Part of the reason why people can be so nervous to plant this time of the year is the heat! To put your mind at ease, why not bring on summer with these sun-loving, and heat-tolerant annuals!

Pentas – This is the best annual pollinator! if you have a butterfly garden, this is a must-have. It produces a large cluster of flowers that butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds just love.

Gazanias – Produces large vibrant flowers, which love to dry out in between watering.

Geraniums – An old favorite that’s drought tolerant and loves the summer heat.

Persian shield – A dark purple foliage plant with a surprisingly dark purple flower.

Portulaca – A great drought tolerant plant, that’s also highly recommended as a cemetery plant.

Lantana – It produces bright clusters of flowers that thrive on neglect. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this plant.

Heliotrope – A fragrant delight, with a deliciously sweet vanilla scent.

Evolvulus – This true blue flower loves extreme heat and summer sun.

Angelonia – A great thriller plant to add to your summer containers. It’s quite fragrant and produces color from head to toe.

Scaevola – A fan-type flower, that’s also super tough. It tolerates neglect and bounces right back.

Cuphea vermillionare – Hummingbird alert! This orange cigar plant is a must-have for any hummingbird lover to have in their garden.

It’s always a good day for the team when we can take a minute to talk about some of our favorite plants. Fall is a fantastic time to plant, and an even better time to admire the landscape. We put pen to paper and came up with a few of our favorite Autumn plants. If you don’t see yours let us know, we love to know what you are planting!

• American Dogwood- Native tree with fantastic red fall color and interesting fruit set.

• Annual Mums- Everybody’s favorite fall flower that come in a wide range of colors and shapes.

• Japanese Anemone- Long blooming, deer resistant, clumping perennial at home in sun or shade.

• Little Quick Fire Hydrangea- the best fall foliage color of any panicled hydrangea, with long-lasting blooms persisting through the fall.

• Ivory Halo Red Twig Dogwood- Bright variegated foliage gives way to yellow fall color and blood-red branches in late fall and winter.

• Fothergilla- Unbelievable fall foliage display, showcasing the full palate of fall color- orange, red, yellow, and even purple hues in sun or shade.

• Montauk Daisy- Long fall-blooming daisy that stands up to salt spray, heat, and tight planting conditions in a cottage garden setting.

• Red Sprite Winterberry- the dwarf cultivar to have among an old-time Van Wilgen’s favorite plant. Large glossy red berries come out in fall and last well after the foliage has turned bright yellow and fallen off.

• New England Aster- Purple or pink flowers emerge in early September and brighten up any garden border

• Tree form Limelight Hydrangea- The only choice for a dwarf foundation tree with blooms that continue to be stunning through the fall.

• Itea- Deep red and even purplish tones emerge in the fall, helping this native shrub stand out in the woodland border.

• Sedum- Huge, almost broccoli-like flower heads that bloom from August to October are the favorite choice of bees and pollinators in the fall.

• Ornamental Grasses- The star of the fall landscape, with so many great colors and styles that we could devote a whole list just to them.

• Black-Eyed Susan- Classic native perennial that provides non-stop yellow blooms from late summer to mid-fall.

Buddleia ‘Pugster Blue’

Full-sized flowers on a dwarf plant!

Meet Pugster Blue – it’s a whole new look for butterfly bush. This compact plant reaches just 2’/.6 m tall and wide but has the large, full flowers normally seen on a much larger plant. It blooms non-stop from early summer through frost with true-blue flowers, each with a tiny yellow-orange eye in the center. Thanks to thick, sturdy stems, the Pugster series offers vastly improved hardiness and winter survival over other types of dwarf butterfly bush.

Top three reasons to grow Pugster Blue butterfly bush:

1. Appealing true-blue flowers add hard-to-find color to any type of garden or landscape.

2. It produces full-sized flowers on a compact, dwarf frame.

3. Thick, sturdy stems ensure better winter hardiness in zone 5 than other dwarf butterfly bush.

Monarda ‘Pardon my Cerise’

Tuck this sweet and petite perennial into the front of your flower border where it will create a colorful edge of dark cherry pink flowers in high summer. Butterflies and hummingbirds adore it!

Salvia ‘Pink Dawn’

I BLOOM for your PLEASURE.

This colorful perennial produces cotton candy pink flower spikes atop the mounded, aromatic foliage. Lovely when planted in drifts. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds and resists deer and rabbits. Easy to grow in almost any climate in full sun. Drought tolerant but blooms better with average moisture. Cut back after flowering to promote rebloom.

Cupea ‘ Vermillionaire’

Garden VALEDICTORIAN.

Abundant yellow-orange flowers all season long; loves the heat and loved by hummingbirds. Vermillionaire, like all Cuphea is a heat lover and will do best in warm gardens with bright light. Always keep this plant in full sun for best flowering and to avoid it stretching in the shade.

