January  2003

Nutsey News

January Meeting - January 7th, 2003 - 6:30 p.m. - at the Phoenix Lodge. 

Our 6th Annual Potluck Supper & Experts Night! Our very own club experts will answer your horticulture and gardening questions - please write your questions on a 3”x5” index card to submit to our experts! ALSO, please note the change in time!

 WHGC T-Shirts are in and will be available for payment and pickup.

January Board Meeting - January 21st, 2003 7:30 p.m. @ The Phoenix Lodge.

February Meeting - February 4th, 2003 at 7:30 p.m. @ the Phoenix Lodge. A Garden For Butterflies, Hummingbirds and Other Creatures, presented by Suzanne Mahler. Butterflies and hummingbirds are two of nature’s most wondrous creatures. Through color slides and amusing anecdotes, Suzanne will share her passion for gardening and wildlife to illustrate which plants you can grow that attract these delightful visitors to your garden. Explore the magic of a butterfly’s metamorphosis and learn which flower colors and forms these mystical insects and fascinating tiny birds prefer. An array of other garden visitors including frogs, bugs, and furry critters will be featured.

February Board Meeting - February 18th, 2003 7:30 p.m. @ the Phoenix Lodge.

On behalf of the “Christmas at the Stetson House” project, Pam Ferguson would like to extend a great big Thank You to all who participated with endless effort to the success of the Stetson House this year - Thank You! Happy New Year!

-- Gail Sardano, Communications 

BELOW THIS AREA IS NEWS GOING OUT TO EMAIL MEMBERS ONLY. IF YOU THINK OTHER MEMBERS WOULD BE INTERESTED PLEASE PASS THIS INFO ALONG. THIS INFO IS NOT IN THE MAILED NEWSLETTER.

Scholarship notice: FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS (see Pat Dennett Scholarship)

College scholarships are available for students majoring in Horticulture, Floriculture, Landscape Design, Conservation, forestry, Agronomy, City Planning, Environmental Concerns, Land Management, Botany, Biology, and other  Allied subjects. Students attending accredited colleges and universities may apply for these funds for the 2002-2003 academic year. 

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National Garden Clubs, Inc. offers grants of $3500.00 Available to Juniors, Seniors and Graduate students. Thais application can be downloaded at www.gardenclub.org.

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The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. offers grants up to $1000.00. Available to High School Seniors, College and Graduate Students.

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Patricia H. Dennet Scholarship - enables  primary and secondary teachers to further their education by taking courses or workshops in ecology, conservation, horticulture or other related subjects.

Other REQUIREMENTS are listed on page 44 of the Jan./Feb. issue of MAYFLOWER, available to view at all WHGC meetings. Questions should be directed to Marie Sisk. DEADLINE IS MARCH 1, 2003

 

 

The Garden Club Federation of Ma (GCFMA) is planning a trip to Mackinac Island & Niagara Falls for June 13-20, 2003.  Notices, including full itinerary, will also be available at the January Potluck  meeting. Details are on page 47 of the Jan./Feb. issue of the MAYFLOWER.

  1. Rochester, NY, Sleep at Four Points Sheraton Hotel

  2. Royal Botanical Gardens & Motor City USA. Royal Botanical Gardens is a living museum filled with nature's treasures, including over 2,700 acres of breathtaking gardens and spectacular nature sanctuaries, at the western-most tip of Lake Ontario. Go to website http://www.rbg.ca/ Also, Motor City, USA. Sleep at Westin Hotel, Southfield, MI

  3. Henry ford Museum,  Sleep at Westin Hotel, Southfield, MI

  4. Straits of Mackinaw & Mackinac Island,  Sleep at Island House Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI. Visit Mackinac Island and experience the sites and sounds of a bygone era. Located between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, the Island offers you unforgettable natural and historical treasures surrounded by the sparkling blue waters of Lake Huron. 

  5. Horse Drawn Carriage tour of Mackinac island, Sleep at Island House Hotel

  6. Frankenmuth, Bronners’ Christmas Store, Sleep at Bavarian Inn Hotel, Frankenmuth, MI

  7. Niagara Falls, Canada Oh Canada” dinner show musical, Renaissance Falls view Hotel, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

  8. DEPART FOR HOME.

 

LISTING FOR NEW PERENNIALS AVAILABLE IN 2003

click on this to go to Wayside's new perennial's page.

