, Texas natives and a large variety of ornamental plants. Mixed in with the plants, you will find displays of outdoor fountains, garden sculpture, decorative outdoor containers, and seasonal designer decorations.

So there you have it, two stores, two brands… one name. A genius solution to the vision of wanting to provide upscale indoor -outdoor living and landscaping to the Dallas community.

Welcome to the Nicholson – Hardie Blog

Welcome to the Nicholson - Hardie Blog plant and garden lovers! A lot of exciting things will happen here! During the course of time, we will share a wealth of information and resources in this blog not only about Nicholson Hardie, but a host of different topics relating to plants and your garden. We value your participation so we intend for this blog to be an interactive forum where you can share your favorite garden ideas. There will be posts dedicated to specific topics so please stay tuned for calls to action such as sharing your favorite plants, recipes using garden herbs, or photo contests. Please feel free to leave comments or questions if you have any.

Sincerely Yours,

Nicholson – Hardie Blogger