COOL WEATHER ANNUALS

April 25, 2024 Karen Logan

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JOIN US THIS SATURDAY MORNING

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GARDEN WORKSHOP

COOL WEATHER ANNUALS

SATURDAY APRIL 27TH // 11:00AM // VINEYARD GARDENS

Chris Wiley, owner and expert horticulturist, will be discussing cool weather annuals and their growing conditions.

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COOL WEATHER HARDY ANNUALS

CENTAUREA ‘CORN FLOWER’ & LADYBIRD POPPIES

We seeded an assortment of hardy annuals last fall, such as Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), Ladybird poppies (Papaver commutatum), Rose of Heaven (Silene ‘Blue Angel’), Larkspurs (Delphinium), Feverfew, Queen Anne’s Lace (Ammi Majus), Snapdragons (Antirrhinum) and some biennials like Lychnis coronaria, Digitalis purpurea (hybrids) and Verbascums that bloom early and will flower through June and some into July. In addition to blooming in June, these annuals knit together a beautiful planting scheme with the evolving summer perennials.

We have a lot of the red Ladybird Poppy that will be gorgeous in June & July! We also carry the beauty Imperial Pink from Select Seed!

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MAGNOLIA MAY

30% OFF
MAGNOLIA STELLATA ‘Magnolia Royal Star’

Sale runs through May
*This specific magnolia only

TIMING IS KEY IN GARDENING! DON’T WAIT TO GET STARTED!

DELPHINIUMS

April 23, 2024 Karen Logan

Delphinium illustration by karen blackerby logan

DELPHINIUMS

There are about 300 species of annual and perennial Delphiniums. They have two blooming cycles, one in early summer and if cared for properly, again in late summer or early autumn. Blue is the most common Delphinium flower but there are numerous hybrids available in shades of pink, lavender, red, white and yellow. Blooms may be single or double. Our available colors this year are deep blue, light blue and white. We carry both short and tall delphiniums and are growing two varieties from seed.

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GROWING DELPHINIUMS

Delphinium planting is normally at the back of the bed, where flower spikes can reach 2 to 6 feet tall. Delphinium flowers are often planted in groups.
Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to light shade, with shelter from strong winds.
Soil should not dry out. Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
Mulch helps retain moisture and keeps roots cool.
Care should include regular fertilization in spring when the plant begins to grow, and during the flowering period.
Deadhead the first blooms in early summer. Remove flower stalks when blooms are spent.
Taller varieties may require staking.

**SUMMER SERIES**
**——————**

**(SHORT VARIETY)**
***Summer Nights***
***(deep purple and***
***light blue)***

***- Delphinium***
***Blue Butterfly***
***(we grow in 4 packs)***
***- Delphinium***
***Q and S Series***
***(deep Blue and in***
***4” pots)***

PERENNIAL HERBS

April 18, 2024 Karen Logan

Lavender illustration by karen blackerby logan

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JOIN US THIS SATURDAY MORNING

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GARDEN WORKSHOP

SMALL FRUITS

SATURDAY APRIL 20TH // 11:00AM // VINEYARD GARDENS

Chuck Wiley, owner and expert horticulturist, will be discussing planting, growing and harvesting small fruits.

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HERBS

Now is the time to plant some herbs! Come check out our herb house & herb garden.

ANNUAL HERBS (6 packs / $5.95 & 2” herb pots / $3.95): Cilantro, Parsley, Dill, Chervil

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PERENNIAL HERBS

Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Chives & Tarragon

Perennial herbs tend to live longer that two years. They go dormant in the winter and return in the spring sending up new stems and leaves from the crown. Chives are usually the first to pop up in March. Most herbs in the mint family are perennial, such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, lemon balm, marjoram, anise hyssop, and mint

PERENNIAL HERBS (4" pots / $6.95): Thyme. Sage, Mint, Tarragon, Savory, Lemon Verbena, Rosemary and Lemon Balm

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SAGE

Sages are known for both their ornamental and culinary qualities. On top of that, they are drought tolerant and deer resistant. Sage grows best in full sun, well draining soil and can withstand frost.

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CHIVES

Chives are cool-season, cold-tolerant perennials best planted in early to mid-spring for an early summer harvest. They are a wonderful companion plant that deters pests. Plant alongside carrots, celery, lettuce, peas, and tomatoes.

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THYME

A hardy low growing evergreen herb with small, fragrant leaves and thin, woody stems. Thyme has ornamental, culinary and medicinal qualities.

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LAVENDER

'“Lavender, an herb with many culinary uses, also makes a stunning addition to borders and perennial gardens, providing sweeping drifts of color from early summer into fall. With its silvery-green foliage, upright flower spikes and compact shrub-like form, lavender is ideal for creating informal hedges. You can also harvest it for fragrant floral arrangements, sachets, and potpourri.” Garden Design

TIMING IS KEY IN GARDENING! DON’T WAIT TO GET STARTED!

[PLANT PROFILE] SERVICEBERRY

April 17, 2024 Karen Logan

SERVICEBERRY (SHAD TREES)

Amelanchier ×grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’

Known as Shad Trees on Martha’s Vineyard because they bloom when the Shad (a type of small fish) swim up the creeks here on the island to breed.

A native multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, about 20 feet tall, has year round interest. Serviceberries are one of the first to burst into bloom in April with their showy white flowers. Once the flowers pass, tasty purple colored fruit, similar in flavor to blueberries, follow in mid June. The fall brings showstopping brilliant orange to red autumn color.

Attract more wildlife to your garden with native berry producing shrubs like Serviceberry!

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VALUABLE SHRUB FOR WILDLIFE

Native to eastern United States and Canada, Serviceberries support numerous butterfly and bird species These early bloomers support pollinators in spring and produce sweet berries in the summer that support birds like cedar waxwings, robins, and thrushes. Once the berries ripen, they provide a rich source of nutrition and are a crucial food source for early nesting birds and returning migratory species.

Serviceberries are a valuable shrub for wildlife. One of the earliest blooming shrubs in spring, Serviceberries burst into bloom typically in April, making it an essential early spring food source for pollinators.

native berry producing shrubs

attract wildlife to your garden

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GROWING & CARE

Serviceberries have an upright habit with grayish to silver, smooth bark.

Easy to grow
Tolerant of most site conditions but does not tolerate salt or poor drainage. Prefers acidic, well drained soils in partial shade to sun.
It is susceptible to heat and drought stress.
Use as a small tree in mixed borders or foundation plantings.
Excellent companion with Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus), flowering dogwood (CornusBenthamidia florida), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), pink-shell azalea (Rhododendron vaseyi), arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum), and whorled tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata).

