Winter bloomers saying "Howdy" to San Antonio, Texas.

                Hey, all gardeners (and hopeful gardeners, too)!  Tish here!  I hope everyone had a filling & exciting Thanksgiving surrounded by family and loved ones.   But, now that it is time to say goodbye to family once again for the year, it is also time to say goodbye to the mum blooms, for the deciduous trees to shed their leaves and perennials to thin out, and it’s time to put a little winter beauty in your yard. 
                Cold hardy plants are some of the pretties that you will see all year!  Little old ladies wait ALL YEAR to come and buy their pansies and violas.  This San Antonio nursery sells A LOT of pansies!  Ok…so some of y’all laugh at our “winters”, but, it is winter to the plants that live here and that needs to be respected. 



http://www.plant-and-flower-guide.com/
pansy-flowers.html

            Pansies will scream “COLOR” in your yard!  They are small but powerful flowers.  There are so many colors and patterns of this full sun annual.   These are great in pots, too.  There is a variety that was introduced to The Garden Center last year.  A TRAILING pansy that looks FABULOUS in hanging baskets!  The smaller version of the pansy is the viola.  Also known as Johnny-Jump ups.



http://mypetalpushers.wordpress.com/
2012/01/06/year-of-the-snapdragon/



Snapdragons blow in the breeze.  Tall or short, these full sun annuals all flow with the day.  They seem to wave and greet you as you come home.  The tall varieties grow to about 2-2.5 feet tall.  The dwarf varieties grow to only about 8-10 inches.  These beauties decorate mailbox areas BEAUTIFULLY!!!!

 



http://uconnladybug.wordpress.com/201
0/12/12/cyclamen-as-house-plants/



If you struggle with mostly shade in your yard, then the Cyclamen is an annual that just might do the trick for you.  And, a MUST HAVE is the Camellia.  It is a winter blooming evergreen shrub that reaches 6-10 feet tall and wide. 

 

If you have any question, please go to www.thegardencenter.com , if you don’t find your answer on the web site give us a call at 210-647-7900 and  we’ll see what we can do for you!

Take your shoes off and get grounded!!!!  Yup….even in the winter!

Stay Warm

Tish

Protection tips from Tish-Introducing N-Sulate!!

Hello fellow gardeners!!!  I hope this entry finds everyone warm and toasty. And, your plants, have they been warm and toasty these last couple of nights?  I hear that the hill country temperature dipped quite low.  A few concerned residents called The Garden Center with questions of how to protect their plants. 

Well, the first thing we tell people to do is to give the (usually new) planting a good watering, if it isn’t wet enough already.  The moist soil will help insulate the roots of the plant.  We then introduce them to the N-Sulate sheet.  It is a light, breathable fabric and it’s fabulous.  We, here at this San Antonio nursery, may not freeze very often, but when we do, the perennial tables, Sago palms, Philodendrons, and a few others, are covered with De Witt’s N-Sulate. 

Depending on the plant, it can be bunched up at the bottom and protect only the root ball, or covered entirely.  One thing to remember, if the sheet lies on the plant and touches the leaves, the edge of the leaves may get “burned”.  If a piece of bamboo or a long twig is placed in the middle of the plant in the ground or pot, then the sheet will drape over the plant rather than fall on it and weigh it down.   We sell these in10x12 sheets and highly recommend them. 

However, if you are strapped for cash these days, there are other ways to protect your plants without spending a dime.  Use old sheets, pillow cases, blankets, even old shower curtains.  DO NOT COVER WITH PLASTIC!  Whatever you use, make sure it is breathable.  One man told me he bunched all of his pots together, pulled an old tent out that hadn’t seen the sun in ten years, added a lamp and…ta-da-da-daaaaa….instant “greenhouse”.  His citrus trees survived the 17 degree weather.  A wise older woman taught us to keep those strands of Christmas lights that are half burned out.  They may not look pretty in the decorations, anymore, but they do supply SOME warmth when wrapped around the plant.

Check out our website www.thegardencenter.com .  And, let us know if we can help you grow with and protect your landscaping projects.

Take your shoes off and get grounded!

Stay warm, y’all!!!

Tish

Vick's Plant...are you familiar?

Hey, everyone!  Tish here from that San Antonio nursery, The Garden Center!  I hope this finds you all well and still gardening, happily.  The weather is nice enough for it, isn’t it? 

Tonight, I wanted to share one of my favorite plants with you, the Vicks plant.  It smells EXACTLY like Vicks Vapor Rub!  I LOVE this plant.  It decorates the desk, right now.  Vicks on cedar…Aromatherapy at its purest!

