Sunday, January 26, 2014

Plant a Rose of Sharon Shrub Hedge

For summer blooming, plant a Rose of Sharon shrub hedge. Hardy in zones 5 through 9, Hibiscus syriacus shrubs perform at their best as full sun shrubs and planted in well drained soil. These flowering shrubs provide long lasting blooms from mid summer to frost. Though they will grow in partially sunny to lightly shaded areas, their blooming may be limited. Rose of Sharon or hibiscus syriacus, which is a deciduous shrub also known as Hardy Hibiscus and Althea.

Although Rose of Sharon bushes will lose their leaves in winter, they still make beautiful flowering privacy hedges in areas for summer use such as planting around swimming pools. Their unusually large blooms attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees from mid summer until frost. As these hibiscus bloom much later than most other plants, they are, also, later to leaf out. Expect rose of sharon to leaf out in late spring to early summer.

Aphrodite Rose of Sharon Shrub Flower

Friday, January 17, 2014

Useful Tips to Control Deer Damage

Useful tips to control deer damage and deer resistant plants. When deer are hungry and their food supply is gone, deer will eat anything. Plants known as being deer resistant is a good step in controlling deer damage in the yard. Deer will not find them as tasty and will eat off other perennials  and shrubs before attacking these varieties.

White-tailed deer in Toronto, Canada
White-tailed deer in Toronto, Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In order to get the deer damage under control, it is a must to properly select deer resistant plants. Deer repellents are also a great thing to have and it should be used regularly to have best results. Area repellent emits foul odor that is good in keeping deer away, however it will also keep people away. It is also advisable to use contact repellents. There are so many contact repellents out in the market today that are also environmentally safe and biodegradable that can be used around pets and children. Properly choosing the right contact repellents which will adhere to plants structure, rain resistant and will last for a month is a must.

Greenwood Nursery is owned by Cheryl Jones. It is one of the most dedicated companies in giving deer resistant plants and right tips in order to have the best garden and landscape unlike any other. One of their helpful tips to prevent deer in eating plants is to create deer fence.

Deer fencing is now available in all sizes, shapes and prices.  One of the most common types is the mesh type. This type of deer fence is more flexible and it can also be attached in nearby posts and trees. More often, 6 to 7 foot in height is frequently used for deer fencing. Tree shelters are also called as deer guards and they are proven effective in keeping deer away. Everyone can also take advantage of homemade deer repellent remedies.

There are so many steps that should be considered in controlling deer in the landscape or garden. The first step is properly selecting deer resistant plants that are appropriate in the garden and landscape. Greenwood Nursery ensures that everyone will have the best deer resistant plants that will suit in anyone’s garden.

Blue River Lavender Blooms To Early Fall

Plant this small growing Blue River Lavender Plant in all sunny areas of your garden. The Blue River Lavender plants are comfortable growing in containers, in garden borders and filling in nook and cranny areas. The deep purple fragrant blooms of the Blue River Lavender stand strong from mid summer to early fall.

As with other lavender plants, the Lavandula angustifolia 'Blue River' is deer resistantrabbit resistant and attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. With its low water requirements, the Blue River Lavender is an excellent choice for growing in pots

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Dave's Candles Now Available at Greenwood Nursery

Dave's Candles come in a wide range of intensely fragrant, long-burning varieties. There's something to suit virtually every candle lover's preference! These 100% soy candles feature crackling wooden wicks for long-lasting burn time.

Each and every 100% soy wax candle with crackling wooden wick is handmade by Dave. Fans love his candle creations, which have a very unique scent personality.

Join the many Dave's Candle lovers today and try one of these fragrant, long-burning soy candles, now available through Greenwood Nursery.