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ATTRIBUTES

Attracts Wildlife: Host Plant / Other Pollinators & Wildlife / Attracts Songbirds / Attracts Bees

Tolerance: Deer & Rabbit Resistant / Urban Environment / Drought Tolerant

Additional Attributes: Edible / Low Maintenance

Landscape Use: Rain Garden / Specimen

Attractive Fall Foliage and/or Ornamental Fruit: Red to Purple Fruit / Fall Foliage

Height: 15-25 ft

Spread: 12-20 ft

Exposure: Sun / Part Shade

Soil Moisture: Average / Dry

Ornamental Interest: Spring Bloom / Summer Fruit / Fall Foliage

EAT LOCAL, GROW IT IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

April 12, 2024 Karen Logan

Blueberry Bush illustration by karen blackerby logan

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JOIN US THIS SATURDAY MORNING

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GARDEN WORKSHOP

SEED SOWING

SATURDAY APRIL 13TH // 11:00AM // VINEYARD GARDENS

Do you want to learn to sow your plants from seed? Chris Wiley, owner and expert horticulturist, shares her tricks of the trade.

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GROWING EARLY SPRING EDIBLES

SMALL FRUITS & FRUIT TREES

Spring is the best time to prune your fruit trees, grapes, raspberries and blackberries. It is also the best time to plant small fruits and fruit trees. We have a great selection of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. The early spring selection is best!

All these should be planted very soon!

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STRAWBERRIES

TIPS FOR PLANTING STRAWBERRIES

There is a small window of time in the spring to plant strawberries. Strawberries can be grown in garden beds, containers or hanging baskets. Strawberry flowers attract honeybees and butterflies who pollinate the flowers and ensure fruiting success.

This year we are carrying 4 cultivars of strawberries
Strawberries in 3"black pots / $3.95
- Honeoye is our favorite, but all of them are good. Honeoye bears heavy yields of large fruit with a rich color.
- Fort Laramie
- All Star
- Quinalt
Growing potted Strawberries
- Provide well drained soil with medium moisture. Amend beds in spring and fall with quality Coast of Maine Lobster Compost or Fafard Premium Compost (we carry both!).
- Strawberries are heavy feeders- feed with organic fertilizer from spring to mid summer.
- Mulch beds to retain moisture, keep down the weeds and to create a nice clean place for the strawberry fruits to lay on.
- Thin beds every few years, favoring the strongest runners.

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BLUEBERRIES

We have a wonderful selection of early, mid season and late variety blueberries. Now is the time to get them in the ground. We recommend planting early bearing variety, a mid season variety and a late season variety to extend your blueberry picking season.

Blueberries must be planted in early spring!!

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GRAPES & FRUIT TREES

GRAPES: Grapes should be pruned as soon as possible on cool days. If pruned much later they will “bleed” sap, much like a maple tree when its tapped for making maple syrup. Pruning for grapes and most fruit trees involves limiting the number of fruits produced as the tree or vine will try to make many more fruits than the tree has the energy to fully mature. Often excess fruits will fall off and the ones remaining may be smaller than on a tree properly pruned. This is also the best time to plant grapes!
FRUIT TREES: We carry apple, pear, peaches, cherry and sour cherry. The sour cherries make the very best pies. Spring is the great time to plant them!
- Pruning apple trees: When you are done pruning an apple tree there is usually more on the ground then left on the tree.

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ASPARAGUS & POTATOES

Now available bare root asparagus and potatoes! We have Asparagus Bareroot Millenium & Asparagus Purple Passion. The Potatoes we carry are Amarosa, French Fingerling, Russet Burbank, Russian Banana and Red Norland.

Asparagus Bundles of 5 / $12,95, Bundles of 10 / $19.95 & Bundles of 25 / $31.95

**Asparagus Purple Passion Bundles of 25**

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GREENS & COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

Grow your own Greens

Salad material, lettuce, spinach, endive, mignonette

The lettuces and the cilantro, in particular, can be done by direct seeding in Mid April.

Start the other herbs and cool weather veggies inside first and then plant out as seedlings.

WE GROW ALL THESE IN PACKS FROM SEED . WE HAVE A WONDERFUL SELECTION OF SEEDS & WILL HAVE A GREAT VARIETY OF PACK SELECTIONS!

COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

Brassicas (like broccoli), Cauliflower, Cabbage, Kale, Swiss Chard, Mustards, Collards

TIMING IS KEY IN GARDENING! DON’T WAIT TO GET STARTED!

[PLANT PROFILE] POPPIES

April 10, 2024 Karen Logan

Iceland Poppies illustration by karen blackerby logan

POPPIES ARE MY SPRING FAVORITE!

We love our poppies at Vineyard Gardens! We grow a lot of different varieties. There are both annual and perennial poppies. Some are truly perennial, some are short lived perennial and some are annual poppies. The annual poppies love to colonize by reseeding and return year after year. We raise our annual poppies from seed and grow a fine selection for your garden. One perennial poppy we grow from seed is the Spanish poppy, Papaver rupifragum, Double tangerine Gem. It is the latest blooming of the poppies with pretty apricot blooms in late summer. It grows wild in the mountains of Spain along with Spanish lavender.

Poppies like a rich, well drained soil in full sun. Deer Resistant!!

PAPAVER ORIENTALIS/ORIENTAL POPPIES

The most famous of the perennial poppies are the Oriental Poppies. They are long lived perennials that bloom in early spring, go dormant in the heat of summer and then come back bigger and better the next year.

Oriental Poppies are known for their dinner plate sized blooms. The red with the black center is probably the best known. This year we have Crimson Red, Orange Red and Royal Wedding, a white one with a black center. We also have Turkenlouise, a red one with ruffled edges on the petals, and Princess Victoria Louise, a salmon colored one. Oriental Poppies are very dramatic flowers!

Make sure to mark the spot so that you don’t disturb the sleeping poppy!

PAPAVER NUDICAULE/ICELAND POPPIES

Icelandic poppies, Papaver nudicaule (meaning bare stems), are another type of poppy that is considered perennial, but seem to be shorter lived than the Oriental Poppies. Iceland poppies are just gorgeous! Their crepe paper like flowers are very delicate and bloom on tall, thin 1ft stems. Plant 2-3 in a pot and enjoy them all spring and into early summer.

We carry Iceland Poppies in the Champagne Series (individual colors) and the Wonderland Series (a mix of colors). We have the Champagne Series in scarlet, pink, yellow, orange, and red for the individual colors. These are hardy but short lived perennials. They are native to sub polar regions of Asia and North America.

Iceland Poppies are blooming now!

ANNUAL POPPIES

Papaver rhoeas, Papaver commutatum, Papaver paeoniflorus, Papaver somniferum

The great reseeding poppies are the annual poppies. We grow these from seed, seeded in early to mid February and sell them in packs and 2” pots.

Following the spring through early summer flowering, annual poppies have beautiful seed pods that extend the season from summer into fall. These seed pods ripen and spill out into the surrounding soil and baby seedlings emerge the following year. I know of many sunny gardens where annual poppies have colonized and make a fabulous easy to grow display year after year.

