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As the weather begins to cool down and we enter the first few days of fall, it may feel like the garden is ready to bed down and go to sleep until next spring. (same!) But this seemingly sleepy season is actually a key growing time of the year. In the fall and early winter, we have a period of time before the ground fully freezes, which contains ample opportunity to get our fall plantings squared away. This is a great time to get your fall trees and perennials in the ground, and the perfect opportunity to plant your bulbs, cold stratification- desiring flower seeds, and wildflower mixes for early spring blooms!  Below is a guide for sowing annual, perennial, and wildflower seed mixes directly into your garden this fall for early spring blooms. We’ll discuss cold stratification, why it is necessary in order for some seed species to germinate, and how, sometimes, nature just does it best. We’ll look at how to select seed varieties to sow in your garden including what varieties Painters Greenhouse has to offer! And last, a step-by-step how-to guide on sowing your flower seeds; when, where, how, and why to sow seeds in the fall.  If you’ve spent enough time around plants (or gardeners), you’ve probably come across the term stratification or stratifying seeds. Many annual and perennial seeds are in a state of dormancy to prevent germination until the conditions are just right. Stratification is the natural or artificial process in which variations in temperature, moisture, and light break a seed’s dormancy. After which, the seed is ready to germinate if favorable conditions are met.  There are two main ways to stratify seeds: one is “artificial,” i.e., mimicking cold, wet conditions in your refrigerator in a moist seed starting medium. The other is letting the elements take the wheel, and directly sowing your cold-stratification desiring seeds outdoors. In this post, we’ll be looking at the second method: cold/wet stratification via nature. We’ll guide you in sowing annual, perennial, and flower seed mixes outdoors this fall, so we can let Mother Nature do her thing to bring you early blooming flowers in the spring!  What should you choose? And how does one know which seeds need to be stratified? Checking out your seed packets is a great place to start. Typically, most seed packets will say in their seeding instructions if the seeds within benefit from stratification, along with information on planting depth and time of year to sow.  We have a great selection of seed packets from local business Sow True Seeds currently in stock that benefit from cold stratification (see photo below).  Some annual and perennial seed varieties that we carry that benefit from cold, wet stratification are Butterfly Milkweed  Asclepias tuberosa , Bee Balm 'Lemon Mint' Monarda citriodora , Lanceleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria , Dianthus 'Sweet William' Dianthus barbatus , Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea , Lupine 'Russell Mix' Lupinus polyphyllus , Rudbeckia 'Gloriosa Daisy' Rudbeckia hirta , and Oriental Poppy Papaver orientale .  Note: Sow True Seeds also has a great list  and an excellent blog on their website, which answers specific questions about the varieties they carry. If you find yourself having additional questions, their website is a great place to do further research.  Some other varieties which may readily self-sow and stratify in your gardens are columbines, snapdragons, marigolds, milkweed, echinacea, goldenrod, and Joe Pye weed, to name just a few. If you’ve purchased nursery-grown annuals and perennials and planted them in your gardens this year, you may be surprised to see that they have broadcasted seed this fall and sown little volunteers you’ll find next spring (or the spring after!) If you can't choose just one, seed mixes are great options for buffing up spaces between planted perennials in your garden or starting wildflower meadow patches in your yard. Seed mixes can serve a variety of purposes beyond simply aesthetic reasons. They can be used as pollinator and bird food, habitat, erosion control, native plant propagation, and more. Some of the seeds mentioned above and in the mixes at Painters have species that will poke their heads up next spring, and others may not appear until the fall or spring after. Adding seeds to the garden is a great way to sow for the future, and it can be really fun to see what pops up in following years.  We currently offer the following mixes in our checkout building: “Bee Feed” , “Monarch Butterfly” , “Southeast Native Mix” , and “Hummingbird, Butterfly, Songbird” .  When I first started my garden two years ago, I planted a variety of perennials and filled in the spaces with seed mixes and a hodgepodge of random annual and perennial seeds. Being the chaos gardener that I am, I wrote nothing down and am delightedly surprised with what has come up each year. I’ll find a monarda that I don’t remember planting, and in the fall, I have a bank of asters that will pop up, along with tons of little celosia starts that self-seeded from their mother plants the previous year.  A close-up of an area of my garden where I scattered a wildflower seed mix to fill in gaps. The poppy, allysum, phlox and coreopsis are all from seed. If you’re okay with some surprises, you can always sow and go, but if you’d like a little more structure to your process, labeling, taking notes, or starting seeds in a “nursery” patch in your yard and then transplanting them to your main garden may make the process a little more organized.  Now that you have your seeds picked out that you want to try to stratify outdoors this winter, what’s next? The best time to fall sow cool-season seeds is after your first hard frost  and before the ground completely freezes . You could even time your fall bulb planting with your seed sowing! Where should you sow your seeds? Your site can be a recently cleared patch of earth that you want to fill with some spring beauty, it could be an area that was disturbed by the hurricane last year that you would like to remediate and start building soil back up, it could be little areas between shrubs or other plantings in your gardens, it’s up to you and your seeds! Key things to look for when choosing a site are sunlight, soil composition, and drainage. Most plants appreciate a sunny spot with sharp-draining soil, but always double-check the preferences of seeds you're planting for the best success.  How should you prepare your site? Rake or till the area you’d like to sow your seeds. You can use this time as an opportunity to add a little mushroom compost or soil mix of your choosing (especially if you have a lot of clay or fill dirt like I do), but you don't have to! You can use what’s already in the garden, just be sure to loosen up the soil before you plant. There are a few different ways you can sow your seeds. You can mix them with a little bit of builder’s sand so that you can see where you’ve already broadcast and make sure you hit all areas of your sowing space. Or, you could mix your seeds with a little bit of the preexisting soil (they just may be difficult to see where you’ve sown), or you can just sow your seeds as they are, scattering them where you’d like them to grow. With bigger seeds, I like to poke them into the earth. The rule of thumb is to plant your seed as deep as the seed’s width. With small seeds, I’ll scatter them in the area of my choosing, and then scatter a little bit of vermiculite on top. This helps me see where I’ve planted them, and it helps cover the seeds a little bit so they stick and don’t get swept or washed away as easily, and the vermiculite allows light to reach them. Don’t forget to water your seeds in! And try to keep your seeded site moist until winter is fully upon us. Here is a great video with visuals and a step-by-step guide that’s worth watching:  This is an area of the garden that I had freshly planted with nursery-grown perennials and wanted to fill the spaces in between economically. I scattered a wildflower seed mix, kept them watered, and let nature do the rest! This is the same area of the garden from the photo above! The gaps between my nursery-grown perennials are filled with coreopsis, celosia, alyssum, poppies, and phlox, all grown from seed!  Some considerations to keep in mind when sowing seeds in the fall: Watch for super heavy rains, birds and mice, and other natural forces sweeping away your precious seeds before they’ve had a chance to grow. Not all of the seeds listed on your seed mix packet may bloom in the first, second, or even third year. Be mindful not to weed out tender new growth in the spring when you’re clearing away leaves and weeds. Labeling or keeping a garden journal can help identify seedlings from weeds.  Hopefully, you’re feeling more prepared to add fall seed sowing to your list of garden chores! Starting seeds in the fall and overwintering them outdoors in the natural elements can be an economical way to start a wildflower patch, fill in a pre-existing garden or experiment with seed mixes and see what likes growing in your garden. A little bit of time and a few dollars investment can be well worth the blooms that ensue, and you’ll have flowers and plants earlier in the season than you would if you were waiting to sow your seeds after the last frost! Most importantly, have fun with it! Enjoy the experiment of it all trusting Mother Nature to do her thing. Be proud of your hard work and dedication to your garden, and may you have many happy spring blooms in your future!

