Pumpkin Planting 101

1. Find a great pumpkin, ours happen to be grown especially for us by Scott Goodpasture of Pioneer Farms here in Fallon - Many of you probably know him, he is the one that sits on the side of the road selling the "Fallon Grown -Hearts of Gold Melons" all summer.  He is also the one that grew us our GIANT pumpkin this year that is on display at the nursery. Guess the Weight Contest is going on now! Stop by and put in your entry, NO purchase necessary, and......you could win a $50.00 Gift Certificate from The Flower Tree Nursery!!!!!  We will draw the winner on Saturday, October 29th at 3pm.

2. cut off the top, CAREFULLY  (yes, that is a bandage on her hand....from an earlier practice planting)

3. scoop out all the goodies...and SAVE THEM. These happen to be going to Rose's worm bin since she had first dibs, and a bandage to prove her worthiness.

4. Pick out some flowers, (we used mums and pansies) then walk the nursery and the display garden back on the river with a pair of pruners to get all the extras that will fill out the arrangement and VIOLA! you have a beautiful and inexpensive piece  for the front porch or even Thanksgiving table.(these averaged $8.00 INCLUDING THE PUMPKIN)  We clipped cattails from the pond, Virginia creeper that was climbing up the pole behind us, dried lambs ears and even some cabbage leaves from the back veggie garden....you get it..... anything else that pulled at our creative spirits.

and if you are ever so lucky, as we are.....you have a special helper named Harriet

 

One of the many gardeners that stopped by to make their own creation. Korena with our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture - www.mewaldtorganics.com ) here in Fallon - The Garden Goddess

Rose with her creative centerpiece

a great time - had by ALL!

 

Peony time

I am a lucky, lucky gardening girl. People bring me things all the time and my garden is the recipient of many new varieties of plants that I may not have otherwise. Yesterday one of our favorite Flower Tree fans, Janice M., brought by some pink peonies that she had just divided. Her garden is overwhelmingly beautiful and she has been on our sponsored garden tour many times. Rose thought I had a bag full of dead roots to take home, so I opened it up further and showed her where the peony starts were coming off the roots. Gave her one to take home also, (that is what gardening is all about) and took the rest home to my own garden.

On the way to the spot I have picked out in my Moon Garden to plant the peonies, I had to stop and take a picture of this magnificent rose. I planted it from a little 1 gallon pot this last spring. It is now almost 8' high and stretching all over the trellis. It has been in bloom for about 5 months now. Wow oh wow, this was a great find. (Fourth of July - climber)

Staghorn sumac starting to put on it's fall dress for the party

One thing peonies like is especially rich, composted - well drained soil. From adding cocoa mulch to these beds the last couple years this spot should be perfect. Morning sun, afternoon shade. They are all planted and tucked in for winter. I can't wait to see what sprouts in the Spring. 

Well of course I had my ever faithful gardening buddy to assist........Chopper

 This is the color that Janice has told me to expect come Springtime, ahhhhhh

See you in the garden soon, Susan
Peony Fact Sheet

My garden visitor

Isn't she beautiful - guess she loves the zinnias as much as I do. Can't wait for the 100's of babies she will leave for next spring.

Rise and Shine, It's Gardening Time!

A day in the garden today. The sun is shining, temperatures couldn't be more perfect, no wind and the best part- no place I need to be - perfect! Started out with some journaling about this weekend, it's the 11th Anniversary of Bob and I owning The Flower Tree and I kept finding myself getting up from my chair, coffee cup in hand, and walking around the garden. It's very hard to put into words the feelings that I have about these last 11 years, how do you sum up the joy of doing what you love, with people that you love even more, and capture the magnitude of it all.....so we will start in my own garden first.









My pumpkin patch that I didn't plant. Love it when things just sprout up from the wine barrels where I drop my kitchen compost all winter. I have four barrels in the side yard and while I plant them with flowers, sometimes things just come out on their own. Lovely - just wish all these blossoms had time to produce, but we know a frost is just around the bend. 

aghhhh, THRIPS have invaded my David Austin rose in the back garden. Not a whole lot to do this time of year, will have to put some organic controls on them in the spring.

The tomato plants are HUGE this year. I will be covering all these plants with frost cloth soon. Don't want to miss a one of the hundreds that are still green on the vine.
 

 The rose tree out front. First time I have tried a rose TREE, we usually don't even bring them into the nursery, but we fell in love with them when they had a mistake shipment on the truck that was delivering our Weeks Roses so we kept 30 of them. I think we all took at least one home. I planted mine in the ground and it is COVERED with new growth, just hope I get to see them bloom before the frost.

 well OF COURSE I have things to plant today

 $12.00 bone from Scraps in Reno that he won't touch .....

 .50 one from Safeway.......guess I didn't raise a vegetarian dog....

 prune off the suckers - or you could spend $28.99 for a spray that will keep them from coming back. Me, I prefer the couple minutes of pruning

 and when the little ones won't work....watch out dead stuff - your coming down!

 yeah, I know, what was I thinking????? I forced this squash???? (another compost freebie that sprouted itself in the herb garden) in between the trellis, if I flipped the picture it might make a good Halloween story - arrow through the head and all......

 the back rose garden.....so totally neglected this year because of the shoulder issue ... all pruned up now though and it doesn't seem to have minded - all except for the thrips :{

Enjoy your day, I know I am.......