Petunia ‘Bubblegum’

Don’t JUST keep up with the Joneses. LEAPFROG them.

Supertunia Vista petunias are very vigorous, with mounding habits that can reach up to 2 feet in height in the landscape and will trail over the edges of baskets and containers up to 4 feet by the end of the season. They are fantastic landscape plants and are great in large containers, where they function as both fillers and spillers. In garden beds, they will work either in the front or middle of the bed. They have medium-sized flowers.

Lantana ‘Grape’

I can go ALL summer.

Extremely heat tolerant; a brighter purple than Trailing Lavender.

If you are looking for a tough plant it’s hard to beat lantana. Lantana is heat tolerant, uses little to no supplemental water in the landscape, will tolerate less than ideal soils, and usually doesn’t need to be deadheaded. If you are looking for a plant that will thrive on neglect, lantana is the champ.

Spring is in bloom in our greenhouse! All you have to do is walk through the greenhouse doors and the aroma of spring hits you. Just stop, take a big breath in, it’s good for the soul.

The greenhouse is full of so many springtime favorites right now.

The colorful pansies are probably the first thing you will notice. Though pansies are tiny, they are also tough. Go ahead and plant your pansies outside and get your spring on, they can handle temps down to 28 degrees.

With Easter right around the corner, we have all your true Easter favorites in stock and ready to find a forever home.

• Easter lilies
• Hyacinths
• Tulips
• Daffodils
• Hydrangeas
• Oriental lilies
• Asiatic lilies
• Martha Washington geraniums
• Osteospermum daisies
• Calla lilies
• Orchids

Easter was one of my favorite holidays as a kid. Although the candy was always good, the thing that I remember most is actually the flowers. The smell of the Easter lilies and the hyacinths in particular are forever burned in my memory. So now, when I smell the sweet aroma of Easter I can’t help but think back to all the wonderful memories I had with my family.

I hope when these Easter plants find their forever home with you, they will help you create memories as memorable as mine.

Happy Spring/Easter Everyone!!!!!

July is here, with that comes fun times with all our family and friends. Some of my best memories are of all the family barbecues which generally started on the fourth of July weekend.

I love to decorate and create elaborate displays for these special times. It’s my way of creating an inviting setting to create memories with everyone that I love.

The easiest way to set the mood for your family barbecue is to find or make a centerpiece for the spot that everyone gathers to. For some that could be the family table, and for others, it could be the deck or patio of your home.

Here at Van Wilgen’s we say grow it for the glory. The glory of the celebration, whether it’s the celebration of the 4^th, the celebration of summer, or the celebration of time spent with those we love.

For the 4^th we have fun flag pots with red, white, and blue flowers. Super cute way to add a splash of color to your party table. Our own Billy P. says to add a few prince papyrus grasses for the firework feeling. Or maybe you grew your own glory. There’s nothing like going out into your own garden of Van Wilgen grown flowers (of course) and cutting a few to add to a mason jar with some nice festive ribbon. Doesn’t get any easier than that.

If you’re looking for something bigger we have that too. We can create anything to your specifications, we love to make custom containers at our potting bench in the greenhouse. Come in with an idea and we will make it happen.

Our patio is overflowing with color for your quick holiday decorations. Our ready -to go patio pots are looking awesome and ready to go home to your house and get the party started. It’s easy, pick your favorites, bring home and place around the patio, invite some friends and make some memories.

“Grown for the glory” for every celebration big or small.

Darlene Granese

Greenhouse Manager

Every day at work I get asked, where are your wave petunias.

As I take you all over, I ask the question. Why wave petunias?

Most of you know only of wave petunias as the ones that cascade and you don’t have to deadhead.

Back in 1995 or so wave petunias took the united states by storm. They were marketed as a gorgeous trumpet-shaped flower, very low maintenance, one in which you don’t have to deadhead. Who doesn’t love a flower you don’t have to deadhead? And so, everyone’s love affair grew with this gorgeous petunia. Now fast forward to 2006. A new variety has made its way across the country, Proven winners Supertunia.

Before I tell you the difference between these two petunias, let me explain something about both varieties.

They are self-shedding petunias. This doesn’t mean no deadheading. It simply means that the spent flower will fall off when finished blooming. This allows for the plant to always look its best. But you still need to get in there and deadhead old stems of the flowers occasionally to promote more new and healthy flowers. Just like you or I, plants also need a haircut now and then to look their best.

Now onto our original question. Wave petunia vs supertunia?

I always asked this question. Are you planting in the ground or in a container? If the answer is ground I would tell you to go with a wave petunia. The reason for this is because wave petunias are vigorous growers with a lower growth habit. So if you plant these in your yard you will get a great plant that will fill in fast and create a carpet of color.

