It's
spring again at Hamlen's!
See
how our gardens and greenhouses are growing!! We look forward
to seeing everyone again at the Garden Center.
In
this issue...
New Annuals for 2001
Etera Perennials Now Available
Upcoming Events
Creating a Wildflower Garden
Hamlines
Haming It Up
New
Annuals for 2001
|
Sweetheart
Cascade Dianthus
Trailing
fragrant scarlet flowers with narrow long green foliage.
|
Osteospermum
Hybrid Symphony
Great
for pots, window boxes and landscape planting. Exceptional
performance in summer heat. Compact full plant.
|
|
Lysimachia
Nummularia Goldilocks
Great
looking texture plant, low growing, creeps and hangs. Bright
golden color that mixes with any color.
|
Skylover
Blue
Anagallis
Monelli - bushy upright growth, dainty, intense blue flowers
with a yellow-white center. Great for use in pots, hanging
baskets, combination patio bowls, window boxes and landscape
planting.
|
Hamlen's is pleased
to offer these new annuals this spring. Let us know what you think
of them.
A
New Perennial Company
Hamlen's is pleased
to inform our customers that this year we will be carrying Etera
Perennials. What makes these perennials so unique? Etera perennials
have been grown using the patented Etera Growing Process at Mount
Vernon, Washington. These plants start their lives in state-of-the-art
greenhouses where they receive all the care they need from proper
watering, sufficient sunshine, to man-made weather like fog. However,
the greatest secret to their success is the bottomless plastic
pot they are grown in. These young perennials will remain in the
greenhouses until their roots are visible at the bottom of the
pots. At this time they are strong enough for life in the fields.
When the perennials
are in the fields they are placed into raised beds. These raised
beds have an underground irrigation system, which supply the roots
with fertilizer and water. This method makes sure the plants receive
the right amount of moisture and nutrition for maximum growth.
With the plants growing in such ideal conditions they grow larger
then similar varieties grown in greenhouses. In fact many plants
grow 4' by 3' even though they are still contained in the bottomless
pots. The tops of the plants grow so large they are able to produce
large supplies of sugar. As winter dormancy approaches the reserves
of sugar are transferred to the roots to be used in the following
year. Harvesting the plants is done easily because their roots
are almost totally contained in the pots.
Hamlen's Garden
Center believes that Etera perennials are high quality plants.
Stop in to see for yourself, we think you will be impressed with
Etera perennials as well as our large selection of Vermont grown
perennials. Just a reminder if we don't have a perennial that
you are looking for, please look for it on our website.
Upcoming
Events at the Garden Center
5/19 - Organic Gardening
Seminar with Barbara Flack. Begins at 9 a.m. All organic fertilizers
will be 20% off that day.
5/19 - Beginning at 10 a.m. - Heirloom Vegetable Gardening with
Charlie Nardozzi. All gardening tools and compost will be 20%
off.
5/26 - Seminar "New
Perennial Offerings for 2001" with Joe Vanat. Seminar begins
at 10 a.m. 10% off all perennials.
6/2 - Seminar "Ask the Master Gardeners" 10 a.m. Join
our panel of master gardeners as they answer your tough gardening
questions.
There is no charge
to attend these seminars, please call ahead to pre-register. For
a full list of this season's events, please visit our events calendar.
Hamlines
"Don't hurry,
don't worry, and don't forget to smell the flowers". (T.
Rice)
"Sin has many
tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all."
Hamming It Up
What do you call
a vertically challenged person who is clairvoyant, and just escaped
from prison? --- A small, medium at large.
What goes through
a bugs mind when it hits the windshield of a car? --- Its rear
end.
Creating
a Wildflower Garden
There are many excellent
reasons for cultivating a garden of wildflowers. First, properly
managed wildflowers demand much less maintenance than traditional
garden flowers or even lawns. In fact wildflowers can serve as
a labor saving alternative to a lawn (no mowing). The use of wildflowers
can keep alive rare or endangered species. And finally, they offer
unique beauty untouched by hybridizers and plant breeders.
Novice gardeners
might think that because these plants flourish in the wild they
can grow in the garden without assistance, NOT SO! Planning and
preparation are essential to a successful wildflower garden.
First, selecting
plants suited to your garden is key. Remember that each species
of wildflower has evolved to fill a very specific niche, making
climate and soil of particular importance.
Second, limit the
selection to indigenous plants. It would be unwise for Vermont
gardeners to select wildflowers indigenous to the southwest for
example.
Third, learn to
interpret a plant's habitat. Wildflowers found growing on roadsides
require well-drained, gritty soil exposed to full sun. Woodland
natives usually prefer shade and moist soils rich in humus. Mountain
plants grow best when their roots can hide in the cool shelter
of rocks.
Finally, as with
all plants site preparation and maintenance is essential. Don't
sprinkle seeds on hard, untilled soil. Likewise, don't sprinkle
and abandon them to the hot summer sun. Watering is important.
Today most garden
centers carry varieties of wildflower seed mixes, which include
directions for planting. It is not wise to collect plants from
the wilderness since this practice if often illegal and frowned
on by preservationists. However, if you are determined to forage
in the wild for your garden, one recommendation is to contact
a local contractor who can identify land slated for development,
and with the owner's permission you can dig with a clear conscience.
Hamlen's has several varieties of wildflower seed mixes. Stop
by and choose one that is just right for you.
Recycling
at Hamlen's
We still recycle
plastic pots and trays that are not broken. Along the parking
lot in front of the nursery area there is a recycle bin that you
can place your unwanted items in. Remember it is better to recycle
and reuse then to throw away.