Some of these plants will be hard  to find so you might want to become familiar with the names so you'll know when you find a specialty.        

Below are just the first page of items you will find in the link provided. Click on the link to see the entire listing by using "next page" button at the bottom.  

http://www.waysidegardens.com/webapp/commerce/command/ExecMacro/psNewFromPark.d2w/topten?UNID=36511:30:21.387

Butterfly Bush Bicolor

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Butterfly Bush Bicolor
Buddleia Bicolor

available at Wayside Gardens

Easy to grow, drought-tolerant, and irresistible to butterflies!

Unique Butterscotch and Raspberry Blooms -- Marvelously Fragrant and Long-Blooming!
   Another exciting color breakthrough for Buddleia! Bicolor is the first ever to offer two completely different colors on the same bloomstalk -- rich butterscotch yellow and frosty raspberry lavender! Add a heady, sweet fragrance, tons of butterflies, and you've got your perennial border, patio, or meadowland garden standout!   Selected from more than 2,000 seedlings, Bicolor was first grown at Dr. Michael Dirr's test gardens at the University of Georgia. Well, pandemonium broke loose whenever a group of visitors caught sight of these long, elegant trusses shimmering with deep gold and pale lavender tones! This is undoubtedly the best thing to happen to Butterfly Bushes since Honeycomb (one of Bicolor's parents!) arrived on the scene!

   The blooms arise all summer long, standing out nicely against the soft gray-green foliage. Most bloom trusses are about 5 to 6 inches long, but they can reach up to 10 inches at the end of the season, with an intoxicating scent just as overwhelming as their color show! You will find yourself making excuses to visit this Buddleia in the sunny border or on the patio. The bloomstalks are lovely as cutflowers, too, so be sure to bring this color and scent indoors!

   Bicolor reaches 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide, and benefits from a good shearing in late winter to encourage better branching and more blooms. It grows easily in any sunny, well-drained spot, demonstrating fantastic drought tolerance and indifferent to extreme heat and humidity. The butterflies will love this shrub . . . but not as much as you will! Zones 5-9.

Red Tickseed Limerock Ruby

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Red Tickseed Limerock Ruby
Coreopsis Limerock Ruby


available at Wayside Gardens

Very adaptable to any sunny soil!

A Hardy RED Coreopsis that Blooms All Summer!
Fabulous new color and unbeatable flower power!

   (Plant Patent Applied For) No matter how crowded your sunny borders, patio, and perennial beds may be, please make room for the first-ever RED perennial Coreopsis that blooms nonstop all summer long! Limerock Ruby is just too exciting a plant to pass up -- its big blooms are colorful and profuse, and its low, spreading habit really covers the ground beautifully. Best of all, it's a snap to grow, no matter what soil you've got!

   These merry yellow-eyed daisies arise all over the place, beginning the minute the real summer heat sets in and lasting until fall. They measure 1 1/2 inches across -- quite large by Coreopsis standards, and very showy to boot! The plants reach just under 2 feet tall and spread up to 3 feet wide, covering ground quickly in any sun-drenched spot. Coreopsis is famously adaptable, not fussy about soil type provided the drainage is reasonably good and the sunshine is plentiful.

   The best thing about Limerock Ruby is that its summer-long bloom is continuous -- none of this "wave of bloom, pause, smaller wave, longer pause" nonsense. You'll be in flowers for months on end! Enjoy it in the perennial border alongside white Echinacea and blue Salvia, or let it trail from baskets, large planters, and windowboxes! It's even heat-tolerant enough to take those arid spots beside buildings and driveways!

   Hardy from zone 4 through zone 9, Limerock Ruby is an American classic. It was discovered at Limerock Plant Farm in Lincoln, Rhode Island, and forms a very neat plant with airy, ferny foliage similar to that of Coreopsis Moonbeam. In other words, this is no rangy spreader, but a formal plant equally at home in the patterned garden or the happy chaos of the perennial border! Space plants about 2 feet apart. zones 4-9.

Purple Coneflower Razzmatazz

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Purple Coneflower 'Razzmatazz'
Echinacea purpurea 'Razzmatazz'

available at Wayside Gardens

The First Double-Flowered Echinacea the World has Ever Seen!
Same terrific adaptability to heat, humidity, cold, and drought, from one end of the country to the other!

