Cool Evenings bring 'Cool' Colors

Ok, what a fantastic summer. The weather was hot, the skies were clear (most of the time), and the plants just grew and grew and grew. Add in the recent cool nights and what do you get?

Why...only one of the best crops ever of Homegrown Mums. This is such an awesome plant. Long lasting fall color, in rich & vivid hues that just make you dance.

Now even though the fall mums are just starting to show their color, now is absolutly the BEST time to plant them and have them survive the winters. These beauties will have almost 2 months to fully root in the ground. So if you have had issues of your mums not lasting in the past, it might simply be that they didn't have enough time to root into the ground.

But alas, don't NOT buy mums just because you are worried they wont survive. This can be used a fantastic Fall Annual Color display as well. Let's face it, by mid-September, those Geraniums and Petunias are looking pretty tired. So do what I do...rip out those tired spring annual flowers and put mums in simply for one fall color season.

Either way, whether you want them longterm or just 1 fall, Mums give your garden that pizazz in the fall. Don't forget Snow Angel Pansies and Purple Asters as well.

Plants Deliver Reasons To Believe

Its a sunny February afternoon. Forget it's winter. Forget it's February. Take note that it's Sunny! Time for an imagination journey.



Turn off the TV.
Turn off the radio.
Open your favorite magazine.
Now don't read the articles, just flip through and look at the pictures for a few moments........................



I'll bet the pictures you viewed varied in types. Food, nature, buildings, people. Now do you remember your favorite picture(s)? It's very likely that the common theme on those pictures were that were full of color and you really felt like you could touch the objects in the picture or transport yourself right into the middle of the setting.



This past weekend, Garden Center and Landscape Company Owners and Managers met in Louisville, KY and one of the events was a review of many of the new plants that were going to be available for our customers this summer. The plants in the NMPro Plant Pavilion were in all category types: shrubs, perennials, trees, tropicals, and annuals. The 30+ plants on showcase all had a common theme...they were special because of their fantastic colors! We oohed and aahed while reviewing them and could imagine their glory in our gardens.



What does this event have to do with you? Well, just like the Garden Center and Landscape Industry professionals, you also dream of a brighter time of year. The Spring with its glorious displays of color. By dreaming now, you also plan for the planting season.



As humans, many of us use plants as an escape into a world of peace and paradise. Plants are living things that don't care about what the different news organizations critique and write about. Plants don't care if people are grumpy on a certain day. Plants give us color and joy....and hope.



While thinking and planning on what new garden area (whether it's 1 new plant or 50) you are going to create, how about brightening your office or home? Just 1 plant, in a home or office, with a colorful flower can bring that warm feeling of spring one step closer.



So are you a pink person; or maybe a blush white; or lavender, blue, yellow or red? Bring a flower home now and watch your winter blahs 'bloom' into a pre-spring euphoria.



Oh, and you are wondering what plant was voted as the winner of The NMPro Plant Pavilion for 2010? It was the Candy Store Series of Garden Phlox. The variety 'Bubble Gum' is pictured below. Plant and photo credits to Novalis Group.

More Sneak Peaks from The Greenhouses.

Begonias in Al's Pouches.

Wave Petunia Hanging Baskets

Mixed Perennials

Many varieties of Coral Bells...Showing off their Color.

Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Early Signs of Spring

I was out in the growing houses today and thought i'd share how the bedding plants are growing:

Impatiens - already showing color

Many, many varieties of Petunias

Marigolds just starting to greet the sun.

Plug and Seed trays ready for transplant

Baskets and Perennials picture updates to come soon.

A Pot Is Not Just A Pot

While walking around the Gift Shoppe and Marketplace, I got a chance to preview some of the neat and really cool items for this spring. One display that caught my eye were the Self Watering Napa Pots.

I think what caught my attention first was the rich pastel spring (even Easter hued) colors.

The great thing about this pot, other than rich pastels and that they are lightweight, is that they have a built in self-watering system. No need for that ugly overspill tray under a pot. And if you're using this pot outside, you can remove the plug and overide the self watering system so that it can drain, in the event of overwatering due to rain.

For Easter, I'd use this pot and put in a cyclamen or hyacinth and use it for a table setting or a gift. It looks better than a pot cover.

The different possibilites for this pot are only limited by you imagination.

Spring is coming.....

Optimism is a state of mind, a way of life so to speak. We find it so easy to be pessimistic about just about anything. That's just simple human nature. If 'The Happy Train' doesn't seem to be going your way, than we just sit waiting for it, instead of putting forth the effort to find where it actually is.

I recall a song from a Christmas Special I adored as a child. There was a Wicked Warlock who's only reason for being angry and mean was because he didn't know any better. Kris Kringle goes on to sing and teach the old warlock a song. "Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking across the floor. Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking out the door. You never will get where you’re going, if you never get up on your feet...."

Here at Van Putte Gardens, we are embracing the joy of the upcoming spring and endless possibilities. We are enhancing the Garden Center right now, to make your visit even more enjoyable and gratifying than in the past. New plants, new garden products, and new gift items...all starting to arrive or delivery dates are being set for their arrival.

Its time to plan and think outdoor beauty. Its time to get outside and plan. We've sold a number of trees in the last week already.

I am not taking part in this recession. Van Putte Gardens is not taking part in this recession.

And neither should you. You deserve better!

Color Your World For The Future

Busy lives bring on stress and fatigue. On any average day, you are just ready to get away from it all after that busy day at your workplace. You're driving in the driveway and what is your first impression?

Is it "Its great to be home, everything looks so beautiful. THIS is my oasis!"

Or is it "Oh my, this place looks terrible. Those shrubs are ugly and I wish I had some color."

Many of us come home and are greeted by the latter thought. Our home is our oasis. How our home greets us many times sets the mood for the evening (or day). We focus on creating a beautiful interior living room and completely ignore the outdoor living spaces that we have.

Simple upgrades to your landscape, either front entry or back patio/garden area, bring more opportunities for serenity and peace. Simply by adding color or functional areas for sitting and gathering.

We can help you Color Your World in a variety of ways. From our Full Service Design and Installation with our Design Team (many are Certified Landscape & Nursery Professionals) to our In-House Design Staff that can help you plan your new area and you can go home and start planting right away that day.

If you can dream it, we can help you create it. And by doing so, you will not only add value to your home with the investement, you will add value to your Quality of Life. It will also help your country's economy.