North Haven Gardens

Plant NOW: Golden Fall Color! Sumac 'Tiger's Eye'

 
Photo Credit: Growing is Beautiful

The glorious, gold fall foliage of Sumac ‘Tiger’s Eye’ is a true eye-catcher and crowd-pleaser. It positively glows in the landscape through fall. But don’t let the graceful, delicate appearance of this cultivar fool you; Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’ is a stellar performer in a North Texas Garden, and NOW is the time to plant them!

These Sumacs belong to a small class of deciduous shrubs native to Eastern North America. Local artisans in these regions use the leaves and stems of many varieties to make dyes. They have a reputation for their ability to adapt to a wide range of soil types, although they perform best in well-drained beds amended with compost and expanded shale.

 
Photo Credit: Fine Gardening

The Sumac ‘Tiger’s Eye’ matures to a 6 foot tall and wide mound comprised of  feathery, light leaves on furry, coral stems. That adds an extra contrast to the foliage in all its stages of color, whether the red-tinged appearance of new spring growth, the bright green of summer, or the eye-popping gold of fall. The bare winter branches are very sculptural and architectural.

If you have longingly admired the autumn brilliance of Japanese Maples, but have too much sun for them to thrive in your garden, this Sumac could provide that late season color you desire. They will grow in full sun, but will also perform well with a few hours of afternoon shade. They can also be used as a container specimen to stunning effect. Follow NHG’s First Year Care Guide  to get them off to a successful start. At planting time, add a root stimulator such as Carl Pool Root Activator. Little maintenance is required after establishment other than an early summer and a fall application of a balanced, slow release fertilizer like Texas Tee, and some shaping.

Plant NOW! Sweet Olive

 
Photo credit: Forest & Kim Starr

Osmanthus fragrans, or Sweet Olive, is a heavily fragrant part-shade shrub. It’s sweet, orange-scented blossoms permeate the cool fall and spring air. It’s a scent you’ll come to find very familiar and look forward to each season. You'll love these evergreen shrubs beautiful, glossy foliage that drips with clusters of small, creamy white blooms.

Sweet Olives will mature to 8 to 10 feet high, and 6 feet wide, so be sure to provide plenty of space, or plan on pruning away lower limbs to create a tree form. The ideal planting area should receive 5 hours of morning sun and be shaded from direct afternoon summer sun. If you are planting in a prepared bed, amend with compost or composted cotton burrs, and expanded shale. If you are planting as a specimen or hedge, you can plant directly into the native soil. Apply root stimulator such as HiYield Root Stimulator every 4 weeks during the first 12 months. Water regularly with deep infrequent waterings.

 

Beginning in the second year after planting, around the last week of August, give them a cleanup with your hand pruners. Remove any broken branches, lightly tip them to promote fullness, and shape as desired. Follow up with an application of a slow-release fertilizer just after Labor Day. Here at North Haven Gardens, we love Espoma Holly Tone.

Plant these scented beauties this now and start to enjoy fragrance this fall!

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.

Modern, Chic, Luminous Lanterns!

What are we in love with right now? Our new Soji Solar Luminaries. They are the perfect evening garden accessory, powered by the sun to make your evenings bright. Here at NHG, we all have different tastes, from traditional to modern to romantic. So, we brought in styles to fit all of your tastes as well. No matter what your style, you'll find a luminous lantern to fall in love with!

 
Traditional round lanterns come in red, yellow, blue and more.

 
For the Mid-Century Modern garden!

 
Romantic, shimmery, silk lanterns.

 
Unique, oval lanterns for something a bit off the cuff.

We’re growing our gift shop! Over the next few months, we're expanding and renewing our pottery and gift area. Be sure to stop by the in-store gift section at the back of the store and also the pottery in the greenhouse. We’ve gotten in some fun new terrariums, clothing, décor, and of course, the solar-powered soji lanterns in new shapes and sizes. Our selection will change and grow over time, so check back with us often between now and the holidays.

What's Pretty at NHG?

Well, I could say "EVERYTHING!". But, I'll narrow it down for you.