This year we are growing:

Shirley Poppies
Papaver rhoeas, including Double Choice Mix
Select Seed, White Bridal Veil
We are growing the peony flowered poppy in Lauren’s Grape, Hungarian Blue and White Cloud.
Ladybird Poppy, Papaver commutatum, a red flower with a black blotch at the base of each petal. It is a prolific bloomer.
Papaver somniferum, in Imperial Pink and The Giant with a red flower.
Ready to be planted now!
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GROWING & CARE

Plant your poppies in a full sun garden with well drained soil.
They have beautiful seed pods that extend the season beyond bloom.
The annual poppies can be dead headed to extend bloom but at some point let the beautiful seed pods develop and let them ripen on the plant.
Poppies will reseed and you may have lots of little poppy seedlings for years to come.
If they are happy, they will colonize in your garden. It is wonderful when plants colonize! Other plants do this too!

Come to Vineyard Gardens to find out what other plants reseed and colonize in your garden!

VINEYARD GARDENS WORKSHOPS & COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

April 5, 2024 Karen Logan

Lettuce, herbs and lavender illustration by karen blackerby logan

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Join us Saturday Morning

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GARDEN WORKSHOP

EARLY SPRING PRUNING

SATURDAY APRIL 6TH // 11:00AM // VINEYARD GARDENS

Andrew Wiley will be leading a talk about the ins and outs of early spring pruning.

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GREENS & COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

GROW YOUR OWN GREENS

Salad material, lettuce, spinach, endive, mignonette

The lettuces and the cilantro, in particular, can be done by direct seeding in Mid April.

Start the other herbs and cool weather veggies inside first and then plant out as seedlings.

WE GROW ALL THESE IN PACKS FROM SEED . WE HAVE A WONDERFUL SELECTION OF SEEDS & WILL HAVE A GREAT VARIETY OF PACK SELECTIONS!

COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

Brassicas (like broccoli), Cauliflower, Cabbage, Kale, Swiss Chard, Mustards, Collards

EAT LOCAL, GROW IT IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD!

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ORNAMENTAL CHERRIES, JAPANESE APRICOTS & SPRING FLOWERING TREES

Now is the time of year to plant Flowering Apricots and Ornamental Cherries. Japanese Apricot Trees erupt in pink fragrant flowers in mid to late winter. They are especially fragrant on warm days.

spring color

spring blooming trees & shrubs

[PLANT PROFILE] ENGLISH DAISIES

April 3, 2024 Karen Logan

English Daisies

(Bellis perennis)

ORIGIN

These little, long blooming English Daisies are native to western, central and northern Europe. Their Latin name is Bellis perennis. Bellis is Latin for pretty and perennis means everlasting. True to their name they are both pretty and long blooming. They thrive in full sun and in partial shade; and are hardy to zones 4-8.

FAMILY

They belong to the family Asteracea. Plants in this family are considered the most evolved in the plant kingdom. Every petal in a daisy flower is a complete flower. One flower can be made up of a hundred petals, thus 100 flowers! That is what makes them more evolved. More flowers, more seeds, more ability to propagate, which spells success in the world of plants.

AN EARLY SEASON PLANT

We sell them in the 5” black perennial pots and grow them in a mix of white, pink and red flowers.

Try our new Galaxy Mix or the Bellisima series in red and in rose bicolor.
We also carry the smaller flowered Pomponette mix.
The one variety we grow from seed is JL Hudson’s Bellis perennis White. This cultivar overwintered outside for us in little pots. These seed grown English Daisies spread and perennialize for us.
Many plants like the English Daisies, the Forget Me Nots and the Poppies are only available early in the season!

WHERE TO PLANT

Save the Bellis perennis white for the ground so it can spread.

Try the Galaxy, the Bellisima or Pomponette Mix in a pot.

They all will do well in front of your border or along a path. In a rock garden or in containers.

They will love a well drained spot.

Remember spring is the best time to plant English Daisies!

HAPPY GARDENING!

APRIL GARDENING TIPS

March 28, 2024 Karen Logan

Dogwood illustration by karen blackerby logan

APRIL GARDENING TIPS

April is the start of the gardening season. Here are some tips to get your yard ready for summer!

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GARDEN CLEAN UP: Clean up the fall and winter debris of dead leaves and branches in and around your gardens and yard. We have lots of gardening tools at the nursery to help with clean up.
SOIL CARE: Nourish your soil! Applying nutrients to the soil nourishes it, making it richer with the minerals and essential elements your plants need to grow. We have Coast of Maine compost and manure, as well as Fafard products. You can also take this time to test your soil with a soil testing kit to see what your soil needs. We have those in stock as well.
SPRING ANNUALS: Plant spring annuals in your container gardens or fill in between perennials in your garden beds. Pansies are now available and Sweet Alyssum will be ready soon! This spring we have a new offering, a selection of Hardy Annuals that Andrew Wiley started from seed last fall. We have an amazing crop of poppy’s, bachelor buttons(centaurea cyanus), Queen Anne’s Lace(Ammi majus Select White) and more! To learn more about Hardy Annuals check out our post about Succession Planting.
EDIBLES: This is the season to plant cool weather veggies, small fruits and fruit trees. All these are now available at the nursery!
TREES & SHRUBS: Now is a great time to add trees or shrubs to your property.
PRUNE: Prune any diseased or dead wood on your trees and deciduous shrubs.
LAWN EDGING: Lawn edging helps to clearly divide the flower beds from the lawn. Beyond aesthetics, edging also separates the soil, mulch, and rocks. We have ten foot pieces of heavy duty black plastic edging available at the Nursery.

Viburnum burkwoodii photo by keith kurman

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CLEANING AND SHARPENING YOUR TOOLS

It’s that time of year when we are all itching to get out into our yard and start planting or pruning. Before you jump into your projects, give yourself a minute to tune up your tools. “A good cleaning, oiling, and sharpening now will pay dividends and make your job much easier. Make sure you have a good pair of gloves, a tarp, a bypass pruner, a lopper, disinfectant spray, and/or anti-bacterial wipes at the ready. I have also found a reciprocating saw comes in handy for those thick, sturdy stems.”(Lorraine Ballato) If you don’t have the equipment to sharpen your pruners, loppers, hedge shears and pruning saw’s you can drop them off at the Vineyard Gardens and Jeremiah Brown will sharpen them for you for a fee.

You should also clean and sharpen your spades and shovels, it will make your garden tasks so much easier and safer. Its good practice to keep a 5gal. bucket with sand mixed with old, used motor oil in it around to clean your tools after using them. This is also a good time to oil the wood stocks of any tools with wooden handles, it will give it a chance to soak in and renew the grain making them stronger and last longer.

Winter and early spring are great times to clean and sharpen tools.

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LAWN CARE

April is the best month to care for your lawn and fertilize. We have a wide array of Jonathan Green lawn care products available from fertilizers to weed control to grass seed!

April is the best month to fertilize and reseed your lawn. Grass is a cool weather lover and will grow a lot in the cool spring. Fertilizer should be applied when plants want to grow.
Grass, like all plants need macronutrients and micronutrients. Our organic fertilizers release nutrients more slowly and are loaded with micronutrients. The inorganic fertilizers have higher doses of the macronutrients which are N-P-K or Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. Thus the 3 numbers found on the fertilizer bag. For example 5-10-5. Each number represents each nutrient.
Inorganic lawn fertilizers are very high in Nitrogen.
If you did not lime your lawn in the fall, April is a good time to lime it. The lime takes months to cause the lowering of the acidity. It is a chemical process. We recommend liming in the fall so that the pH adjustment has happened by the time the grass starts growing in spring.
Apply lawn care pre emergent before Forsythia bloom. There is always an organic option. Corn Gluten is an organic weed seed preventer and adds nutrients to your lawn.
Success with seeding any lawn, including small patches, is to put down some rich soil under the seed. Then it is important to keep the seed moist.