Bulb Basics: Q&A with Painters Greenhouse manager, Betsy Hey Betsy, I hear this is the time to plant bulbs. If you've never done bulbs before, they seem a little intimidating. What reassurance can you offer to newbies? Bulbs are so easy! You're just sending your future self a little garden present that will pop up just when you need it after the cold winter months. Planting is basic even though you'll find a plethora of online opinions on precise planting methods. Prevailing wisdom, both online and in our experience: bulbs are hard to mess up. Everyone says to make sure the pointy end is facing up, but honestly, even if you don't do that, the flowers figure out very quickly where the sun is and grow in the right direction. Unless they get too wet or a squirrel eats them, you'll have blooms coming up in the spring. Snowdrops, Muscari, Crocus (Top to bottom) Which are the earliest bloomers? Snowdrops, Muscari (Grape Hyacinth), Crocus. They're such a happy little surprise when they pop out of the ground. Just all of the sudden, there they are. Have you taken any home yet? Well, so far, I've planned on the 'Mount Hood' Narcissus, the 'Dark Eyes' Muscari and the Bluebells because they are all juglone tolerant. I have a lot of Black Walnut to contend with so these are great for my garden. I've had a customer who swears by daffodils as vole repellers, and he simply drops a bulb in any vole hole in his yard. There's equal support and debunking of this idea online, but I'm willing to give it a go this year since I've got voles everywhere. When are you going to put them in the ground? The rules generally are to plant bulbs when the average nighttime temperature is between 40° and 50° F. (In most areas, this is usually 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes .) But if we're being honest, I might get them in after this last round of heat or--even more likely --late October into November. I've planted bulbs as late as T hanksgiving and into December when the temps were already pretty low and still had a great result in the spring. All of my ninebarks and viburnums that I've purchased should go in the ground first! The bulbs will be perfectly content in their bags inside the house for a couple more weeks which will let the soil temps cool a bit as well.  What's the best method you've heard of to arrange the narcissus? I'll steal this story from another crew member who knows someone who would toss the bulbs over her shoulder and plant them wherever they landed. I love this method because it will create a great naturalized look without overthinking it.  How about for tulips? Tulips have a very cultivated look about them anyway, so they look fantastic in any thoughtful pattern or design. They look great in a group, in a line, tall ones at the back, short ones at the front, mixing up the heights in a deliberate way . . . there are no rules other than what looks good to the beholder! We have a great variety of colors so you can really get creative and artistic with your presentations. (Our team member Cindy planted a gorgeous mix of a butter yellow and a deep maroon/black last year - the contrast was stunning!) Are there any challenges for these bulbs? The challenge you see for tulips is competition with deer, squirrels and voles. If you don't have a vole problem, you can simply put down a stretch of chicken wire over the bulbs just under the soil surface so deer and squirrels can't get to them. If you do have voles, you can line the holes with sharper rocks or even make a little chicken wire cage around your bulb area. The tulips won't be deterred by either solution, but the voles probably will. The most significant challenge for any of the bulbs we have this year will be if the conditions got too wet for them. Past that, the narcissus in particular really have no problems and should thrive in sun or even part shade.   Are any of these bulbs particularly special to you? Have you ever seen Bluebells en masse in a woodland setting? They are drive-off-the-road-because-you-can't-stop-looking-at-them stunning! They make the most beautiful carpet of these dainty nodding blue flowers. They'll bloom for about three weeks and go dormant in the summer, but they're so worth the minimal planting effort. They spread well too, so you can get a lot out of one planting.  Overall, bulbs are definitely worth a try if you've never done them before, and in some instances, you'll get more plants for less money this way. At Painters this fall, we also have alliums, irises, and fritillaries that will do great when planted now and given time to root over the winter. You have plenty of time to plant them, but not much time to buy them from us since we're only open for 4 more weeks and customers have already taken note! Below is a list of what we have, but keep in mind they're going fast. Mertensia, Virginia Bluebell

Possumhaw Viburnum - Viburnum nudum This is a highly adaptable shrub that tolerates a large range of light conditions and soil conditions - making this shrub hard to beat! Clusters of aromatic white flowers attract pollinators (butterflies, bees, etc) in early summer. It's also a host plant for the Spring Azure Butterfly and Hummingbird Clearwing Moths. When summer gives way to fall, the flowers turn to setting fruit and are often found in an array of pinks, blues, and purples in the same clusters! The ripe, dark purple fruit are eaten by songbirds, grouse, wild turkeys and squirrel...and did you know the fruit is also safe for humans to consume? The fruits are acidic, but indeed edible, and this explains the other common name -"Wild Raisin." Viburnums benefit from being planted in groups to promote cross-pollination, which will enhance the fruit set. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a stunning dark red in the fall! This is a great planting option if you're looking for a native plant that benefits wildlife and can tolerate wet soil and areas prone to flood, while also being tolerant to heat, drought, insects, and disease! We can't think of a more carefree shrub! • USDA Growing Zones: 5-9 • Bloom Time: May, June, July • Height: 6-12 feet • Spread: 6-12 feet • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade • Soil Needs: Prefers moist, acidic soils, but can also tolerate drought once established

Birds of Paradise are large, relatively easy to grow plants that lend a bold tropical flair to any indoor space. With proper care, a bird of paradise can grow to over six feet tall indoors, and if given the right conditions can produce beautiful, ornate flowers. The trick to successful growth indoors is bright light with direct sun, regular watering, and warmth. Learn more about caring for this statement-making houseplant below! CARE Light: Bright, indirect light to full sun (though be sure to acclimate it slowly to prevent leaf burn). The plant will need some direct sun if you want it to bloom, but avoid midday sun which is the harshest. If it has grown in a less well lit spot previously, be careful to expose it to full sun bit by bit so it won’t burn. Should you move it outdoors for the summer, place it in partial shade first and edge it out into the sun gradually. Soil: A rich, well-draining soil that still retains some moisture, and be sure your container has proper drainage. Because the bird of paradise enjoys well-drained, humus-rich soil, an organic potting mix should work well. Water: Keep the soil moist in spring and summer during the growing season - the plant may require water every 1-2 days, but allow the soil to dry between waterings in the dormant fall and winter months. If overwatered, the plant will develop crunchy brown leaves. If underwatered, the leaves farthest from the center will turn yellow. Temperature and Humidity: These plants love humidity and can benefit from a humidifier or pebble tray. Keep your Bird of Paradise in temperatures above 60 degrees. Fertilizer: Fertilize every 1-2 weeks with an all-purpose liquid fertilizer diluted to half its recommended strength during the spring/summer. Pet Safe: No (though most cats don't seem to be tempted to chew it due to the very large upright leaves) Care: Easy TIPS AND TRICKS Pruning - Even if the leaves look a bit misshapen, refrain from cutting off those that aren’t diseased or dead. A large and fully foliated plant is more likely to bloom than a puny and pruned one. Flowers - Bird of Paradise typically flowers in the late winter or early spring. Plants do not flower until 3-5 years. Birds of paradise flowers last for about three weeks before dropping their petals and dying. To encourage your bird of paradise to bloom, keep it slightly pot bound (frequent repotting can disrupt the bloom cycle), make sure its getting 6+ hours of bright light. Repotting - Repot your Bird of Paradise plant regularly in the first few years, as it grows vigorously, but once it has reached maturity (3-5 years) allow the plant to become slightly root bound (a 5' to 6' plant usually thrives in a 14" pot). When repotting be sure to place the top of the rootball even with the surface of the soil (planting too deep can prevent blooming). Check out our current plant availability list to see sizing and pricing available at Painters Greenhouse!