At last enough stock has built up to offer Razzmatazz at a great price. Possibly the rarest new perennial this season and certainly the showiest, Razzmatazz is the first-ever double Echinacea!

   You just won't believe the flower power of this rough-and-ready little 30-inch plant! The blooms are 3 to 4 inches across, crammed with bright pink petals and set atop sturdy, cutflower-quality stems! Expect them to last up to 2 weeks in the vase, and goodness knows how long in the garden. And expect PLENTY of them from this bone-hardy variety!

   Like all Echinacea, Razzmatazz is totally durable, disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, heat- and humidity-loving, and untroubled by pests and diseases. A native species (E. purpurea, the beloved Purple Coneflower), it adapts to locations across the U.S., and doesn't mind less than ideal soil. Provided you give it lots of sunshine and reasonably well-drained soil, you just can't go wrong with Razzmatazz!

   This stunning variety originated in Holland in the fields of a cutflower grower, so you can imagine its stem strength, color saturation, and staying power. 18 to 24 inches wide, it makes a full, bushy plant without taking up a lot of room in your perennial border. And you can even dry the blooms for use as Everlastings!

   Razzmatazz is hardy in zones 3-9. Space plants about 2 to 2 1/2 feet apart, and plan for summer-long blooms

Rose of Sharon Blue Bird (Standard Form)

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Rose of Sharon Blue Bird (Standard Form)
Hibiscus syriacus Blue Bird (Standard Form)

available at Wayside Gardens

 

Underplant with pink Phlox, red Verbena, or colorful annuals!

Elegant "Tree" Hibiscus for Patio, Entryway, or Accent!
Same summer-long blooms of azure-blue that have made Bluebird the most popular Hibiscus for American gardens!

   Just when it seemed Hibiscus couldn't get any more beautiful, along comes this standard-form Bluebird to set our patios alight with elegant form and gorgeous azure color! The perfect size for framing an entryway, marching along the walk, or standing in solitary splendor above a bed of bright blooms, tree-form Hibiscus combines the ease of its shrub cousin with the vertical impact of a flowering tree! All I can say is, "WOW!"

   If ever there were a reason to complain about bloom-happy, super-easy Hibiscus, it might have been that the shrub could be rather rangy. Covered in color, yes, but not what you'd call trim. Well, this standard-form solves that little complaint -- it's grafted onto a 4-foot stem, forming a perfectly neat "poodle" or topiary small tree! Trim it as needed in late winter to keep it symmetrical, but Bluebird really needs no fussing. It begins flowering in early summer and continues without drawing a breath until mid-fall! And such blooms -- at least 3 inches across, they open wide to display thick, rounded sky-blue petals and a prominent cream-colored central cone ringed in red. (Remember when blue used to be hard to find in the summer garden? --Thank you, Bluebird!)

   Like its shrub and plant cousins, Bluebird is very tolerant of extreme heat and humidity, soaking in the summer sun that drives other flowering trees away. Plant it fearlessly in full sun, keep it well watered, and Bluebird will stay colorful for months and months!

   This tree reaches 5 to 7 feet tall and 7 feet wide. For a formal look, try potting it up and filling the base of the container with something neat and tidy such as hardy Phlox. Or, for a lush, overflowing look, let red Verbena or Rudbeckia and crimson Echinacea!

   We ship large, well-rooted, two-year-old trees in big 3-gallon pot, ready to take off in your garden or large container. If planting more than one together in the garden, space them about 3 1/2 feet apart. Hibiscus is not fussy about soil provided it is well-drained and receives plenty of sunshine and water. Zones 5-9.

Hydrangea Merritt's Beauty

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Hydrangea Merritt's Beauty
Hydrangea macrophylla Merritt's Beauty

available at Wayside Gardens

Blooms are very long-lasting in the vase, and make great dried arrangements, too!

GIGANTIC Bloom Clusters Reach 15 Inches Across!
Flowers are rich blue in acid soils, deep pink (almost red) in alkaline.

Every garden deserves one knock-'em-dead plant that brings gardening friends to their knees with envy, and Merritt's Beauty would love to be this superstar! Its bloom clusters are an absolutely staggering 12 to 15 inches wide, eye-catching from across the street and arising very freely in midsummer all over a vigorous bush just right for the foundation planting, border, hedge, or patio! The biggest Hydrangea blooms I have ever grown, these are eye-poppers you just won't believe until you grow them yourself!

