As the spring blossoms of iris and peonies fade, a host of beautiful summer bloomers fills in to paint a colorful landscape in the
Viette gardens!
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| Daylilies and phlox bloom in one of the front berm gardens at Viette's. |
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Beautiful blooming daylilies.
Peak daylily bloom for our gardens is in mid-July.
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Our
Garden Center hours
Mon - Sat: 9:30 - 5:00
Sunday: 1:00 - 4:30
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Plant of the Month
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The large, fluffy blooms of Astilbe 'Sister Theresa' are very fragrant
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Color for the Shade
Shade Garden
"Showstoppers"
Shady garden spaces need something special to "draw you in" - to add texture, interest, dimension and lightness. Astilbe will definitely fill these requirements with their tall, willowy flower plumes, above deep green, ferny foliage. By using several different varieties of Astilbe that have different bloom times, you can create wonderful color for months in your shady garden. They are equally impressive planted en masse in the shady garden.
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A mass planting of white Astilbe brightens the shade garden.
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A Wonderful Companion
Planting compatible shade-loving plants with Astilbe allows you to create an amazing array of texture and color in the shade.
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| Hosta are great companions with other beautiful shade perennials. |
Use Japanese Anemone, ferns,
Pulmonaria, Hosta,
Dicentra, and
Aquilegia as nearby garden companions. The various colors and textures will be absolutely lovely together! The foliage of Hosta,
Ligularia,
Alchemilla (lady's mantle) and ferns will nicely complement Astilbe when not in bloom. And, of course, the later blooming Anemone japonica will look nice as a backdrop with Astilbe foliage into the fall.
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| Astilbe bring color as well as fragrance to the shade garden. |
Growing Astilbe
Astilbe require a moist, well prepared soil that is high in organic matter, light shade and well-drained soil. As Astilbe are heavy feeders, they should be fed two times a year with Espoma Holly-tone, an all-organic, slow-release fertilizer. They should be divided every three or four years, in early spring, to maintain maximum vigor and growth.
Once planted and fed, these hardy perennials require little care until time to cut them back in late fall; however, if the foliage gets a little weather-beaten or sun-burned, just cut the foliage back and they will rejuvenate themselves in no time. If you don't have the time or energy to cut the flower heads off after blooming, just leave them and enjoy the decorative dried flowers through fall!
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| Snow collects on dried astilbe flowers left in the garden |
The bottom line ...
Be sure to add some colorful Astilbe to your shade garden this year.
Let your imagination carry you into a special place in the shade this season. Just pull up a comfortable garden chair, sip a cool glass of ice tea and enjoy the "showstopping" garden you have created!
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| The bright red flowers of Astilbe a. 'Fanal' just beginning to open. |
Some wonderful
Astilbe cultivars:
Astilbe arendsii 'Fanal'
dark red, 26" tall
Astilbe a. 'Sister Theresa'
salmon-pink, 24" tall
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Astilbe arendsii 'Snowdrift'
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Astilbe a. 'Snowdrift'
white, 26" tall
Astilbe chinensis 'Visions'
purple-red, 14" tall
Astilbe c. 'Visions in Pink'
deep pink, 24" tall
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| Astilbe japonica 'Rheinland' |
Astilbe japonica 'Rheinland'
rose-pink, 24" tall
Astilbe j. 'Deutschland'
white, 26" tall
Astilbe simplicifolia 'Sprite'
pink, 10" tall
Astilbe s. 'Pink Lightning'
bright pink, 16" tall
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| Astilbe simplicifolia 'Sprite' |
All of these beautiful astilbe varieties are great for attracting butterflies.
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| Gardening Questions? |
Listen to Andre on the radio every Saturday morning from 8:00-11:00 on
"In the Garden
with Andre Viette"
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Viette Discussion Board
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Having trouble
getting through on
the radio?
Visit our
Discussion Board for answers to your gardening questions. Use the convenient search key to see if we have already addressed your problem!
Don't see the answer? Post your question!
It's EASY, just register
as a member.
Don't forget to provide your city and state so we are better able answer your question.
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Tip of the Month
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Bagworm pupa case hanging from a cedar branch
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Bagworms are Hatching!
Bagworms are not worms at all but the larvae of insects that attack many evergreen and some deciduous trees and shrubs. The caterpillars of the evergreen bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) feed on needles and leaves and a large infestation can lead to almost complete defoliation of trees.
