Welcome
to Hamlen's Second
Spring Newsletter 2002!
We
hope to see many of our customers at the Garden Center happily
shopping for their spring annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs.
In
this issue...
New Stuff for 2002
There's No Place Like Home
Binocular Bob
The Top 10 "Brown Thumb"
Mistakes
New
Stuff for 2002
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| Bali
Cherry - This is a hardy cherry discovered in Edmonton,
Alberta. The fruiting buds are hardy to -43°F. The one-inch
fruit ripens in August and is considered to taste between
a sweet and sour cherry, similar to Mesabi cherry. It is self-fertile
so it will not need another cherry to pollinate. |
Patten
Pear - Has been added to the pear collection and is
a very good pollinator for Summercrisp, Parker, Luscious and
Gourmet Pear. Patten's fruit is very tender and juicy. |
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|
 Mango
Tango Potentilla
This is a
tidy, compact, rounded Potentilla with striking bicolor
flowers. Shades of orange and red radiate from the center
of the flower petal over a base color of deep yellow. It
is extremely cold hardy and reaches a height of about 2
feet.
|
 Grape
Honeysuckle
This is a
hardy twining vine with blue-green leaves. When grape honeysuckle
is planted in full sun, it becomes covered with yellow tubular
whirls of flowers that progress to profuse clusters of scarlet
red berries. Another honeysuckle is needed for cross-pollination.
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|
 Wine
& Roses Weigela
It has dark
burgundy-purple foliage which really sets off the rosy-pink
colored flowers. This exciting plant does well in zone 4
(-30°F) and reaches a height and spread of 4-5 feet.
|
 Hydrangea
macrophylla 'Dooley'
This plant
is marginally hardy Zone 5 (-20°F). In a protected area
and with an acid soil, it will give you large rich blue
flowers on lateral buds up and down the stem.
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|
 Kyushu
Hydrangea
This plant
originated on a Japanese island. It is a zone 4 (-30°F)
plant that gets 6-8 feet tall and wide. It has elegant,
large, open, airy white flowers that bloom in August and
September. The flowers turn pink in late August. Another
interesting characteristic of the plant is its glossy green
foliage.
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|
 Eupatorium
rugosum 'Chocolate'
Late summer
bloomer grown for its foliage. The dark maroon to bronze
foliage accents the creamy white flowers. An exceptional
plant that grows well in full sun to partial shade and reaches
heights of 4-5'. Eupatorium is best used as an accent plant
or along the back border.
|
 Zauschneria
(Hardy Fuschia)
This rapidly
spreading groundcover is hardy to Zone 3. Requires well
drained soil and is extremely drought tolerant. The tube-like
orange-scarlet flowers appear from mid to late summer. The
flower shape and color make it an excellent plant for attracting
hummingbirds. Can grow in both full sun and shade.
|
|
 Hosta
'Guacamole'
Deep veined
hosta with large round chartreuse leaves. The irregular
dark green edge intensifies in color with age and light.
Large fragrant lavender flowers bloom through August. Grows
54" wide and 24" tall. Great foliage plant for
shade/part shade.
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|
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|
 Torenia
'Amethyst'
This is a
vigorous creeping and trailing annual. Great for mixed baskets
and window boxes, or just on its own. The ruby-pink flowers
bloom all season long with very little maintenance. It branches
out well without any pinching and the snapdragon-like blooms
are self-cleaning. Torenia thrives in partial shade and
heat.
|
 Lysimachia
con. 'Outback Sunset'
This is a
very attractive annual with its beautiful yellow foliage
with green in the center. Blooms clusters of golden flowers
throughout spring and summer. Very useful in mixed containers
or as a groundcover. 'Outback Sunset' grows to 10"
tall and has a trailing habit. Its a quick and easy grower
in full sun.
|
|
 Dianthus
'Cinnamon Red Hots'
Slightly fragrant
scarlet flowers and long narrow foliage look great in mixed
containers. Compact habit makes 'Cinnamon Red Hots' ideal
for window boxes with a height of only 12-15". Grows
best in full sun to part shade.
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|
| Reel
Easy by GardenTech: 50 feet of hose contained in an
easy carry case. You can use it to water hanging baskets and
patio plants, or your garden. Easy to carry around because
it only weighs 8 lbs. Complete case with hose, reel and spray
nozzle. Take out as much hose as you need. Easy to wind back
up. |
Schultz
Orchid Mix: 8 dry qt. Bag contains Fir bark and charcoal.
Excellent mix for orchids and other epiphytic plants (plants
that grow on other plants but are not taking nourishment from
it). Orchid mix provides consistent aeration for roots and
retains moisture. Comes in a handy reclosable bag with helpful
orchid tips and repotting instructions to guide you through
the process. |
| Laguna
Pond Skimmer: A durable pond skimmer with telescopic
handle to easily reach within your pond. Soft netting and
rounded corners make it ideal for getting into all the grooves
of your pond without damaging the liner. The whole unit is
collapsible for easy storage. |
There's
No Place Like Home
When the events
of September 11th took place we were all horrified. Our way of
life was threatened and has in many ways changed. As emotions
swept over us we began to realize things might be different. We
found ourselves asking the question, why does anybody hate us?
One area in our
lives that hasn't changed is our homes. Our homes provide shelter
and stability. They provide a respite from the rest of the world
with their tranquillity and peace. Call it cocooning or whatever
name you want to give it, we all appreciate our sense of home.
Lately with the
uncertainty of the stock market people have found their homes
an excellent investment. Your home not only yields a much greater
return than stocks, certificates of deposit, money markets, and
IRA's but you enjoy the investment you make in your home now.
One of the highest
returns you can realize from investing in your home is through
landscaping. Realtors have found anyone selling their home with
nice landscaping can realize on an average a 15% return on their
landscaping investment. Not only is their house worth 15% more,
but it has a much more inviting feeling making it easier to sell.
Our homes can give us the security, stability, and investment
opportunity we sometimes search elsewhere for.
As Dorothy in The
Wizard of Oz experienced -- home… there is no place like
it.
Binocular Bob
This year at the garden
center, be on the look out for Binocular Bob. Bob thinks he is a
bird watcher, but will watch anything that comes within his view.
Bob's job at the garden center is to offer you specials each week
on our plants and products. So when you come out to the garden center,
be on the lookout for Bob because with the specials he's offering,
you might say Bob is looking out for you.
 Top
10 "Brown Thumb" Mistakes
Thought
you might like to see the top ten mistakes made by people who
claim they can't grow anything. However, if you recognize some
of these, don't feel bad -- we all have practiced brown thumb
mistakes at least once in our lives.
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Plant
it & forget it.
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Black
soil is beautiful.
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When
watering plants more is better.
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Plants need to be fed????
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Any
plant grows anywhere.
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Dwarf plants stay dwarf.
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Plants planted near a house foundation won't grow.
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If a plant does not have leaves or needles for one growing season
it is not dead.
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My weedwacker won't harm my plants.
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Lots of bark mulch around my plants must be good.
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