Every Blooming Thing at North Haven Gardens
July - August 1996

Water Lilies
by: Mike Thompson

The benefits from adding lilies to your pond are numerous. They provide shelter for your fish, filtrate and shade the pond, reducing algae.
Lilies are easy to care for and divide. They should be planted in a container without holes (to keep contained to pot) in a dense clay soil. Fertilize with any tablet prescribed for water plants once a month, during the growing season.
Division is best in spring. Cutting tubers and root stock with sharp knife is easy and fast. Simply repot new cuttings in desired soil and cover top with rocks. This anchors plant in soil; and helps keep fish out of soil. Sit back and let the blooms begin.
Water lilies are in full bloom at North Haven Gardens. Whether you are adding a new hardy variety to your pond or the exotic look of a tropical we have one for you. Listed are a few varieties and their attributes:

Sunrise - Early morning opener. Yellow flowers with long petals. Flowers stand above water. Blooms until late fall.
Charlene Strawn - Superb yellow hardy lily that blooms over a long season. Holds flowers above the water. A free bloomer.
Comanche - Large blooms of rich apricot color changing to dark coppery-orange with tinges of red as flower ages. Hardy.
Attraction - Large red lily with massive growth habit. Garnet red with white sepals. Stamens are a rich mahogany tipped with yellow. Hardy.
Arc- En - Ciel - Leaves are variegated with pink, purple, green tones. Foliage is like a flower itself. Produces pink to white blossoms with long narrow petals. Hardy.
Blue Beauty - This early sky blue variety is still one of the most popular day blooming tropicals. It adapts to small or large pools and will tolerate the most shade.
Director Moore - A very dark blue, almost purple tropical variety. Does well in any size pool, even tub gardens, one of the best all time favorites. Green leaves are even flecked with purple.
Albert Greenburg - Possesses a brilliant combination of yellow suffused and overlaid with pink, flower is large and star shaped.

Begonias in "Big D" a Begonia Legacy
by: Don Miller

The show and sale of the Southwest region of the American Begonia Society was an outstanding success. The show featured begonia varieties of the past and some of the newest begonia species and hybrids of the future. Eight horticultural groups of begonias were represented.
The smallest entry was a begonia 'Smidgens' grown in a 1/2 inch pot. One of the largest plants there was a four foot specimen of Begonia 'Flamingo Queen' with its huge silver spotted, green leaves and large clusters of pink flowers. Also begonia 'Peach Parfait' stood three feet and full of clusters of peachy orange flowers. 'Best Plant in Show' by the official ABS Judges was the South American specie Begonia foliosa. This species is sometimes called the "fern begonia". This begonia with graceful arching stems, covered with tiny green leaves and white flowers was grown by Jeff Kirsch of Wylie Texas. The show ended with tours of The Begonia Species Collection at the Fort Worth Botanical Garden and North Haven Gardens. North Haven has the best retail collection of exotic begonias in the state. You can purchase starts of most of these prize winners from North Haven's Collection of over 300 varieties.

Nature's Helicopter
by: Carolyn Oldham

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap Coral Honeysuckle in a single bound! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's superbird, a.k.a. the hummingbird.

The hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world and undoubtedly, one of natures most incredible creatures. Here are just a few of the amazing but true facts about these colorful birds-.

1. The only bird to fly backwards and upside-down.
2. While hovering, their wings beat at 78 beats per second
3. Extremely adaptable, they can live as far north as Alaska and as far south as Tierra del Fuego.
4. Some have been clocked as fast at 55 mph.
5. There are 319 species of hummingbirds in the world; 18 in North America; only 2 are common in our area, the Ruby-throated and the less common Black-chinned.

Hummingbirds are in our area from late April to mid-October. The key to attracting them to backyard feeders is to have the feeders out when the birds first arrive in your neighborhood. Your flowering plants act as a welcome mat to the hummers, while your sugar water feeders will provide a steady source of nectar. As a side benefit, about half their diet consists of spiders, flies, aphids and gnats. Don't give up if you have no hummers in May or June. In our area they usually don't show up in any numbers until the first week of July.

Suggested plantings would include Penta, Salvia, Cardinal Flower, Firebush, Columbine, Bee Balm, Lantana, Begonias, Impatiens, Zinnias, Turk's Cap, Flame Acanthus, Gayfeather, Hibiscus, Abelia, Vitex, Desert Willow, Honeysuckle, Cypress Vine, Clematis, Passion Flower Vine, Morning Glory and Trumpet Vine.

Feeding Tips to keep those hummers happy include:
1. The best recipe is I part sugar (no honey, please) to 4 parts water, to make large quantities boil bottle and refrigerate.
2. Clean feeder with hot water (no soap or bleach) at each refill and replace the sugar water every 3-5 days.
3. Do not add red food coloring. Most feeders have red on them as an attractant.
4. Place feeders in a shady spot if possible- this keeps the nectar cooler as summer beats up.
5. If you want multiple feeders, place them out of view of each other or place them in a line. The theory here is that the dominant males (ruby throated ones) won't be able to defend all the feeders at once.
6. Feed the hummers as long as they're a-round. Having the feeders up will not delay their migration. Their migration south is based on length of day.