Pink Perfume Lavender Perfect for Small Yards

The Pink Perfume Lavender Plants are certain to make a show in your yard all summer long. Plant along your front sunny walk way and the Pink Perfume Lavender will greet your guests with its wonderful fragrance. Separate areas of your garden with a low growing hedge of Lavandula angustifolia 'Pink Perfume'

The Pink Perfume is perfect for small yardscontainer gardenscut flower gardens, and butterfly gardens. Use the rosy pink flower stems as cut flowers or dry for potpourris. Plant in well drained soil. The Pink Perfume Lavender is drought tolerant and blooms from May to September. Pink Perfume attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Winterberry Shrubs Provide Food for Wildlife in Winter

Winterberry Shrubs are the "queens" of fruiting shrubs world when ranked for ornamental value. From early fall through winter, the branches are covered in bright-red fruits. The fruiting branches are great for decoration in the garden or in the house. Winterberry Shrubs provide food for wildlife in winter. These plants have multi-branches, so clipping a few doesn't take away from the appearance of your mature plants. Or leave the branches for the birds since over 40 species of birds are known to eat the fruit, including: bluebirds, brown thrashers, cedar waxwings, flickers, gray catbirds, mockingbirds and robins. The dense branching also provides shelter, cover and nesting spots for birds.

The leaves of Winterberry plants are thick and dark green and contrast well with the red fruit. The foliage stays healthy all summer and isn't bothered by insects. The leaves drop off the plant in late fall to expose the beautiful berries. You'll need both male and female plants to produce fruits, with one male for up to 6 nearby females. Plant in sun or part shade. They like moist to wet, slightly acid soils. Winterberries are native to North America, no garden should be without them. Hardy from Zones 3 to 9.

Plant your Winterberry Shrubs in full sun to part shade in moist, garden soil. Can tolerate wet conditions. Space 3 to 4 feet apart. To get berries, be sure to plant one male for every 6 nearby females. Berries will be on female plants.

Get started with your winterberry plants by ordering our Ilex Berry Nice and Jim Dandy female/male plant kits.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Phenomenal Lavender Proves to Be Cold Hardy


Introduced in 2012, the Phenomenal Lavender will prove to be one of the hardiest lavenders available. Lavendula x intermedia 'Phenomenal' does not experience winter die back as seen in varieties such as Munstead and Hidcote. With its proven winter survival, the Phenomenal Lavender is hardy as far north as zone 4, which is unusual for lavender plants.

Phenomenal Lavender was named a 'Must Grow Perennial' for 2013 by Better Homes and Gardens.
The uniform mounded shape of the Phenomenal provides a silvery base for the late spring to early summer blooms of deep blue to purple. Growing 12 to 32 inches tall with a spread of 24 to 32 inches, this hardy new lavender variety will stand up to dry, moist and well drained soils. 
  • Resists crown rot, downy and powdery mildews
  • Deer resistant
  • Rabbit resistant
  • Heat tolerant
  • Humidity tolerant
Great uses for the Phenomenal Lavender:
  • Garden borders
  • Low hedges
  • Winter interest
  • Containers
  • Cut flowers
  • Attracts butterflies, bees and hummingbirds
  • Medicinal
  • Culinary
  • Fragrant
The Phenomenal and other lavender plants are available at GreenwoodNursery.com.
Greenwood Nursery announces the addition of Dwarf Pampas GrassThis beautiful pampas matures at 5 to 6 feet tall with a spread of 3 to 4 feet wide, making it an excellent choice garden plant for small gardens. Pair your Dwarf Pampas Grass with Yucca plant varieties for an attractive desert or Mediterranean landscape. Wind and drought tolerant. 
Now booking for spring shipping.
Dwarf Pampas Grass| Cortaderia selloana Pumila

Best Winter Gardening Tips

Greenwood Nursery is offering the best winter gardening tips that will help everyone in getting a head start on their spring as well as summer yard care. Greenwood Nursery offers factual tips in order to help everyone in making their garden beautiful and one of a kind.

The first step in having a great summer is to prepare the garden creatively. Kindly turn the shrubbery and tree lines into something of beauty having light pruning. It is advisable to mulch the perennials and win fight against weeds before they even get the chance in infiltrating the yard. Next winter gardening tips is to sketch the new garden ideas for landscape then formally start building.

Cheryl Jones is the owner of Greenwood Nursery and she is also well experienced when it comes to planting and gardening. She also created useful and factual tips in order to help people in creating beautiful landscape and garden.