 
Japanese Maples. Every home lucky enough to have some shade should have at least one Japanese Maple. Feed with Espoma Holly-tone and it'll offer gorgeous color spring, summer and fall. Right now, my personal favorites are 'Coral Bark' and 'Bloodgood' (above). The color on these is gorgeous!

 

 
Roses. Right now, most of the roses are blooming. Get them in the ground this weekend and you'll still be able to enjoy the color. Especially if you plant any of the Knockout Series in red, pink and yellow. These are some tough roses that need minimal maintenance. Our best recommendation for all roses is to amend the soil with at least 2 bags of Vital Earth Ready Rose Mix and feed with NHG Organic Rose Food. Prune around Valentine's Day (we always offer a class on pruning right before then).

 

 
Purple Perennials. Purple is such a glorious color in any garden. It's a great contrast alongside oranges and yellows. Or, plant with pinks and whites for a softer palette. Right now, the Society Garlic (above) is blooming gracefully. Perennial Verbena is glowing. And, the Scabiosa is exploding purple! I have planted and loved all three of these. They perform especially well in the drought tolerant garden.

 

 
Achillea. This is one of my favorite plants! The first year I had it in the garden it was not the graceful plant I had imagined. But, the next year and each year since, it has gotten fuller and bloomed bigger. 'Pomegranate' is absolutely gorgeous and in stock now. Lots of colors and varieties.

We have a huge selection of perennials and annuals for sun and shade. Plus, shrubs, fruit trees, herbs, vegetables, trees, vines. Whatever space in the garden you want to enjoy more, we'll help you get there. Open 7 days a week for you! Including at 8am on Saturdays.

Happy Gardening!
Nikki

Exotic Summer Blooming Bulbs

 
Sprekelia
 

 
Calla Lilies

Looking for unique, pretty cut flowers from your own garden? Or perhaps you want to add a bit of extra color during the warmer months? Planting summer-flowering bulbs right now will offer color, texture, beauty and lots of conversation about your garden! Consider planting bulbs among your perennials or under your annuals for a burst of color. Combine early, mid-season, and late flowering bulbs to keep a continuous progression of color. For the sunny summer garden, plant Aztec Lilies, Gladiolus, Acidanthera, Belladonna and Cape Lilies, Hymenocallis, and Cannas. For partially shaded beds, plant Pineapple Lilies, Asiatic and Tiger Lilies, Freesias, and diminutive Rain Lilies. As with all bulbs and corms, amend your beds well with plenty of Back To Earth Expanded Shale and Vital Earth Compost for rich, well-drained soil. Plant all bulbs three times the diameter of the bulb. Fertilize at the time of planting and after blooming with NHG Organic Bulb Food to promote flowering, strong stems, and to build energy for next year.

Climbing Hydrangeas: Romantic, lush and pretty

 
In stock now! Hydrangeas are so lovely in the shaded garden. They provide showy, elegant flowers in late spring through midsummer above glossy green foliage. The seasons bring golden leaves in autumn, and reveal peeling shaggy bark when dormant in winter. Wouldn’t this be fantastic as a vine for shaded areas? Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) is a deciduous woody vine that performs well in dappled shade. Although it requires at least two years to establish, the rewards are worth it! It sports glossy, heart-shaped leaves and lacecap flowers that, in maturity, give a the vine tiered effect. It develops a substantial trunk and limbs with age, and climbs by aerial rootlets that attach to flat surfaces. It’s perfect for covering walls, sturdy arbors or screens. Climbing Hydrangea prefers rich, well-drained acid soil conditions, so amend garden beds with plenty of expanded shale and Back to Earth Acidified compost.

Gorgeous Concrete Leaf Sculptures

Did you happen to catch the article in the Dallas Morning News a few weeks back about these beautiful concrete leaf sculptures?

We have a exclusive arrangement with the artist to carry her pieces here at North Haven Gardens! Seriously, they are absolutely gorgeous. Each piece is completely unique and we have a variety of different species and colors represented.  If you want a particular leaf, size or color, just let us know and we can work out a special order for you!

The pieces are actually pretty lightweight and can be hung on walls, set on table tops and kept outside (they are weatherproof). We are all drooling over them here and as soon as we get in an order, they fly out the door!