2009 Van Bakel Garden Center Newsletters

A sampling of past Van Bakel newsletters with information timed for our zone 4/5 Newmarket area gardens. Browse these monthly tips and follow the links to the full articles on our "helpful hints" pages.

September 2009 Newsletter The season is starting to wind down now and it’s a great time to review your garden’s design with an eye to fall and winter interest. When buying plants in spring we’re hungry for colourful flowers and the more muted tones that make the fall garden interesting is farthest from our minds. Is there a spot that could take advantage of the glowing light of September sun? Is there something sculptural that will stand tall through the snow? A small evergreen or two to partner with the tan of ornamental grasses? Coneflower seedheads for the birds?

Container plantings could use a refreshing at this time of year. Why not tuck in a few fall grasses or bright chrysanthemums to replace the fading summer annuals. Or perhaps pick up one of the great new containers we have in at a special clearance price!

We still have lots of inventory to choose from – drop in and take advantage of our many end-of-season clearance specials!

September is the best time to plant perennials and shrubs. They love to have this kind of cooler weather to establish their roots, and since they aren’t in the active growth phase of their seasonal life, there’s far less transplant stress. We’ll be open until September 26^th with lots of clearance specials to make your fall planting easy on the wallet.

September Plant Feature - Chrysanthemums Buying a fresh new Chrysanthemum has become one of the ways gardeners celebrate Fall in the garden. While it’s fun to shop and purchase something new for the garden at this slower time of year, Chrysanthemums are very easy to establish as a permanent part of your perennial garden planting. I plant them close to spring blooming Bleeding Heart to fill the space left in August by their faded foliage. There’s no need to suffer the burned out foliage of Bleeding Heart – by August ... (click here for full article on "About Perennials" page.)

September Gardening Tip - Overwintering Tender Perennials Canna, Colocasia, Gladiola, Caladium, purple Oxalis, tuberous Begonia, Calla Lilly, Dahlia, Lantana, Geranium, Ensete, Amaryllis. What do all these tender perennials have in common? They can be stored over winter indoors without devoting every inch of window space to keeping them safe. Just a cool dark corner in the basement is all they need as long as you condition them correctly for winter dormancy.

All perennials, whatever climate they are adapted to, have a dormant period. Hardy perennials and tender perennials alike need to experience dormancy triggers to prepare correctly for this down-time. The only difference is that tender perennials need their roots to be rescued before freezing temperatures enter the soil in November or early December. (click here for full article on "About Annuals" page.)

September Veggie Recipe - What else - Tomato Sauce! Use this herbally fragrant tomato sauce on its own for canning or as a base for lots of chopped vegetables or ground beef to produce a chunkier and heartier sauce. (click here for recipe on "Herbs & Vegies" page.)

A last note for September – Thanks to all our customers for making our best year ever a reality! As we wind down our 5^th anniversary year, plans are already underway for next year. Industry plant catalogues are piling up behind my desk and I can’t wait to bury myself in them for a sneak preview of what’s in store for next year. The excitement and enthusiasm for gardening that inspired the launch of Van Bakel Greenhouse five years ago is still growing!

Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

August 2009 Newsletter
It’s been over a month since our last newsletter and it’s certainly interesting looking back at my notes. What in late June was promising to be an almost perfect summer for the garden turned into what has to be one of the wettest summers in years! Dry loving plants developed rotted leaves, heat lovers put out just so-so blooms, daylily blooms are mottled with washed out watery petals, and the annuals in hanging baskets got beaten, battered and drowned in the many downpours. Definitely too much of a good thing!

We still have some of the fantastic new Hydrangea ‘Twist ‘n Shout’ available. Lovely lacy blue or pink blooms on a reliably hardy shrub for the late summer border. Try this great new shrub in the Endless Summer series!

While plenty of water is always a good thing for the plants that are the mainstay of a perennial garden, what was missing in July is the level of sun and heat they need to trigger a good blooming phase. Quite simply, when there’s more than average rain days, there’s a corresponding lack of sun and heat days. It’s always an education to note how different plants respond to different climate conditions. If some of your plants are unexplainably not performing as well as usual, don’t come to the conclusion that you’ve done something wrong, or that they need some fertilizer, or have a pest attacking them… – they are likely just not at all happy with the weather conditions this summer. (Neither are we for that matter!)

