Garden Guide

Where you get value
September/October 2004
for your money!
Volume 14, Fall Issue
Oxford Insta-Shade Inc.
R.R. #2 Burgessville, Ontario N0J 1C0
Your
Garden Guide
(519) 424-2180
1-800-387-0246
Member of Landscape Ontario
Dear Gardening Friends:
T
he Autumn is fast approaching and soon the beauty of
crimson, orange and yellow will cover the realm of
nature. As another gardening season lies behind us, it
makes us realize how quickly time passes. However,
please be reminded that gardening still continues. Autumn is
the ideal time to plant those garden beds with shrubs and
trees and of course spring flowering bulbs. Elsewhere in this
newsletter, please read Clara’s (our in-house Certified
Horticulture Technician) very informative article on spring
flowering bulbs.
For those of you pondering to have a little more ‘instant
shade’ next summer, we have over 100 acres of large trees for
you to choose from. Call now, to book your appointment!
This summer was unusually cool and wet, which resulted
in increased mildew and fungus on plants and trees, as well
as slug and snail problems. Our ‘Build a Pond Seminar’ on
July 30th was a huge success! With our landscape crew busy
building a pond, our customers looking and learning, and our
Water Arts guest speaker on site to answer questions, we can
only say “Thanks to all for your participation and a job well
done”.
Our 14th Annual Family Day is scheduled for Saturday,
September 11, 2004. Please see Family Day flyer for details.
A special thanks to our customers and employees for your
support this past season. We
appreciate your commitment to us.
Thanks again!
You are always welcome to
visit us at Botanix Oxford InstaShade or call us at 424-2180!
Jan and Susie Veldhuizen
Our garden centre is located 10 km
South of Woodstock on Highway 59
at Holbrook
Autumn Checklist
for Your Garden
Winterize
your
Rose
bushes,
Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Yews,
Alberta
Spruce,
and
upright
Junipers.
Feed your lawn with Botanix Fall
Fertilizer or Botanix Fall Weed &
Feed; the nutrients will help protect
the grass throughout the winter and
gives it a good boost for next spring.
Protect your less hardy plants when
winter
sets
in
by
wrapping them in burlap.
Pull out your Annuals
and put them on the
compost pile, get
your garden ready and
plant your spring-flowering
bulbs like tulips, crocus,
daffodils, hyacinths etc.
To get some good fall colour, plant
some hardy mums. We have plenty
in stock and they are in full bloom.
Seed over bare spots in lawn.
Rake up fallen leaves and add to
compost pile.
Dig up tender summer flowering
bulbs and store in the basement.
~ RELAX THIS WINTER ~
Botanix Oxford Insta-Shade – Your Gardening Expert!
Plant Your Spring Garden Now!!
W
hen I think of spring, I think of tulips, lots and lots of tulips. There are so many varieties
of tulips available these days, and people are often left wondering which ones to choose
for when and where. Thankfully, Botanix Oxford Insta-Shade has all the answers.
Species Tulips are the first variety to bloom. They are generally small tulips,
some as short as four inches but very worthwhile to have due to their ability to
multiply freely each year. Plant these near your front door where you will be
sure to notice these March blooming delights. Greigii Tulips are also very early
and are identifiable by their leaves, which are mottled with purple. Casa Grande
is a new variety this year with massive red flowers approximately five to six
inches in diameter.
…when
I think
of
spring, I
think of
tulips,
lots and
lots of
tulips…
Emperor or Fosteriana Tulips are early tulips that have large, long, velvety flowers. Because these varieties
have been around for a long time, they tend to be inexpensive. These are ideal for the beginner gardener,
because they are tried, tested and true.
Triumph Tulips bloom in late April or early May. Many of
these varieties have white edges on their petals. Blueberry
Ripple is a unique variety that has purple flame-like markings with
white edges. Another mid season variety is the Darwin Hybrid Tulip.
These tulips are known for their large flowers and sturdy stems.
When fertilized properly, they will produce giant flowers year
after year.
Be sure to attend
our Bulb Seminar
on Saturday,
September 18, 2004
at 11:00 a.m.
Specialty Tulips include Lily Flowering Tulips with their
elegant tall, slender, flaring
shape. Double Tulips have so many extra petals; they look
more like peonies than
tulips. Parrot Tulips have contorted petals, often with contrasting colours that creates a truly unique flower.
Plant groups of each variety to ensure you have continuous flowering in your garden from March
to May. Remember planting clumps of 10 or more bulbs creates the most attractive gardens and
will produce much more impact then scattering a few bulbs here and there. Oh yes, don’t forget
to plant a few extra tulips to use as cut flowers!
To learn more about bulbs, be sure to attend our Bulb Seminar on September 18th at 11.00 a.m.
…Sean Berridge, Landscape Designer
Please join us in welcoming Sean Berridge who has joined our
expert Botanix Gardening Team as Landscape Designer. Excelling
in landscape design and having extensive work experience in both
South Africa and Canada, Sean will be able to answer any of your
landscape design questions. Although our garden centre is closed
for the winter months, Sean will be available to do landscape
designing so you are ready to begin next Spring. Feel free to drop
by or call Sean at Botanix Oxford Insta-Shade at 424-2180!
Ornamental Grasses
A
Botanix Events Calendar 2004
Please Post ~
re you looking for some great fall colour in your garden?
Is low maintenance a must for your yard? Do you like to
Sept. 11 Family Day
see and hear the movement of leaves in your flower beds?
