North Haven Gardens

What is the difference between a Meyer & Eureka Lemon?

Both Meyer Lemons and Eureka Lemons are in stock now! Plant in one our large, colorful pots and place outside in an area that receives a good 6 hours of direct sunlight. Protection from the aftrnoon sun is best. Feed spring and fall with NHG Organic Herb & Veggie Food. In winter, bring indoors and place in a bright window until spring.

All citrus attracts bees and butterflies to the garden. Plus, their blooms smell so sweet! Oranges, limes, and grapefruit also in stock.

Eureka Lemons are the lemons you might find in your local grocery store. They have a more tart flavor, bright yellow color, and are oval in shape. The plants reach roughly 10'-12' in height and have a wider growth habit.

Meyer Lemons are much sweeter than the Eureka variety. They have a slight orange tone to instead of a pure lemon, a thinner skin, and a bit smaller. The plant grows to a more compact 8'-10'.

Photo credit Former Chef (make lemonade!)
Meyer Lemon is on the left. Eureka Lemon is on the right.

Forcing Bulbs Indoors for the Holidays

Brighten winter days with blooming bulbs indoors! They’re fun, easy, and make excellent gifts for friends and family.We have many bulbs in stock that are excellent for forcing including Amaryllis, Hyacinth, Paperwhites, Crocus and more!

If you want blooms for the holidays, you need to start your forcing this weekend. By Christmas and New Year's Eve, you'll have wonderful flowers ready for gifts and parties.

This Just In!!! We just received a beautiful new selection of festive, colorful glass vases and shallow bowls. Just add a coarse, gritty material such as expanded shale, river pebbles, or tumbled glass, place your chosen bulb with the roots burried into the growing medium, add water and voila! You're done! Easy! Add a bow and a pretty photo card from NHG and you've just created a unique, living, green gift in less than 10 minutes. Be sure to keep in a bright window away from drafts and vents. They'll need the sun to bloom.

Bulbs may also be forced in a vase sized to hold the bulb upright. Popular bulbs for vases are Hyacinth, Narcissus, and Amaryllis. Provide enough water in the bottom of the vase or bowl to just wet the basal plate … do not submerge the bulb! Place bowl indoors in bright, indirect light, away from drafts and heat registers to keep bulbs from becoming too dry, and to prevent the bulbs becoming too warm, too quickly.

Plant Fruit Trees Now!

 
Here at North Haven, we knoow you love to eat fresh edibles grown in your own backyard. With harvest time just around the corner, many are dreaming of fresh fruit and homemade pies. Why not plant your very own urban orchard this weekend? Not only will you be devouring the mouth-watering fruits of your labor for years to come, you will also have delightful blooming trees to decorate your yard early next spring.

 

Fruit trees require 6 or more hours of sun a day, but may not require as much space as you think. There are dwarf varieties of many favorites available, such as peaches ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Bonfire’. Other space-saving options include container growing, growing on an espalier, and columnar apples that grow full size fruits on very narrow trees. It’s worth noting that most fruit trees can easily be kept pruned to the gardener’s desired height. Some folks may also be concerned with how many trees they can fit in their yard and still get fruit. Its true that most trees require a cross pollinator, and those that don’t will still produce more heavily with one. However, there are some exceptions such as peaches, pomegranates, and plums. If your neighborhood has a lot of fruit trees, they may cross-pollinate each other, allowing you to cheat a bit.

 
Once you’ve selected your site, plant into native soil, or use North Haven Organic Potting Soil in containers. Mulch well wherever you plant. All fruit trees will benefit from a feeding of Espoma Tree-tone, and how often will depend on the variety of tree. During late December, you should spray with organic Dormant Oil to help head off any pest problems that might otherwise develop later in the season.

 
 

After choosing from all the exciting fruit tree varieties at North Haven Gardens that perform well in our area, you can have your backyard orchard planted in no time.

5 Favorites: Plant Now to Look Gorgeous Through Fall

 
Yes, it's hot, but what you plant and maintain now, will be beautiful for fall. It will be well worth the minimal effort and you'll be able to relax and enjoy it all when the cool season arrives.

 

 
Petunia 'Picobella White' White flowers bloom on a lovely compact, mounding form. Perect for containers. Heat tolerant. Beautiful and blooming until first frost. Annual color.

 
Caesalpinia gillesii Native, heat tolerant plant with striking yellow and red blooms in fall. Perennial.

 
Chasmanthium latifolium - Inland Sea Oats Native - grass that grows in partial shade. Delicate, breezy, cascading seed heads summer through fall. Very striking. Perennial.

 
Salvia 'Mystic Spires' Very heat tolerant. Spikes of blue flowers bloom heavily all summer. Perennial.

 
Hosta 'Honeybells' Shiny green leaves and fragrant, pale lavender flowers attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds now through fall. Excellent for partial shade.

Stay Hydrated! Summer Watering Tips for Plants

 
This article was taken from our July-August 2007 Newsletter. Our archived newsletters here are an excellent resource as we try to offer fresh, timely information each year.