August Plant Feature - Miscanthus sinensis
What would the Autumn garden be without at least a couple of statuesque ornamental grasses waving in the wind with their glistening plumes catching the intense light of the September sun. When this picture enters our head, it’s usually the image of a tall Miscanthus we’re seeing. . . . (click here for full article on "About Perennials" page.)

August Gardening Tip - Tips to keep your garden from looking worn out come September.

It’s Daylily bloom time right now, but as soon as most of the blooms are finished cut the whole plant, foliage and all, down to around 6” from the ground. This will force fresh foliage growth that won’t look tattered and worn through Fall. (If your soil is in poor condition though, top dress the plant with compost for good regrowth.).
If you haven’t done so yet, cut down by at least half – Salvia, Veronica, early Phlox, Penstemon, Siberian Iris, early Daylilies, etc. They will regroup and put out fresh foliage that won’t flop over come September, and may even rebloom.
German bearded Iris, and Bleeding Heart foliage are pretty much finished their job by now and can be cut right back – Iris to 3” from the rhizome, and Bleeding Heart right to the ground. They may or may not put out new foliage but hopefully you’ve factored their early dormancy into your planting design and have a late summer something stretching to fill the space. Miscanthus ‘Morninglight’, which is late to emerge from the ground in spring does a great job here. Or perhaps a Chrysanthemum, small container, or an ornament.
Watch for powdery mildew on your tall Phlox – Remove any leaves that have even the slightest touch of it – it will spread otherwise. Spray healthy leaves with a baking soda solution or a fungicide.
Ditto Black spot on Roses – pick them off and discard, then spray healthy leaves with baking soda or fungicide. Black spot spores will linger in the soil around a previously infected plant, so cleaning up ALL infected foliage from the plant and the ground is an important long term control measure.
Deadhead, Deadhead, Deadhead. Spike flowered plants in particular will just keep on going if you keep up with the deadheading. Even if perennials don’t have more blooms to give you, deadhead to prevent excessive seeding. Even “good” plants can become “weeds” when they’re allowed to drop lots of seed and start popping up everywhere. (Ever let Tickseed Coreopsis drop seed? Then you know what I’m talking about!).
Although Fall is right around the corner, you don’t want to plant your Mums too soon – planted in August they just won’t last until late September/October when you need them most to fill in your autumn design scheme.
Cut away any discoloured leaves from Lambs Ears (Stachys). They are hating all this wet weather and may develop crown rot if air circulation becomes poor.
If you’ve neglected your early summer shrub pruning tasks, the deadline is looming! If you delay pruning much longer your shrubs won’t have a chance to ripen the stem growth that’s stimulated or spring bloomers won’t have time to prepare their flower buds. If any pruning is necessary, try to get to it this week.
Hanging baskets still need your attention! Don’t forget to fertilize regularly - not a lot all at once – better to fertilize gently but frequently. (While you’re away on holidays we can look after them for you! Click here for details.) If your container annuals have become lanky and sparse, cut the stems back by half to stimulate new growth. Also, remember to allow your containers to dry out a bit between waterings. They should never be constantly wet.

August's Recipe - Creamy Dill Potato Salad Dill is one of my favourite culinary herbs. It is a very easy herb to grow without any of the pests or diseases that plague other edibles. Happily coming from seed ... (click here for full article and recipe on "Herbs & Vegies" page.)

A last note for August – Use this time of lazy summer backyard relaxing to take a look at what’s coming up for September / October interest. While planting something now may or may not fill in and pop quickly enough for this year, you’ll have something established for next year. We have a good selection of ornamental grasses still available, and a few too many Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ were ordered in spring so we’ve marked them down to just $9.99 until they’re gone. Or perhaps just pop in some temporary ornamental Kale, C chrysanthemums, or Snapdragons. Just because the kids are back to school in September, doesn’t mean the garden is finished for the season. There’s still a good two months or more of potential bloom time left!

Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

July 1st 2009 Newsletter
Spring 2009 has been an almost perfect one for perennial gardens – a long cool spring kept the tulips going and going, we’ve had just the right amount of rain, and just when we were starting to pray for a bit of sun and heat, it came, and the early summer perennials exploded into bloom.

Pest insects, of course, have also loved the weather, and it’s time to keep a close watch for hatching problems. In our Gardening Tips article this month we’ll have a few tips on where to look and what to do when you find something. Notice I said “when”, not “if” - insects of all kinds, pest or friend, are an integral part of your garden and now’s the time to keep on top of pest outbreaks and to encourage friends.

July Plant Feature - Heuchera ‘Mahogany’
Once upon a time a great new Heuchera introduction was cause for excitement. Although they remain indispensible plants for a richly textured perennial planting, by now any new Heuchera is little more than a slight variation or improvement on an existing cultivar. We now have everything from deep glossy purple, smoky wine, silver leaved veined purple, bright yellow, lime coloured, rusty orangey, etc. I’ve been happy to see some attention being paid to a richer flower colour in some of the newer hybrids. There is a relative new one though that’s captured our attention as a keeper – Heuchera 'Mahogany'. (click here for full article on "About Perennials" page).

July Gardening Tip - Garden Insects – both friend and foe. As we all adjust to the new pesticide ban, you may feel a bit panic stricken as insect pests start their work. While there are many insects that disfigure garden plants, there’s very few that do significant enough damage to kill them. Keeping plants strong through good soil maintenance and keeping pests to a manageable level is the goal. It’s only when chewing insects are in significant enough numbers to defoliate a plant more than 50% that the plant is at risk. It comes down to the basic reigning law of plant life – they need lots of green leaves to transform the sun’s energy into food. (...green caterpillar on roses ... brown scale on shrubs ... slugs and ground beetles ...)
(click here for full article on "About Pests" page.)

July's Recipe - Tomato and Basil Bruschetta Is there a lovelier way of celebrating the first harvest of grape tomatoes and fresh Basil than with a classic Bruschetta? Always a crowd pleaser when the red wine is flowing and a quick appetizer is in order to keep everyone happy until the BBQ’d steaks are ready. Made with a strong garlic butter/virgin olive oil mix compliments the fresh flavours. (click here for recipe on "Recipe Archive" page).

A last note for July – May and June is a frantic time in the garden. You’re rewarded for all the weeding and deadheading with a relatively calm July so now it should be time to relax and start enjoying the fruits of your labour in both senses of the word – the beginning harvest of your herb and vegetable garden and the glorious colours of the garden in high summer. Have a great July, and don’t miss our 50% off spring clearance on Canada Day!

Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

June 5^th 2009 Newsletter
We can’t say thank you enough to our loyal customers who have been instrumental in making the month of May 2009 the best ever since we opened our gates in 2004! The Van Bakel’s Reward Card is our permanent way of saying “thank-you” … last weekend’s 5^th anniversary party, plant specials, and fundraising event was another “thank-you” … and now we’d like to say it again through two focused special offers

June 6^th & 7^th only – full tray of Impatiens and Petunias only $8.99 !!!
regular price $13.99 / limit of 10 flats per customer.
AND ~
June 13^th & 14^th only – ALL ornamental grasses just $9.99ea
regular $13.99 / limit 3 per customer.

A special thanks to everyone who came out and contributed to our Breast Cancer Fundraising day last Saturday. We raised over $1,600.00 to donate!!

June Events - Our 5th Anniversary Party, and Breast Cancer Research Fundraising Day last Saturday was a huge success! We had tons of fun! … sold lots of plants … dished out many dozens of hamburgers and hotdogs … stuffed ourselves with birthday cake … ogled the cool animal show … gave away hundreds of free Echinacea ‘Hope’ … all under the clear skies of absolutely perfect weather. Many thanks to family and friends that donated their time to help with the overload of customers, and to the businesses who donated products or services for the BBQ and Silent Auction –