If your answer is container I would suggest going with the supertunia. I would choose these because not only does this petunia have a great trailing habit but it also gets a little height. So not only is it a great spiller plant but it also makes a great filler plant.

IF it was my choice to choose I would always choose supertunias. They are exceptional performers that will bloom from early spring until the first frost. And the colors they offer are truly beautiful. Our favorites here at Van Wilgen’s are Supertunia bubble gum, silverberry, and Bordeaux.

Whether you choose wave or supertunias just remember, deadheading or a good haircut along with some slow-release fertilizer a few times during the season makes for a happy healthy plant.

Everything’s pretty in pink!

Our flock of flamingos will grow as pink week gets into full swing this week, June 12^th thru the 18^th.

By now many of you know how important this week is to us here at Van Wilgen’s. Over the past few years with the help of all of you, we have given a check to Smillow cancer hospital, from the sales of the pink flamingos we sell here at the store. They are $10 dollars each and the whole $10 goes to Smillow.

Every year our check has been bigger than the year before. Let’s do it again!

We will also be donating an extra $1 for every pink plant that is bought this week. There will be a display of pink plants in trees and shrubs, perennials, and annuals.

Here are a few of our favorite annual pink picks.

• Guara belleza dark pink- Great thriller plant for your sun-loving containers, dark foliage with wispy bright pink flowers, sometimes looks like butterflies fluttering around the wind.
• Sofie cascade ivy pink geranium- One of our favorite ivy geraniums. This is a delicate-looking full sun plant that adds a punch of color to the planting you are doing around your home or business. Last year our baskets were blooming well into November!
• Lantana pink- Another sun-loving plant. I would use this plant as a filler. As with all lantana, this customer favorite is made up of large clusters of flowers, that fill out and make quite a statement with a nice show of color. Lantana pink starts out with a little bit of yellow that slowly turns pink making for a lovely two-toned cluster of flowers.
• Petunias- we have two favorites 1) is Bermuda beach Supertunia, 2) Bubble gum supertunia. The one you have seen along the road of our property is of course Bubble Gum, So I guess you can say that is by far the favorite.

Now for those of you that need some part sun picks.

• New Guinea impatiens- This year we have so many pink variations for you to choose from. Nothing like new guinea impatiens to brighten up your partially shaded areas. Big beautiful bold colors.
• Dragon wing begonias- This partial shade plant has quickly become a customer favorite over the last few years. Grows quickly and makes a great statement. Our hanging baskets have been known to triple in size by the end of the summer and into the fall.

Stop by and help out a great cause, and paint your garden pink.

Everything’s pretty in pink!

I think we have all dreamed of being able to re-create that feeling we get when we are on vacation in the tropics.

The large palms, beautiful flowering trees, and fragrant climbing vines have a few of us doing our best to transform our yards into our own personal oasis, that we can come home to every night.

What are your favorites? Here are a few of ours here at Van Wilgen’s.

• Robellini Palm – If you are looking for the typical palm tree you see in Florida this would be your choice, only in a smaller manageable size perfect for your patio. ( my personal favorite). Sun-loving
• Adonidia Palm—Also known as the Christmas palm in Florida, because of the flowers and berries it produces around Christmas time in Florida. This palm is also an easy-care plant its self-cleaning which means when fronds die off they shed and fall off by themselves. And we can’t forget that this palm is also on the deer-resistant list. Sun-loving.
• Majesty Palm—A great robust palm with graceful feathery type fronds. Although this plant can be planted out on your patio it does much better in bright but indirect lighting conditions.
• Tropical Hibiscus—What can I say, if you’re looking for a big show of color, this is your plant. This plant produces exotic large flowers, that will bloom from now thru fall. Loves full sun and lots of water. (Tip to remember) This plant likes to be slightly potbound this sends all the energy up to those beautiful flowers.
• Mandevilla vines—These vines have become a very popular plant over the last few years. The trumpet-shaped flowers not only look amazing climbing up a trellis, but here at the greenhouse, the hummingbirds have been adding this plant to their (favorites list).
• Star Jasmine—If you are looking for a plant to block those nosey neighbors, this is your plant. Not only is this one of the most fragrant tropical for your patio, but its foliage also becomes a strong vine, creating a barrier where needed. Sun-loving but can handle some shade.
• Gardenia—There is nothing like walking into our tropical paradise here at Van Wilgen’s and smelling all the gardenia’s every day. They’re the best smelling flowering plant in my opinion. Like the hibiscus, this plant does better slightly pot bound, and likes its water. It is a plant that will do better in an indirect lighting situation like a covered porch.

With a combination of any of the above, you can surely make that tropical oasis we all dream about. Just in time for summer.

