Plant Your Spring Bloomers Now
Fall 2007 - Vol. 20 No.2

The perennial growers at Horsford’s Nursery have spent the summer growing, dividing and nurturing along many of our favorite spring blooming perennials. They have grown into big, healthy plants and they are looking for a home. Many of these plants, such as Arabis, Draba and woodland Phlox prefer to spend the winter in the ground as opposed to in a pot at our nursery. Planting them now means that come next April when you are desperately sick of winter you can look out your window and see signs of the spring season.
Plants that we have a good supply of include; Creeping Phlox (in 4 colours),
Woodland Phlox, Arabis (Rock Cress), Brunnera (perennial forget-me-not) Draba,
Jacob’s Ladder, Pulmonaria, Bergenia, Bleeding Heart, Mayapple (both are now
dormant but the roots are quite viable)
It is also recommended that you get your poppies in now. They do not bloom until later in May but from a growers stand point they are a tricky plant to propagate and sell since they like to be put in the ground and left alone. Once established they will thrive for years and years much like a peony. They really do not like to spend time in a pot and when we grew them in the ground they were quite happy until we dug them up (and put them in a pot). All the plants that we have are pushing out there flush of fall growth after a summer dormancy. They will be most happy going to live in your garden. Remember, poppies are best planted behind a later blooming taller plant. They bloom early enough to stand out even in the back of the garden and in July and August when their foliage becomes unsightly and then disappears you will not be left with a large gap front and center.