• Add 2"-3" of mulch to all plantings, including veggies, shrubs, trees, etc. Mulch retains moisture in the soil, regulates soil temperature (cooler in summer, warmer in winter), decomposes into the soil over time to increase soil health, and gives your garden a finished look. We have a variety of mulches available.
• Water every corner of your garden! Make sure you have the proper hose lengths to reach every area of your garden. Add a water want to the hose to get the water where it's needed most, at the base of the plants.
• The best time to water is during the early morning hours. A 6am start is ideal. Drink coffee...water plants!
• Water well! 1"-1.5" of water per week minimum. With our extreme temperatures, you will need to offer supplemental water every few days, and in some case daily (tomatoes!), to new plantings. Get out there and test your soil. If it's dry past 2 knuckles, you must water asap.
• Don't forget containers and hanging baskets. They will dry out much faster. A simple drip-irrigation will help. We carry Plant Nannies that can help and the Gilmore Plant & Deck sprinkler system as well.
• Use soaker hoses to provide a slow drip watering. These can be run any time of day.
• Tree Gator Bags  are a great drip irrigation bag that is perfect for newly planted trees.
• Planting new color containers? Add Soil Moist or KoKo Chips to retain moisture. Top off the container design with 2"-3" of mulch.

Need more help? We are here 7 days a week to help keep your plants hydrated.

 

 

 

Heat Stressing You AND Your Plants? We Have a Solution!

Is your turf tired and yellowing? Is water just sitting on top of your soil? We have two organic options in-store that will reduce heat stress on your plants, therefore easing your stress, too!  

 
Enviro Raindrops: We've all seen garden soil so dry that water literally rolls off the top without even wetting the surface. Or, container plants that have reached a state of dryness so severe that the media has shrunk away from the sides of the pot and water merely flows out the sides without actually watering the plant. When mixed with water, Enviro Raindrops overcomes the surface resistance of dry soil particles and allows water to seep in. Applied to a neglected landscape or to trouble spots in the yard, it reduces plant stress, enables and encourages root growth, allows for enhanced water uptake, and reduces runoff/waste.

 

 
Agrispon: A biostimulant applied to soils that are low in microbial activity. Agrispon forms a symbiotic relationship between the plant and the soils. This relationship assists in nutrient uptake, plant health, and resistance to environmental stresses such as heat and drought stress. Additionally, a biologically active soil has better granular structure, and better water absorption. Agrispon is a concentrate and can be easily applied using a hose-end sprayer. When added to an existing maintained landscape on a regular schedule, it enhances necessary nutrients in the soil, allows for better water absorption, encourages root growth, and promotes overall plant health.

Try something different! Digitalis 'Gold Coast'

 

When Foxgloves are blooming in the garden center, there isn't a person that passes by who doesn't stop and ask about it. It is definitetly one of the most impressive blooms in spring. They brighten lightly shaded areas of the garden in spring and fall with spikes of bell-shaped flowers that rise above velvety green foliage.

Digitalis x ‘Goldcoast’ has lovely, peach-colored flowers. An asset to any mixed border, woodland garden, and container display; it grows more beautiful each year, blooming from mid-spring and again in fall. With blossom spikes 18” tall, it is the perfect companion to Columbine, Coral Bells, and Turk’s Cap. Like other Foxgloves, ‘Goldcoast’ prefers a rich, well-drained soil; amend garden beds with plenty of expanded shale and compost. Fertilize monthly with NHG Organic Bedding Food to encourage continuous blooming.

Instant Serenity: Japanese Maples

 

Japanese maples are magnificent small trees to help create your zen garden along with water features, Buddha statues and shaded sitting areas. Japanese maples are slow growing, have many different growth habits, a huge variety of leaf shapes, and spectacular fall color that ranges from golden yellow to fiery red. They perform best as a unique specimen plant in well-amended beds where they will receive no more than 4 hours of morning sun. Plant into existing beds or build new ones amended with expanded shale and lots of acidified compost. Dig your hole twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball. Place into the hole and backfill with existing soil. Water thoroughly and apply a 2”- 3” layer of mulch. Add root stimulator when you plant and monthly thereafter for the first year. Apply Cloud Cover in May to prevent leaf scorch due to our warm summer temperatures. Smaller varieties of Japanese maples also work well in containers. We have a fresh, new selection of pottery in stock now.

Take a look at our Japanese Maple List here. Visit the store to see what varieties are in stock now. More arriving through spring.

Living Ornaments! Mini-terrariums make wonderful holiday decorations

Be sure to check out our wonderful and unique living ornaments. These double as mini-terrariums that can be kept out year-round. Simply remove top and spritz with a bit of water from time to time. Remove hanger and set on your desk or coffee table, or leave top on and hang in a window. Limited quantities available! Plastic version (looks just like glass) $7.99 ea and glass version $9.99 ea.

Creative fall and holiday container ideas

Want to put together creative and easy-to-care for containers? Try combining mini-conifers, which will thrive all winter long, with specialty gourds, reindeer moss and ornamental kale. Throw in some cool season color such as cyclamen and violas and you have a beautiful low-maintenance combination to carry you through the holidays.

Mixing rosemary and ivy topiaries with specialty moss and ornaments is a classy way to bring your holiday decorating theme to your garden. Beautiful!