GreenPrints Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Congratulations to Pat Stone and everyone at GreenPrints on their 25th anniversary.

GreenPrints is not your average gardening magazine. Editor Pat Stone describes it this way..."GreenPrints shares the personal, not the how-to, side of gardening, with wonderful stories and beautiful art. It truly is a "Weeder's Digest," sharing hilarious, inspiring, consoling, frustrating, nurturing, heartwarming true garden experiences of gardeners all over the country (and the world!). It's twice been voted The Best Small Garden Magazine in America."

Click here to see their 100th issue.

Looking for holiday gift ideas for the gardener in your life?  How about a subscription to GreenPrints?  Mention our blog (GardenScribe's Gardener's Notebook) when you order (by phone--800-569-0602--or at www.greenprints.com) and get an extra (5th) issue added to your subscription!

American Made Holiday Gift Guide 2014

We’re pleased to announce that the GardenScribe Plant Organizer has been included in the 2014 American Made Holiday Gift Guide sponsored by MadeInUSAChallenge.com.

The average American spends over $700 annually on holiday shopping. If just 10% ($70) of this was spent on gifts made in USA, the economic impact would equate to the creation of over 200,000 American jobs.

The American Made Holiday Gift Guide from MadeInUSAChallenge.com offers a solution to the challenge of finding gifts made in USA. The guide provides the conscious consumer with a place to find items that support our economy, protect the environment and give back to your community. Featured items include toys, gifts for kids and babies, gifts for him and her, accessories, food and drink, seasonal products, gifts for the home, gift boxes, and more. In addition, weekly giveaways will run throughout the Holiday season giving readers a chance to win products featured in the guide.

Take the challenge this year and purchase products that are made right here in the USA!

Fall is a Great Time for Planting

If you're considering a new plant for your landscape, but feel that you should wait until next spring…don't wait.  Fall is an ideal time for planting.

Here are three great reasons to do your planting and transplanting in the fall:

1. Cooler temperatures mean less stress on the plant.
2. Increased rainfall help the plant's roots become well-established.
3. The soil is still warm in the fall (actually warmer than in spring) and allows roots to grow until the ground freezes.

Coleus for Color

Looking for an annual to add a little color to your shady beds?
Try Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides).  There are over 600 varieties of Coleus to choose from. 

The plant tag for this one didn’t list the variety.  Determined to figure out which one I have (so I can get it again next year) I’ve done some research and have decided that it’s most probably “Fireball”.

For more information on Coleus visit the Missouri Botanical Garden website.

Hydrangea Winter Dieback

Winter seemed to go on forever this year.  When spring finally arrived, we still had plenty of cold days mixed in with the warm days. The result of the crazy weather has been Hydrangea dieback.

This Bigleaf Hydrangea (H. macrophylla) has new growth at the base, but the stems are bare – a classic example of dieback.

If you’re seeing bare stems in mid-May, it’s ok to cut them all the way back to the base because they will not produce any flowers this year. The new stems should grow to the same height as the old stems. Hydrangeas that flower on new wood (H. paniculata) will still bloom this season.  Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood (H. macrophylla) may not bloom at all, or may have a few blooms but not until late summer.

For more information about Hydrangeas, visit the United States National Arboretum website.

2014 Gardening Events - February

Connecticut Flower & Garden Show
February 20-23
Connecticut Convention Center
Hartford, Connecticut
860-844-8461
www.ctflowershow.com

New Jersey Flower & Garden Show
February 13-16
New Jersey Convention Center
Edison, New Jersey
732-449-4004
www.njflowershow.com

Garden Festival & Bonsai Show
February 22-23
Flamingo Gardens
Davie, Florida
954-473-2955
www.flamingogardens.org

Orchid Show
February 15 – March 16
Chicago Botanic Gardens
Glencoe, Illinois
847-835-5440
www.chicagobotanic.org

Fruit Tree Pruning 101
February 22
Mendocino Coast Botanic Gardens
Fort Bragg, California
707-964-4352
www.gardenbythesea.org