So plant those nectar-flowers, get those feeders up and enjoy watching the amazing acrobatics of Nature's helicopter!

General Summer Garden Care
by: Bob McLaughlin

Summer days may be long and hot; however they can offer some of the most rewarding times for the gardener. A few preventive steps along the way together with good garden practices will yield maximum results.
· The addition of 2 inches of mulch can cut down on the amount of water you need since it tends to retain soil moisture. It will also keep weeds from germinating and if they have come up they are much easier to pull. The addition of mulch can result in a dramatic lowering of soil temperatures thus lessening stress.
· Check your plants frequently ( every two or three days) by looking at leaves and blooms for incipient insect problems. It is much easier to control insects if they are caught in the early stages of infestation.
· When you water, do it thoroughly and deeply (1" - 2 " per week). Just hitting the plants lightly every day or two with hand watering will result in a shallower root system and more heat stress for your plants.
· Keep a record of your fertilizing on a regular basis.

Longstem Tips
by: Sally Moore

Whether you have had the foresight to plan a cutting garden or have been fortunate to experience NHG's Cut Flower Happy Hour, I'm sure you've learned that there is nothing quite like fresh flowers in the home.

Here are a few tips on using those flowers in arrangements around your home:

Stand in the doorway of each room and study it as a whole, Focus on individual elements, colors of walls and carpets; tones in paintings; size, shape and style of containers-before beginning an arrangement. All these elements play a part in the choice of flowers to accent the surroundings.

Follow no rules apart from certain basics: starting at the top to establish height, lots of fresh water; and fine chicken wire. The wire must be soft, to prevent damaging fine vases and precious antiques. Now, just let the flowers guide you.

If you are thinking of a cutting garden, this is my suggested list of long lasting flowers that grow well in our area. Perennials like Lilies, Delphiniums, Peonies, Irises, Phloxes, Anemones, Sweet William and Yarrow. Annuals such as Lisianthus, Snapdragons, Poppies and Dahlias. Chrysanthemums and Asters in the fall. The boughs of flowering trees and shrubs make great filters and greenery. Roses are a must for the cut flower garden- ' plant miniatures, climbers, hybrids and antiques!

A cutting garden may be too much for you. In that case we would love to have you present at our Cut Flower Happy Hour. 2:00 to 6-00 every Friday. All cut flowers are half off. With the exception of the greenery.
World Wide Delivery available.

The Gift Corner
by Betty Hargrave

Summer gift shopping is easy and relaxing when done at North Haven Gardens. Our selection of thank you gifts is certain to be the most outstanding.

Cool summer T shirts with natural designs are popular this summer. Choose from favorite summer flowers, earth friendly insects and the ever popular Zoo Doo T shirts.

We have new self contained wall fountains . A perfect addition to patio or garden room wall, just plug it in and add water!

At the front of the store we have our new whimsical wind chimes. These come in a variety of designs and tones. Many very soft and relaxing sounds to choose from.

The engraved River Stones remain one of our most popular gift items. Special orders are welcome.

A new shipment of colorful mats, rugs and seasonal flags has arrived. Be sure and check out the great summer gardening hats, remember every gardener should wear a hat when out in the hot summer sun.

Our European style metal window boxes and hanging planters will add a special look to your patio wall or fence. These black or green planters are available in several sizes.

When you need a special gift and it's hard to find just the right one, choose a North Haven Gift Certificate! The staff at North Haven Gardens is ready to help you in your selections. Come in and see us soon!

Design Studio: Texture in the Perennial Garden
by Diana Herbert

Designing a perennial bed requires the knowledge and combination of many variables. Plant selection is based upon plant heights, forms, colors and textures.
Of all the plant elements, the use of texture is perhaps the most subtle. Texture is a result of the structural relationships of the plant how the leaves are attached to the stem, the surface of the leaves, whether the leaves are dull or shiny, smooth or coarse, stiff or soft, large or tiny, etc. Texture as related to form varies from an open tracery to a dense mass. Placement of two dissimilar textures heightens the contrast of them both. Light on a leaf is important whether directly on the plant material or backlighted. A plant of large leaves and heavy texture appears more dense if backlighted.
The use of fine texture plus lightness of color will produce a sense of greater depth in a small space. Illusion of depth is created with coarse plants in front and fine in back. It is more important today to relate the texture and color of the house and its interior to the plant material in the garden since many gardens are to be viewed and not used. Strong clear greens, variegation, and shiny surfaces tend to represent tropical and humid climates. Grays, gray-greens, dull and fuzzy leaves tend to represent drier zones. A pleasing perennial bed would have a background of a house or fence, dark in color and uniform in texture and color to show off the flowers. The natural curving bed line would arc inward in the center. Then plant shrubs and perennials with fine and medium textured leaves in the center. The flowers are planted in long drifts which overlap to provide color and serve as accents when at their peak. Once their period of glory fades from the scene, they should disappear into the background. Use bolder or coarser leaves at the end of the flower border. This allows part of the bed to be hidden from view until the beholder comes into full view. The smaller the area the fewer the textures and colors should be used.

COPYRIGHT 1996. NORTH HAVEN GARDENS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE.
Revised: May 5, 1997