***IMPORTANT FERTILIZATION LAW ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD!!

Fertilizer can not be applied until April 15. This law was passed to protect our bodies of water. The reason for that time frame is by then the lawns are actively growing and will use the nutrients instead of those nutrients leaching into the ground water.

Vineyard Gardens Landscaping is available to help with all your gardening needs!

perennial plant of the year

*Phlox paniculata* 'Jeana'

BROADLEAF EVERGREENS

April 28, 2023 Karen Logan

Rhododendron Maximum illustration by karen blackerby logan

Broadleaf evergreens have year round interest!

Often in spring we think we need flowers and color but evergreens are just as important to the landscape! Evergreens are often the bones of the garden. They are an integral part of winter, spring, summer and fall. Broadleaf evergreens are the trees and shrubs for all seasons because they have wonderful year round interest!

Rhdodendrons are wonderful for year round screening

The Benefits of Broadleaf Evergreens

They provide year round interest
Great for privacy screening
Drought resistant, once established
Provides habitats for birds and other small animals
Pollinator friendly!
Great for Martha’s Vineyards climate zone 7A (hardier than zone 7A).

Most broadleaf evergreens have a spectacular display of spring blooms!

Luckily they don't typically bloom all at the same time! Pieris japonica and Skimmia are the first to bloom, followed by the rhododendrons then azaleas.

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BROADLEAF EVERGREENS OF THE WEEK

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SKIP CHERRY LAURELS

Skip Cherry Laurels are vibrant evergreen trees that can create dense privacy hedges for any yard. Skip laurels grow to be 10-18 feet tall and 5-7 feet wide, with a moderate growth rate of roughly 24 inches per year. While they thrive in full sunlight, Skip laurels also fare very well in the shade. Their dense foliage is glossy green year-round. In the springtime, you’ll be rewarded with fragrant white blossoms that attract all kinds of pollinators. In fall and winter, Skip laurel trees produce red berries that attract songbirds.

Make excellent privacy screens

Green year-round
Fragrant, white blossoms in spring
Drought-tolerant
Smaller leaves than other laurels give a neat, compact look
Deer-resistant

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MAHONIA

Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ is a small to medium-sized evergreen shrub capable of growing ten feet tall and five feet wide. It has a compact, upright growth habit with large, frond-like leaves that develop in whorls along its coarsely branched stems. Large spikes of fragrant, yellow flowers appear in late fall or early winter. The flowers develop into clusters of waxy blue berries eaten by many bird species. It is a dramatic focal point in the winter garden.

PLANTING TIP
Plant Winter Sun Mahonia in a sheltered, preferably eastern-facing site. It appreciates a moisture-retentive, but draining soil. Place where its blooms and fragrance can be readily appreciated in winter, such as near a path or seating area.

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AZALEAS

This year our spring flowering shrubs include the usual evergreen rhododendrons and azaleas. Azaleas are in the rhododendron family. Azaleas are a genus with many species. There are both evergreen and deciduous varieties available. ‘Most’ deciduous azaleas bloom after the evergreen azaleas. They will bloom on old wood before the plant has leafed out for the year.

Some deciduous, fragrant azaleas that we have available this year are:

Azalea viscosum, native swamp azalea: These bloom a little later and often bloom before the foliage emerges, making them extra showy. The fragrant blooms will perfume your entire property. They get 8-10ft tall and 6-8ft wide.
My Mary: A new yellow, fragrant, deciduous, spring blooming azalea that attracts pollinators and butterflies. It grows 4-5ft tall. (from Fern Brook)
Rhododendron prunifolium: Another azalea that we are carrying new this year. (from Fern Brook). Prunifolium is a species azalea (not a hybrid). It is a native wild azalea and is rare and hard to find. It is the first time we have ever had it!

There are some deciduous Weston hybrids with viscosum that stay smaller. If an 8ft shrub is too big for your spot try one of these :

Lemon Drop: A yellow blooming fragrant deciduous azalea
Innocence: A white blooming fragrant deciduous azalea

To see these deciduous azaleas in their full splendor they will be blooming in a few weeks at the Polly Hill Arboretum!

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BUXUS (BOXWOOD)

This year we will have a great selection of Buxus, an evergreen deer resistant shrub. We have Green Beauty, Green Mountain and Wintergreen Boxwood. We also carry a variegated boxwood, as well as a selection of dwarf boxwoods, including one we propagate from the Polly Hill Arboretum. They do best in some afternoon shade and are a great back drop for deciduous plantings. Buxus typically bloom in May. “Even though the flowers are insignificant, Boxwood is on the RHS 'Plants for Pollinators' list, highlighting plants that produce large amounts of nectar and/or pollen. It is a great choice for encouraging beneficial insect wildlife into your garden!” (Plants | Candide)

Buxus that we have available:

Buxus sempervirens: A new variety we are carrying this year is Buxus sempervirens Dee Runk. This variety has an elegant columnar habit with a soft and lush foliage of ovate, lustrous leaves. Its deep green foliage has shown good resistance to boxwood blight.
Buxus microphylla var. japonica 'Winter Gem' : “An excellent evergreen shrub for small hedges. Among the hardiest of the small-leaved boxwoods, the rich green foliage can acquire a golden bronze hue in cold winter zones, but is one of the first to become green again in spring. Makes a wonderful addition to formal gardens, providing year-round interest.” (monrovia)

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HOLLIES

We love hollies at Vineyard Gardens! Chuck Wiley, co-owner of Vineyard Gardens, grew up near a nursery in NJ, called Fernbrook, that grow beautiful American hollies, Ilex opaca. American hollies are more deer resistant than other hollies. They need a male and a female tree nearby for berry production.

American holly, Ilex opaca

“The stout, stiff branches of this pyramidal evergreen bear dark green, non-glossy, spine-tipped leaves. Bright red berries occur on the female plants. Many varieties are grown for ornament, shade, and hedges. You must have both a male and female plant to have berries, The male must be the same holly species as the female and bloom at the same time. This is a slow-growing tree (but slower growing is stronger). Berries are attractive and a good winter food source for birds.” (Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center) The height of American holly grows up to 25ft. They can be pruned to be kept smaller.

