Hot Topics
We appreciate your business. Our HOT TOPICS section allows us to inform you of new items, upcoming sales, timely gardening advice, events, and other issues affecting our Virginia gardeners. Please contact us with your suggestions for topics you would like to see discussed here.
 |  | SIZZLING SUMMER SPECIALS It's HOT, and we're putting some water-saving items on sale. Take 15% off on MULCH (slows water evaporation from the soil), WATER WANDS (hand watering puts water at the roots where plants need it), HOSES and TREE GATORS (slow, deep watering encourages roots to grow deep where water is retained longer), and WATER SPRINKLERS ( use early in the morning so less water is lost during the heat of the day). Sale runs Thursday, July 3 through Thursday, July 31. |
 | | COOL ORCHID ALERT! The Butterfly orchid (Psychopsis papilio) is definitely a show-stopper with its bright orange butterfly-mimic flower. While each infloresence only holds one flower at a time, it continues to produce additional flowers over several years. An older, healthy plant may also produce more than one infloresence. Give the plant very bright indirect light to direct morning sun. Allow soil to almost dry between thorough waterings and provide 70-80% humidity during the blooming season (generally summer). In winter, allow the plant to rest with a period of cooler temperatures and reduced watering and fertilizing. |
 | | SEEDS FOR FALL GARDENS July is a great time to plant your fall garden. If there is a down side at all, it is that garden preparation must be done in summer heat. The rewards for you labors, however, are delicious as cooling temperatures and shorter day lengths concentrate the sugars in vegetables, lending terrific flavor. Keep in mind, too, that weeding and watering will take place in the more pleasant weather of early fall. There are so many wonderful vegetables from which to choose. Look for root crop seeds like beets, carrots, radishes and turnips. Plan to include leafy vegetables like lettuces, cabbages, mesclun mixes, collards and arugula that thrive in cool weather. Cruciferous veggies love fall weather, too, so you'll find broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale. Garden peas, both shelling and snap varieties, are great in the fall, and snap beans and cucumbers are so fast growing that you'll still have time to harvest one more crop before frost. Sets for both onions and garlic can be planted in the fall for an early spring crop. Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower should be started in small pots then transplanted when 3 to 4 inches high. Most other veggies can be direct-sown. Fresh 2009 dated seed is due in on July 14. |
 | | CUSTOM SILK DECOR It's never too late to let our talented silk floral designers hand-craft that dining room arrangement you've been thinking about, or to freshen up your front door with a new wreath. Call or come by anytime and we will be happy to help you select stems, containers, everything you need to create a unique look all your own. |
 | | RAIN BARRELS We have received a shipment of rain barrels from Rain Water Solutions out of North Carolina. Made from 100% recycled plastic, these barrels allow you to take advantage of rainy days by storing rain water and saving on the cost of municipal water. Barrels can hold up to 65 gallons and have a brass spigot that fits any standard size garden hose. They also include a child resistant lid and mosquito screening. One more way that going green is good for both the environment and your pocketbook. |
 | | LANDSCAPING SERVICES The Great Big Greenhouse & Nursery has a Planting and Landscaping department that can install your nursery purchases. Our landscaping crew is also available for additional services: plant removal, mulching, pruning, planting bed creation, and generalyard maintenance. Contact David Byrne at (804) 320-1317 or (804) 441-2812 to schedule an estimate. |
 | | DID YOU KNOW? One thing we learned from our May customer service survey is that many of you are not aware of some of the services and products we offer. Not only can we deliver your purchases, but we can plant and mulch your nusery items. We can create unique and beautiful custom container gardens in your planters or ours. And we offer repotting for houseplants, as well. Those of you who like to go "organic" should check out our extensive selection of organic products. Check out the Services page on this website for more details. |