Some of the more common evergreen host plants include arborvitae (Thuja), fir (Abies), hemlock (Tsuga), juniper (Juniperus), pine (Pinus) and spruce (Picea). Deciduous host plants include black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).
Life Cycle
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A bagworm pokes its head out of its bag as it feeds on juniper needles |
Bagworms can be recognized by the characteristic case or "bag" that they construct around themselves. The bag is made from silk and plant material from the plants they are feeding on.
Eggs of bagworms hatch in late May and early June from bags that were constructed the previous season. The larvae (caterpillars) construct a bag around their hind parts after hatching and carry it around as they feed on needles and leaves throughout the summer.
In August, the mature larvae attach their bags to a branch (looking a lot like small pine cones) where they stay for about four weeks in a pupa stage.
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Bagworm eggs inside
the dead female
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Males emerge from their cases in September or October in search of females. The adult females remain in their bag, releasing a pheromone to attract the males. They mate and lay their eggs without ever leaving the bag. In fact, the eggs develop within the dead body of the female. Female bagworms can lay up to 1,000 eggs which overwinter in the bags and hatch out the following May.
Bagworm Control
- As much as possible, try to physically remove and destroy as many of the bags as you can. Depending on the size of the trees and shrubs, this may or may not be feasible. We do not recommend using ladders!
- The second most important step is to control the YOUNG caterpillars when they hatch out in the later part of May or early June. Young caterpillars can be controlled safely (without harming beneficial insects) by spraying Bonide BT Thuricide (Bacillus thuringiensis). This bacteria infects and kills the young caterpillars. It is also helpful for controlling young tent caterpillars. A dust formulation of BT is sold as Dipel. This also works but the liquid formulation is easier to use for trees and shrubs.
- If you miss the younger ones, larger caterpillars can be controlled using a broad-spectrum insecticide (such as Bonide Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew or Bonide Eight) in the later part of June according to label directions. NEVER spray any insecticide when trees are in bloom!
ALWAYS READ and FOLLOW the LABEL directions when using any pesticides.
You should know!
Even natural or organic products can be deadly to pollinators like bees. If possible DO NOT spray when plants are in bloom. If this is not possible, spray early in the morning or later in the evening when bees are less active and ALWAYS read the label!
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June Lectures at Viette's
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Join us at the farm for these informative lectures ...
Saturday, June 11 at 1:30 pm
June is Perennial Gardening Month!
 Learn all about the wonderful perennials that bloom in the early summer and beyond. Andre will talk about tough summer plants which survive heat and drought conditions. He will focus on perennials with easy culture and low maintenance. Learn how to prepare your garden for summertime by choosing the best summer perennials.
Andre will take you on a personal tour of his beautiful summer gardens after his talk. See his gorgeous hosta collection and all the other wonderful summer bloomers!
Free lecture
Saturday, June 18 at 1:30 pm
All About Sun and Shade Gardens
What is considered sun? What is shade?
 How much sun can shade plants tolerate? Will sun plants grow in part shade?
Learn the answers to these questions and more as Andre talks about gardening with annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees in the sun and shade. Learn the Viettes' secrets of proper soil preparation with the best amendments, proper watering practices, planting techniques, and more.
After the talk,
Andre will take you on a personal tour of the sun and shade gardens that surround the Viette Nursery.
Free lecture
Saturday, June 25 at 1:30 pm
The June Blooming Daylilies and
Other Early Summer Bloomers
 The early daylilies will be in bloom! Learn all about these early bloomers and which ones are the best performers. Learn how to to create your full season daylily garden, by choosing some early season bloomers. These multi-stemmed, multi-branched beauties will bloom through most of June. Combine some early-midseason bloomers with these early bloomers to extend your daylily bloom into mid July. Then add some midseason bloomers, mid-late season, and late season bloomers and presto - you have a beautiful succession of color from June through September with lovely, vibrant daylilies.
Andre will also talk about other summer blooming perennials that make wonderful daylily companions!
Andre will take you on a personal tour of the early daylilies and the beautiful June gardens.
Free Lecture.
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Did You Know?
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Bean beetle larva
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Don't let BEETLES
get the best of your vegetable crops!
There are many kinds of beetles that are damaging to plants. They are especially devastating when they attack your vegetable garden and ruin the plants and vegetables you worked so hard to grow and nurture!
Most of the beetles that cause havoc in the vegetable garden are chewing pests that eat leaves, stems, and fruit.