TAX FREE ALL DAY
If the answer to one or more of the above questions is yes, then
Sept. 18 Bulb Seminar at 11:00 a.m.
perhaps you should think about planting some ornamental grasses.
(No RSVP necessary)
Ornamental grasses are easy to grow, require very little watering
or care after they are established, and come in a large variety of
Oct. 11 Thanksgiving Day
textures and sizes. Most varieties bloom in late summer and into the
Garden Centre Closed
fall, with many retaining their plumes well into the winter. If you feel a
bit leery about ornamental grasses, it may be because you have had an
Dec. 24 Garden Centre Closed for
encounter with ribbon grass. Ribbon Grass is an innocent looking
the Season (Call Sean at 424variegated green and white grass, until it is planted in a garden where it
2180 as he will be available
begins to spread very rapidly. This plant is an exception to the
for all your Landscape Design
behaviour of most cultivated grasses, which are mainly clump forming.
needs. Think Spring!)
Experiment by planting one or two grasses before moving onto a full
Mar. 7/05 Garden Centre Re-Opens
ornamental grass bed.
I must admit most ornamental grasses
Enjoy your garden every day!
often do not look much more than overgrown
lawn grass when they are sitting in their pots in
garden centres, however within a year of being planted, these ugly ducklings turn into swans.
Purple Moor Grass is transformed from plain to extraordinary when it shoots out its tall stems
of frothy fronds high above its leafy blades.
Blue Fescue Grass has been around for a long time, but it is still one of the best for the
front of the border. Elijah Blue is a newer variety that has electric blue foliage, which is a great
companion plant to Ruby Woodrush, with its ruby red fall colour.
For the middle of the border, there are several varieties of fountain grasses, which have a
graceful arching form, as the name suggests. The Feather Reed family is also popular because
of its golden colored plumes in the summer and throughout the fall.
No ornamental grass garden is complete without at least one Miscanthus (Japanese Silver Grass). This is a large
family of tall grasses, which generally grow between four to six feet tall. These grasses are hardy and grow back each year
in well-behaved clumps. Perhaps the most unusual Miscanthus is the Porcupine Grass, which has horizontal variegation.
This effect makes the grass look like it has dappled sunlight on its foliage. Purple Silver Grass is a must for the fall
garden, as the leaves change from green to a beautiful purplish-red colour, which lasts throughout the winter.
There is an ornamental grass for every situation. For moist shady areas, plant Hakone Grass with your Hostas and
Ferns for a different texture. The Carex family like moist conditions and look natural near the edge of ponds. Even Ribbon
Grass has its uses. It will grow in areas where the soil is very poor and light conditions low.
For suggestion on how ornamental grasses can be incorporated into your garden, ask the knowledgeable staff at
Botanix Oxford Insta-Shade.
Our July 30th ‘Build a
Pond Seminar’….despite
the rain, was a huge
success! For the ‘do-ityourselfers’, expert pond
building advice is free at
Botanix Oxford-Insta
Shade! We have all the
supplies necessary to
build your own pond (e.g.
liner, pumps, fish etc.)
Our
pond
and
show
garden
is
always
open for
viewing.
Garden Centre and Tree Farm
Landscape Design:
•
Landscaping
•
Large Tree Sales
•
Paving Stone
1681651
•
Interlocking Retaining Walls
•
Tree Transplanting
GARDEN CENTRE
FALL HOURS
•
Ponds and Watergardening
•
Sodding and Seeding
London
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday
We’ll be closed from Dec. 24th to March 7th
BOTANIX
STICK ADDRESS LABEL HERE
Oxford Insta-Shade Inc.
Hwy 59, 10 km South of Woodstock
Phone: (519) 424-2180 Long-Distance: 1-800-387-0246
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.botanixois.on.ca
PLANT OF THE MONTH
Grass - The Blues Little Bluestem
T
he Plant of the Month called Grass – The Blues Little Bluestem is a
outstanding eastern native meadow species.
Clumping plants produce half-inch wide leaves on upright stems in a
unique light blue colouring. This ornamental plant flowers in the late summer
with a very erect fine textured needle-like pikes.
A gift worth giving…..a
GIFT CERTIFICATE is
always the right
colour. We have Gift
Certificates available
in any amount. Also,
you can collect AIR
MILES at Botanix
Oxford Insta-Shade!
In the autumn, plants change to a showy, coppery, orange colour overall. The
Blues Little Bluestem is a valuable plant for meadow and prairie gardens.
Also, it is a vital species for reclamation and conservation.
Planting this ornamental grass in large masses will produce bold autumn colour
and will serve as a groundcover. It is a Herbaceous plant and requires full sun.
Under ideal conditions, it can grow from three to five feet tall in bloom, spreading
two feet wide. The Blues Little Bluestem will be TAX-FREE on Family Day!
YOU ASKED US….
Why are my emerald cedars looking
sparse and turning brown on the one
side? Most cedars, spruce trees and junipers
need full sun to flourish and often these trees
are planted beside a house or building where
only one side will get sun. This causes the side
facing the building to turn brown. In other cases,
they are planted where another large tree will shade
it partially, causing the sparse look and browning of the
needles.
$
$
BONUS BUCKS
With every cash and carry
purchase in our garden centre,
our customers receive
Botanix Oxford Insta-Shade
Bonus Bucks worth 5% of their
purchase. Our Bonus Bucks are
redeemable at any time in our
garden centre on any
merchandise in stock.
Be sure to use your Bonus Bucks!
$
$