What is the goal of restorative planting? The goal with restoration planting is to return an area to a state as close as possible to its pre-disturbed condition, thereby restoring an ecological balance by re-establishing the native flora and fauna. Many of us face significant damage to our properties from Hurricane Helene, including our home gardens as well as natural fields and woods. Thankfully, there are many fabulous folks in WNC dedicated to reforestation and replanting (looking at you, Asheville Greenworks!). While some aspects of restoration are easier and more successful in warmer months, there is plenty you can do in the winter to start healing damaged natural landscapes. Below, we’ve summarized a few key steps involved in beginning restoration.  Site Assessment: WNC has sustained massive loss of trees, loss of riparian borders (shrubs, trees and undergrowth along stream banks), and loss of plants of all kinds due to flooding washing them away or burying them in silt. In order to know how to begin your restoration work, you need to first assess your needs - do you have one type of habitat or several in need of restoration? Your sun exposure, soil type, typical moisture levels, slope, and elevation (as well as flood plain potential) should be considered along with what the habitat looked like prior to the damage. Invasive Species Removal Removal of invasives prior to planting for habitat restoration will greatly increase your chances of success. Chemical control will give you a clean slate to work with and lead to a much healthier habitat long-term. Why not kill back those invasives via solarization (plastic sheeting) instead, you ask? First of all, you'd need to do this in the hottest months of the year, but secondly, you may be sterilizing your soil and adding microplastics to the environment . Herbicides such as glyphosate have a bad rap primarily because of widespread agricultural and industrial use, but herbicides have a fraction of the lifespan of plastic, and can be applied safely when following proper methods, making residential use statistically pretty innocuous. For a more in-depth look, check out this article explaining the argument for glyphosate prep during habitat restoration, including specific guidelines on proper use (note the minimum temperatures needed for application - best done in spring and fall). From early to late winter, invasive species removal is challenging - it's too cold for chemical or solar removal, and hand removal is limited to items that are still visible after freezes. For larger areas, it may be best to wait till spring to plant. That said, many of us have thick layers of sandy silt deposited from the storm, which may successfully smother many of the existing invasives. Soil Preparation While many native species are exceptionally tough plants, they still do abide by the ‘right plant for the right place’ motto. If your soils have been greatly altered by flooding or wash-out, then you may need to amend them. Very few species will grow well in nothing but sand and/or rock, so adding some topsoil and compost to areas left in this condition is pretty essential for imminent planting - especially sowing seeds . If you want to start with planting some native shrubs and trees, you can dig large holes and add top soil and organic matter, then work on longer term solutions to prepare the rest of the sterile area for future planting. Big picture, you will need to mix in or top off the sandy/rocky substrate with a lot of organic material for both water retention and nutrients. If you have soil that is mostly clay or sand, an affordable option to add more organic material is a thick bed of straw (composts quickly, will grow almost anything) or leaf mold (ideally partially composted and chopped into smaller pieces). You will need to continue adding organic matter to grow your soil, gradually improving aeration, water retention and drainage, and nutrition. Planting What species are best for your needs? You may have multiple types of sites that you intend to replant with different sun exposures, moisture levels, and soil types - this is why it’s important to do a thorough assessment of your space before choosing your plants. Below, we highlight three options for planting. Whatever methods you choose, make sure you water your items in thoroughly after planting regardless of dormancy/cool weather. Sowing - It's best to sow perennial seed mixes in fall/early winter after a couple killing frosts... which we've certainly had. Ideally, you should clear the debris (rake it off the soil surface), add a layer of compost for a boost, then sprinkle your seeds and cover with a thin layer of straw. For the best success, consider an herbicidal treatment first (as referenced above). Click here for more tips on sowing. Live Stakes - These are dormant cuttings from woody plants that do best planted during the cold months. Because success is not ensured for every stake, it's recommended to plant them en masse. Click here to learn about how easy it is to plant live stakes, and even how to make your own! This is a very affordable way to get native shrubs and trees started, and is especially important for restoring stream bank habitat and preventing erosion from future high waters. Transplanting - This is best done before the ground gets too cold, but we will have a select number of native shrubs and trees that are extra tough if you want to get a few in the ground that already have established root systems. Planting Notes for Success on Hillsides Use the "well technique" to aid with watering larger plants - create a divot in the bank below the plant with a berm of soil to form a water-retaining pocket Plant shrubs so they are upright, smaller plants at the same angle as the ground Plant live stakes in a diamond pattern approximately 2-3' apart To reduce erosion, pin down coconut fiber matting and cut holes to plant through Management Don't forget this step! You will need to monitor your space for aggressive weeds, appropriate moisture, and overall health throughout the seasons, even if this is intended as a low-to-no-maintenance restoration. The more loving attention you give the area in the first year, the better it will succeed! Further Reading Click here for an excellent, detailed powerpoint on steam bank repair from NC State for thorough guidance on many of the above steps! The losses to our region have been overwhelming, and this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to restoration. (We could dive much deeper into each step mentioned above, and likely will in later posts.) Recovery will take time - be patient with yourselves and the plants, and feel good about what you are doing for the environment! Every little bit helps, even if you simply toss some native seeds on a hill or plop a handful of live stakes into a stream bank! We are here for you with the plants you need to restore your land and gardens to full, vibrant health.

You've got questions? We've got answers in spades! If Painters is known for one thing, its our friendly, knowledgeable staff--it's important to us to give extra assistance and guidance where we can, and in an approachable, non-judgmental manner. The team at Painters simply loves plants and are here to share their passion and expertise with you. And it's also so important to us that we are not only providing information, but also cultivating a community of learning. While our team is flexible and cheerful and knowledgeable on so many fronts, we also don’t know it all. So let’s learn together! Our Plant Problem-Solving Q&A is the start of a series highlighting key questions we get through the season. We’ve gathered a variety of staff input to answer your most common questions: Tip #1 - The b est way to start a garden bed! Starting a new garden bed. It can be a daunting task to bite off! But our staff at Painters love to remind folks that there is an easier way! The recipe has two ingredients: cardboard and mulch. Cover the area you want to garden with a solid layer of cardboard (with labels and tape removed), overlapping each piece by several inches, and then cover with several inches of mulch. Do this in the fall for an easy spring-ready garden bed, or do it in late spring/early summer for a bed ready for fall planting. Besides being easy-to-remember directions, the benefits are multiple! It's easy! It's cheap! And it gives you loads of healthy garden soil, ready for planting! First and most obviously, this plan for building beds is clearly low effort. No need to dig everything by hand or hire someone else to do it! It is less expensive because of the low labor costs or sweat equity (especially if your bed was large!) but you also won't have to bring in topsoil or compost to start. But the best advantage is the healthier, better textured soil. While some say that cardboard may inhibit gas exchange or restrict water flow, we've found that soil health is increased due to the bevy of earthworms that are attracted and who help aerate and feed the soil with their castings . Plus the combo of carboard and mulch helps control weeds and keep the soil from drying out quickly. Bonus - you are not removing the topsoil so you retain all those healthy nutrients and microorganisms already there! After 3+ months, grasses and weeds underneath have died, and the cardboard and mulch has combined with these to feed the soil further. When ready to plant, use a sharp spade  to cut holes for your plants and you are on your way to a healthy and happy garden! Tip #2 - S hade-loving plant getting too much sun? Maybe you've recently lost a larger plant or had to do some garden renovations that left your shade loving plants getting too much sun and susceptible to getting burned. Of course, you could always dig it up and try moving it to a shadier location, but if you don’t want to lose all that mature root structure (it will take a while to restore itself after a move) or if you only have a sunny garden, here’s another option recommended by Painters staff: If your garden is full sun, add taller elements to manufacture shade, specifically afternoon sun relief. Small trees, arching shrubs, or even large-reaching plants, like annual salvias, can add height and dimension to a garden, while providing some support for your shade-lovers. A favorite example shown here: even a concrete planter in a sea of hot asphalt in a summertime-parking-lot can support these tender white and purple violas with the larger tree providing some well-needed shade! (and WATER! Don't forget the water! 