Sept 1st, 2010

Fall must be here. My son started school today, mums are getting ready, and the Solanco Fair is only 2 weeks away.

I know you've heard it a million times, but fall really is the best time of year to plant shrubs, and perennials with the soil temperatures still warm and the air temps cooling off. Usually the fall is when it starts to rain again. After this dry summer, some cooling autumn rains will be a blessing.

Many of our new shrubs are now available for planting. We have three varieties of highbush blueberries we're particularly excited about, new rhododendrons, and of course, the lovely purple-berried beauty berry.

This is also the time of year to get the weeds in your garden under control. Perennial weeds like Canada thistle will be knocked back with some good treatment, and annual weeds should be pulled or sprayed before they set seeds and become a major problem next year. See Dad's 8-23 article on weeds for more info.

For those of you still toiling away in the vegetable garden, there is still time to plant some lettuces or spinach for a fall crop. After putting up over 60 jars of pickles and I-don't-want-to count how many tomatoes, I'm about tired of the vegetables, but I am enjoying my flower beds.

The fall sedums and asters are just starting to bloom, and the butterflies are having a field day on my lantana, agastache and heliopsis. After a hot summer, sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Happy Gardening!

Kris Barry

June 18th, 2010

Please excuse our website.  We’ve been having technical difficulties, and as I’d rather be in my garden than slaving over the website. It isn’t perfect.  I appreciate your patience.

June 12th, 2010

I picked my first tomato yesterday and I have peas coming out my ears!! Strawberries are about over, and daylilies and coneflowers are starting. Soon the blueberries will be here. If you ever get bored in the garden, wait a few days, and it'll all be different.

My son loves to find hoppy-toads, as he call them, in the garden and so do I. I need all the help I can get battling the slugs, grubs and other insect pests toads like to eat. To encourage toads in the garden, leave some medium stones, or old upturned clay flower pots in your garden beds. to give them a bit of shade from the sun, and hold moisture. If you like, many decorative toad houses can be found on the internet. Either way, place these toad refuges in a shady spot near a source of moisture (natural or man-made) and enjoy new garden allies.

July 10th, 2010

Thank God for the rain! We've been very dry the last few weeks and this will certainly help. However, we still have quite a few annuals left. Therefore the sale will continue until Tuesday, July 13th. You get 1 free flat of annuals, any additional flats $5. Selected daylilies $5, 4" perennials are half price. We have reserved one greenhouse of fresh, beautiful annuals to fill any late season needs.

We start growing a fresh crop of 4" perennials this week, which will be ready for sale in late August. Our shrubs which we propagated this spring are becoming ready for sale. This week we brought out oak leaf hydrangeas, mountain laurels, crape myrtles, and some other interesting new plants.

Happy Gardening!

Thanks,

Kris Barry

June 18th, 2010

Please excuse our website.  We’ve been having technical difficulties, and as I’d rather be in my garden than slaving over the website. It isn’t perfect.  I appreciate your patience.

June 12th, 2010

I picked my first tomato yesterday and I have peas coming out my ears!! Strawberries are about over, and daylilies and coneflowers are starting. Soon the blueberries will be here. If you ever get bored in the garden, wait a few days, and it'll all be different.

My son loves to find hoppy-toads, as he call them, in the garden and so do I. I need all the help I can get battling the slugs, grubs and other insect pests toads like to eat. To encourage toads in the garden, leave some medium stones, or old upturned clay flower pots in your garden beds. to give them a bit of shade from the sun, and hold moisture. If you like, many decorative toad houses can be found on the internet. Either way, place these toad refuges in a shady spot near a source of moisture (natural or man-made) and enjoy new garden allies.