 | | CAPE LEADWORT or PLUMBAGO There are many "blue" flowers out there that are, in reality, various shades of purple or lavender. One of the true blue flowers is the beautiful Blue Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata), also known as Cape Leadwort. This native of South Africa is a scrambling shrub that can be used as an annual in flower beds or in containers. It is so showy that it really deserves a planter or window box to itself. The phlox-like flowers attract butterflies and will appear in abundance in warm temperatures and 4 hours or more of direct sun. In a sunroom or hothouse, Plumbago can flower year round. For a night garden, try the white-flowered Plumbago. |
 | | DAYLILIES The more than 50,000 named varieties of Daylily (Hemerocallis) come in a multitude of colors, sizes, shapes, and bloom times. These beautiful, edible flowers can be found from Florida to Wisconsin. For these reasons, daylilis are very popular perennials for sunny areas. They will tolerate a range of conditions such as poor soils and drought without complaint. The bloom times of Daylilies can vary greatly. The extra early bloomers start in mid-April while some of the very late bloomers don't open until August. The rebloomers can flower early in the season and then again in the fall. When you combine this with a wide range of colors, including pink, red, yellow, orange, purple, and gold, you get a plant that most gardenerscan not resist. A passion for daylilies has resulted in the breeding of fanciful shapes, color combinations, edges and ruffling. Collectors and connoisseurs appreciate the may subtle differences between cultivars, while the homeowner just loves the beauty, ease of care, and versatility of this wonderful plant. |
 | | MINIATURE CRAPEMYRTLES Crapemyrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) are the premier flowering trees for summer color in landscapes. Many people picture crapemyrtles as being larger, multi-trunk trees. This has resulted in the unfortunate practice of crape-"murder." A lot of gardeners don't realize that there are many miniature and dwarf cultivars that will stay under 8', some as small as 18". Popular National Arboretum introductions include 'Chickasaw', slow-growing to 18-24" with a mounding habit and lavender-pink flowers, and 'Pocomoke', slightly larger cultivar with dark pink flowers to 2-3'. Both bloom July to fall. Also 'Cedar Lane Red', with brilliant red flowers and bright yellow stamens growing to 6-8', and mildew resistant. The Dixie Series of miniatures all grow 2-3' in a mounded, almost weeping habit, and are moderately mildew resistant with good fall color. Try the deep red 'Baton Rouge', watermelon red 'Bourbon Street', lavender flowered 'Cordon Bleu', pink 'Delta Blush', purple 'New Orleans', and light lavender 'Lafayette'. Also popular are the dark red-flowered 'Victor' (5-6'), solid white 'Dwarf Snow' (4-6'), often re-blooming in August/September, and solid red 'Tightwad' (2-4'). All are mildew resistant. |
 | | SEASONAL GARDENING TIPS Seasonal gardening tips, chores, reminders for the season: Deadheading spent annual flowers will encourage continued bloom. Newly planted trees and shrubs should be watered thoroughly once or twice weekly all summer. Hot, dry weather is ideal for spider mite infestations, especially on evergreen conifers. Treat as soon as possible with a systemic spray such as Bayer 3 in 1 Insect, Disease, & Mite Control, giving you protection up to 30 days. Bearded Irises canbe divided now. Replant so that the tops of the rhizomes are just above ground level. June bugs or Japanese Beetles are here and munching away on some of your favorite plants. Protect your plants with Sevin or Bayer 3 in 1 Insect, Disease, & Mite Control. |
 | | JOIN OUR EMAILING LIST Use the Contact Us page or "Ask Doug" to sign up for our emailing list. You will receive advance notice of sales and specials, and be informed of any special events. Be sure to include your email address, and mention your wish to be added to the list. |
 | | CLEAN AIR MACHINES Foliage plants are more than just decorative accents! NASA research has shown that foliage plants "scrub" the air, removing toxins commonly found in homes and office buildings. Volatile organic compounds known to cause allergic reactions, and even cancer or other serious health problems, have been found by EPA inside energy-efficient buildings. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the leaves, the more efficient the plant is as an air scrubber, but most plants are doing some good. It works when room air is drawn into the soil of a potted plant as the plant begins to dry. Microoganisms living around the roots "eat" any air-bourne pollutants they come in contact with by breaking down their chemical structures. The resulting pieces of chemicals are either taken up by the plant as nutrients, or remain harmless in the soil. And foliage plants don't need batteries! |