😊) Tip #3 - Black Walnut Toxicity--what can I plant now? Black walnut, Juglans nigra , is a common tree in our area that also causes gardeners some challenges. The roots, branches and leaves of the black walnut tree release a chemical called juglone into the soil, discouraging the growth of other plants nearby. At Painters we often get questions about what to plant if you have a black walnut tree. And we have a few resources for you! First, you can start by reading our blog outlining what you need to know: And then shopping at Painters, we've tagged our trees and shrubs so you can refine your search with an easy sort. Go to our Tree and Shrub Availability Page and sort by the final column to narrow to juglone tolerant plants. Then you can see exactly what we have in stock for your soil needs! Tip #4 - Clay and Rock: Your Worst Nightmare? Not Anymore! Spear Head Spade at Painters Ask anyone here! The entire Painter's crew is obsessed with their Spear Head Spades! Truly the toughest and most efficient garden tool we've ever used, and a wonderful option for our tough clay and rock-filled soils! The Spear Head Spade garden shovel was designed by 85-year old Daniel Mathieu to easily penetrate tough soils and be lightweight while incredibly durable--anyone will appreciate using them, but it's especially helpful for folks with some aches and pains, bad backs, or other challenges making digging a daunting task. The New Jersey-based company claims their spades make digging 80% easier than the typical garden shovel or spade, and we agree wholeheartedly! We wouldn't do without them! Dana "swears by the shorter spade, as it is small and incredibly light, but also has a lot of leverage due to the shorter length." Tip #5 - What do I do with the aphids on my milkweed? We get this question every year, multiple times a year. And our best advice is to "zoom out!" Try a broader perspective. All garden "pests," including aphids, are a part of the natural life cycle. Look to the myriad of natural predators that are happy to be feeding on this ready supply of snacks! Consider that this burgeoning collection of aphids is not going to kill the milkweed plant--truly they are more unsightly than overtly problematic. You can always squirt them off with a firm jet of water from the hose if you don't want to look at them. But please, please, please do not treat the plant! If you treat the aphids, you will be killing the monarch you are trying to support. Even soaps and organic-friendly pest treatments have the potential to kill the young monarch caterpillars looking to feed on your milkweed. So do what you have to do to look the other way! The monarchs will thank you for it! Thanks for reading and thanks for reaching out! Painters always appreciates hearing from you. Whether you are new to our greenhouse or a year-after-year regular, we always want to help your gardens to grow and thrive! Please stay in touch! Keep sending us your questions on our website:

We have so many shrubs and trees we love for fall color - both due to their foliage as well as berries! Our list includes what makes it special to us as well as growing details to know if it's a fit for your location. TREES Sweet Gum - Liquidambar styraciflua (photo: Yale University) 1) Sweet Gum - Liquidambar styraciflua This native shade tree is a wildlife haven! It also displays a mix of red, orange, yellow, and purple foliage - all at once! USDA Growing Zones: 5-9 Height: 60-75' Spread: 40-50' Sun Exposure: Full Sun Soil Needs: Tolerant of a wide range of conditions: Acidic, clay, drought, loamy, moist, sandy, well drained and wet - Can handle it all! Brandywine Red Maple - Acer rubrum (photo: arborday.org) 2) 'Brandywine' Red Maple - Acer rubrum 'Brandywine' 'Brandywine' is a cross between 'October Glory' and 'Autumn Flame' resulting in a more intense and consistent scarlet fall foliage than any other variety! This variety is also smaller than most maples and makes a great choice for those needing a shade tree on the small side. Painters Greenhouse will also offer 'Autumn Blaze', 'Sun Valley', and 'October Glory' Red Maples during Fall Season - all produce an outstanding display of color, but the below information covers 'Brandywine' only. USDA Growing Zones: 4-8 Height: 35-50' Spread: 25-40' Sun Exposure: Full Sun Soil Preference: Moist, well-drained, acidic soil Black Tupelo - Nyssa sylvatica (photo: arborday.org) 3) Black Gum aka Black Tupelo - Nyssa sylvatica Scarlet red foliage in the fall - named “one of the best and most consistent native trees for fall color” by tree expert Michael Dirr. Bluish-black fruit (drupes) present on female trees in September and October, an important food source for migrating songbirds. The honey produced by bees from Black Gum's flowers is highly sought after - 'Tupelo Honey'! USDA Growing Zones: 4-9 Height: 20-30' in cultivation (40-70' naturalized). Slow growing, only reaching 12-15' in 10 years. Spread: 12-24' in cultivation (20-30' naturalized) Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Adaptable - tolerant to wet soils and makes a good addition to low lying landscape. Prefers moist well-drained soils and can tolerate occassionally dry soils (can be found growing in dry upland forests). Serviceberry - Amelanchier x grandiflora (photo: trees.com) 4) Serviceberry - Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance' Stunning orange to burgundy foliage in autumn. Edible berries are also ready for harvest (by birds and humans) in late summer/early fall. A hybrid between two native serviceberries - Allegheny and Downy. Considered a large shrub or small tree, depending on the number of trunks allowed to grow. The ones available this fall season are tree form. USDA Growing Zones: 3-8 Height: 20-25' Spread: 15-20' Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Ideally moist, well-drained soils, but can be adaptable Bald Cypress - Taxodium distichum (photo: arborday.org) 5) Bald Cypress - Taxodium distichum This native, deciduous conifer's foliage turns a fiery cinnamon/orange color in the fall! USDA Growing Zones: 4-10 Height: 50-70' Spread: 25' Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Bald Cypress is very adaptable and can handle wet or dry conditions, while also withstanding flooding. SHRUBS American Witchhazel - Hamamelis virginiana (photo: arborday.org) 6) American Witchhazel - Hamamelis virginiana A native shrub (or small tree) with fantastic fall color and blooms! Leaves are yellow to yellow-orange in fall and fragrant blooms adorn the shrub October through December. A great fall specimen! USDA Growing Zones: 3-8= Height: 15-30' Spread: 15-25' Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade - prefers a minimum of 4 hrs direct sunlight Soil Needs: A fairly tolerant plant - grows well in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, silty loam and well-drained soils - handles a variety of moisture conditions Red Chokeberry - Aronia arbutifolia (photo:TN Nursery) 7) Red Chokeberry - Aronia arbutifolia A native shrub with orange to bright red fall foliage. Red berries are present in autumn and persist after leaves drop. Berries are enjoyed by birds and mammals, including humans - berries are tart and astringent hence the common name! USDA Growing Zones: 3-9 Height: 6-12' Spread: 3-6' Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Tolerant of wet soils, or soils with occasional flooding. A very adaptable, low maintenance shrub. American Beautyberry - Callicarpa americana (photo: arborday.org) 8) American Beautyberry - Callicarpa americana Produces bright magenta berries in fall and lasting into winter. A very low-maintenance and easy to grow native shrub - berries attract over 40 different bird species! USDA Growing Zones: 5-10 Height: 6-10' Spread: 6-10' Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade - prefers a minimum of 4 hrs direct sunlight Soil Needs: Grows well in acidic, alkaline, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, silt loam and well-drained soils. Drought-tolerant. Oakleaf Hydrangea - Hydrangea quercifolia (photo: NC State Extension) 9) Hydrangea quercifolia - Oakleaf Hydrangea A great native Hydrangea to the southeast - one that can tolerate shade! Large oak leaf shaped foliage turns purple, orange, and burgundy in autumn. After leaves drop, exfoliating, cinnamon colored bark is exposed for winter interest. We will have several varieties available this fall in addition to the straight species: 'Munchkin', 'Pee Wee', 'Ruby Slippers', and 'Snow Queen'. You'll be able to find one that fits your landscape! USDA Growing Zones: 5-9 Height: 4-8' depending on variety Spread: 4-10' depending on variety Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade (does need some sunlight for blooms) Soil Needs: Prefer rich, moist, well-drained soils. Be sure to mulch to help maintain soil moisture. Bluebeard - Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Blue Mist' (photo: Missouri Botanic Gardens) 10) Bluebeard - Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Blue Mist' Stunning powder-blue and periwinkle blooms all along the stems attract butterflies and bees. This long-bloomer will continue until the first frost! Another great feature about this shrub is the aromatic foliage, which also helps deter deer browsing! USDA Growing Zones: 5-8 Height: 2-3' Spread: 2-3' Sun Exposure: Full Sun Soil Needs: Prefers well-drained soil with average to medium moisture. Drought tolerant once established. 'Limelight' Panicle Hydrangea - Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' (Photo: NC State Extension) 11) 'Limelight' Panicle Hydrangea - Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' There are several varieties of Panicle Hydrangea available this Fall Season, but 'Limelight' is one of our favorites! Blooms open to a pale chartreuse-green and age to white. By the time fall comes the blooms age further to a rich antique pink and will eventually dry on the shrub. USDA Growing Zones: 3-9 Height: 6-8' Spread: 6-8' Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Prefers moist, well-drained soil

Get ready for our 16th Annual Herb Fest with this delicious recipe. One of our team members simply loves growing their own food and playing in the kitchen - this recipe is the latest deliciousness they’ve come up with! Ingredients: 2 poblanos, dry roasted* 1-2 cloves of garlic ¼ cup of pepitas 1 bunch of cilantro 1 jalapeno ½ cup cotija cheese Salt to taste EVO or Avocado Oil to taste *Pan roast the poblanos in a heavy bottom pan or under a broiler. Peel skins off and de-seed before using. Directions: Mix all ingredients other than oil in the food processor until the pepitas are well processed. Then, with the processor still running, add a healthy drizzle of your favorite olive or avocado oil until everything pulls together. Enjoy your poblano pesto! Serving suggestions: Great on tortillas with shredded chicken and cabbage, varied sandwiches, over your breakfast eggs, on pastas, or wherever else you enjoy pesto!