~ M&M Meats (donated the burgers)
~ Pampered Chef, Marilyn Miller (item for silent auction)
~ Bill Van Bakel (custom made metal arbour artist!)
~ E.S. Auto (gift basket for silent auction)
~ Deans signs (made all the special signs)
~ Caledon Hills Perennials (perennials for silent auction)
~ North County Animal Party (www.ncpanimalparty.com )
~ Evelyn Wolf, Garden Consultant, (Evelyn@GardenPossibilities.com)

June Plant Feature - Hemerocallis (a.k.a. Daylily)
It always surprises me to learn how many gardeners aren’t aware of the huge selection of colours and sizes available in the sturdy Daylily family. Hybridizers have come a long way from the common roadside orange Hemerocallis fluva, and cultivars are nowhere near as root invasive. Virtually all colours of the rainbow are represented from dainty ruffled white through to a deep purplish black, and sizes from a cute little mini at only 6” high to a full height of up to 48”. (click here for full article on caring for Daylilies on "About Perennials" page)

June Gardening Tip - Deadhead, Deadhead, and Deadhead some more to keep your garden looking great! Deadheading isn’t just about keeping the garden looking tidy. The idea behind deadheading is to clip off flowers BEFORE they start ripening seed. Producing seed for their next generation is any plant’s primary goal and if you successfully prevent it from setting any seed after their first main flowering time, they will try again by putting out more flowers. That’s how deadheading prolongs bloom – by tricking the plant into thinking it has failed in its mission of setting enough seed to ensure species survival. But if flowers have been clipped off too late, the window of opportunity is passed since the plant has already entered the phase of seed set and no longer ... (click here for full article on "Soil, Planting, ..." page.)

June Vegetable - Tomatoes in Containers I’ve been asked a lot lately about growing tomato plants in containers. Using a good potting soil is always important when growing anything in containers, but most important is to use a large enough container to minimize the fluctuation of ... (click here for full article on "Herbs & Veggies" page.)

A last note for June – We’d love to know what you think about these newsletters we’re sending to you. Have you found the information helpful? Are there particular plants or maintenance techniques you’d like to learn more about? We’d sincerely welcome your feedback anytime! Send us your questions and we’ll select a few and send out the answers for all to learn from in future newsletters.

Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

May 15th '09 Newsletter
While our last frost date is traditionally the last few days of May, temperature forecasts for the next two weeks predict free sailing in the high teens after Sunday. If you’re a betting person, odds are pretty darn good that you can get lots of planting done this coming week with very little risk. Great time to overseed the lawn too.

We’ve been planting lots of shrubs and perennials for the past couple of weeks already, but now lots of annuals and veggies can get into the ground. Tomatoes and Peppers should probably be protected for another week or so though.

May 15th Events - Our 5th Anniversary Party, and Breast Cancer Research Fundraising Day is Saturday May 30th. Join us for a day filled with fun activities! A Breast Cancer Fundraising BBQ and silent auction ... free birthday cake ... free exotic animal show for the kids to enjoy ... lots of special pricing on hanging baskets, annuals, and containers ... free garden design advice from local garden consultant Evelyn Wolf ... and a free plant for your garden - Echinacea 'Hope' (bring us the postcard you’ll receive in the mail by May 27th). Echinacea 'Hope' is a perfect plant to represent the Breast Cancer Research theme of the day - a hardy, beautiful, and fragrant plant that's as tough as nails and sure to survive.

Hope is the theme of the day, and while celebrating our 5th anniversary we wanted to also take the opportunity to make a contribution to Breast Cancer Research - to offer tangible hope to those fighting breast cancer in the form of a financial donation, and through a plant called 'Hope' to plant in our gardens dedicated to the memories of those who have succumbed to breast cancer. ALL proceeds from the BBQ and silent auction will be your donation to Breast Cancer Research, and a portion of profits from the day's sales will be the Van Bakel family's donation.

Here’s just a few of the items that will be in the Silent Auction for you to bid on, with all of the proceeds from the auction donated to Breast Cancer Research in York Region -

Shrub collection, value $120.00 *** Perennial collection, value $60.00 *** Hanging Baskets, value $120.00 *** Garden tool collection, value $75.00 *** One hour Design Consultation, value $85.00 *** and lots more.