Ilex opaca ‘Jersey Knight’: A male cultivar that is considered to be a good pollinator. typically grows to 7-8’ tall and spreads to 3-4’ wide over the first 10 years.
Ilex opaca ‘Jersey Princess’
Ilex opaca ‘Portia Orton’
Ilex opaca ‘Satyr Hill’

Japanese holly, Ilex crenata

“A dense, multi-branched, evergreen shrub with a rounded form that typically matures to 5-10’ tall and as wide. It is native to forests, thickets and mountain slopes in Japan, Korea, China and eastern Russia.. It has glossy, spineless, evergreen, deep green leaves which are attractive all year, white flowers which bloom in late spring (May-June), and black rounded berries which mature in fall on pollinated female plants.” (missouri botanical garden)

Ilex crenata ‘Steeds’

Ilex crenata ‘Helleri’
Ilex Crenata ‘Soft touch’
Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’
Ilex crenata ‘Green Lustre’

Japanese holly, Ilex crenata ‘Green Lustre’

Blue holly, Ilex x meserveae

“Bushy evergreen hybrids are (a) average height to 6-7’ tall, (b) glossy blue green leaves with prominent spiny margins, (c) purple stems, (d) greenish-white flowers in small clusters in May, (e) showy bright red berries on female plants in fall, often persisting until spring, and (f) excellent winter hardiness to USDA Zone 5.” (missouri botanical garden)

Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Maid’
Ilex x meserveae Castle Spire’

other hybrids

Ilex x aquipernyi ‘Dragon Slayer’
Ilex x Oak leaf
Ilex x Koehneana
Ilex x Nellie R Stevens
Ilex x Winter Bounty

Inkberry, Ilex glabra

“A mound-shaped, colony-forming shrub 6-12 ft. tall and wide. Lance-shaped, sparingly-toothed, glossy, leathery foliage varies in color from dark- to light-green both in summer and fall. Inconspicuous flowers are followed by black berries which persist well into winter. This species differs from all other evergreen hollies by lacking spines on the leaves, only having teeth toward the tip of the leaves.” (Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center)

Ilex glabra ‘Compacta’

Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’

Winterberry, Ilex verticillata

“The leaves of Common winterberry are not shaped with sharp teeth like other hollies and are not evergreen. The purplish green foliage turns black, in fact, with the first frost. The inconspicuous flowers, however, are followed by dense clusters of bright red berries that remain on the branches throughout winter. Winterberry is a globular, upright, medium-sized shrub, typically 6-10 ft. tall. Extremely showy in late fall and early winter when covered with their bright red fruit, these shrubs are either male or female--a trait typical of the holly family. Birds are readily attracted to them.” (Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center)

Ilex verticillata Southern Gentleman
Ilex verticillata Winter Gold
Ilex verticillata Winter Red
Ilex verticillata Little Goblin Guy
Ilex verticillata Little Goblin Red

[PLANT PROFILE] CREEPING PHLOX

April 26, 2023 Karen Logan

Creeping Phlox

(Phlox subulata)

A low growing, sun-loving herbaceous perennial that has an exceptional spring bloom. It creates a magnificent carpet of color ranging from red-purple to violet-purple to pink and white in April and May. The flowers are backed by dense green foliage that stays green throughout the summer and fall. It grows 6 in. tall, forming a thick mat up to 3 ft. wide and is known for ‘creeping’.

PHLOX SPECIES

There are many phlox species

Phlox subulata: Creeping phlox, Phlox subulata, is only one species with many cultivars.
Phlox divaricata and Phlox stolonifera: These are woodland phlox that spread and can take partial shade.
Phlox paniculata: This is the most common phlox, the tall English phlox. It does best in full sun.
Phlox drummondii: This is the annual phlox. Annuals, unlike perennials, bloom all summer.

CREEPING PHLOX VARIETIES NOW AVAILABLE

We have a wonderful selection of blooming creeping phlox available at Vineyard Gardens

Emerald Blue
Candy Stripes
Purple Beauty
Red Wings

CARE

Protect from Deer! They do eat Creeping Phlox.
It tolerates dry conditions once established
Good soil drainage is important
Cut back stems after flowering by 1/2 to maintain form and promote denser growth plus to stimulate a possible light rebloom.

WHERE TO PLANT

Perfect accent in a rock garden
Beautiful mixed with annuals.
Spreads easily on slopes & banks
Great along pathways
Attractive groundcover & border plant
Loves to cascade over walls!
GREAT FOR BUTTERFLIES & INSECT POLLINATORS!

HAPPY GARDENING!

SPRING FLOWERING SHRUBS

April 21, 2023 Karen Logan

Lilac illustration by karen blackerby logan

SPRING FLOWERING SHRUBS

Fragrant shrubs are a great reason to landscape your property. Plant them on your patio,deck or walkways. Plant them where the fragrance will fill your relaxing spaces, your outdoor spaces, where you socialize or simply beneath a window where the fragrance can filter into your home.

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VIBURNUM

The early spring blooming viburnum flowers are extremely fragrant. Viburnums will do well in full sun to part shade. They are used as specimens in shrub borders, foundation plantings, as hedges or screens. They are attractive to butterflies and birds and tolerate a broad range of soil conditions, including poor or compacted soils. Prune right after flowering.

Viburnum carlessi ‘Korean Spice Viburnum’ : Now available at our nursery. It can grow up to 7ft tall and wide.
Viburnum carlcephalum ‘Fragrant Snowball Viburnum’: A multi stemmed, deciduous shrub that gets 6-10ft tall and wide. It is a cross between Viburnum carlessi and Viburnum microcephalum. These Viburnums bloom better in more sun.
Viburnum burkwoodi: A multi stemmed shrub that is a little more compact, reaching 3-5ft tall and up to 7ft wide. It received the Pennsylvania Society Gold Medal award.

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LILACS

Lilacs are known for their fragrance and will soon be blooming. Only plant lilacs in sunny spots. The vulgaris species, with its large leaves, can get powdery mildew if in a shaded area.

I have heard horticulturists say the straight species Syringa vulgaris is the most fragrant but actually they are all fragrant.
Pocahontas has a deep purple color
Charles Joly is a cranberry colored award winner
Try the white blooming Vulgaris lilac
Miss Kim is a smaller lilac. Miss Kim gets around 5ft tall with light lavender fragrant flowers. Great for your foundation planting as long as it is sunny.
The Syringa meyeri is another smaller species of lilac whose smaller leaves are resistant to powdery mildew.
The cultivar Palibin has won both the Royal horticultural award and the Gold medal award.

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ROSES

Roses will arrive at the end of April and many are known for their intoxicating fragrance. We carry many cultivars of the David Austin Shrub roses which are known for their fragrance. The pink New Dawn climber has been a fragrant best seller for years.

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HONEYSUCKLE

The fragrant honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, blooms in early spring and will fill your entire property with a lemony scent. Originally native to China it has been introduced through out the world. In some places it can be invasive if conditions are perfect. Let us know if you want one and we will propagate it for you.

Honeysuckle vines are also fragrant. Lonicera sempervirens ‘Major wheeler’ is a non-stop bloomer, coloring the garden from late spring through the summer with showy clusters of orange-red flowers. It is considered to be the longest blooming variety of honeysuckle and a superior flower for the hummingbirds.

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CLEMATIS

This Clematis Vine by Proven Winners and Sweet Summer Love are fragrant clematis. Sweet Summer Love is also a profuse bloomer and can get up to 10 ft.

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AZALEAS

Many azaleas are fragrant, particularly the deciduous ones. We have a native yellow azalea called My Mary, that is very fragrant when it blooms and has a 5 star rating.