Key Lime Pie has always been a personal favorite as well as a special dessert in my family. We often ring in birthdays and special occasions with a Key Lime Pie, and I started making them as a child. It's a fairly simple recipe, but over the years I've found a few modifications as well as a homemade graham cracker crust that have easily elevated this beloved dessert! I can't wait to grow my own Key Limes at home for my next pie! KEY LIME PIE RECIPE INGREDIENTS: FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST: 1 1/4 Cup graham cracker crumbs 1/4 Sugar 1/3 Cup butter, melted 9-Inch pie pan FOR THE FILLING: 4 Eggs, separated (reserve 1 egg white) 1 14-Ounce can of sweetened condensed milk 1/2 Çup key lime juice (freshly squeezed if available) 2 teaspoons grated lime zest (optional) Heavy whipping cream 1-2 Tablespoons of sugar Serves 8 INSTRUCTIONS: PREPARE THE CRUST: Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients for the crust. Using your hands or the back of a spoon firmly press the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of the pie dish. Back the crust for 6-8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. PREPARE THE FILLING: Prepare the filling while the crust cools. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk your egg yolks until pale. Stir in condensed milk, fold in key lime juice and lime zest (I don't always add the lime zest as I prefer a smooth texture). In a separate bowl, stiffly beat the reserved egg white until peaks form. Delicately fold it into the lime mixture. Transfer to the prepared pie crust (once the crust is cool). Bake the pie for about 20 minutes. Cool. Whip together heavy whipping cream and slowly add a little sugar to taste. Top pie with whipped cream and serve chilled.

Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a common tree in our area that is valued for its many qualities – edible hard mast (nuts) for wildlife and humans, leaves as food for over 100 species of moth and butterfly larvae, attracting songbirds to the landscape, valuable wood for furniture and cabinet making, and high tannin content for dying. While black walnuts are prized for many attributes, they also cause gardeners some challenges when planting nearby. Black walnut produces an allelopathic chemical called juglone in all parts of the tree with higher concentrations in the roots, buds, and nut hulls. “Allelopathy” refers to the chemical inhibition of a plant/organism to another, due to the release into the environment of substances acting as germination, growth, survival, or reproduction inhibitors. Allelon which means “of each other”, and pathos which means “to suffer.” Black walnut trees use juglone as a defense mechanism - hindering insect and animal herbivory while also preventing the competitive growth of neighboring plants. What an evolved super-power!! The roots, branches and leaves of the black walnut tree release juglone into the soil, discouraging the growth of other plants nearby and thereby reserving more of the area's natural resources for the tree itself. For many plants, this toxin leads to yellowing leaves, leaf drop, wilting and eventual death. It's very common to see a bare patch around the base of a black walnut tree. What does this mean for gardeners? Be mindful of putting black walnut leaves, twigs, and nuts in your compost – if you do – make sure the compost is aged before applying it to your garden. Be aware there are some plants that can tolerate juglone and others that are highly susceptible to juglone. Sensitive plants would need to be planted outside of the root zone of a black walnut. Plants sensitive to juglone include: some annuals include nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, peppers, petunias), cabbages, asparagus sensitive shrubs include blueberry, chokeberry, cotoneaster, hydrangea, lilac, privet, rhododendron, yew, and some viburnum species sensitive trees include linden, white pine, Norway spruce, silver maple, crabapple/apple, willow, red maple Research is fairly limited on which plants can tolerate juglone in their root zones, but here are a couple resources to check out: https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/black-walnut-toxicity/ https: //extension.psu.edu/landscaping-and-gardening-around-walnuts-and-other-juglone-producing-plants -Note that even if a black walnut tree is removed from your landscape, it could take years for the juglone to leave the soil – this is especially true for wet sites or poor draining sites with heavy clay. -Some people can be sensitive to juglone. Skin contact with fresh saw dust and nut hull juices may be irritating. Wear proper protection if cutting down a black walnut – breathing in fresh cut sap/saw dust may upset your respiratory system. Ingesting fresh leaves and nut hulls is not advised. While “digging deeper” on this topic, I found that there are a lot of conflicting information. It’s apparent that not much recent research has been published and a lot of the plants that are listed as tolerant of juglone are found by trial and error among gardeners. We’d love for you to share any of your observations here in the comment box of the blog post! One of the most enjoyable things about gardening is sharing amongst others! Note: There are other trees in our area that produce juglone, but to a lesser degree. Included are: butternut, English and Persian walnut, and hickories.

I have always been fascinated by a plant’s pollination strategy and how they aim to complete sexual reproduction. Some plants utilize wind, others water, and some rely on animals and insects to assist. Of the plants pollinated by animals or insects (“biotic agents”), some have co-evolved with a single species to complete reproduction. One of the most interesting mutualistic relationships belong to figs and fig wasps. Each one of the 750+ species of figs ( Ficus sp.) has evolved alongside a specialized fig wasp, some for over 60 million years! It’s guaranteed that both the fig and fig wasp are receiving benefits from such a long term and intertwined relationship - and it’s all about reproduction! The fig wasp provides a pollen transfer service while also gaining access to a safe “nursery” to hatch the next generation of wasps. As before, writing a Digging Deeper post has done just that… highlighting a topic I believe I have a decent understanding of takes me down a rabbit hole of research. “It is difficult to generalize about fig biology because of all the exceptions,” is a valid statement from Professor Wayne Armstrong of Palomar College. There are many different figs with differing reproductive parts which lead to different relationships with their specific fig wasp. For ease of understanding (both yours and mine), I am going to do exactly what Prof. Armstrong suggests against - I’m going to present a simplified example of a fig and fig wasp relationship. I urge you to check out Prof. Armstrong’s research here for the fascinating history of figs, beautiful slides displaying different figs and fig wasps, and because he takes the time to explain all the exceptions in his research: Sex Life of Figs: Coevolution of a Tree & Minute Wasp . I BET YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE FLOWERS OF A FIG TREE BEFORE… You can make an educated guess on how a plant is pollinated by observing a flower’s features – these features are also called “pollinator syndromes.” Ⓒ University of Illinois Extension What happens when blooms on a plant are hidden and mysterious? Members of the Ficus genera don’t bloom in the way we traditionally envision flowers. With figs, the reproductive parts are inside-out. When you eat a fig you’re eating the inverted cluster of many tiny, fleshy flowers and seeds contained in a bulbous stem. This edible part isn’t even considered a true fruit as you can see in the cross-section photo of a fig below. Ⓒ W. P. Armstrong and Palomar College A female fig wasp crawls into an unripe fig’s small opening (ostiole) to deposit her eggs inside individual flowers. The flower responds by creating a gall-like structure to encapsulate the egg, where the egg matures into larvae. As the fig and larvae mature the male larvae hatch first then crawl around the inside of the fig fertilizing the females while the females are still in their galls. The male wasps are born without wings and their sole purpose is to mate and chew a tunnel to the outside of the fig, then they die. The female wasps from the same brood will hatch later, timed with the maturity of the male flowers when pollen is present. The female wasps file through the escape route their brother-lovers chewed for them and take flight to find another fig to lay their respective eggs. Fig wasps are so minute they ride the wind in search of the next fig. Hopefully, for the fig to achieve cross-pollination with another tree, the female fig wasp finds an unripe fig from another tree and crawls inside. The tight ostiole canal strips her of her antennae and wings and she will perish after depositing her fertilized eggs, but not before she inadvertently spreads the pollen from her birth-fig. And repeat – eggs hatch, mate, males chew tunnels, fertile females fly/float to the next fig, female wasp dies in next fig while depositing eggs and spreading pollen. It’s a wild ride, this circle of life! The graphic below from Encyclopedia Britannica walks you through each step of their life cycle. Ⓒ Encyclopedia Britannica There can be a lot of carnage involved in fig pollination and you might ask yourself – what happens to the dead wasp mom and the casualties of her young? Enter Ficin – an enzyme produced by fig trees to digest protein. Ficin dissolves the wasp’s body and nourishes the fig by reusing nutrients from the insect. What a carnivorous turn of events! Ficin is also used as a clotting agent in cheesemaking and is an effective replacement for calf rennet. Before you consider giving up eating figs, as some vegans choose to do, know that fig trees commonly grown in home gardens, decedents of Common Figs ( Ficus carica ), are an exception to the rule. Leave it to mankind to interrupt a 60 million year tradition for cultivation. These cultivated varieties have been bred to not require cross-pollination with another fig, nor does it require a specialized fig wasp. (Don't worry - the “crunch” experience while eating a fig is not wasp parts… just seeds! Though insects are a common part of many diets across the world.) This specialized relationship between fig and fig wasp is a great example of the efficiency and effectiveness of codependent evolution. Don’t you pity the plant that relies on the fickleness of wind and water for pollination? You can celebrate this relationship with a Ficus of your own, whether in your home or your landscape. Here’s a list of figs we offer at Painters Greenhouse during our regular season (fig wasps not included in purchase): Rubber Tree (houseplant) – Ficus elastica Weeping Fig (houseplant) – Ficus benjamina Fiddle Leaf Fig (houseplant) – Ficus lyrata Audrey/Banyan Fig (houseplant) – Ficus benghalensis Creeping Fig (houseplant) – Ficus repens ‘Brown Turkey’ Fig (edible) – Ficus carica