May 15th Plant Feature - Echinacea, our tough-as-nails Purple Coneflower, has come a long way from the muddy purple, droopy petalled, tall and lanky native wildflower of just a handful of years ago. There are now many different colours and heights to choose from, all with the same long lasting flowers and drought tolerance. (Click here for links on "About Perennials" page).

May 15th Gardening Tip - Herbs, Veggies & “Pests” There's a few trends in the gardening scene the past few years that are at times in conflict. One trend is toward gardeners inviting birds and butterflies to their garden by planting lots of nectar flowers and native plants in their ornamental garden. Another trend is an increase in vegetable gardening. How do these two trends sometimes conflict? Well…to enjoy the fluttering of a beautiful butterfly in your garden, you must also be willing to feed them in all phases of their life! If you’d like to see lots of the classic Monarch butterfly, you need to also contend with the aggressive rooted Milkweed plant where their larvae feed. The larvae phase of the gorgeous Swallowtail butterfly will devour your entire parsley plant in the short time it will take you to finish a cool Marguarita on a hot day ... (click here for full article on "About Pests" page.).

May 15th Vegetable Feature - Rainbow Swiss Chard A very healthy, very cold hardy, and very beautiful vegetable you can grow in your ornamental garden. Tall, robust dark green leaves, with red, yellow and orange thick stems like a Rhubarb plant. (click here for Sauteed Rainbow Swiss Chard recipe.)

A last note for mid-May – Mark Saturday May 30^th on your calendar and help us make a difference! We’ve been looking forward to our Breast Cancer Fundraiser / 5^th Anniversary party for months, but it can only be a success with your participation! Bring along an empty stomach, your restless kids, and your plant shopping list, and help us make a noteworthy contribution to Breast Cancer Research!

Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

May 1^st 2009 Newsletter
It’s like Christmas around here! All the planning and ordering is coming together now for opening weekend, and each day brings a new shipment of gorgeous plants. Love this time of year! There's a few noteworthy things that we’ve received in only a small supply that you may want to snap up quickly before they’re sold out so drop in soon!

A Van Bakel’s gift certificate, or a pot of ‘Twist ‘n Shout’ Hydrangea for the garden makes a perfect Mother’s Day gift. (This great new Hydrangea will be available only at independent garden centers this year). Don’t forget to join us Friday, Saturday & Sunday this weekend for our 5^th anniversary celebrations.

It’s still a bit early to be planting all of your annuals – our average last frost date is still a couple of weeks away, but the adventurous may want to get started now with some of the more cold hardy annuals – Osteospermum, Super-bells, of course Pansies, and many others. Ask our staff about a few other annuals you could be planting now. Great time for getting any new perennials and shrubs into the ground! (see article below).

May 1st Plant Feature - Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ An annual hitting the market in a very big way this year is Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ with all the experts raving about this new cultivar’s performance and possibilities. Euphorbia is by now a well known hardy perennial, but hybridizers have developed this great new “annual” plant from one of the more tender members of the family.

With the tiniest of plain white flowers, you may easily wonder what all the excitement is about, but it’s the plant’s spring to frost lasting power, vigorous growth, and great partnering potential that has everyone talking. (click here for full article on "About Annuals" page).

May 1st Tip - Shrub Success Starts with Correct Planting. Container sized shrubs can be planted at any time of year, but in the cool weather of spring before they’ve leafed out is a particularly good time for planting. (Early Fall is probably the best time, but by then all the really nice things are long sold out!) Planting during the heat of summer is OK too as long as a few precautions are taken such as watering REALLY well and often for the first 2 weeks in the ground, and shading them from the sun for a week or so after planting. Here’s the steps to sure success when planting new shrubs.

1) Wet the entire root ball thoroughly. The soil that container grown shrubs are potted in is very porous and dries out quickly - sometimes to the point where it actually sheds water like a completely dried out sponge would do. (click here for full article on "About Shrubs" page.)