Azaleas are part of the Rhododendron family. These plants like a rich acidic humus rich soil and afternoon shade. They are shallow rooted and need to be moist. Water often.

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CLETHRA

Clethra is another fragrant later blooming shrub that can be planted now. We carry the straight species, Ruby spice (the award winning pink blooming), the dwarf Hummingbird and Sixteen candles. The newer Proven Winner varieties are known for their fragrance, like Vanilla spice. Clethra are native to the island.

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OTHER FRAGRANT SHRUBS

There are many other fragrant plants available.

The Daphnes are very fragrant and many are hardy. We usually carry Carol Mackie, as well as others including Daphne odora, which is marginally hardy.

Many non hardy plants are fragrant and bloom all summer long but will not overwinter unless protected. Try them in containers and give them some winter protection. We recommend one of the Gardenias we bring in from Monrovia.

[PLANT PROFILE] FORGET ME NOTS

April 13, 2023 Karen Logan

FORGET ME NOTS

(MYOSOTIS)

ORIGIN

Myosotis is a Greek word meaning mouse’s ear which it’s foliage is thought to resemble. It is native to Europe and is in the family Boraginacea.

AN EARLY SEASON PLANT

We sell them early in the season in 5” black perennial pots.

This year our Forget Me Nots (Myosotis) are available in blue and pink. We do not carry pink every year.
The Myosotis we carry is Myosotis sylvatica or woodland Myosotis.
Forget Me Nots readily reseed themselves and will make their home throughout your garden. This is a good thing but it can also be a problem that is easily solved with a little weeding. Pull them out where you do not want them. Yet with their pretty blue flowers in early summer you may have trouble pulling them out! Another way to control their spread is to deadhead them right after flowering before they have time to set seed and spread.
They are beautiful flowers to have in a woodland border.

Forget Me Nots are only available in Spring!

GREENS & COOL WEATHER CROPS

March 31, 2023 Karen Logan

St. Patrick's Day is traditionally when you plant your peas out in the garden. If you missed it we've got you covered. Peas like to do most of their growth in cool temperatures

GREENS & COOL WEATHER CROPS

“It's nearly springtime when a person’s thoughts should hopefully turn to ....... vegetables! That's right it's time to start our vegetable gardens. Even though our frost free date is technically May 1st, this is a great time of year to start our cool loving vegetables. There are many vegetables that can handle the light frosts we get this time of year. If a colder night were to be predicted, in the high 20s, you can cover your freshly planted vegetables with Reemay, plastic or an old sheet to protect them from the frost. At this point, most greens can be planted and some, like spinach, do much better in cooler weather than in the summer. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are known as cole crops, which sounds like cold crops, all do very well planted at this time a year too. While kids don't always like the spicy taste of radishes, they are a great vegetable for them to plant as they come up in a matter of days and are ready to pick in a few short weeks. “ - Chuck Wiley , owner & founder of Vineyard Gardens Landscaping

We always start a bountiful selection of leafy salad greens

Leafy greens like cooler temperatures to produce quick, tender leaves for your salads and cooking. the earlier you get them in the ground the better!

COMING SOON!

VEGGIE SIX PACKS ARE GROWING IN OUR GREENHOUSES NOW!

Our spring supply of vegetables in packs will be ready soon!

PEAS: Don’t forget to plant your peas. Soak before seeding, it speeds up germination. They imbibe and more easily split the seed coat so the radicle can anchor itself down to become the root system. The two cotyledons then emerge, sometimes the seed coat stays attached to one of the cotyledons. It’s so beautiful watching the birth of a plant. We have hundreds of plants being born every day at Vineyard Gardens.

BROCCOLIS: We will have a variety of broccolis in packs, such as Calabrese, Romanesco, Waltham and Cauliflower Snowball.

WE WILL HAVE A WONDERFUL SELECTION OF IN-HOUSE GREENS!

Lettuces, Kales, Mustards, Collards and Asian vegetables like Pac Choi and Tatsoi can go in the soil very soon!

do this before

planting out your beans & peas!

PALM SUNDAY OPEN HOUSE

March 24, 2023 Karen Logan

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PALM SUNDAY OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY APRIL 2, 2023

The nip of spring is upon us, the geese are flying north, our garden center on State Road is open and the landscape crews are hard at work on spring clean-up’s. Our greenhouse teams have been busy for weeks sowing seeds and waking up the bulbs we prepared in the fall. Once the season starts there’s no time for resting. As welcome as spring is, the best is yet to come!

Vineyard Gardens Nursery is stocked with vegetable seedlings, from early season greens to peas. We offer a nice range of plants from the mustard family that need to be started early in order to get established before the warm weather hits. We have a gorgeous assortment of Pansies and Iceland Poppies to add spring color to your window boxes. We also carry a wide array of spring bulbs in pots that can be transplanted into mixed planters. We have an amazing stock of spring blooms, beautiful shrubs, in-house grown veggies and all the gardening supplies you will need to to create a beautiful oasis!

Mark it on your calendars, Sunday April 2nd, a day to celebrate the beauty of spring!

CELEBRATIONS INCLUDE:

A FREE PLANT GIVE AWAY

Customers will get to pick between two surprise plants

A RAFFLE

This Palm Sunday anyone who makes a purchase at the nursery will get their name thrown into a hat to win a $25 dollar gift card. The name will be drawn Monday, April 3rd.

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FEDCO SEEDS

We have a great selection of FEDCO SEEDS! Fedco is the source for cold-hardy selections, especially adapted to our demanding Northeast climate. They have been in business since 1978. Fedco Seeds provides information for the grower about past trials and photos of the final product.

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BOTANICAL INTEREST SEEDS

We love the high quality seeds from BOTANICAL INTEREST! Botanical Interests promises to inspire and assist the inner gardener in everyone! They have been around since 1995. Botanical interests seed packets provide specific directions and ample information to get you comfortable with seeding. They also are a valuable online resource for plant information!

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NETHERLAND BULB COMPANY

The NETHERLAND BULB COMPANY’S large and healthy bulbs never disappoint! They are our go to supplier of Dutch bulbs and bare root perennials grown and shipped directly from their farms and facilities in Holland. We have alot of thier summer blooming bulbs available right now, including Dahlias, Gladiolas and Lillies. We also have onion sets and potatoes from Netherland bulbs.

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COAST OF MAINE

We would like to highlight our COAST OF MAINE SEED STARTING SOIL! This is an organic product used for seed germination and root cuttings. Coast of Maine has a great reputation for quality and consistency in their compost-based soils.

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We carry these trusted companies because they go above and beyond for their customers. They provide us with a resource to get you comfortable with trying something new!

get inspired!

*our instagram & facebook feeds*

[PLANT PROFILE] CREEPING PHLOX

April 26, 2022 Karen Logan

Creeping Phlox

(Phlox subulata)

PHLOX SPECIES

There are many phlox species

Phlox subulata: Creeping phlox, Phlox subulata, is only one species with many cultivars.
Phlox divaricata and Phlox stolonifera: These are woodland phlox that spread and can take partial shade.
Phlox paniculata: This is the most common phlox, the tall English phlox. It does best in full sun.
Phlox drummondii: This is the annual phlox. Annuals, unlike perennials, bloom all summer.