Anybody who has talked much with me about gardening or landscaping has surely heard of my love of water gardens. I’ve built them in every place I’ve lived since 1970, and have found that the usual pond with koi (aka fancy goldfish) held little appeal to me and certainly didn’t enhance the natural world around me. In fact, over the years I have never found any fish – native or otherwise, that didn’t reduce or eliminate the best part of small water gardens – FROGS AND TOADS - nature’s musicians. My favorite frog is the wood frog, which is a sure sign of spring coming in this region. They are the first amphibian to breed and lay eggs – generally in late winter according to most references. However, at lower elevations in this area it’s been my experience that they usually start to breed in mid to late January, and one year they started singing in late December. A warm spell, especially accompanied by rain, seems to wake them up seeking romance! The actual mating season is usually only a couple of weeks in our area. I had not expected the small water garden I made on top of the small ridge, where I built our current house in 2014, to attract these creatures that normally seek out vernal puddles or other small or otherwise temporary waters, usually found in valleys or lowlands. Surprisingly, within a year I had a thriving population of wood frogs, followed by many other species over the spring and summer. Their “songs” actually sound like a flock of slightly hoarse ducks, and the combined effect of the over 150 frogs in my little water garden is amazing, and a real spirit raising experience signaling the onset of a new season. Sadly, this symphony only lasts for a short period, but the abundant clusters of eggs are truly magical to watch develop and hatch into tadpoles, sometimes so numerous that they will swim in schools that will blacken a large area of water, eventually becoming tiny frogs that take off into the wilderness well before many of the later amphibians come to sing and breed. After the wood frogs ceased singing, the rest of the spring and summer seasons continue to be filled with frog and toad songs to supplement the bird and insect songs of the growing season, curtesy of our little water garden. But let’s focus on this one frog. Behind the excitement of hearing and seeing them each year are a lot of amazing facts about this small amphibian that we really only see for about two weeks each year. Wood frogs can live in really cold places and really only extend south into our latitudes in the mountainous areas. Two remarkable facts about this frog are that it can freeze solid, and it also doesn’t urinate for an extended period during hibernation – often for up to 8 months! Recent findings link these two disparate facts, as it seems that the urea that is retained can be metabolized by a bacterium species to produce chemicals that apparently help this animal survive becoming a “frogcicle.” Not only is the wood frog the only amphibian to survive in the far north, it is one of a very few animals that can survive being frozen solid. Needless to say, this has interested scientists for years, and especially those dreaming of long space travel (have you seen the movie “Interstellar?”). All this is to say that small shallow water gardens can serve not only as a great place to grow water plants and emergents, but they can provide endless entertainment, if allowed to support native amphibians. As an aside – to those of you who haven’t lost your youthful curiosity or who have children – nothing beats watching frog eggs develop from one fertilize egg to two cells to four cells, etc., until it resembles a curled-up fish and eventually a tadpole, which in turn changes into a frog! Better yet (with sufficient magnification) at an early stage in the development, you can actually see the blood cells being pumped through the slightly transparent gills! Overall, a great lesson in basic biology and an amazing peak into the mysteries of life! I brought this little guy in to visit Deenie last week (they'd been singing for at least a week prior, but are now mostly done). Here he is helping to write this blog post...

Evergreen hedges are planted for a variety of reasons: privacy, wind block, noise dampener, and even to create “rooms” within a landscape. Regardless of your reasons, we have plenty of options to help create an evergreen hedge to suit your growing conditions and needs. When planning, make sure to take into consideration the following factors: SUNLIGHT How much sun does your planting site get? It’s important to install plants that will thrive in the light conditions you have. Full sun = 6+ hours of direct sunlight per day Part sun = 4-6 hours of direct sunlight per day, with some hours being in the afternoon (does not need to be contiguous hrs.) Part shade = 4-6 hours of direct sunlight per day, but most should be coming in the morning when the sun’s rays are less intense Full shade = Between 1.5-4 hours of sunlight, preferably in the morning DIMENSIONS How much planting space do you have? Make sure to take measurements of both the length and the width of the planting area to determine how many plants you’ll need. This is especially important if you’re planting along a property boundary – be clear where the line is and how much room for growth you have, so you won't encroach on a neighbor’s property. HEIGHT Don’t forget to look up! Do you have power lines that run overhead, an existing tree canopy, or an awning/roofline? You’ll need to be conscious of the maximum height you can work with for the site, too. HOW TO PLANT FOR NATURAL SCREENING Too often screening is planted in a straight line using only one species. This planting style can be easy and economical, but it can also be problematic in the future if one tree were to die leaving a seemingly big gap in the screening. Planting in a monoculture can also be problematic if a species-specific disease were to infect the area as it can wipe out the whole stand. If your planting space’s width allows, it can be beneficial to add different plant species in a staggered, zig-zag pattern (see the above diagram). Not only will this planting style allow for improved visual interest with varied textures, but it can also quickly give the appearance of a denser screening. Finally, more diversity of plants means more wildlife benefits. (Note that if your screen doesn't need to be extremely tall, there are a lot of native shrub and tree options that are both beautiful and beneficial, though most aren't evergreen. Click here for a great article listing 15 natives for screening.) It can be tempting to plant a dense row of plants to add “instant screening”, but it’s important to space your hedge appropriately to allow plants enough space to account for their mature width, which plans for appropriate air circulation for a healthy hedge! If instant screening is a must consider purchasing larger field-grown plants from a field-grown tree nursery. These larger plants can be dug, balled-and-burlapped, and often delivered to your residence. Another option is to install plants densely and plan to remove/cut down every other tree several years later once it’s filled in and to allow for more space as the trees mature. This article focuses on evergreen trees and shrubs, but note that screening can be accomplished in a variety of ways! If screening a small space, consider vines on trellises or large containers filled with tall grasses or flowering perennials. TREES & SHRUBS FOR SCREENING Shade Options Part Shade/Part Sun Options Full Sun Options A downloadable PDF of this list SHADE OPTIONS Eastern Hemlock (photo: Arborday.org) Eastern Hemlock – Tsuga canadensis Can be a fast grower in optimal conditions but is more often slow-growing. Hemlock is a great option for screening near a shady natural setting and is cold tolerant for those at higher elevations. Place in a location where there is good drainage and no strong, drying winds. USDA Growing Zones: 3-7 Height: 40-70’ Spread: 30-40’ Sun Exposure: Full shade, part sun/shade Soil Needs: Cool, moist soil – prefers good drainage Skip Laurel – Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ Skip Laurel – Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ Goblet-shaped form – plan for the height to be twice the width. A great option as a hedge in shadier areas or areas receiving dappled shade/filtered sun. Lower branches are a bit loose, if the desired effect is dense foliage from the top down, be sure to plant lower shrubs in the foreground of the planting bed. White blooms in spring. A very resilient and easy to care for shrub – tolerant of shearing. USDA Growing Zones: 6-9 Height: 10-15’ (moderate growing, reaches 6-10’ in 10 years) Spread: 5-7’ Sun Exposure: Full shade, part shade, part sun – very versatile with light needs! Soil Needs: Very adaptable – tolerant of dry/poor soils, alkaline or acidic soil. The only requirement is that the soil drains well and the shrub is not in standing water. It may need more water in hot summers. Spotted Laurel – Aucuba japonica ‘Fructo-albo’ (photo: NC State Extension) Spotted Laurel – Aucuba japonica ‘Fructo-albo’ A great option for full shade – white speckling on leaves adds a pop of color in deep shade. Do not plant in sun or dry soils, as the foliage will burn and turn black. There are separate male and female plants needed if pinkish-white berries are desired. Unfortunately, Painters Greenhouse’s Spotted Laurel are unsexed until