   Merritt's Beauty is a mophead Hydrangea, blooming in mid and late summer in the partly shaded garden. The flowers will be rich blue in acid soils, deep carmine (nearly red!) in alkaline. Their size will astonish you -- and you won't get just one or two big blooms among a bunch of smaller ones. Not only does Merritt's Beauty bloom heavily, it also turns out consistently enormous trusses!

   These flowers are great for cutting, not only because of their size but because their stems are exceptionally sturdy and thick. The single flowerhead I removed and kept in a jar of water on my desk held up for an astonishing 3 WEEKS -- while the whole time, people kept stopping by the office to tell me they'd never seen such a beautiful bloom. I knew Merritt's Beauty was a winner when guests began asking me the name of the bloom! The flowers also make spectacular Everlastings, keeping their color for months in dried arrangements. And if you want to keep the blooms on the plant, just be sure to deadhead them promptly -- you'll get even more blooms if you keep the old ones removed!

   The shrub reaches 5 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, growing very quickly and clothed from spring through fall in large, glossy, attractive foliage. Space plants about 3 feet apart for a solid line of dense coverage. Zones 6-9.

Japanese Maple Peaches and Cream

click on picture for hyperlink

Japanese Maple Peaches and Cream
Acer palmatum Peaches and Cream

available at Wayside Gardens

Strawberry Highlights in Spring, Creamy Color in Fall!
3 Seasons of Color Changes!
   Quick-growing and nicely shaped!
With a different look for every season of the year, 'Peaches and Cream' is one of the most delightful Japanese Maples to come along in quite a while. Extremely rare and difficult to locate, it is nonetheless quite easy to grow in the partly-shaded garden, repaying minimal care with a lifetime of stunning beauty.

  The show begins in spring, when the new leaves unfurl a brilliant "crushed strawberry" pink, deepest at the tips and shading to cream toward the center. The soft tones of yellow and pink are accentuated by prominent, deep green veining, which marks every lobe of these hand-shaped leaves. Unbelievably fresh and colorful in the spring garden, 'Peaches and Cream' deserves a location on the patio or close to a window, where you can enjoy its changing beauty up close!

   In the summer, the red tones turn to green, offering lush coverage for the hottest months. But when the temperature drops in fall, the foliage again transforms -- this time to rich shades of yellow with darker tips! Magnificent!

   'Peaches and Cream' grows quickly to 15 to 20 feet tall and 15 to 18 feet wide. Elegant in any setting, it is a nice focal point for partly-shaded perennial borders as well as a glorious specimen planting.

   We offer only top-quality, Arboretum-Grade trees, asexually reproduced to eliminate the possibility of seedling variation. You will treasure this beautiful ample for a lifetime. Hardy in zones 5-8.

Elephant Ears Frydek

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Elephant Ears Frydek
Alocasia Frydek


available at Wayside Gardens

Elegant "Pinstripes" on a Tropical Favorite!
A totally new look for this adaptable shade-lover!

An Elephant Ears with a designer touch! 'Frydek' is just as carefree and easy to grow as its plainer cousins, but adds a little extra razzmatazz with prominent white veins -- really showy when the foliage is wet -- on satiny black leaves 10 inches wide and up to a foot and a half long! This tropical favorite is a standout in the black-and-white garden, interspersed with green-leaved plants at the edge of the pond, or majestically framing an entryway! This plant is easy to grow in partly to fully shaded spots, quicky reaching its mature size of 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Hardy only in zones 8 through 11, it's the perfect container specimen further north-- just bring it indoors before the first hard freeze and enjoy it all winter long! 'Frydek' tolerates a wide range of conditions, including just about any pH, extreme heat and humidity, boggy or heavy clay soil, and up to half a day of sunlight. If you want to grow it outdoors in zones 8 or above, just mulch it well when the weather cools down, and it will return with renewed vigor in spring. 'Frydek' makes a nice companion to the stunning yellow-leaved Elephant Ears 'Lime Zinger,' as well as to shade-loving tropicals such as Curcumas (Hidden Lilies). Dot the hot-pink blooms of C. sumatrana among 'Frydek's' dark foliage, or enjoy the change from green to scarlet of dramatic C. roscoeana. In the black-and-white garden, 'Frydek' is an exquisite underplanting for a mature white Angel's Trumpet or a backdrop for the sinuous white bloomspikes of Cimicifuga 'Hillside Black Beauty' as well!

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