CREEPING PHLOX VARIETIES NOW AVAILABLE

We have a wonderful selection of blooming creeping phlox available at Vineyard Gardens

Emerald Blue
Candy Stripes
Purple Beauty
Red Wings

CARE

Protect from Deer! They do eat Creeping Phlox.
It tolerates dry conditions once established
Good soil drainage is important
Cut back stems after flowering by 1/2 to maintain form and promote denser growth plus to stimulate a possible light rebloom.

WHERE TO PLANT

Perfect accent in a rock garden
Beautiful mixed with annuals.
Spreads easily on slopes & banks
Great along pathways
Attractive groundcover & border plant
Loves to cascade over walls!
GREAT FOR BUTTERFLIES & INSECT POLLINATORS!

HAPPY GARDENING!

BROADLEAF EVERGREENS

April 25, 2022 Karen Logan

Azalea illustration by karen blackerby logan

Broadleaf evergreens have year round interest!

The Benefits of Broadleaf Evergreens

They provide year round interest
Great for privacy screening
Drought resistant, once established
Provides habitats for birds and other small animals
Pollinator friendly!
Great for Martha’s Vineyards climate zone 7A (hardier than zone 7A).

Most broadleaf evergreens have a spectacular display of spring blooms!

Luckily they don't typically bloom all at the same time! Pieris japonica and Skimmia are the first to bloom, followed by the rhododendrons then azaleas.

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BROADLEAF EVERGREENS OF THE WEEK

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AZALEAS

Some deciduous, fragrant azaleas that we have available this year are:

Azalea viscosum, native swamp azalea: These bloom a little later and often bloom before the foliage emerges, making them extra showy. The fragrant blooms will perfume your entire property. They get 8-10ft tall and 6-8ft wide.
My Mary: A new yellow, fragrant, deciduous, spring blooming azalea that attracts pollinators and butterflies. It grows 4-5ft tall. (from Fern Brook)
Rhododendron prunifolium: Another azalea that we are carrying new this year. (from Fern Brook). Prunifolium is a species azalea (not a hybrid). It is a native wild azalea and is rare and hard to find. It is the first time we have ever had it!

There are some deciduous Weston hybrids with viscosum that stay smaller. If an 8ft shrub is too big for your spot try one of these :

Lemon Drop: A yellow blooming fragrant deciduous azalea
Innocence: A white blooming fragrant deciduous azalea

To see these deciduous azaleas in their full splendor they will be blooming in a few weeks at the Polly Hill Arboretum!

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BUXUS (BOXWOOD)

Buxus that we have available:

Buxus sempervirens: A new variety we are carrying this year is Buxus sempervirens Dee Runk. This variety has an elegant columnar habit with a soft and lush foliage of ovate, lustrous leaves. Its deep green foliage has shown good resistance to boxwood blight.
Buxus microphylla var. japonica 'Winter Gem' : “An excellent evergreen shrub for small hedges. Among the hardiest of the small-leaved boxwoods, the rich green foliage can acquire a golden bronze hue in cold winter zones, but is one of the first to become green again in spring. Makes a wonderful addition to formal gardens, providing year-round interest.” (monrovia)

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HOLLIES

American holly, Ilex opaca

Ilex opaca ‘Jersey Knight’: A male cultivar that is considered to be a good pollinator. typically grows to 7-8’ tall and spreads to 3-4’ wide over the first 10 years.
Ilex opaca ‘Jersey Princess’
Ilex opaca ‘Portia Orton’
Ilex opaca ‘Satyr Hill’

Japanese holly, Ilex crenata

Ilex crenata ‘Steeds’

Ilex crenata ‘Helleri’
Ilex Crenata ‘Soft touch’
Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’
Ilex crenata ‘Green Lustre’

Blue holly, Ilex x meserveae

Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Maid’
Ilex x meserveae Castle Spire’

other hybrids

Ilex x aquipernyi ‘Dragon Slayer’
Ilex x Oak leaf
Ilex x Koehneana
Ilex x Nellie R Stevens
Ilex x Winter Bounty

Inkberry, Ilex glabra

Ilex glabra ‘Compacta’

Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’

Winterberry, Ilex verticillata

Ilex verticillata Southern Gentleman
Ilex verticillata Winter Gold
Ilex verticillata Winter Red
Ilex verticillata Little Goblin Guy
Ilex verticillata Little Goblin Red

[PLANT PROFILE] POPPIES

April 21, 2022 Karen Logan

POPPIES ARE MY SPRING FAVORITE!

We love our poppies at Vineyard Gardens! There are both annual and perennial poppies. We raise our annual poppies from seed. We grow a fine selection, everything from the Shirley poppies, including an all white one called Bridal Silk, to the red flowering Greek poppy to the large peony flowered poppies. The perennial poppy we grow from seed is the Spanish poppy.

ORIENTAL POPPIES

The most famous of the perennial poppies are the Oriental poppies. They have big dinner plate size blooms. The red with the black center is probably the best known. We carry red, apricot and white flowering Oriental poppies. The flowers have a black center and are very dramatic. Oriental poppies will go dormant in the heat of August but they will come back bigger and better the next year. Make sure to mark the spot so that you don’t disturb the sleeping poppy.

ICELAND POPPIES

Icelandic poppies, Papaver nudicaule, are another type of poppy that is considered perennial, but seem to be shorter lived than the Oriental poppies. Iceland poppies are just gorgeous! They are starting to bloom now! We were able to get them in individual colors as well as in a mix. We will have red, pink, yellow and orange. Their flowers are very delicate on tall, thin stems holding the crape paper like flowers. Plant 2-3 in a pot and enjoy them all spring and into early summer.

GROWING & CARE

Plant your poppies in a full sun garden with well drained soil.
They have beautiful seed pods that extend the season beyond bloom.
The annual poppies can be dead headed to extend bloom but at some point let the beautiful seed pods develop and let them ripen on the plant.
Poppies will reseed and you may have lots of little poppy seedlings for years to come.
If they are happy, they will colonize in your garden. It is wonderful when plants colonize! Other plants do this too!

Come to Vineyard Gardens to find out what other plants reseed and colonize in your garden!

SPRING AT VINEYARD GARDENS

April 18, 2022 Karen Logan

Spring is a very busy and productive time at Vineyard Gardens. Our landscape division crews are already out doing spring clean ups. Our in-house production is busy planting bulbs, liners, bare root perennials, roses, trees and shrubs. The nursery is in full swing unloading truck full of plants from New Jersey, Virginia and Oregon. And the early spring flowers, like pansies and pieris japonica, are in their full bloom glory.

We also just put the poppy’s and primulas outside to harden off and we have our usual beautiful crop of 5” perennials. It is an exciting time of year!

We recycle. sterilizing plastic growing containers and trays

Labeling is critical from day one! As plants are potted up, each one has to be accurately labeled.

Getting strawberries started early is important for this season's production. We give them a jump start but you should be planting them out as soon as we're 'frost-free'.

