Plant of the Month
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| Hosta are great companion plants in the shade garden. |
Hosta
The stars of the Shade Garden!
Hosta or Plantain Lily is one of the best, most versatile, and truly spectacular perennials for the shade or part shade garden. There are literally hundreds of varieties available to choose from - almost too many!! There is a Hosta for virtually every niche in your landscape. The diversity is endless! The Viettes have over 200 magnificent varieties on display throughout the gardens and over 60 varieties potted in the garden center.
| Hosta combine well with other great shade perennials such as Astilbe, ferns, and Japanese Anemones. |
Why Hosta?
Hosta are normally grown for their foliage effect in the garden and because of their extraordinarily beautiful foliage, they have an extremely long season of interest. Most hosta quickly grow to their mature size in just one or two seasons. In fact, one of the nicest features of hosta is that they only get better and more spectacular with age! | Hosta 'Piedmont Gold' |
Hosta can be used in mass plantings as a ground cover, as an edging plant, in the rock garden, or the larger, more unusual varieties can be planted as spectacular specimen plants.
Extreme Diversity
The diversity of the hosta foliage is one of its most valuable attributes. Leaves can be all shades of green, blue-green, powder blue, and many are variegated with gold or white. The striking variegated hosta like 'Christmas Tree', 'Paul's Glory' and 'Knockout' and the gold-leaved hosta like 'Piedmont Gold', 'Fried Bananas', and 'Sum & Substance' can literally light up a dark corner of your shade garden! |
Hosta 'Paul's Glory'
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Diversity in leaf texture also makes Hosta really unique. Leaves can range from silky smooth as in the plantaginea cultivars to heavily corrugated as in 'His Honor' or the tokudama and sieboldiana cultivars.
| Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans' has huge textured blue leaves. |
Low Maintenance
Hosta are the perfect low maintenance perennial since they require little attention once they are established. They grow well in full shade to light shade and can even tolerate full sun as long as they are kept moist, thus allowing for versatility in garden placement. When planted "en masse" as a ground cover, the dense leaves of hosta act as a natural weed barrier.
Viette's Has the Best!
Whether you're a collector of fine Hosta or just love the spectacular show of beautiful foliage, we have the cultivar for you. Last spring we dug many great varieties from his personal collection and potted them up for sale in our garden center. Many of these varieties, including the spectacular 'Sea Lotus Leaf' and 'Wagon Wheels', are not available anywhere else in the country - after all Andre is one of the original charter members of the American Hosta Society and he has some NICE ones!!
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Did You Know?
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Tomato and cucumber trellises
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Tips for the Vegetable Garden
Tomato Tips:
Be sure to provide a good strong support for your tomatoes. Years ago we built four 6' trellises that we grow our tomatoes and cucumbers on. Now we have added 2 more! We plant both sides of the trellis and by August the tomatoes and cukes are over the top! Mark always plants his tomatoes in tall round wire cages. When your tomatoes begin to set fruit, drench the foliage with a liquid organic fertilizer like Neptune's Harvest Organic Fish/Seaweed Blend or Bonide Atlantis Fish Fertilizer. Apply until it drips to the ground, wetting the soil underneath the plants. The foliage will quickly absorb the nutrients. Always read and follow the label directions.
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Tomatoes mulched with composted leaves
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Mulch your tomato plants with pine bark mulch, pine straw, or another organic mulch such as Sweet Peet. This will help maintain even soil moisture which will help prevent blossom end rot. A layer of mulch will also help reduce the incidence of fungal diseases by preventing soil (which is laden with fungal spores) from splashing up onto the foliage. Read more about dealing with tomato problems. Thinning is Important
Remember to thin seedlings of carrots, beets, corn, and beans to the recommended spacing! You will get healthier and better producing plants in the long run. Watch for Pests!
Be on the lookout for squash vine borers which can devastate your squash, cucumber, and pumpkin vines. |
Bean beetle larvae will devour your bean foliage
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Watch for squash bugs, bean beetles, striped cucumber beetles, and other garden pests.
Rotate your crops each season to help control many insect problems in the vegetable garden.
Water wisely!
Keep your garden well watered. A vegetable garden produces best when it receives at least an inch of water each week during the summer.
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A great MULCH for your veggie garden
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Sweet Peet is a great all organic much that will help you grow rich, juicy, beautiful fruits and vegetables by creating nutrient-rich soil for your vegetable garden.
A 3"-4" layer will aid in moisture retention, weed suppression, and increase tilth which helps promote new root growth. It retains and slowly releases water to plants during dry periods. Sweet Peet also increases the soil microbial population which can lead to the suppression of a variety of soil borne diseases.