Building raised bed for annuals or vegetable planting is also one of the best winter gardening tips. Drawing out new plan for plant placement and jotting down ideas for new plants to add in is also advisable. After that, start building compost. Kindly protect animal attracting plants by means of having wire cages and wrap thin bark trees which are susceptible to cold weather damages. Another important tip to follow is pruning the plants which have lost their leaves except those spring flowering trees/shrubs in order to have a great look. Cutback ornamental perennials and grasses are also advisable for planting in the yard as they add ambiance. Protecting evergreen from the winter burn should also be properly done.

After protecting the delicate garden plants during the worse part of early spring and winter temperature fluctuations and then having a plan for the garden design, it is the right time to put everything in action. Following the tips above will eventually help in achieving everyone’s goal. By doing this, everyone will be relaxed knowing that the garden will be in great shape when spring hits.

Friday, August 02, 2013

Ornamental Grasses Are Low Maintenance Plants!

Ornamental Grasses are the perfect low maintenance plant for any landscape.

Our favorite ways to use Ornamental Grasses:

  • For privacy 
  • To define property lines
  • Soften corners
  • Create interest within a landscape
  • Small grasses make good border plants
  • Great backdrop plantings
  • Create informal hedges 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Gardening is Good Exercise and Good for Your Health

Everyone is on a kick to be healthy, but rarely think about gardening to become healthy. Granted, the food you grow in your garden will be better than store-bought, it’s the weeding, watering, and trimming that keep your body in great shape. If you want to lose weight, garden for a month or two. 

You can’t go wrong with gardening, even if you have a brown thumb.  All plants need are light, soil, water, and nutrients.  Some plants don’t even need nutrients since Mother Nature supplies all the food they need to eat. Garden plants can easily be added to your dinner table.

If you just want to tone your body, gardening can to that, too. You lift plants around, hull the water hose around, lean over and weed, and plant seeds, which work all the muscles in your body. What a great way to lose weight and put food on your dinner table.

In several studies it has been shown that gardening help 9 out of 10 people lose inches in their waist after just one month of gardening. You can tell it helps because the next day your muscles will be sore. If you continue to garden, those muscles will tighten up and tone your body. You can have that beach body in a few months and fill your dinner table with all the food you need.

Not to mention how much fun gardening is when the whole family joins in to raise all the tomatoes you can eat or planting beans and peas for the table. The kids will love watching the seeds sprout up and spring into a veggie they like.  It also teaches them responsibly when they have to water and weed their very own garden patch.

So, you see how much gardening can help your health? Plus, it’s  fun to watch tiny seeds growing into a giant watermelon, carrot, or any other type of vegetable or fruit.  You can also garden in apartments, condos, and houses whether you have a large or small plot of land.

There are thousands of vegetables, fruits, shrubs, and trees that can make your garden a lovely place to relax, have a picnic, or grow a culinary herb garden. You can use any type of container or plant your garden right in the ground.  You can also grow vertical gardens  up walls, fences, and the side of a house or apartment.

You can let your imagination sore to new heights while supplying your dinner table with fresh herbs and vegetables or a lovely bouquet of flower for any surface. The amount of scents you can enjoy while your garden shines with a plethora of colors to lighten up any day. 

Monday, June 03, 2013

Plants That Will Grow Under Black Walnut Trees

Are you seeking plants that will grow under the Black Walnut trees on your property?

Black walnut trees can be a tricky plant for gardeners, as this species of plant produces a toxic substance called juglone via its root system. Other trees that emit this toxic substance include butternut and Persian walnut trees that are grafted with black walnut. (Notably, persian walnut seedlings that are grafted onto persian walnut rootstocks do not produce deadly toxins that kill other plants.)

The juglone leaches out into the surrounding soil and it can kill nearby plants within a period of just 30 to 60 days. Some of the most susceptible plants include: Tomato plants; Blackberry bushes; Azalea; Mountain laurel; Apple trees; Blueberry bushes; Potato plants; Rhododendron bushes.