Lucky Purchase for Linda

Sometimes, if you are lucky, you get a LOT more than you paid for. We sold a beautiful wrought iron arch today that came with a nice little surprise bonus. Rose and I had moved this arch on Saturday from where it was tucked into the Jeepers Creeper white rose garden up by our large fountain. On Sunday morning one of our first customers of the day walked in and saw it and wanted it immediately. What she, nor I knew, until we started to take it apart was that she was getting the extra added bonus of 5 beautiful Praying Mantis egg sacks with it. We showed her what they were and explained that they would hatch in the Spring. Other customers there at the time were glad to see them also, as they had been destroying them thinking they were wasp nests. So check out the pictures, and look for these in your own garden. If you find one, or maybe you will be lucky to find 5, just leave them alone. In the spring out will come possibly 100's of baby praying mantis, the most
natural bad bug predator you could hope for. Praying Mantis research

Land of Lucia

 

It’s always a treat when touring “Lucia Land”. From the moment you enter her house you are transported back in time to when life was a little, make that a lot simpler, and memories flood you at every corner. Lucia, like a lot of us girls, loves vintage – and she has absolutely mastered the art of mixing it in with the rest of today’s world. I find myself taking just a little more time when walking through her rooms just so I don’t miss anything. The collection of Bauer and McCoy pottery that fills a bookshelf filled with other childhood favorites. The breakfront overflowing with dishes and serving pieces that you are sure once graced the homes of most of us in the 60’s, and the mosaic pieces that she has created over the years from pieces of pottery that represent every state of the union. Her home allows you to step back in time while still being treated to all the comforts and technology that makes life easier and more comfortable today. Then you venture into her office – and it is hard to call it an office, more of an art room since that is what she does for a living when she is not helping us to create the most fabulous displays at the stores. She is a multi-published author/illustrator of children’s books for Scholastic and others, and it is in that room that you understand where a lot of her creativity and wonderment evolves from.  Lucia LOVES Disneyland, and this room is filled with her collection of memorabilia to that children’s play land as well as her grandmothers doll collection that she has lovingly preserved and a collection of  Golden  Books that would rival even the best antique book shop. But we are not here to see the treasures in the inside of her home; it is her garden we have gathered for…….let’s head outside…….

Rose, Sooz and Lucia stop to admire the fountain she designed

Yes, ferns will grow in Fallon, NV - and thrive. They just need shade in the afternoon and an acid soil mulched in every once and awhile

Michelle, Korena and Doris admiring the "Alpine" garden that Lucia created to remind her of her favorite places to hike - the forest.

hammered aluminum happens to be one of my collecting obsessions!!! so to see a piece here that was transformed into a piece of art for the garden was pretty inspiring. Sorry Lucia, I will be copying this once - or twice .....

the girls, mingling through the rose garden

an old gate is re purposed into an art piece to lead you further into the rose garden

Sooz has to get just a little closer to the roses...

we all....love our sunflowers

the garden shed

Lucia and Bill raise a family ....or two... of goats

the poser

Thank you Lucia, for the E ticket ride of "LuciaLand"

Playing at Red Zinnia

I GOT TO PLAY AT RED ZINNIA TODAY!!! Now that the season is slowing down a little at the nursery I get to rotate into the schedule at the Zin once and awhile. I am ALWAYS amazed at the displays that Lucia and Vivienne create, it is such a joy to step through the door. For me, it is back to the garden tomorrow, but stop in at Red Zin, they would love to see you, and I think you will enjoy what's in store.....for you there. See you soon, Susan

fun, fun, fun - I was the one who got to unpack all the new fall and winter scarves from Tickled Pink today, sorry...this set is going home with me!

Lots and lots...of new jewelry is now finding its way to the store ...

Don't know which is prettier, the artwork, or the beautiful displays that Lucia creates with it

Everyone ......has someone that would love this book!

yep - perfect gift for those little grand babies, the new version of Boogie Monster, complete with CD

ahhhhhhhh  Fall is in the air, new colors and fun accessories are arriving almost daily

always fighting him about where he left the hammer?  you probably won't be if you use this one!

new cookbooks and supplies 

oh, and OF COURSE, the best selection of wine..

and beer.......around!

stop by, sit and relax for a little while, we would love to see you!

New beauties in the garden

These bloom in the WINTER, even in Fallon. Ask Jaime about these beauties, she has had wonderful luck with them in her own garden. Everything you always wanted to know about hellebores

New aster variety, "Blue Henry"

My own personal favorites for this year, Agastache!!! I am sitting RIGHT NOW watching the hummingbirds out the window on the ones I planted in wine barrels. They love it! and we got three more colors in today - pink , purple , and the brighter orange than I have. Hardy to 0, I will protect these in the winter with extra mulch.

Sunrise....Sunset

 Sunrise, the morning of the Harvest Moon

Sunset....and the rise of the Harvest Moon

Sooz's Garden of Roses

On a recent lovely summer evening, the Flower Tree/Red Zinnia Family Garden Tour took us west of town to the open countryside off Pioneer Way. Sooz's garden is a lot like her, amazing, eclectic and beautiful. Winding turns every few feet took us deeper and deeper into the heavily scented garden of roses and colorful perennial beds that surround her house. I lost count after a hundred - and try as I might, I couldn't remember many of the names.  There is a reason she is the rosarian for the Flower Tree - she LOVES roses! And with that love has come the passion to spread it to all of us.

 My very first true rose garden was built with her guidance, and strong back fifteen years ago. We dug out and planned what would become the first of many rose beds in my gardens. Follow the pictures below as they lead you further and further into her own gardens. You won't be disappointed, I know we sure weren't.

Lucky for us, Sooz keeps most all the roses tagged.

 

Dainty Bess, couldn't forget the name of this beautiful climber.