flowering. USDA Growing Zones: 7-10 Height: 6-10’ Spread: 4-6’ Sun Exposure: Full shade, part sun Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, high organic matter, pH adaptable Rhododendron (photo: NC State Extension) Rhododendron – Rhododendron & Rhododendron catawbiense A great evergreen option that adds vibrant color in spring! Shorter varieties can be used in the foreground of a staggered privacy hedge, while taller varieties (i.e. Purpureum elegans) can reach up to 10’ in height and can stand on its own as a privacy screen. USDA Growing Zones: 4-8 Height: 4-10’ (depending on variety) Spread: 4-10’ (depending on variety) Sun Exposure: Prefers dappled shade throughout the day, next best is morning sun and afternoon shade Soil Needs: Moist soil, well-draining soil with an abundance of organic matter. Prefers acidic soil (pH between 4.5-6.0). Rhododendrons have shallow, fine hair-like roots – make sure not to plant too deeply to allow adequate oxygen for healthy root growth (and don't smother the roots with mulch). Several varieties and hybrids of Rhododendron available at Painters Greenhouse: Capistrano – Large tresses of lemon-yellow flowers in spring Nova Zembla – Bright red flowers PJM Elite – Lavender-pink blooms, exceptionally cold hardy Boursault – Lavender blooms with reddish-brown speckles Chionoides – Creamy white flowers with yellow centers Grandiflorum – Long-lasting, lilac-purple blooms Purpuerum Elegans – Purple blooms – lightly scented! PART SHADE/PART SUN OPTIONS Fragrant Tea Olive / Sweet Olive (photo: NC State Extension) Fragrant Tea Olive / Sweet Olive – Osmanthus fragrans A dense shrub with extremely fragrant flowers in spring, and blooms sporadically again in the fall. Note Sweet Olive is hardy to zone 8 – it may not make it through an especially cold winter if you’re in zone 7 or below. USDA Growing Zones: 8-10 Height: 10-20’ Spread: 10-20’ Sun Exposure: Full sun/part shade (afternoon shade preferred in hot southern climates) Soil Needs: Moist soil with good drainage. Drought tolerant once established. Can tolerate heavy clay soils. Viburnum 'Pragense' - Photo by Jerzy Opioła Prague Viburnum - Viburnum ‘Pragense’ This rounded, multi-stemmed evergreen shrub is known for its glossy leaves and fragrant blooms. It works as an excellent hedge (it's quite amenable to pruning!) or specimen plant. Plus, it is generally considered deer resistant. USDA Growing Zones: 5-8 Height: 8-12’ Spread: 8-12’ Sun Exposure:  Full sun/part shade Soil Needs:  Moist, well-drained soil. Camellia japonica Camellia ‘White Perfection’ – Camellia japonica ‘White Perfection’ Upright, bushy form – leaves are glossy and dark green. Beautiful white flowers in spring. Space camellias appropriately to promote good air circulation. Look at your zone when selecting camellias – some are more tolerant of cold than others. If you are on the cusp, make sure to plant camellias in part shade to allow for less drastic swings in temperatures in the winter. USDA Growing Zones: 7-10 Height: 6’ Spread: 4’ Sun Exposure: part sun/part shade Soil Needs: well-drained, loose, acidic soil Pieris japonica ‘Mountain Fire’ ‘Mountain Fire’ Japanese Andromeda – Pieris japonica ‘Mountain Fire’ Japanese Andromeda is an early blooming shrub with drooping clusters of white bell-shaped flowers. Bees love this shrub! New growth at stem tips is a scarlet red and contrasts well with existing dark green growth. USDA Growing Zones: 5-8 Height: reaches 6-10’ (slower growing) Spread: reaches 6-10’ (slower growing) Sun Exposure: Part shade / Part sun Soil Needs: Prefers moist, well-drained acidic soil FULL SUN OPTIONS Angelica Blue Juniper (Photo: Plantmaster.com ) Angelica Blue Juniper – Juniperus chinensis ‘Angelica Blue’ An excellent option for low screening, windbreak, or in the front row of a staggered planting. Adds a feathery texture and a pop of silvery blue/green color. Tolerant of drought, heat, winds, and deer do not prefer to browse on it! USDA Growing Zones: 3-9 Height: 4-5’ Spread: 5-10’ Sun Exposure: Full sun preferred; part sun tolerated Soil Needs: Prefers well-drained soil, does not tolerate standing water King’s Gold False Cypress (Gold Mop) (photo: NC State Extension) King’s Gold False Cypress (Gold Mop) – Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘King’s Gold’ A shorter and slower growing option but adds a spray of bright green and golden color with threadlike texture. Works well in areas with limited overhead height and in the foreground of staggered plantings. Relatively low maintenance, drought tolerant, and deer resistant! USDA Growing Zones: 5-9 Height: Eventually reaching 5’ Spread: Eventually reaching 7’ Sun Exposure: Full sun preferred; part sun tolerated Soil Needs: Prefers well-drained soil, does not tolerate standing water. Steeds Japanese Holly (photo: NC State Extension) Steeds Japanese Holly – Ilex crenata ‘Steeds’ Upright pyramidal shrub with dense, lustrous, dark green foliage. The leaves of Japanese Holly are not pointy like those of a typical holly, they are rounded! Very easy to grow, virtually maintenance-free - if you’re looking for a tidy form like a boxwood this is your plant! It responds well to shearing and can work as a more formal hedge (see above) if desired. USDA Growing Zones: 5-9 Height: 6-8’ Spread: 5-6’ Sun Exposure: Full sun preferred; part sun tolerated Soil Needs: Adaptable to a wide range of soils, just needs to be well-draining Fernspray False Cypress (Photo: Taylornursery.com) Fernspray False Cypress – Chaemaecyparis obtusa ‘Fernspray’ A very graceful, open, irregular habit with a lot of personality! Fern-like green foliage adds a different texture among mixed planting screenings. USDA Growing Zones: 4-8 Height: Slow growing to 10-20’ Spread: 8-16’ Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Well draining soil, adaptable to most soil types Hiba Arborvitae Hiba Arborvitae - Thujopsis dolabrata Hiba has some of the most interesting foliage – shaped like fan coral and with emerald green on the top side and contrasting silvery green on the underside. Its overall shape is pyramidal and dense with horizontal branching structure that sweeps upward at the tips. This is not the best option for windbreaks, as it can be susceptible to winter burn. USDA Growing Zones: 5-7 Height: Slow growing to 30-40’ Spread: 15-20’ Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil Janed Gold Arborvitae – Thuja occidentalis ‘Janed Gold’ Janed Gold Arborvitae – Thuja occidentalis ‘Janed Gold’ This is a great columnar option for narrow spaces! Beautiful golden tips and dense conical shape. If it’s planted in shade, the plant will lose its bright coloring and dense habit from stretching. Responds well to shearing in early spring. This is currently one of our youngest/smallest options we have in stock, it is one of the lowest maintenance and showiest! USDA Growing Zones: 5-8 Height: 8’ at 10 years / 20’ at maturity Spread: 4-5’ Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Average, moist, well-drained soils Nellie R. Stevens Holly (photo: NC State Extension) Nellie R. Stevens Holly – Ilex cornuta x aquifolium ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ An attractive, broad pyramidal-shaped female holly with an abundance of red berries – no male holly needed to cross-pollinate for fruit to set! Berries present in fall through winter. This selection was bred to tolerate southern summers and is heat, drought, and air pollution tolerant! USDA Growing Zones: 6-9 Height: 15-20’ Spread: 8-12’ Sun Exposure: Full sun, part shade Soil Needs: Prefers slightly acidic, medium-moist, well-drained soils Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald Green’ (photo: fast-growing-trees.net) Emerald Green Arborvitae – Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald Green’ Another columnar option for narrow planting sites. Dense, tight foliage with a pyramidal shape. Slower growing when compared to Green Giants and Leyland. Tolerant of the heat and humidity of the south and can tolerate periods of drought when established. USDA Growing Zones: 4-8 Height: 10-15’ Spread: 3-4’ Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Prefer moist, but well-drained soils Leyland Cypress – Cupressocyparis leylandii Leyland Cypress – Cupressocyparis leylandii An easy-to-care-for hedge option with fine, feathery, soft blue-green needles on flattened branches. Noted for its rapid growth (3-5’ per year!), it’s one of the most planted privacy trees. This is the tree for those with little patience for a privacy hedge to fill in and with plenty of space for it to grow. Because Leylands can get so large, you’ll need to account for enough overhead space and also any neighboring structures the roots may cause damage to (sidewalks, foundations, etc.). This is a great tree for an instant hedge, just be mindful that you’ll need to remove individuals after 5-10 years to avoid crowded growing conditions – and be aware that this fast grower doesn’t last forever, average life expectancy of 10-25 years. USDA Growing Zones: 6-10 Height: 60-90’ Spread: 10-15’ Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Will grow in a wide range of soils as long as it’s well-drained Green Giant Arborvitae (Photo: Thespruce.com) Green Giant Arborvitae – Thuja x ‘Standishii’ With a dense, narrow, pyramidal habit, that can be kept more compact for screens or hedges with regular pruning. Can be planted 5-6’ apart for a dense privacy screen. Fast growing, with up to 3’ new growth per year when planted in a preferred planting site (note, green giants can tolerate clay soils, but won’t grow as fast). USDA Growing Zones: 5-8 Height : 40-60’ Spread: 12-18’ Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soils – does not like highly compacted soils or ones that stay soggy Magnolia grandiflora TMGH 'Alta' - Photo by David J. Stang Southern Magnolia – Magnolia grandiflora  TMGH ‘Alta’ This evergreen tree is a NATIVAR that is loved for its large, white, wonderfully fragrant summer blooms and lustrous leaves with rusty undersides. Its dense, upright, columnar habit makes it a good choice for tighter spaces. USDA Growing Zones:  6-9 Height : 25-30' Spread: 8-10' Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs:  Thrives in moist, well-drained soil Click here to download a quick copy of this list!