May 1st Vegetable - Dandelions Before digging out all those dandelions in your lawn, why not harvest a healthy salad first! After they flower, dandelion greens turn quite bitter, but right now they should have just a little tang you may enjoy. Try this recipe that adds a touch of sweetness to these very healthy greens. (Did you know Dandelion greens have more vitamins and minerals than ANY other leafy vegetable we grow or purchase? A powerhouse of vitamin A in particular). (click here for Dandelion Salad with Tahini Dressing recipe.)

A last note – We’re very excited to show you our revamped, expanded, and spruced up display garden area and look forward to helping you make your 2009 garden better than ever! There will be lots of great planting combination ideas on display to make designing your new garden a breeze. Talk to our staff about having a garden design expert come to your home for more detailed consultation. See you this weekend!

Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

April 2009 Newsletter

Earth Day is this week – April 22^nd . Let’s all resolve to make even just one small change to our gardening habits this year – water less frequently; recycle plant pots; start a compost pile for garden debris; take a second look at the insects in your garden before assuming they’re harmful; research a recycling alternative to just one of the products you normally use in the garden; choose a native Maple rather than an aggressive Norway for your front lawn planting.

At this time of year it’s very easy to think that winter is finally over. This coming weekend it’s predicted to be down-right HOT! It’s been a very warm spring but don’t forget that in our climate zone there’s still the possibility of frost right up until the last week of May! There’s lots of cold hardy things you can plant now, but careful before you decide it’s OK to plant out your tender vegetables and annuals! It just takes one freak cold night to knock them down.

There are lots of things relatively easy to do to lessen your environmental footprint. Maybe it’s just a bit of information you need to make a change or a better plant choice? That’s what we’re all about at Van Bakel’s – providing common-sense information to lower the time, money & products you use in the garden. Remember - we only sell plants at Van Bakel’s – not tons of fix-it products, so we have every reason to always recommend the least expensive and simplest methods of growing your garden. At the greenhouse we’re experimenting with biodegradable pots; sought out suppliers nearer to us to reduce our overall fossil fuel use footprint; and continue our emphasis on running seminars that reflect earth-friendly methods. To launch the season we have a full line-up of 5 different FREE seminars on opening weekend where you’re sure to pick up some earth-friendly tips. When each of us does just one little thing, the impact is greater than the sum of its parts!

April Gardening Tips - April in the Garden. Now there’s a word that’s music to our ears – “IN” the garden. It’s what we’ve been waiting for for 5 long months! Here’s a few do’s and don’ts for April.

L Don’t remove all the dead leaf and stem debris from winter. You can tidy by cutting off old stems about an inch from the base and crushing some of the leaf debris in the palms of your hands, but leave as much as you can on the soil surface to feed the worms.
L   Don’t walk on a water saturated lawn surface. Soil will be compacted and won’t always rebound.
J Sketch out a plan for vegetables and do a bit of research on some new school vegetable gardening methods – mixed plantings rather than large blocks or rows to hide from pest insects; no-dig soil preparation and weed control; use some vegetables creatively in your ornamental garden such as Rainbow Swiss Chard; deep green and tall Romaine Lettuce; scarlet runner beans; … many vegetables are just as colourful as flowers. Most leaf vegetables should be direct seeded into the garden now in the cool weather. (Our shipment of the more tender herb and vegetable plants will be coming in around the middle of May just in time for planting after last frost date. We’ll have a larger selection than ever this year and will have lots of growing tips and recipes coming your way in our summer newsletters.)
J Great time to divide any overgrown perennials. Many are just now peaking out of the ground to show you where they are, but haven’t put out much growth yet. Perfect time to dig out the whole clump, replant a good sized healthy piece and share the rest with friends. Once air temperatures get warmer and the plants larger, they undergo more stress when lifted, but right now in the cool of spring before growth begins most will rebound quickly. (Not spring bloomers like Peony, Brunnera, or Bleeding Heart though – leave those for early fall dividing.)
J Take note of where you wish you’d planted some cheerful spring bulbs last fall and put a discrete stake in the ground as a reminder for planting in Fall. Also make a corresponding note on your calendar for September so you remember to look for the stake!.
L   Don’t wait until nicer weather before getting out there and doing some weeding. Chickweed, overwintered dandelions and lots of weed seeds that scattered in fall are busy sprouting right now, and if you miss something and give it a chance to flower and drop seed you’ll have lots more weeding later.
J    You may need to wait a few more weeks before planting tender annuals, but now is the best time to be planting new shrubs and perennials. If some nasty weather returns, a few leaves may get a bit tattered, but the plant will overall be better off with roots well established by the time summer heat comes and will likely bloom better this year.
L Don’t use hedge trimmers on your flowering shrubs! Hedge trimmers are for hedges and hand pruners are for shrubs. Hedge trimming and shrub pruning are two completely different things. Ideally, all shrub pruning should be done before the middle of May latest.
J     So much more! Plant some pansies! Ask us about annuals that are cold hardy and can be planted now! Pick up some bags of compost to boost your soil! Our gates will be open in less than two weeks, so just drop in with any other questions you may have.
A last note for April – While the seminars we’re bringing to you on the May 1^st weekend are free, it would be terrific if you could RSVP so that we have an idea of how many people to expect (and how much coffee to have on hand!). See you soon!

Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

March 27^th 2009 Newsletter
Whether they’re underground at the crown of perennials or on the branches of woody plants, new growth buds are stirring from winter dormancy and waiting for temperatures to steady before starting their rush of growth. The tan and brown view outdoors may be dismal but it’s nevertheless an exciting time of anticipation!

Anticipation of a different sort is mounting at the greenhouse. The fast pace of getting plants ready for you is reaching fever pitch by now! All family hands are being recruited to help with plant deliveries, and the potting soil is flying as hanging baskets are prepared and all the baby plants we’ve been nursing along are potted up. We’re counting down the calendar to opening day, April 30^th when we’ll officially open the gates on our 5^th anniversary year!

In This Newsletter. We’ve expanded our selection of flowering shrubs and this month’s plant highlight is one we’re very excited about - the eye-catching Weigela ‘Eyecatcher’ – another great new dwarf Weigela. The event’s calendar is filling up, and first on the agenda is a terrific Pruning Workshop that’s a must for anyone with shrubs, followed by a three day line-up of 1 hour seminars to celebrate opening weekend. Since all gardening success starts with attention to healthy soil, it seemed like the right topic for a March Gardening Tip, and the amazing plant that’s a healthy sugar substitute, Stevia, is the herb of the month. Happy reading and feedback is always welcome!

March Plant Feature - Weigela florida ‘Eyecatcher’
Plant breeders have been paying a lot of attention in recent years to the genus Weigela, and this spring we’re bringing in yet another great new compact cultivar - Weigela florida ‘Eyecatcher’™. Plant breeder David Tristram of England earns the kudos this time for this wonderful new combination of electric yellow and green variegated foliage and dark rose-red flowers, a vibrant combination that’s particularly useful to brighten shady spots where it prefers to be. (click here for full article on "About Shrubs" page.)

March Gardening Tip - Is your soil in good shape to support all the growth you want this season? What condition is your soil in? Has it been a few years since you’ve added compost or other organic matter? Do the simple worm test. Dig your shovel in to its full depth and bring out a good scoop of soil. No worms? = no organic matter. Time for compost! A 5% organic matter content is an essential element in good garden soil. It’s the magic ingredient that brings soil to life and enables it to produce all the nutrients your perennial plants need. (click here for the full article on "Your Garden Soil" page.

March Featured Herb - Stevia You may have heard about this amazing natural sugar substitute but did you know that it was fairly easy to grow in your own garden?Stevia is a perennial and although it may not be fully hardy in our northern zone it grows to a decent size for use and harvesting in just a single season.

Stevia is a natural sweetener which is non-glycemic and non-caloric but is 10 times sweeter than sugar. Just biting into a leaf is like tasting a sugar cube! A new Stevia plant grows quickly and with adequate moisture will reach 1’ to 2' high and wide by the end of its first season. (click here for full article and a Stevia recipe to try.)

A last note for March – A great piece of news hit my inbox today from the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association offices! Did you know that the home renovation tax credit (HRTC) applies to outdoor garden renovations too!? Save those plant purchase receipts!

