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Collier's
Garden Scoop
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November 2017
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Can you believe it's already November? Over the last few days leaves have become tinged with the colors of autumn and a few have already floated to the ground. By the end of the month the holiday season will be upon us. Between now and then there will be plenty of sunny, cool days to work in the garden. Take advantage of the best selection of cool-season annuals and plant your winter beds and containers before Thanksgiving. November is also an excellent time to plant trees, shrubs, groundcovers and perennials.
We hope to see you at the nursery this month!
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November Hours
Monday - Saturday 9 to 5
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Best Selection of
Pansies & Violas
Available Now!
Take advantage of cool, sunny fall days to dig in your garden and add the cheerful blooms of pansies and violas to containers and flowerbeds- you won't regret it when their happy blooms are there to greet you in January and February! By planting before Thanksgiving you'll allow time for them to grow sturdy roots and increase in size before daytime temps drop below 50 and their growth rate slows tremendously. Plus, you can enjoy choosing from the best selection of colors over the next three weeks.
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Let Your Garden Overflow
Trailing Pansies
& Snapdragons
Did you know there are now pansies and snapdragons with a trailing habit? Cool Wave and Freefall pansies, along with Candy Showers snapdragons, spill beautifully from hanging baskets and containers through the cold season. Trailing pansies will bloom all winter, but trailing snaps will take a break during January and February (unless it's a very mild winter) and begin blooming again in early spring. Both do well in partial to full sun.
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Winter Favorite
Cyclamen
Cyclamen is our top choice for bringing color indoors during the holidays and beyond, as they will bloom steadily through the winter months and add cheer to your home during the coldest, dreariest days. Their delicate, butterfly-like flowers come in white and red and shades of pink and purple.
Cyclamen persicum is native to the eastern Mediterranean region, and thrives in rich, loose, well-drained soil. They do not appreciate being over-watered as they grow from tubers that can easily rot if the soil stays too wet. They grow and bloom from late fall to early spring and then go dormant during the summer months. During dormancy place your cyclamen in bright, indirect light (indoors or out), water infrequently and don't be alarmed if many of the leaves drop off- this is normal behavior for cyclamens during warm weather.
These winter beauties grow best indoors in bright light, but can also be grown outdoors through winter, in very protected locations with cover to shield them from frost, such as a screened porch or covered patio. However, you will need to bring them indoors if temperatures drop below 25 degrees.
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Fun Foliage for Winter Containers
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Lemon Cypress
A customer favorite for obvious reasons- its vivid chartreuse foliage is unparalleled in the winter garden, with the added delight of smelling of lemons when brushed. This fluffy conifer looks spectacularly cheerful with pansies or violas. Very slow growth rate makes it ideal for containers. Prefers afternoon shade in summer.
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Goshiki Osmanthus
This variegated osmanthus, also called false holly because of its spiky leaves, is a lovely foliage accent in winter containers that can be planted in the landscape next spring. Relatively slow-growing, eventually reaching 3 to 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide in the ground. Does best in partial to full sun, with some afternoon shade preferred in summer.
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Camellia Season
Has Begun!
No southern garden is complete without at least one of these classic, old-fashioned shrubs. Depending on the variety, camellias bloom between late September and early March, so it is during this time that we have our best selection. We have 15 varieties in stock now, and many are budded or blooming in white, red and shades of pink. Camellias are slow-growing and thrive in partial sun with afternoon shade in the summer. They can also be grown successfully in large containers.
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Fall in Love with
Ginkgo Trees
Also known as maidenhair tree, because the leaves resemble the leaflets of maidenhair fern, ginkgos are among the oldest living species on earth. According to The Southern Living Garden Book they are "ancient survivors from prehistoric times (200 million years ago), when they grew worldwide. They are now only native to two small areas of China."
Ginkgo trees are well worth finding a place for in your landscape. They require minimal maintenance and are hardy and durable:
deer resistant, not generally bothered by insects or diseases, very heat tolerant and thrive in either acid or alkaline soil, as long as it is well-drained.
The ginkgo's most prized feature, of course, is the stunning display they put on reliably each fall, when their leaves turn a bright, golden yellow all at once, hold on for a few days, and then drop in unison to form a magnificent golden carpet on the ground below the tree.
If you'd like to add one of these to your own garden, plant in partial to full sun. Ginkgos have a slow to medium growth rate, growing faster under ideal conditions. The one pictured above is growing at the nursery and has reached this substantial size in less than twenty years. They can reach 50-60 feet tall and 20-30 feet wide when mature. Water young trees regularly until they reach about 15 feet tall.
If you're pressed for space but would love to enjoy a ginkgo tree at home then you are in luck! In addition to the larger growing ginkgo tree, we also have in stock an unusual dwarf variety called Jade Butterflies which would make a superb focal point in a small garden! This particular ginkgo has a shrubby habit, growing to 10 feet tall over a ten year period.
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Brighten Up Shady Areas with
Variegated Groundcovers
Autumn is the ideal time to plant perennials, including groundcovers. Planting now allows them time during the winter to establish strong, healthy root systems before hot, dry (and stressful) conditions arrive next summer. We have a great selection of groundcovers in stock and here are four of our favorites for evergreen coverage in shady areas, sporting interesting foliage colors to brighten up dim corners of the garden.
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Burgundy Glow Ajuga
Shade, filtered or morning sun. Forms low, dense clumps and spreads at a moderate rate. Lavender flowers in spring.
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Variegated Asiatic Jasmine
Shade, filtered or partial sun. Fast-growing, vining habit. New growth emerges rosy pink and matures to green and white.
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Silver Mist Mondo Grass
Shade, filtered or morning sun. Slow growing, forms clumps that can be divided every 2 to 3 years. Delicate green and white blades shine in the shade.
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Illumination Vinca Vine
Shade, filtered or morning sun. Fast-growing, vining habit. Striking gold and green foliage. Large, dark purple blooms in spring are an added bonus.
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Perennial Sale ~ 50% Off!
It's a great time to plant and we have put many of our herbaceous perennials on sale.
Stop by and check out our half-off perennial section!
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Bulbs Arrive by Mid-November
Allium, amaryllis, crocus, daffodils, hyacinth, paperwhites, ranunculus and tulips
will be in-store soon! For spring blooms we recommend planting bulbs in the ground after Thanksgiving.
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It's not too late to apply
to Zoysia & Bermuda lawns.
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Collier's Nursery
205-822-3133
2904 Old Rocky Ridge Road
Birmingham, AL 35243
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