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Collier's Garden Scoop
Spring 2021
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Spring Has Sprung
The planting season has arrived and so have the plants! During April and May the nursery is full to the brim with an abundance of annuals, perennials, herbs and veggies- the very best selection and widest variety of the entire year, and something no gardener should miss out on. We hope to see you this spring and would love to help you create, add-to or transform your garden.
Happy planting!
Current Hours:
Monday through Saturday 9 to 5:30
Sunday 1 to 5
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*Frost Alert For Wednesday Night: Temps are forecasted to fall into the mid to upper 30s this Wednesday night into Thursday morning, so be sure to protect cold-sensitive plants such as: angelonia, caladiums, impatiens, lantana, sweet potato vine, vinca, veggies, basil, mint and tropicals (Boston, Kimberly Queen and Macho ferns, dipladenia, hibiscus and mandevilla). |
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Tips for a Successful Garden |
We're at the starting line of a long Alabama growing season and it's time to plant annuals in your garden to enjoy for months to come! Read on for five tips to ensure your container gardens and flower beds remain healthy and happy. |
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1. Establish a great foundation. Loose, organically rich soil and good drainage produce vibrant, healthy plants. For flower beds, add a layer of garden soil and soil conditioner on top of the ground and turn-in with a shovel to loosen and break up compacted or clay soils. For container gardens we recommend a mixture of potting soil and soil conditioner. It's also important to make sure your container has adequate drainage holes. Mix in Osmocote before planting, or sprinkle over the top after planting. This slow-release fertilizer will add nutrients to the soil over the next 4 months.
2. Choose wisely. Selecting plants that are appropriate for your garden's light conditions is essential to success. Also, pay attention to the size each plant will grow at maturity and space accordingly. More is not always better; over-crowding causes competition between plants for water, nutrients and root space, which results in reduced growth and vigor as well as weak plants that are more susceptible to disease and insect infestation.
3. Keep cool. Add a layer of mulch over the soil in container gardens and flower beds to insulate plant roots from hot temperatures and slow water evaporation between waterings.
4. Water deeply and consistently. It's better to thoroughly saturate the soil less often than it is to water scantly more often. Try not to let plants wilt in between waterings. Repeated wilting causes stress and will eventually result in poor growth and lackluster appearance.
5. A little maintenance goes a long way. Although not required for all, some flowering annuals benefit from occasional "deadheading" or removing faded flowers and seed heads. This jump-starts the process of new flower bud production. By mid-summer some annuals begin to look leggy and unkempt. If this happens, trim the plant back by 1/2 to 2/3rds to help it regenerate. Re-apply Osmocote in mid-summer. Flowering annuals benefit from an occasional dose of fertilome Blooming & Rooting, a water-soluble fertilizer that promotes blooms.
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For those who love to grow their own herbs & veggies, this is the time of year we've been waiting for impatiently! Warm weather means all kinds of delicious produce & seasonings can be produced in your own garden. Come in this spring to find baby tomato, pepper, squash, zucchini, cucumber, eggplant & okra plants, as well as more herbs than we can even begin to name (plus some advice on how to grow them if you need it)! |
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Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Garden |
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Butterflies love a "landing pad." Flat-topped or clustered blooms that are large enough for them to perch on as they feed are ideal. They are most attracted to red, orange, yellow, pink and purple flowers. |
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Hummers prefer tubular blooms, a perfect fit for their needle-like beaks. Vivid shades of red and pink are great for pulling hummers into your garden as they travel by, since they do spot colors from a distance. At the nursery, we have seen them feeding on blooms of all colors. |
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Visually satisfying and even stunning displays in your garden, however large or small, are easier to create than you might think. By being mindful of a few simple details you can train your eye to spot interesting combinations and know how to arrange them for the fullest effect. |
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#1 Select plants that will thrive together- all members of a grouping should enjoy the same light, soil and moisture conditions.
#2 Don't overcrowd- this produces weak plants that are much more susceptible to drought, pests and disease. Pay attention to the estimated height and width of each plant and space accordingly.
#3 The most compelling combinations often result from interesting pairings or mixtures of colors and textures. When choosing colors you can opt for monotones (greens & whites or shades of one color), high-contrast colors (light versus dark) or complementary colors (located opposite each other on the color wheel- i.e. red and green, orange and blue, yellow and purple). Texture can be both visual and tactile. For visual interest grassy, ferny or very large foliage is effective. Tactile interest can be added with soft, rough or glossy foliage.
#4 Choose plants that will grow in proper proportion to their surroundings, be that a container or flowerbed. They should grow to visually fill the space, but not overgrow or overpower it.
#5 A balanced arrangement is the last step to a jaw-dropping combination. The arrangement can be balanced either symmetrically (even numbers) or asymmetrically (odd numbers). For flowerbeds: Even numbers are needed when working with more formal, symmetrical spaces. Otherwise, odd numbers are usually most pleasing visually. The reason for this is odd-numbered configurations have a 'center' for your eye to rest on. For containers: Round containers lend themselves to odd numbers of plants. Square and rectangular planters tend to look best with even numbers of plants.
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If you haven't already, it's not too late to apply fertilome For All Seasons to Bermuda, Zoysia and Saint Augustine Lawns.
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COLLIER'S NURSERY | 2904 OLD ROCKY RIDGE ROAD 35243 | 205-822-3133
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