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January - February 1998

New Plant for 1998 by Charlene Rowell

Can Your Soil Pass the SAT by Carolyn Oldham

Happy New Year!

Here at North Haven Gardens we're looking forward to an exciting New Year filled with projects, new products and new plants. Here are just a few :

Coming in March and April look for these new All American Selections ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss Chard. Gold, orange, lavender, pink and purple colors are sported on this easy to grow vegetable. Well worth a spot in the kitchen garden or the orna mental flower beds! Look for Bright Lights in 4" pots or seed. Everyone loves fresh Basil and this year’s new variety ‘Sweet Dani’ Lemon Basil is sure to please. A strong lemon scent and uniform shape make this one a must for the herb bed. We’ ll have this one in 4" pots in spring.

Flower lovers will really enjoy the new AAS Impatiens ‘Victorian Rose’ with semi-double flowers that will provide more color.

Perennial lovers will want the 1998 Perennial Plant of the Year ‘Magnus’ Purple ConeFlower. Carmine blooms in mid summer cover this plant and are excellent for cutting.

New Hosta varieties on the horizon are ‘Inniswood’ with bright golden leaves bordered with deep green margins and ‘Summer Music’ (my favorite) with large white centered leaves surrounded with a band of chartreuse crowned in summer wi th beautiful white flowers.

There are so many things to look forward to in 98 and one is the new teaching (display) garden in front of our store. We will have a Hosta garden with many new and familiar varieties to view.

Perennials will be the focus of the center section of our new landscape. Now we’ll have specimens of perennials so everyone will be able to see how these plants will look in their own gardens. Look for the addition of Herbs and Ornamental grasses too!

We’ll be promoting Simple Abundance in 1998. A new way of living for those of us that really value home and hearth. Treat your family and yourself with simple little pleasures that enrich living like adding fragrance and beauty to your home with a bouquet of forced Paperwhites or daffodils. Read about more acts of Simple Abundance in the book by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Now available in our Book Nook.

At North Haven we are working hard to find new plants and products for you our customers. We welcome any suggestions and are happy to try our best to have what you’re looking for.

The Gift Corner by Betty Hargrave

During the quiet times in winter gift giving continues but with a more leisurely pace. Anniversaries, special occasions or the birthday of a special friend require gifts with a personal touch. North Haven is where you’ll find that great gift.

The slower pace of January and February allows time for reading and planning of that special garden that will mature in beauty into the millennium. That is an exciting idea for a perennial garden for the year 2000. We have a wide selection of book s for the gardener whether it is for planning a garden or just increasing our knowledge of certain plants.

Bird feeders, bird houses and foods are a super gift for the bird lover. In addition we have a nice collection of books for attracting birds to the garden and for identifying the birds that we see in the landscape. Many species of birds pass throu gh Texas in winter and again in the spring.

Be sure and stroll through our tropical greenhouse choosing a special plant for someone’s home. Keep in mind how much light the plant needs to do well and the environment into which it’s going. We have a wonderful selection of Orchids in the winte r; this is their season for blooming.

Engraved River Stones continue to be a great gift for the gardener. We continually have new ones arriving. Special orders are always welcome. For a truly lasting gift an engraved stone certainly fills the order.

We have our 1998 seed collection in now. For a great little gift with that personal touch some packets of seed will inspire any gardener.

Remember at North Haven we have a fine selection of Herbs year round. There are many herbs that grow all year and many herbs that like our cool winter weather much better than the hot weather of our summers.

For the organic gardener we have a wide selection of organic supplies that will also be the perfect gift. Often we would like to try some of the new products and a collection of these will be enjoyed by the gardener.

The North Haven gift certificate is certainly a gift that every gardener will enjoy receiving. See you soon at the great gift store.

The Book Nook by Charlene Rowell

North Haven Gardens has increased their selection of Garden magazines due to their popularity. Some new titles for you to enjoy are:

Kitchen Garden - Everything you ever wanted to know about vegetable gardening. Great tips on soil prep and insect control. You’ll find some fabulous recipes and display ideas too. You’ll love this magazine.

Watergardening Magazine - This is an exciting publication filled with great pond ideas and loaded with pictures. Information on fish, waterlilies, hardware and installation tips. You’ll want to keep each issue as a reference.

