In January look for new "Sunburst Grow Lights" by Hydrofarm. The lights give you the advantage of high intensity light for smaller garden areas. This system puts out plenty of light for full-sized plants and will bring out the best in orchids and other light demanding plants.

You can grow your own seedlings this year with a Seedling Heat Mat. This product will help germinate seeds faster, increase seedling and cutting success and fits under common seed trays. Remember that North Haven has a large selection of quality seeds and supplies available to help you get started.

Watch for new Green Light products containing Neem seed oil, an environmental friendly safe biopesticide that protects plants from insects, spidermites, and fungal diseases including Rose Defense and Tomato & Vegetable spray.

A new organic rose fertilizer made by Nature's Glory will be available in our store. It stimulates microbial activity, feeds plants by enriching the soil naturally, helps make plants resistant to disease, and will not burn.

We will be adding new rose varieties to our already expansive rose list this year. One addition will be Jackson & Perkins Rose of the Year called ‘Ultimate Pink’. This beautiful hybrid tea produces profuse, soft rose pink blossoms that are vigorous and disease resistant. Another new arrival will be a David Austin English Rose called 'Pat Austin', an exquisite rose with beautiful rosette formation, apricot blooms, and a strong tea fragrance. There will be many more too numerous to mention. Our roses will be available around the first of March.

We will be getting some new Begonia varieties such as a new beautiful cane-like hybrid called ‘White Ice’. It has narrow, heavily spotted leaves and a bushy growth habit. It would make a beautiful hanging basket or a nice accent plant in a shady bed.

Watch for new herb varieties to add to our already extensive herb list such as ‘Golden Feverfew,’ (Tanacetum partheium ‘aureum’). This beautiful, evergreen herb has bright golden leaves. It will grow best in afternoon shade. Small white daisy-like floweres appear in spring. It gets 12-15 inches tall. Our book department has a wide selection of books on herbs that will give you extensive information on the medicinal properties this herb can provide.

We will be dazzling our nursery with the addition of new ‘Wave Petunias’ this spring. These award-winning petunias will have gorgeous colors such as Misty Lilac, Rose, Purple and Pink that are easy to grow and very hardy.

Now's the Time

Plant: Fruit trees, berry vines, shrubs and ornamental trees. Transplant existing trees and shrubs.

Vegetables: Potatoes and onion sets available in February. Select seeds for tomatoes and peppers for transplanting. Keep existing vegetable plants well watered and mulch for cold weather protection

Fertilize: Pansies with blood meal or Pansy Food. Continue to apply root stimulator to newly planted trees, shrubs. Indoor plants once a month.

Prune: Roses in February. Any winter flowering shrubs after bloom. Shade trees and evergreen shrubs pruned if needed.

Protect: All tender annuals or flowering shrubs with frost cloth during severe cold spells.

February 14, Valentine’s Day. Have our award-winning floral designers custom make an arrangement for that special person or event. Worldwide delivery available.

If you are looking for something unique for your sweetheart for Valentine's Day, express yourself through the language of herbs.

Myrtle is the herb representing true love. This evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean is available at North Haven Gardens in attractive topiary. It makes a great houseplant.. Flowering with white blossoms in the summer, it smells very sweet and bears blue-black berries, which are delicious when eaten fresh. The aromatic leaves are great to use in potpourri and sachets.

Rosemary is the herb of remembrance and fidelity. This sun loving evergreen shrub can grow to six feet tall depending on which variety you choose. Rosemary is one of the most diverse herbs available. It is delicious when used to cook chicken or potatoes, smells fabulous in potpourri, works well in wreaths, and is used medicinally as well. Give Rosemary topiary for the tabletop or a lovely Rosemary plant for the garden. Legend has it that the original flowers were white until the Virgin Mary washed her blue cloak and spread it over the Rosemary shrub to dry and ever since the flowers have been a lovely shade of lavender-blue.

Lavender represents devotion and good luck. For centuries the fragrant flowers have been used in sachets, potpourris, soaps and perfumes. North Haven Gardens carries many varieties of lavender. One of the easiest to grow for our area is the English Lavender (L. angustifolia) which is also one of the most fragrant. All lavenders require excellent drainage and full sun. Lavender has been chosen as the Herb of the Year 1999.

Sweet Basil symbolizes love and good wishes. This annual plant is easily grown from seed in a pot or directly seeded in the garden. There is a legend that says if a gentleman accepts a bouquet of basil from a woman her love will be forever.

The staff at North Haven Gardens is looking forward to wishing each of our wonderful customers a Happy 1999! We believe this will be a very exciting year for everyone.

The season for gift giving lasts all year with a need for thank yous birthdays and anniversaries. Come and browse our wonderful Greenhouse for a lush green or blooming plant to fill that gift need. You may even find that special touch for your own home.

This is a perfect time for the addition of a gardening book from the great collection you will find in the Book Nook. We continue to supply new books to add to our selection which is unsurpassed in comparison to other book stores.

Garden art pieces are so great in the winter when the foliage is gone. A statue or large urn will add beauty to your garden design.

We’ll be getting some new engraved garden stones that will give that personal touch to your garden. Look for stones made especially for Valentines Day with hearts and crosses and circles for a timely personal message.

Our floral shop will be ready to create a beautiful Valentine flower arrangement that will give that special person joy for years to come.

With wonderful spring weather just around the corner winter is the perfect time for adding a piece of beautiful teak furniture to the patio area. We continue to have a wide selection of styles available at our nursery or we can special order your selection.

Check our bird shop for a wonderful selection of quality bird seed and suet packs. If you have a problem with squirrels at your feeders, try adding a baffle top or bottom, or leave only safflower seeds for the birds. They love it, but the squirrels don't. Don’t forget we also have a great selection of birdfeeders, birdhouses, and birdbaths.

Winter is a wonderful time for the gift of a large shrub or tree to the landscape. The cooler weather gives the roots time to get established before spring growth starts. As always, there is a North Haven Gift Certificate that will give much pleasure to the person who gives it and the person who receives it.

Come soon and often to visit North Haven Gardens to find just the right gift for any occasion.

Would you like to turn your grass clippings into a rich organic substance that will enrich your soil and help you grow healthier plants? Composting your lawn waste can accomplish this for you! There are basically two methods of composting, fast or slow.

A fast compost pile will allow you access to the finished product in a shorter period of time, depending on how much work you want to invest. To set up a fast pile, you need to have all your material ready. Organic materials fall into two types – brown and green. Examples of brown materials are dry leaves. Straw, woody material (chopped up fine), and dried grass clippings. Examples of green materials are fresh grass clippings, food scraps (avoid dairy & meat products) and manure (excluding dog & cat). To build your compost pile, alternate between brown and green. Moisten each layer as you build your pile, making sure you have no dry spots. When you have the pile at the finish size (3' x 3' x 3' is ideal), cover with plastic to hold in the moisture level. If you want finished compost in as little as a month, turn your pile every three days. Add any water to wet any dry spots as you come upon them. Cover again with plastic. You can turn it less often, but this will increase the time it will take to get the finished compost.

For a slow pile, you just collect leaves, grass clippings, etc. Then just keep adding material to your pile as you get them. Keep it moist. In six months to a year, the bottom layer will be finished. Move off the top layers and harvest your dark soil-like compost. Use the compost preparing new beds, adding around existing plants or where ever you want to enrich your landscape. Start your pile again with the portion that you set aside and keep adding.