Perfectly Preserved

From our garden........
Perfectly preserved in an arrangement to treasure!!

Treasures In The Garden

Apple Blossom Rosebud Geranium

This geranium blooms beautifully all summer and really doesn't mind our Nebraska heat and humidity. The beautiful double flowers have a long vase life - a real bonus!

Lupine

We treat this lovely plant as a biennial in our garden. Lupines are a short lived perennial so we plant them in our gardens each year so some will return for the next growing season.


Lonicera Sempervirens 'Blance Sandman'

Honeysuckle Vine

Now three years old this Honeysuckle Vine is very grand and anchors one of the gardens. Gorgeous!

There is lots of work to do in the greenhouse right now. We are growing many of the unique plants we are known for so they are available to our group tour customers this summer. The new plants in the gardens are beginning to recover from their initial planting stress and the gardens and containers are beginning to show a lot of color. It's fun to watch the daily changes!

A Little About What's Blooming

Dictamnus albus 'Purpureus' - Gas Plant

This little treasure is very slow growing but worth the wait! It earned is name due to the fact that the flowers give off a strong citrus scented vapor which on a calm day can be ignited with a match. Choose a permanent home for this plant as it will not survive a move.
Iris sibiraca 'Caesar's Brother'
These tough little Zone 4 beauties are a special addition to our late spring gardens. The small sized flowers and foliage add texture and variety to our other spring blooming plants. You know it is time to dig and divide these Iris when the center of the clump appears to be dead and the living part of the plant surrounds this area. Dig the entire clump, separate the outer ring into several new plants and discard the browned center portion.

Anthole Begonia
This has been the year to begin my new collection of Begonias and this is a real find! The leaves are as large as a human hand and have an amethyst glow to them. Elegant white flowers tower over the foliage. Begonias make great houseplants during the winter months. This has been a popular plant in our greenhouse this spring!

One More FAQ for a Windy Day!

Our lovely Snowball Viburnum

Rolene, Sue, Sandy and Sharon in front of the Potting Shed. They celebrated May birthdays with a visit to the shop and gardens!

Oh, the wind!! Warmer weather, extra irrigation and fertilizer is bringing more of our stubborn plants back to life! This Pink Princess Weigelia is blooming beautifully and has survived the high winds of the last two days!


FAQ: Gently acclimate your new plants to their outdoor surroundings. On windy days like today set them out for short periods in a protected area until they are used to the outdoors! Water newly planted annuals frequently until their roots are established.

FAQ's

Prairie Phlox

We had lots of visitors to the shop and greenhouse this weekend and there seemed to be two common questions that were asked.

"My hardy grasses are not growing! I don't think they survived the winter!"

This might be the spring that requires a bit of patience. Cool spring days and nights are inhibiting the emergence of certain plants. Our lack of rainfall is contributing to the problem. The warm weather expected this week should encourage growth but some irrigation and an application of fertilizer in your gardens would help!

"How do I get a 'Cottage Garden" look in my yard?"

Think color, variety and texture! First, remember the old rule. Taller plants in the back and shorter plants in the front. Plant drifts of color. Instead of planting a single plant here and there plant three, four or even five plants of the same variety and color in one area of the garden. Several plants will provide more impact than a single color or variety. Plant taller, spikey plants in the back of your garden such as liatris, digitalis, larkspur or delphinium. The spikey plants create more height and drama in the rear of the garden. The full and open blooms of peonies or marigolds center the middle of the garden. Short and small flowered plants such as alyssum, gazania or portulaca create a landing area toward the ground at the front of the bed. A nice mix of perennials and annuals will provide constant bloom throughout the growing season.

This beautiful Iris greeted me in the garden this weekend!

Spring Surprises

Every day the gardens are giving us new surprises! The Pulsatilla (Pasque Flower) has been especially beautiful this spring.

These gorgeous Anemones give us the gift of their blooms in the spring and the fall!

Tough little perennials that are great additions to the spring garden!

Mother Nature is keeping us on our toes around here! Predicted cold temperatures here tomorrow night are going to force some of our tender treasures back inside for a night!

Welcome to the blog!

Our gorgeous Sensation Lilac in Full Bloom!

Welcome to our blog! We are looking forward to sharing our treasures with you! Thank you to everyone who attended our Spring Open House. It was a very special weekend for all of us! We are busy planting the gardens and containers and have wonderful surprises planned for our summer visitors! Here is a sneak peek at some of the early spring color in our yard!