North Haven Gardens Celebrates 50 Years of Service
By Judy Fender

      North Haven Gardens Celebrates 50 Years of Service North Haven Gardens’ 50 years of service to the garden and landscape community has its roots in founder Ralph Pinkus’ love of plants. You could say North Haven Gardens evolved from his leaf and twig collection as a very young boy. It was a game with him: He could correctly identify a tree from touching a twig held behind his back.
      In 1951, Ralph Pinkus started North Haven Gardens outside the Dallas city limits. Water had to be hauled in for thenursery stock. Before Northaven Road was paved, little Jon Pinkus used to sit on bales of peat moss and listen for cars to turn off Hillcrest onto the gravel road leading to the retail store.
      The family business has spent 50 years listening to and appreciating its customers. NHG gives back to the community, helps educate the home gardener with interesting weekend lectures, has knowledgeable staff, and provides plant information to make gardening experiences more successful. The nursery takes pride in providing the largest variety of plants suitable for North Texas gardens and you can frequently find some of the newest introductions here first.
      Fifty years ago, North Haven Gardens was a small nursery in the middle of an open prairie. With a half-century of family involvement, the nursery has become a household name for quality plants and education. Things continue to evolve under the direction of a new generation of Pinkus family members. And to think it all started with a young boy’s leaf collection…

Tough Perennials that Take the Heat...
By Chuck Goecke

       
      The three most challenging things perennial gardeners face here in North Texas are June, July, and August. Many plants normally thought of as “heat tolerant” melt in our extended periods of 100+ degree weather. High humidity and high night temperatures knock out weaker plants, those misplaced, and/or new and non-well established plants. Lily of the Valley, Primroses, and Forget-me-nots do not survive our Texas summers.
      For summer success, use well adapted plants such as natives and drought-tolerant plants. Plant well before the Texas heat arrives. Container-grown plants can be set out successfully in the heat, but they will require careful watering the first summer. Locate the plant in the right spot: Consider light intensity, drainage, and soil moisture levels.
      Plants that tolerate full sun to moderate shade and moderately moist to quite dry soil are: dwarf Ruellia (three colors available), purple cone flower, flame acanthus, Turk’s cap, the tall sedums, ox-eyed daisy and autumn sage.
      For very hot, reflected heat areas in full sun or afternoon sun (with very good drainage) try four-nerve daisy, black-foot daisy, calylophus, artemisia, red yucca, hardy cactus, trailing sedums, pavonia, skullcap, and other natives such as zexmenia. If the planting location is not raised or on a slope and the soil is black clay, these plants need to be planted on mounds of soil at least 6 inches above the surrounding grade.
      For full-sun areas where drainage is good and weekly watering is planned, consider black-eyed Susans, coreopsis, eupatorium, gaura, hardy lantana, verbena, veronica, mounding dianthus, thrift and garden phlox, most salvias, yarrow, bee balms, asters, goldenrod, obedience plant, and all the widely adapted plants mentioned earlier. Although these plants generally need as much water as turf grass, new plants will require more frequent watering to establish their roots (usually a month or two).
      For areas with full sun in the morning only or bi-weekly watering, the following are good choices: Ruellia, woodland phlox, coral bells, daylilies, lady’s mantle, hollyhocks, balloon flower, spiderwort, loosestrife, hardy hibiscus, and wood fern.
      Areas with only early morning sun or dappled shade that stay moist may be planted with the following: Pink oxalis, dead nettle, columbine, ferns, hostas, trailing buttercup, moneywort, aspidistra, violets, ground ivy, and ajuga. Most shade-loving plants greatly benefit from added compost in their soil and enhanced drainage.