The toxic zone can extend up to 80 feet from the trunk of a large mature black walnut tree, though the typical no-grow zone usually extends 50 to 60 feet. This tree's tendency to kill off nearby plants is enough to leave many gardeners scratching their heads, wondering "what can I plant that will grow under a black walnut tree?"

Not to fear! Not all plants are sensitive to the juglone that's produced by the black walnut tree. There are a number of trees, annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines and ground-cover plants that are resistant to juglone.

Some of the most popular plants that are often planted near a black walnut tree include:


It appears that the black walnut tree actually enhances and promotes growth in a limited number of plant species, especially grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass.

Despite the fact that the black walnut tree's toxins can kill many nearby plants, they are still favoured by many for their beautiful appearance and their ability to prevent soil erosion and offer shade, particularly on pastures. They are especially popular in pastures.

It's important to note, though, that juglone is present in the black walnut tree's wood, bark and leaves. The wood chips can cause problems in some animals, particularly horses.

Composting black walnut leaves will result in the degradation of the juglone toxin, which breaks down in 2 to 4 weeks when the leaves are composted alone, or up to 2 months if they're mixed with soil and other compost matter. So it's generally safe to use fully-composted leaves on juglone-sensitive plants.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Planting Around the Patio

When deciding to plant around the patio, the type of patio you have is what sets the mood or tone of the landscape when using perennials. If you have a stone patio, it will be look and feel different than a wood deck patio. The type of material the patio is made from is the bones for the containers, flower beds, and borders which may or may not include pathways, trails, and walkways.

Using perennials around the patio gives you the opportunity to mix and match colors, or use one perennial with different colors or one color. Perennials are plants are hardy and will grow for many years. So, you don’t have to replant them each year. 

There is nothing wrong with growing plants for a couple of months, then replacing them with another plants. Perennials are easy to pot up for a couple of months, move to a permanent place and replace with another perennial.  It keeps a variety of colors and textures that are easily mix and matched with other plants.

Perennials are great for patios  since you can change them out with other flowering plants when the original stops blooming. Planting smaller sized blooming perennials in small pots in the ground can be swapped out with later season bloomers. Moving the spent blooming perennials to another location.  They can perk up a dull patio in the dead of winter or add a spicy look in the spring and summer.

Fragrant herbs to plant around sitting areas are oregano, rosemary, mints (in pots of course), lemon thyme, and lavender. Herbs add a gorgeous smell to a patio, plus, you can use them in the kitchen. Most perennials are great to decorate a pathway or border with such as creeping mint or lemon thyme.  They are also good for rock gardens.

There are many varieties of low and high growing perennials that can be used on a border that will bloom all summer long. When they are done blooming you can easily replace them with another perennial for fall and winter. That will bring you color and texture all year long. 

Visit Greenwood Nursery for a wide selection of plants for your porch or patio. 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Garden Plants from Online Garden Centers

The trip to your local garden center can be an incredible hassle! There's the matter of taking on the weekend garden warrior crowd, which can make for some very slow going when it comes to browsing and checkout. Then, of course, there are those not-so-bright garden center workers, many of whom have never planted or cared for garden plants -- ever!  Getting a good answer to your gardening question can be downright difficult!

And then, there's always the picked-over garden plants selection if you arrive after the crowds have already depleted the garden center's stock. You're left to choose between a partially wilted containers of hosta, a jasmine bush with a broken stem and a container of pink muhly grass that's clearly been dumped on the ground and unceremoniously stuffed back into the plastic pot.

So why not skip the garden center and turn to an online garden center, like Greenwood Nursery?

Online garden nurseries offer a wide range of benefits, including:

*       Convenience -- The Greenwood Nursery garden center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No crowds and you can select your plants from the comfort of your home. And, your new plants will be delivered to your door. It doesn't get much easier than that!
*       Selection -- You'll enjoy a wide selection of supplies and garden plants, from ornamental grasses to herbs, annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs and beyond. No more settling for a plant because it's one of the only healthy garden plants left in the shop!
*       Great Price -- Enjoy great prices and discounts when you shop an affordable online garden center like Greenwood Nursery, which even has an “under $10” deals section!
*       Healthy Plants – Greenwood Nursery and many other online garden centers offer premium, healthy plants from strong genetic lines.