Because Sweet Peet contains only all-natural, organic ingredients, it is entirely safe to use in fruit and vegetable gardens and in orchards. Sweet Peet is 100% organic and is free of any, chemicals or harmful materials. Its near neutral pH value helps in both acid and alkaline soils in maintaining the pH sweet spot to release locked up nutrients to the feeder roots of garden plants. When tilled in at the end of each season, Sweet Peet enriches the soil, improves tilth, encourages beneficial earthworms and replenishes microbes that are often destroyed by harsh chemicals and acid rain.
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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 can better answer your question.
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Tip of the Month
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Great Garden Tips for June ...
A The month of June is the gateway to the sizzling summer season. Here are a few tips for keeping your gardens and lawn in tip-top shape through the hot summer months..
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Shear Alyssum after blooming to encourage new lush growth.
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Shear certain spring blooming perennials
Some spring blooming perennials like Iberis (Candytuft), Alyssum (Basket of Gold), and Phlox subulata (Mountain Pink) should be sheared/deadheaded after they finish blooming to encourage bushiness and make the plants look neater in the garden. A good pair of hedge shears is perfect for this job! Trim back certain tall perennials to keep compact
Some perennials benefit from being sheared back by half or a third of their height in June. This not only keeps them more compact and bushy in the garden but also improves flowering by allowing more flowering stems to be produced.
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Shear tall aster varieties in June to keep them more compact.
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Below is a list of some perennials that can be sheared back in June. It includes many fall bloomers. - Perovskia (Russian Sage)
- Aster
- Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)
- Monarda (Bee Balm)
- Eupatorium purpureum
(Joe Pye Weed) - Boltonia
- Heliopsis
- Helianthus (Perennial Sunflower)
- Miscanthus - The taller forms of Maiden Grass can be cut back if they traditionally flop over in your garden during the summer. Be sure to cut these grasses by June 10th or the bloom may be affected!
Cutting Back Daffodil foliage
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Daffodil foliage can be removed when it has turned brown
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June is the time when you can begin to remove daffodil foliage from your garden. Be sure to wait 6 weeks after bloom for the foliage to ripen before cutting it back. This gives the foliage a chance to feed and fortify the bulb for more beautiful blooms next spring. Once most of the foliage turns brown, you can carefully pull it off or cut it back. Watch Mark's video tip on when to remove daffodil foliage. Watch for disease in the garden
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Powdery mildew on Phlox
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With the heat and humidity of summer, the incidence of disease often begins to increase. Be on the look out for fungal diseases like rust on Hollyhocks and asters, botrytis on peonies, leaf spot on roses and other plants, and powdery mildew on many perennials and shrubs. - Provide good air circulation around your plants by proper spacing and thinning. This is a great way to help reduce the incidence of disease in the garden.
- If fungal disease begins to become a problem, spray with an approved fungicide like Bonide Fung-onil. Be sure to diagnose your problem first and then choose a fungicide that is labeled for that particular disease.
Always read and follow the label directions.
Be on the lookout for garden pests |
Snails and slugs can cause significant damage to hosta
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I noticed lots of aphids clustered on the stems of some perennials in the garden the other day! These piercing and sucking pests can do some major damage to your plants. A great way to rid your plants of aphids is to spray with Bonide All Season's Oil or insecticidal soap according to the label. Watch for signs of slugs and snails in the garden. They love hosta, lettuce, and many other plants and vegetables! Bonide Slug Magic is a great product for ridding the garden of slugs and snails. It is easy to use and is safe to use in the vegetable garden and around pets and wildlife. Plant some beautiful container gardens
June is a great time to plant your containers. We had a late frost just last week but hopefully now the frost danger is behind us!
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A large container with tropicals placed in one of Andre's gardens
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Be creative! Don't be afraid to combine different plants such as annuals, tropicals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and even vegetables. Tropical vines will provide a unique vertical effect by growing upright to give you height with flowers bursting outward facing you. The large leaved tropicals such as Elephant Ears, Cannas, and Banana plants make a dramatic statement with their huge colorful leaves. Even a hosta with large textured leaves like sieboldiana 'Frances Williams', 'Christmas Tree', or 'Fried Bananas' can become the focal point in a container garden. Watch Mark's video tip on using hosta in containers. Containers aren't just for decks and patios either! Andre has many lovely BIG containers nestled around in his beautiful gardens. They are just stunning!
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June Lectures and Workshops at Viette's!