In the Fall, any bulbs left unsold get potted up and forced for Spring color.

We have become well known for our well grown Delphiniums. Here they are early in the season

Growing on 4in perennials, its economical to buy your perennials early in smaller sizes. better for the plants too!

Our Landscape Division are already out there doing Spring Cleanups, if you haven't set yours up yet, call the office today!

Pansies are in full color at the nursery!

SMALL FRUITS & FRUIT TREES

April 13, 2022 Karen Logan

SMALL FRUITS & FRUIT TREES

Spring is the best time to prune your fruit trees, grapes, raspberries and blackberries! It is also the best time to plant small fruits and fruit trees!

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CHECK OUT OUR PAST BLOG: Bare Root Strawberries & Growing Early Spring Edibles

IN STOCK AT VINEYARD GARDENS:

Bare root strawberries just came in
Strawberries
Raspberries & golden raspberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Fruit trees (many kinds)

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STRAWBERRIES

Spring is the season to plant strawberries. There is a small window of time to plant them, especially bare root ones. Strawberries can be grown in garden beds, containers or hanging baskets. Strawberry flowers attract honeybees and butterflies who pollinate the flowers and ensure fruiting success. This year we are carrying 4 potted varieties, 3 bare root varieties plus the alpine strawberries Fragaria vesca.

Our bare root strawberries just came in yesterday! The bare root varieties are Sure Crop, Cardinal and Ozark Beauty. Sure Crop and Cardinal are June bearing and Ozark Beauty variety is an Everbearing.
Planting Bare Root Strawberries
- Bare root strawberries come in bundles of 15.
- Gently pull them apart, pulling on the foliage to separate them
- Then plant them into rich well drained soil and watch them grow
The 3” potted strawberries we have are the June bearing Honeoye variety and for the everbearing strawberries we have the All Star, Ft. Laramie and Quinalt varieties. Honeoye bears heavy yields of large fruit with a rich color.
Growing Strawberries
- Provide well drained soil with medium moisture. Amend beds in spring and fall with quality Coast of Maine Lobster Compost or Fafard Premium Compost (we carry both!).
- Strawberries are heavy feeders- feed with organic fertilizer from spring to mid summer.
- Mulch beds to retain moisture, keep down the weeds and to create a nice clean place for the strawberry fruits to lay on.
- Thin beds every few years, favoring the strongest runners.

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BLUEBERRIES

We have a wonderful selection of early, mid season and late variety Blueberries. Now is the time to get them in the ground!

This year, for the first time ever, we brought in some bare root blueberries. We have 2 cultivars available bare root, Jersey and Northland.
For blueberries, we recommend planting an early bearing variety, a mid season variety and a late season variety to extend your blueberry picking season.
Blueberries must be planted in early spring!!

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GRAPES, PEACHES & FRUIT TREES

GRAPES: Grapes should be pruned as soon as possible on cool days. If pruned much later they will “bleed” sap, much like a maple tree when its tapped for making maple syrup. Pruning for grapes and most fruit trees involves limiting the number of fruits produced as the tree or vine will try to make many more fruits than the tree has the energy to fully mature. Often excess fruits will fall off and the ones remaining may be smaller than on a tree properly pruned. This is also the best time to plant grapes!

PEACHES: One of the most important sprays for peaches is a lime sulfur mixture to prevent peach leaf curl, a very common disease of peaches. As the name describes, the leaves turn red, bumpy, curl up and then most of the leaves fall off weakening the tree just when it needs the most energy to produce fruit. This is an organic spray and should be done before the leaves begin to emerge.
FRUIT TREES: We carry apple, pear, cherry, peach and plum trees .Spring is the great time to plant them!
- Pruning apple trees: When you are done pruning an apple tree there is usually more on the ground then left on the tree.

JOIN US THIS SATURDAY MORNING

GARDEN WORKSHOP

COOL WEATHER ANNUALS

COOL WEATHER HARDY ANNUALS

CENTAUREA ‘CORN FLOWER’ & LADYBIRD POPPIES

MAGNOLIA MAY

30% OFF MAGNOLIA STELLATA ‘Magnolia Royal Star’

TIMING IS KEY IN GARDENING! DON’T WAIT TO GET STARTED!

DELPHINIUMS

GROWING DELPHINIUMS

JOIN US THIS SATURDAY MORNING

GARDEN WORKSHOP

SMALL FRUITS

HERBS

Now is the time to plant some herbs! Come check out our herb house & herb garden.

PERENNIAL HERBS

Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Chives & Tarragon

SAGE

CHIVES

THYME

LAVENDER

TIMING IS KEY IN GARDENING! DON’T WAIT TO GET STARTED!

SERVICEBERRY (SHAD TREES)

Amelanchier ×grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’

Attract more wildlife to your garden with native berry producing shrubs like Serviceberry!

VALUABLE SHRUB FOR WILDLIFE

Serviceberries are a valuable shrub for wildlife. One of the earliest blooming shrubs in spring, Serviceberries burst into bloom typically in April, making it an essential early spring food source for pollinators.

GROWING & CARE

ATTRIBUTES

JOIN US THIS SATURDAY MORNING

GARDEN WORKSHOP

SEED SOWING

GROWING EARLY SPRING EDIBLES

SMALL FRUITS & FRUIT TREES

All these should be planted very soon!

STRAWBERRIES

This year we are carrying 4 cultivars of strawberries

Growing potted Strawberries

BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries must be planted in early spring!!

GRAPES & FRUIT TREES

ASPARAGUS & POTATOES

GREENS & COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

Grow your own Greens

COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

TIMING IS KEY IN GARDENING! DON’T WAIT TO GET STARTED!

POPPIES ARE MY SPRING FAVORITE!

Poppies like a rich, well drained soil in full sun. Deer Resistant!!

PAPAVER ORIENTALIS/ORIENTAL POPPIES

Make sure to mark the spot so that you don’t disturb the sleeping poppy!

PAPAVER NUDICAULE/ICELAND POPPIES

Iceland Poppies are blooming now!

ANNUAL POPPIES

This year we are growing:

Ready to be planted now!

GROWING & CARE

Come to Vineyard Gardens to find out what other plants reseed and colonize in your garden!

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Join us Saturday Morning

GARDEN WORKSHOP

EARLY SPRING PRUNING

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GREENS & COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

GROW YOUR OWN GREENS

COOL WEATHER VEGGIES

EAT LOCAL, GROW IT IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD!

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ORNAMENTAL CHERRIES, JAPANESE APRICOTS & SPRING FLOWERING TREES

English Daisies

(Bellis perennis)

ORIGIN

FAMILY

AN EARLY SEASON PLANT

Many plants like the English Daisies, the Forget Me Nots and the Poppies are only available early in the season!

WHERE TO PLANT

Remember spring is the best time to plant English Daisies!

HAPPY GARDENING!

APRIL GARDENING TIPS

CLEANING AND SHARPENING YOUR TOOLS

LAWN CARE

30% OFF
MAGNOLIA STELLATA ‘Magnolia Royal Star’