What's more, if you're uncertain about whether a particular plant is right for you, feel free to contact the Greenwood Nursery team to ask questions! Our experienced gardeners and experts are on-hand to provide you with plant care tips, advice, and recommendations for your unique gardening needs. No more dealing with a 16-year-old garden center employee who thinks lavender is anything more than a color!

To contact the pros at Greenwood Nursery, visit our website or call 800-426-0958.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Best Spring Garden Clean up Tips

Spring has sprung and it’s time to get that garden in tip-top shape and here are your best spring garden clean up tips!

Spring is the ideal time to perform a thorough clean up and overhaul on your garden and yard to help it recover from the long winter.

The first step to spring garden clean up is removing all the debris. This includes sticks and broken branches, leaves and other miscellaneous debris.

If you’re going to use a rake to remove this debris, it’s best to do this task before those spring crocuses and other plants have started to sprout. Otherwise, you may damage the foliage. If you absolutely must use a rake, be very gentle and whenever possible, don gardening gloves and clear the area around new sprouts by hand.

Using a leaf blower is the ideal option if your spring sprouts are up; just be careful to avoid placing the leaf blower nozzle too close to fragile new greens so as to avoid breakage. The downside to using a leaf blower is that most don’t do a good job of clearing away sticks, so those will need to be cleared away by hand.

This yard pick-up is absolutely essential because once the foliage comes in and starts growing more aggressively, it becomes very difficult to clean up garden beds and other areas of your yard. The foliage and growth snags leaves and debris, making it more difficult to collect the debris and there’s greater risk that you’ll damage the various plants.

In addition, it’s important to remove dead growth, particularly on any ornamental grasses that weren’t trimmed down in late fall or early winter. Otherwise, the new growth will come in and it will be intermingled with the dead growth, which then becomes extremely difficult to eliminate.

If you use bark mulch around your garden plants, it’s important to put down a new, fresh layer of mulch so your garden will absorb and retain the spring rains, which will really jumpstart your growing season.

Many garden experts recommend waiting until mid-spring or even early summer before fertilizing your garden, as the fertilizer will not be properly absorbed by plants that are still in a semi-dormant state. The general rule is that you can begin fertilizing when you observe new growth.

Of course, spring is also a great time to add new plants to your garden and Greenwood Nursery has a wide range of annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses and many other plants that will bring your garden to life!

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

7 Berry Growing Tips for You!

Tip #1: All blackberry and raspberry plants are self-fertile and will have good fruit production on their own. However if a second variety is planted nearby, they will have heavier fruit production.

Tip #2: Avoid planting strawberries in very low-lying areas prone to spring frosts.

Tip #3: Mulch strawberry plant rows and aisles with hay or newspaper to keep weed population down.

Tip #4: Do not plant strawberry, raspberry or blackberry plants where eggplants, peppers, potatoes or tomatoes have been grown within the past 3 years.

Tip #5: Pinch off any strawberry blooms on your first year planted strawberry plants. This allows them to put efforts into growing larger for second year production.

Tip #6: Plant blackberry and raspberry plants 2 to 3 feet apart with rows that are 3 to 5 feet apart.

Tip #7: Plant strawberry plants 1 to 1 1/2 feet apart with rows approximately 2 feet apart.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

What to Plant Under Black Walnut Trees


What are plants to plant under black walnut trees? This is a question that we at Greenwood Nursery hear quite often. It is a good question, because not all plants thrive begin planted near or under black walnut trees.

Juglans nigra, commonly known as black walnut, is the largest of the twenty species of Juglans native to the United States. It easily grows to a height of 100 feet; its strong, straight trunk and magnificent canopy enhance most any landscape that has an appropriate scale for the trees massive size.

It is prized by the high-end furniture market because of its uniformity, durability and the luxurious chocolate-brown color of its heartwood. Many landowners, who have a few acres to spare, are planting genetically superior black walnut trees as an investment which will mature in 25 to 30 years.