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Saturday, June 8th at 1:30 pm
Beautiful Summer Perennials for Your Garden
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. Come 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 15th 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 Mark talks about gardening with annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees in the sun and shade. Learn the Viette's secrets of proper soil preparation with the best amendments, proper watering practices, planting techniques, and more. After his talk, Mark will take you on a personal tour of the sun and shade gardens that surround the Viette Nursery. Free lecture
Saturday, June 22nd at 1:30 pm
The Art of Creating Miniature Landscapes
A Hands-on Workshop.
Join special guest Pam Shank of Landscapes in Miniature for wonderful workshop where you will learn to make whimsical miniature gardens by actually DOING it! During this hands-on workshop, participants will craft a miniature garden planter from start to finish, receive tips and complete instructions, and will take home their completed planter at the end of the workshop. This is a messy workshop - we will be playing in the dirt - dress accordingly, please.
We'll have pots for you to plant and create your miniature garden or bring your own favorite container to plant!
$55 fee.
Please pre-register by calling 800-575-5538.
Fee includes all materials and instruction to create your own miniature garden.
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Save the Date!
17th Annual Daylily Food,
Beer & Wine Festival
Saturday, July 20th - 10:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday, July 21st - 12noon - 5:00pm
If your idea of a great time is enjoying
fine food and spirits, learning about gardening, listening to music, and relaxing in a beautiful setting with family and friends, then put
these two days on your calendar!
Fields of glorious daylilies and exotic plants against the scenic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a must-see for flower lovers, wine lovers, and weekend travelers seeking a relaxing get-away. In its 17th year, the Daylily Food, Beer & Wine Festival will be better than ever!
The "Daylily Festival" is one of the Shenandoah Valley's largest and most loved summer events. The beautiful rolling hills of the Viette Farm and Nursery offer lush gardens and rows and rows of daylilies, making it a truly beautiful and unique festival backdrop. The Daylily Food, Beer, & Wine Festival will provides a wonderful weekend of entertainment that is sure to tantalize all your senses.
This popular festival is fun for the whole family!
- Interesting seminars - whether you join us to learn more about small space gardens or how to raise daylilies, there are informative and fun short seminars for every level of outdoor enthusiast
- Taste wines from over 20 of Virginia's award winning wineries
- Enjoy an expanded selection of craft & domestic beers
- Sample some of the finest Virginia foods from a wide range of regional food producers
- An expanded 2013 farmer's market offers you one more way to support local agriculture.
- Browse through a diverse range of more than 100 different artisans & crafters
- Enjoy live music while feasting on a wide variety of foods offered by local restaurants
- Stroll through the nationally renowned Viette gardens and enjoy over 6 acres of beauty!
- Don't forget the kids! The newly expanded children's area will offer several hands-on, fun and interactive agricultural/horticultural activities that will help educate kids and families on the yummy and healthy produce options available right near their homes ...
Read more about this fun-filled festival ...
TICKETS go on SALE online on June 1st!
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On the Viette's Views Gardening Blog
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Upcoming Appearance
| Join Mark Viette at Christmas Tree Hill in York, PA
Saturday, June 8th
at 9:30 AM
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 and shrubs for the sun and shade including hydrangea, maples, crape myrtles, dogwoods, winterberry, climbing 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 receive a free Viette hybridized daylily!
Please call 717-741-2296 to register.
If you're in the area, please stop by and catch this great gardening lecture!
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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Aloha - Join Mark on a Trip to Hawaii
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Hawaii Four-Island Agricultural Tour
Departing Friday, January 17th, 2014
Join Mark Viette on this unique tour of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii
Tour highlights include:
Oahu - Honolulu, Waikiki Beach, Punchbowl Crater, Iolani Palace, Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona Memorial with shuttle boat ride
Kauai - Opaekaa Falls, Wailua Riverboat Cruise, Fern Grotto, Steel Grass Farm
Maui - Iao Valley State Park and Iao Needle Lookout Point, Old Whaling Capital of Lahaina, Maui Gold Pineapple Plantation
Hawaii - Hilo, Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Loa & Kilauea Volcanoes, Jaggar Museum, Giant Ferns, Thurston's Lava Tube, Banyan Tree Drive, Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation, NELHA, Abalone Farm
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When You're in the Area
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Visit our friends at Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club and enjoy a breathtaking round of golf after a visit to the beautiful gardens at Viette's.
Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club received a 5 Star Rating "Best Places To Play" by Golf Digest, 2008/2009. This public 18-hole championship golf course is nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and features a challenging course with incredible views of the Appalachian Mountains and the valley below. 3067 Packsaddle Trail ~ Keezletown, VA 22832
Phone: 540-269-8188
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