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Striped cucumber beetle;
Jim Jasinski, OSU Extension, Bugwood.org
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The most common beetles that I battle in my garden are Japanese beetles, Colorado potato beetles, Mexican bean beetles, and flea beetles. Often, both the adult and larval stages will feed on the foliage, chewing the leaves to lace and often totally destroying the crop! Striped cucumber beetles feed on foliage but their main threat is that they are vectors for the devastating bacterial wilt and mosaic virus that affects cucurbits, especially cucumbers and melons.
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Flea beetles and damage to eggplant; David Cappaert, Bugwood.org
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Flea beetles are tiny little black beetles that chew little holes in the leaves of many crops leaving them pockmarked and yellow. If they are not controlled, they can eventually destroy the leaves and may even kill the plant. In my garden, they are particularly attracted to the eggplants.
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Colorado potato beetle; David Cappaert, MSU, Bugwood.org
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Colorado potato beetles are not only fond of eating the foliage and stems of potatoes, but they also enjoy peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. They will even eat the fruits of these plants! These beetles are probably beginning to become active now so be on the lookout! They have become resistant to many common insecticides so control can be difficult but they are listed on the label of the products below.
Beetle Control Measures
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Mexican bean beetle adults
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Hand picking is the safest method of control for beetles, however this is often difficult if not impossible to keep up with.
- Luckily, many different beetle species can be controlled with the same insecticides. Always check the label for the specific beetle you have.
- Bonide Eight
- Bonide Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew (for organic gardening)
Always read and follow the label directions
when spraying pesticides!
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Join Mark Viette at Christmas Tree Hill
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Saturday, June 11 - 9:30 am
Christmas Tree Hill - York, PA
for an informative
gardening seminar on:
"Gardening in the
Sun and Shade"
Join Mark for an informative talk about gardening in the sun and shade. He will be talking about some great new trees, shrubs, and perennials for the sun and shade including evergreens, hydrangea, maples, crape myrtles, dogwoods, winterberry,
roses, clematis, as well as some wonderful native trees and shrubs. During his talk, he will also discuss proper soil preparation and watering practices.
The first 100 attendees will take home a bare root daylily, 'Cornwall' valued at $14.95.
Christmas Tree Hill
2801 S. George Street, York, PA 17403
Phone: 717.741.2296
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If you enjoy our newsletter, please pass it along to your gardening friends!
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On the Viette's Views Blog
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From the Viette's Views Archives ...
Lately, I have noticed a lot of carpenter bees buzzing around our retail garden center and the barn at the nursery. I've also noticed them flying around my deck and have found at least one nest excavated on the underside of one of the railing supports. Here is some information on these sometimes annoying bees ...
06-14-2013
 "Uh oh - I think a carpenter bee is making a nest on the deck!"
Eric had seen a small pile of sawdust forming under a wooden footstool - a telltale sign of carpenter bee activity.
Funny that I had just written a post about the solitary ground bee and here on our deck was another solitary bee making a similar type nest [...]...»
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Travel with Andre and Claire Viette in 2016!
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| Budapest on the banks of the Danube |
The Imperial Gardens
and Treasures Tour
September 18 - October 1, 2016
Featuring the Imperial worlds of the
German and Austro-Hungarian Empires
Visit Hungary, Austria,
the Czech Republic, and Germany
Tour highlights include:
Budapest - Enjoy a guided tour of this beautiful city on the Danube; visit a botanical garden; spend a day in the Puszta - land of the Hungarian cowboys and be treated to an equestrian show and gypsy music
Vienna - From Budapest, we will travel up the Danube by hydrofoil boat to Vienna where you will see the famous Lipizzaner Stallions, the
Schönbrunn Gardens, and enjoy a concert of Strauss and Mozart at the
Schönbrunn Palace.
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Cruising on Berlin's River Spree
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Prague - We then travel north to Prague by way of the scenic Wachau Valley. Tour Prague, its famous castle, the Charles Bridge, and magnificent gardens. End the day with a three-hour cruise on the Vltava River!
Berlin - On the way to Berlin, we will stop at the city of Dresden. In Berlin, relax on a cruise on the River Spree, enjoy a candlelight dinner and concert at the Charlottenburg palace, and take a walking tour of Berlin. You can even opt to join Andre and Claire on a visit to the largest private botanical garden in Europe.
Andre will give a series of gardening presentations throughout the trip.
Space is limited to 42 persons so this trip will fill up fast!
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Join Our List
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05-26-2016 17:46:56 PM