Photo: Pink Muhly Grass at Painters Greenhouse I’ve been gardening on my own for about twelve years now, and it took me about half of those years to catch the ‘grass bug’. As a greenhouse owner, I saw increasing demand for grasses, and breeders were continually coming out with new cultivars (or even discovering new selections as our neighbor Terry Dalton did with Andropogon ‘Black Mountain’ in his backyard). As an environmentalist, I knew that native grasses in particular were essential for wildlife support. However, for some reason, it took me a while to appreciate them aesthetically - presumably as I learned more about a diversity of plants and experienced more landscapes, my gardener’s ‘eye’ evolved to see things differently than I did as a novice gardener. One summer I attended several horticultural conferences, and I think that was when I really started noticing the endless options for how you could use grasses. One conference was held in a rural area where the buildings were surrounded by very natural looking pollinator gardens featuring a variety of native grass species. The texture and height contrasts provided by the grasses really made the gardens pop, and the sounds and visuals of the grasses swaying in the breeze added a lot of interest. I was also really surprised by the complexity of colors provided by the grass blades and seed heads - more muted than most flowers, but still quite vibrant! I had read enough to know that the incorporation of so many native grasses into the pollinator gardens would greatly increase the insect and bird diversity and support. I also noticed grasses as a beautiful and useful component in their rain gardens and water features, where they mixed well with the grass-like lines of irises and horsetail, and their deep root systems aided in water filtration and erosion control. In extreme contrast to this, the other conference was held in the center of a large city, where the modern architecture and minimalist design of the building was accentuated by mass plantings of bluestem and fountain grasses in vast swaths, and the steps and entries were bordered by giant planters using grasses as their key feature. Safe to say, all of these beautiful and useful uses of grasses finally clicked for me, and I became a grass groupie! I’ve experimented with selling and planting a multitude of species and varieties in the years since, and now have a wide variety in my yard that I simply love! I thought I’d share a few of them and what makes them stand out to me - I hope that if you haven’t been very excited by grasses, this post will inspire you to try a few at home! Photo: Hoffman Nursery, Switch Grass 'Shenandoah' 1. Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ One of my favorite native grasses! There are many beautiful selections and cultivars of switch grass, but this one is hands down my favorite - the blades gradually become more red throughout the season and by fall are vibrantly colorful. The seed heads are airy and provide wonderful texture in addition to being an important food source for wintering birds. Another attribute is that this grass can tolerate some moisture, so if you have a lot of clay in your soil that can lead to poor drainage during rainy periods, this is a better option than many other grasses. It can stand alone, but looks best planted in groups of 3 or more, adding height, texture and colorful foliage to your perennial beds. Photo: Pink Muhly Grass at Painters 2. Pink Muhly, Muhlenbergia capillaris Perhaps the most dramatic native grass we have. This is the powerhouse grass for fall - you have likely seen it planted in huge swaths, looking like a glowing pink cloud as the sun hits the airy seed heads. Each plant can get quite large, so you don’t have to plant a ton to have a big effect. I recommend 3 in a grouping, but even tucking one here and there will be beautiful. Photo: Little Bluestem at Biltmore Photo: Hoffman Nursery, 'Prairie Blues' Little Bluestem Photo: Hoffman Nursery, 'The Blues' Little Bluestem 3. Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium My favorite native grass for two reasons - first, I continue to be amazed at the variation of color in the blades of one plant, and second, as Audubon North Carolina states, “It’s like planting a living bird feeder”. The seed heads summer-winter that are such important bird food are profuse and provide a gorgeous texture when planted en masse - I love it as a medium height border! We have several selections we rotate growing - all are colorful and excellent for the birds! Photo: Hoffman Nursery, Fountain Grass 'Hameln' 4. Fountain Grass, Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ I’m also loving ‘Ginger Love’, a new one for us this year with deep burgundy seed heads. Not a native, but fountain grasses are simply beautiful - it’s hard to beat their showy seed heads. I try to mostly use native grasses, but do have a few of these peppered into my landscape. Hameln is tougher than most other cultivars we’ve grown (we love Little Bunny and Burgundy Bunny but they aren’t as tolerant of our clay soil and wet winters). Plus, the fall color on this lovely grass is fantastic. Photo: Hoffman Nursery, Corkscrew Rush 5. Corkscrew Rush, Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’ This native cultivar is really fun for both water gardens and containers. I like adding it to my year-round outdoor combo pots as it is evergreen, and it adds a lot of fun texture to the edges of my water garden! Photo: Red Rooster Carex in a combo pot at Painters Photo: Hoffman Nursery, Carex 'Red Rooster' 6. Leatherleaf Sedge, Carex buchananii ‘Red Rooster’ This sedge is fun to hear folks discuss - many question if it’s dead due to the bronze color, but most people really like it. It’s hard to beat the shape - it forms such a lovely plume in containers in particular, and can get to be quite large so is impressive in large planters. Important note: always leave your grasses and seed heads up through the winter - most grasses hold their shape nicely and provide a lot of visual interest (plus the old growth acts as a mulch/protection for the crown of the plant), but more importantly they provide essential wildlife food and shelter. You can cut back old growth in early to mid spring - I typically aim for around 5 inches of old growth (too short can kill the plant), which can help support the new blades as they emerge. Want to see photos of unique and beautiful ways to use grasses in your landscape? I love this article by Houzz, which gives examples of using grasses as your main form of landscaping as well as how it can help with privacy screening.

In search of a stunning, yet easy to care for houseplant to add color, texture, and excitement to your collection? Angelwing Begonias are one of our favorite low-maintenance houseplants with a big impact! These plants are not prone to pests, can grow quickly, and don’t need a lot of attention. At Painters Greenhouse we grow 99% of our Angelwing Begonias onsite in our greenhouses and are careful to select cultivars that are beautiful as well as low maintenance, including... Sophia (one of the fastest growing in our opinion) Looking Glass (those silvery leaves are stunning!) And classics like My Special Angel (with bright pink flowers) Begonias can also live a long life and if properly cared for become stunning specimen plants reaching 5+ feet. If you want them to stay small, they also are incredibly tolerant of being cut back to shape, and quickly branch and leaf out to cover the cut portions. Be warned, once you catch the Angelwing Begonia bug, you’ll want to collect them all!