PUSH YOUR ANNUALS TO THE MAXIMUM

THEY CAN HANDLE IT!

(Annual plant care in containers)

Push your annuals to the maximum this year. They can handle it. I promise! We get to enjoy annual flowers for such a short period of time so let’s get the most out of them. Darlene in the greenhouse put together a top 10 list of her annual favorites and it is important that we take good care of the special choices she made or any annual you fancy. Annual flowers in pots are such a treat because they bloom for us practically every day. We get to sit out on our patios, lounge in our chairs, dine on our decks surrounded by beautiful patio annuals, filled with gorgeous blooms, in any color you choose. It is definitely ok to lounge and enjoy. In fact, I encourage it any chance we get. Just don’t relax so much that you completely forget to take care of those gorgeous potted annuals! Remember, plant care is always a little bit of a give-and-take relationship. We give our plants a little love and attention and they give us a whole lot in return.

Let’s show our annuals a little TLC when we take them home from the nursery. Billy P. and the rest of the Van Wilgen’s growing team give them so much love in our growing department. We need to continue to spread the love and care to them when we plant them into our containers at home.

The TLC begins with the soil you use to plant your lovely annuals in. Use a well-draining, fresh, light potting soil such as our Van Wilgen’s Professional Potting Mix. It is just the right consistency for your plants to thrive. Place a layer of rocks at the bottom of your pot to help with drainage and fill the pot up with new soil. Be sure your pot has a good drainage hole in it too. If you have a really large pot and using rocks just makes it too heavy for you, cheat and throw some empty plastic bottles you have from the recycle bin into the bottom of the container. They will add some bulk to the bottom of the large pot and still allow drainage without the weight. If you have some soil in the pots from last year, it is okay to keep some of it but not all. You really need to refresh last year’s soil with some new potting mix. Last year’s annuals most likely sucked the nutrients out of it.

I highly recommend adding some Soil Moist into the potting soil. We have a very cool Soil Moist that has Mycorrhiza in it. Mycorrhiza is this awesome beneficial bacteria that attaches to the roots of the annual plants, allowing them to absorb more water and nutrients. The Soil Moist is most important for helping the pots retain moisture just in case you get a little busy and forget to water one day. If you use our Van Wilgen’s Container Mix, the Soil Moist and fertilizer are already built into it…3 steps in one!

Next comes the fertilizer. I cannot stress enough how important it is to fertilize your annuals in containers. We water our pots so often that the nutrients leach out quickly. Begin by mixing in Van Wilgen’s All Purpose Slow Release Plant Food. This food serves as a good base for planting because it feeds slowly over a long period of time. Use the slow-release food every 2 months in your containers. Don’t stop there! Now it is time to push them to the maximum. Remember, annuals can handle it. Use VW Bloom Booster. The Bloom Booster is loaded with phosphorus and pushes tons of blooms. Use the Bloom Booster every 2 weeks through the season. Why the heck not?!

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Do not forget the basics such as water, sun, and dead-heading. No matter how good the soil is or how often you fertilize, without the basics, your annuals will not thrive. Be sure to water your annual pots daily. If the temperatures get above 85 degrees, you will need to water those pots two times per day. Don’t forget the sun. The annuals on Darlene’s top 10 list need full sun to give you the bloom you desire. Dead-heading is key to keep them looking sharp and perky.

Give a little to your annuals and you will get a whole lot of flowers and joy in return.

Come see us at Van Wilgen’s. We would love to help!

SHOPPING LIST:

*Annuals from Darlene’s top 10 list or any that you like

*Van Wilgen’s Professional Potting Mix or Container Mix

*Soil Moist

*Van Wilgen’s All Purpose Slow Release Plant Food

*Van Wilgen’s Bloom Booster

*TLC

*Water

*Sun

Jason our Nursery Manager favorite PW Shrubs :

Hydrangea ‘Little Quick Fire’

Euyonymus ‘Gold Splash’

Spirea ‘Double Play Big Bang’

Hydrangea ‘Bobo’

Weigela ‘My Monet’

Deutzia ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’

Will our Perennials Manager favorite PW perennials :

Heuchera ‘Primo Black Pearls’

Daylily ‘Ruby Spider’

Sedum ‘Pure Joy’

Hibiscus ‘Cranberry Crush’

Rosa ‘Oso Easy Paprika’

Leucanthemum ‘Banana Creme’

Darlene our Greenhouse Manager thinks these are the best PW plants for your containers, window boxes, and garden beds.

Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’

Petunia ‘Vista Bubblegum’

Petunia ‘ Vista Fuchsia’

Petunia ‘Bordeaux’

Bacopa ‘Giant Snowflake’

Calli ‘Lemon Slice’

Cuphea ‘Vermillionare’

Evovulus ‘Blue my Mind’