See you in a few weeks! Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

February 2009 Newsletter
February in Canada, who knows what to expect!? The melting temperatures last week was just the usual small patch of warm weather that comes around each February just to remind us of what we’re missing! Even though there’s still blizzards and plenty of snow ahead, we’ve cranked up the heat in the greenhouse to accommodate the larger than ever shipments of baby plants coming in this month that we’ll be nursing along to have ready for you on opening day, April 30^th. Tons of great new varieties and colours are just 3 months away from your garden!

In This Newsletter - Getting some shrub pruning done on the few warmer days February usually brings is a great way to scratch that gardening itch you’re probably feeling by now. The Gardening Tip this month will give you some pruning tips, but you may also want to join a full Pruning Workshop we’re planning for April. A terrific new Hydrangea is this month’s Plant Feature, and a lesser known herb called Lovage is the star in our Herbs & Veggies recipe of the month.

This Month’s Plant Feature - Hydrangea ‘Twist ‘n Shout’ One of the plants we’re excited to bring you this spring is Hydrangea ‘Twist ‘n Shout’, a new lacecap Hydrangea in the Endless Summer® series. Like the original ‘Endless Summer’, ‘Twist ‘n Shout’ blooms on new wood unlike other H. macrophyllas, which means you’ll enjoy the full force of it’s vigorous blooming power for most of the second half of summer. (Read more about new wood / old wood blooming habits below.) As though this weren’t enough, the stems are bright red all season holding deep green leaves that turn a beautiful mix of yellow, rosy red, & purple in autumn. (click here for full article on "About Shrubs" page.)

Monthly Gardening Tip - Correct Shrub Pruning starts with knowing what you’re pruning! While we’re talking about Hydrangeas, I’m going to take this opportunity to answer our most often asked question –
“Why doesn’t my Hydrangea bloom?”
Like most shrub blooming problems, the answer lies in correctly timed pruning – whether the pruning is done by us or Mother Nature's critters. The very first bit of information about any shrub that’s essential to know before pruning is “does it bloom on old wood, or does it bloom on new wood”?

Marking the spot where an old burned down century home stood, you’d probably find an overgrown lilac, a peony or two, and a row of old-fashioned Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’). It’s the sturdy plain-white-fading-to-green-then-tan Hydrangea that remains one of the most reliable landscape plants for virtually no-care performance. Why is it such a reliable bloomer? Because it blooms on new wood which means ...(click here for full article on "About Shrubs" page.)

February Herb & Veggie feature - Lovage. Growing some of your own herbs and vegetables doesn’t have to mean a large vegetable garden that needs lots of time to tend. Just tucking in a few herbs and perhaps a decorative pepper or cherry tomato plant in your perennial garden is an easy way to enjoy the taste sensation and personal satisfaction of garden fresh herbs and vegetables. Lovage is a plant with a huge stature and deep roots so planting it in the back of a garden where it's large green mass can be used as a backdrop, is a good idea.

Lovage is an ancient herb with a unique flavor reminiscent of celery with a hint of anise. It's strong flavour blends wonderfully in soups, stews, stocks, and meat dishes. It is also used as a natural salt substitute, so have a light hand when adding salt to any dish that includes Lovage. Every part of the plant - leaves, stems, roots and seed - is edible. (click here for full article and a recipe on "Herbs & Vegies" page.)

A last note for February – It may be many months away from seeing a garden full of flowers, but now’s the time for some advance planning and to take a good look at the quiet side of the garden calendar. Is your garden a flat plane of snow, or is there something interesting here and there? Tall tan grasses still holding their leaves up, some dwarf evergreens peeking through or holding little cushions of snow on their branches, perhaps some seedheads shining dark against the white background. Make some notes now on where some winter interest planting could liven things up a bit and make up a small shopping list for May. Once spring comes, like me, you’ll probably be distracted by all the wonderful flower colours to remember to plant with winter interest in mind.

Susan Van Bakel
Van Bakel Nursery & Greenhouse, 905 478-4442
2592 Mt. Albert Rd., Queensville, Ontario, L0G 1R0

(Go the "Helpful Hints" page for articles categorized by topic rather than date.)

2009 Newsletter Index