            Each morning that I am feeling a little stopped up, and as soon as the coffee is in hand, I open the back door, allow all three dogs to excitedly dash into the living room, and reach outside for a few leaves of my Vicks plant.  It's as easy as bending the leaf until it snaps, lifting it to your face and slowly and deeply inhaling.  It is so refreshing!  The leaves are so soft to the touch.  I have a close friend that prefers to break a few of the leaves up and drop them in the bottom of the hottest shower imaginable.  And a steamin’ he goes, killing a few birds with one stone.  This is the easiest and fastest way to breathe some mornings!
            This plant is EXTREMEMLY easy to take care of and is very hard to kill.  It is a succulent and prefers only the occasional watering (once or twice a week).  It does not like the FULL (Texas) sun.  Believe me. I have full knowledge of this fact.  Morning sun and afternoon shade, or indoors in a bright window, are what it prefers.
            If you have an herb garden, I highly recommend this plant!  Just plant it in a pot, even a small one, bring it in, or cover it, if it freezes, and abracadabra…you are growing a helpful plant!
            I really hope you get one of these plants for your home.  You will not be disappointed!  We sell it at The Garden Center and I would LOVE to introduce it to you!!!  If you would like my help getting it, visit www.thegardencenter.com , or give me a call and I’ll let you know if we have it in stock.  We SHOULD!  I like to have this plant in stock whenever possible!  Why not?  It’s SOOOOOO helpful!!!

Take your shoes off and get grounded, people!!!!
Take care!
Tish

It's Fall Y'all!

     Fall is a confusing time for plants in Texas.  Here, at this San Antonio nursery, The Garden Center, Crape Myrtles are entering dormancy, but, the afternoons are still a little warm for the pansies and snapdragons. People are eagerly shopping, though. 

     Now that the fall fertilizer has been spread, and we still aren’t receiving any rain, all you need to remember to do is to WATER!!!  Parts of Texas do not get the same moisture that other areas of the country do, during these cooler months.  So, established trees and shrubs should be watered as needed, but, new plants MUST have our continued help in order to survive.  A root stimulator is always recommended once a week for six weeks, for new plantings, along with twice a week watering schedule. Yes….twice a week watering.  It’s not that much and you’ll be glad you did, in the spring!  Those tiny roots need all the help they can get to start spreading.  You wanted to give it a home…now it's time raise it.

     Don’t forget the lawn!  One of the most important things, next to winterizing the lawn, is to water it, once a week. Yup! Even through the winter!  The ROOTS are still thirsty and strengthening below the soil.  Just because the grass is dormant doesn’t mean it doesn’t want a drink every now and again.  Don’t YOU get thirsty while you are sleeping?

     If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.  Our website, www.thegardencenter.com , is updated as often as possible. And, we can be found on Facebook. So, give us a visit and if you don’t find the answer to your question there, give us a call.  We’re here to help you learn to raise your plants.

www.hoversprikler.com

Take your shoes off and get grounded!
Take care, y'all

Tish 

Fall Pre-Emergent

Now is the time to apply fall pre-emergent to prevent winter weeds.  Amaze can be applied to all types of turf grass and even in most landscape areas.  Fall pre-emergent combined with fall fertilizing is a great way to prepare your lanscape for winter.  www.thegardencenter.com

Local Nurseries Rock

For sure, you are interested about saving money since you have decided to purchase some plants, seedlings, liners or trees from a San Antonio nursery. Well, you will be able to take advantage of such when you purchase from us. A local nursery will advise you as to which trees will actually grow in your soil.  This is an excellent way for you to save money and also you will be provided with the convenience and you can shop with accessibility for the different things that you require particularly when it comes to buying plants and gardening tools and supplies. The Garden Center can provide you more discounts and also you will see a lot of georgeuos plants. You can surely find what you need when shopping with us.

There are also some San Antonio nurseries that offer excellent discounts which you are unable to find in typical stores. They can help you save around 25% than what you get from the stores. You would be spending less as compared to the big box store prices. Because of the considerable savings that you get then you will have the opportunity to buy more plants. From a San Antonio nursery, you can choose from an array of trees, plants, pond plants and perennials at wholesale prices. Also, online shopping gives you the advantage of being able to compare prices and you don’t have worry about planting because The Garden Center Delivers and installs all the lpants they sell for a service charge.

Buying Native Plants

At present, it is quite simple and easy for you to obtain the tropical plants you need from the Garden Center. This is a great thing for the gardeners and those who are trying to create a nice landscape in their yard.

Specifially usingf native plants that thrive here in San Antonio.

 

Buying plants from a SanAntonio nursery will provide you the kinds of species that you want for your garden or yard. It is a totally terrific experience to purchase from a reliable San Antonio nursery with the aid of the internet. However, there are different things that you need to consider when you look for a nursery and you should have already examined their websites and read some positive feedbacks from past clients to ensure that they are reliable sellers and you will be able to get the products in the best condition.