Horticulturists discovered that certain plants did not do well, while some withered and died, when planted close to or underneath the canopy of black walnut trees. Black walnut trees secrete a biochemical substance known as Juglone. These secretions sometimes drip from the leaves down onto plants and ground below and leaches out from the roots below ground as well. The process is known as allelopathy.

Though Juglone is a poison to many plant varieties, making it difficult in planting under black walnut trees. However, there is still a large number of shrubs and perennials that can be safely planted under the canopy or near black walnut trees that are resistant to the effects of Juglone.

Avoid planting the following near or under the canopy of black walnut trees: Apples, white birch, mountain laurels, blackberries, blueberries, tomato plants, azaleas, chrysanthemum, crocus, hydrangeas, lilacs and rhododendron. 
And now for a few plants that can be planted near Black Walnut trees: most grasses, aster, shasta daisy, vinca, hostas, phlox, wisteria, Morning Glory, ajuga, solomon's seal, and Virginia creeper.

Tolerant trees and shrubs include arborvitae, white ash, american beech, catalpa, black cherry, flowering dogwood, forsythia, hibiscus, red maple, japanese maple, oaks, privet, eastern redbud, sumac, sycamore, tulip tree, euonymus, rosa rugosa, viburnum (except maresii), and heucheras.

A word of caution: Many factors, other than the presence of Juglone, will affect the viability of your trees and plants. Soil, moisture, temperature, shade and sunlight all play a role so results in growth may vary.

Visit Greenwood's page on Planting under Black Walnut trees for a selection of plant varieties that will grow under the canopy of the black walnut trees.

More info on plants that will and will not grow under or near black walnut trees:
Purdue University 

For more information on growing black walnut trees as an investment, visit Greenwood Nursery GSP Black Walnut Trees.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Plants used in French Gardens


Adding a touch of France to your garden  with our best plants for fall color will bring life to your fall landscape. Take some ideas from French gardens and liven up your landscape with new plant colors, fragrance and texture to add a touch of France to your garden. The location of France is much like that of New England making it perfect for experiencing the colors of fall foliage. The most popular flowering shrubs, trees, along with some of their favorite smaller growing evergreen perennial plants,  are used in French gardens are listed here.

Herbs are everywhere, planted in landscapes, huge pots in the courtyards, window boxes. Most days warm days, apartment windows are open. How wonderful it must be inside with slight breezes brushing over the thyme, rosemary and mint carrying the fragrances throughout the living spaces.
It is ironic that we travel to exotic destinations for new experiences and scenery, but, once there, we find certain familiarity which is probably what most of us enjoy most. Whether you are in Paris or Nashville, autumn is in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere.
Time to plant, time to enjoy!
Fall in the Place de la Concorde

Enjoy Strawberries from Your Home Garden


Just the thought of strawberries brings to mind summer, strawberry shortcakestrawberry jelly and chocolate covered strawberries. Bite into a big red juicy strawberry and it explodes in your mouth making your tongue tingle with delight. With the red heart shape of the strawberry, no wonder it’s the symbol for Venus, the goddess of love. Maybe that’s why strawberries go so perfectly with chocolate and champagne.

A member of the rose family, it is documented that strawberries have been enjoyed as a domesticated fruit as early as the 1400’s. Now, we know the nutritional value of strawberries. They contain amino acids and beta-carotene as well as A, C, E, K, B-complex vitamins.  An excellent source of calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, copper and zinc, strawberries are high in sugar so should be eaten in moderation.

Some of my favorite ways to enjoy the fruits of strawberry plants are serving on waffles (Yummy!), in a spinach salad with walnuts, in a cucumber & strawberry salad, or served with only a splash of balsamic vinegar. Harvest strawberries in early summer and freeze to preserve them for future use.

Tips for enjoying strawberries:
  • -Do not wash strawberries until ready to eat
  • -Remove caps after washing
  • -Store in colander (or vented container) in refrigerator for air circulation
  • -Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving
  • -To whiten teeth – mash one strawberry and mix with baking soda, brush on teeth and leave on for 5 minutes then rinse

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