Some familiar titles worth another look:

Organic Gardening - Explore the best of organic gardening tips from all over the U.S. Take a look at what's new for 98 and some well loved perennials and vegetables that you should try. A must have for organic gardeners.

Gardens Illustrated - Take a look at some of the most photographic gardens in the world and get great ideas for creating your own paradise. Come in and browse our magazine collection. You’re sure to take some home.

Winter Rose Care by Bob McLaughlin

Time to think about winter care for your roses. Feeding of roses should be stopped by October. However, continue to water your roses during dry spells in winter. For best results, water deeply with a slow drip. Mulch the ground around your roses. Two excellent mulches are alfalfa hay and pine bark.

Wrap your potted or Tree roses for extreme cold protection. You can use a tar paper cylinder filled with peat moss or bark moss. Use wrapping paper around the stems of Patio Roses or Rose Trees wrapping from the bottom up to keep out freezing rain . Use frost cloth on the top. Don’t use old leaves to cover your Roses. They can carry fungus and diseases which will come back to haunt you next year. Mid February is the time to prune your roses. Prune off 1/3 the length of the cane toward an outwa rd facing bud eye. Cut 1/4 inch above this bud eye at a 45 degree angle.

New Roses for 1998

1998 will be a great year for Roses! Some exciting new hybrids to look for from top rose breeders are:

Gracie Allen - Sweetly scented white rose sporting a bright pink center upon opening. Weeks Roses

George Burns - Citrus scented florabunda with Red, pink, yellow and cream striping. Weeks Roses

Grand Finale - High bud white with light fragrance from Jackson Perkins.

Opening Night - Intense deep red coloring from

Jackson Perkins

Roses will be released for sale March 1, 1998

Can Your Soil Pass the SAT BY Carolyn Oldham

SAT Soil - Activity - Test. Soil is not just dirt that holds up plants, but rather soil is a dynamic complex active system of life. Soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, living organisms, water and air. When healthy, the soil is loose, rich in organic matter, and alive with insects, earthworms, microscopic plants and animals. It is well-drained, sweet smelling, moist and rich with a variety of nutrients. A good gardener knows that the key to planting success is healthy soil. The best w ay to know if your soil passes the SAT is to have it tested.

A good soil test will measure the percentage of organic matter (sometimes called humus) present. Ideal is 15%. This simply means that there is enough decayed plant and animal material to retain moisture to allow for oxygen circulation and drainage . It contributes to soil fertility and efficiently holds and distributes essential soil nutrients. Humus content prevents soil compaction and should be present in as much as 8-20 inches of your garden soil. Most Dallas clay soils are deficient in org anic matter. Once it’s added on a regular basis, the transformation can be amazing.

Plants depend on at least 13 essential nutrients. These include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, manganese and molybdenum. A good soil test will measure the presence and availabilit y of these nutrients. As an example, nitrogen is one of the primary nutrient requirements of all plant life. Yet too much of will make a plant grow too soft which will invite insect and disease infestation, on the other hand, too little results in la ck of vigor and yellowing of the older leaves. Interestingly enough, most of the useful soil nitrogen is found in organic matter and released through microbial activity. In short, add compost and use organic fertilizers.

A proper balance of the above nutrients is critical to plant growth. A good soil test will provide a measurement of this balance.

The test will also show the Cation (pronounced cat-eye-on) Exchange Capacity. This is simply the capacity of your soil to hold and release nutrients to the plants. Our native clay soils provide excellent cation exchange. The good news is that this whole process of nutrient releases can be set in motion by simply adding air (poking holes in the ground) and organic matter (compost).

The main things to consider when doing a soil test are these:

Follow the directions of the lab you choose, making sure to get a representative sample of your garden soil.

Request organic recommendations of soil amendments - these will be easier to understand and simpler to apply.

Seek out a lab that guarantees clear, easy to understand test results - not all of us have degrees in chemistry.

Select a lab you can call to talk with a live person about your questions - voice mail doesn't garden.

In short, test your soil before problems occur in the garden. Quick fixes and nature don’t mix. Like most things in life, good planning heads to better results. Give your soil the SAT and let the results lead you to gardening success.