It's Pumpkin Time!

It's that time of year that so many of us look forward to. Next to Christmas, Halloween and the fall harvest season is the most popular time of year, and at H & H Nursery, we want to celebrate it with you!

We offer pumpkins in many shapes and sizes, in addition to other fall décor to help turn any home into a fall harvest paradise. We are the perfect place to shop for all of your Halloween and fall decorating needs. Hurry in while supplies last!

Fall is the time to plant spring blooming bulbs for that wonderful first show of spring that we all love! When you think of spring, hyacinth--or maybe crocus--comes to mind, but there are many other bulbs for fall planting to bring gorgeous color to your spring garden. Some of these even have bloom times that extend into the early summer. These bulbs are originally from all parts of the world. Aren't we lucky that we can grow them here, too!

Preparing your soil for bulb planting is simple. Amend with a good planting mix, such as Gardner & Bloom Bulb Planting Mix, where you intend to plant your bulbs. As you dig each hole for the bulbs, add a bulb food. We suggest using Dr. Earth Bulb Planting Mix.

Each bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber requires a different planting depth. Follow the packaging instructions or ask one of us for help.  

Following this preparation and giving your bulbs the sun/shade and watering that they require will bring you a vividly colorful spring garden, and whet your appetite for the summer wonders to come.

Many people in colder climates think they can only grow a crop of summer vegetables, due to a shorter growing season than in southern parts of the United States. But with a little planning, you can not only enjoy fresh vegetables before Thanksgiving, but the cooler growing season allows you to grow varieties that you wouldn’t normally grow in the summer.

The key to a great fall harvest is to plan early, select cool season vegetables that take only 60-90 days to reach maturity and sow seeds from August to early September. The fall growing season will allow you to select from great tasting varieties such as broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, greens, kale, lettuce, winter squash, and zucchini.

These types of vegetable plants will thrive until soil temperatures fall consistently below 55 degrees, which usually does not happen until late October to early November, at which point the plants will stop growing and any ripe fruit should be picked off before colder temps damage them.

If you want to extend your season even further consider covering your vegetable garden with a homemade hoop house covered with thick transparent plastic. This will allow the sunlight to heat up the garden during the day and slowly cool down at night, helping to avoid extreme temperature fluctuations which could take place in late fall.

Remember, for the best tasting vegetables feed once a month with an organic vegetable food and only water when the top of the soil dries out. Then sit back, relax and wait until those great tasting home-grown vegetables can be enjoyed at the dinner table!

Paperwhites can be planted outdoors in the fall. They prefer a sunny location but will tolerate some partial shade if that is all you have. Simply dig up the area you wish to plant in, scatter some bone meal or bulb food down and set your bulbs in place. (make sure there’s at least an inch of soil separating the bulb food from the base of the bulb.) Then cover them up, water them in and wait for them to come up in early spring. Don’t forget that they look their best when planted in bunches.

The most popular way to grow paperwhites is to force them to bloom indoors during the winter. Simply fill a shallow bowl or container halfway with decorative stones or gravel. Place the paperwhite bulbs onto the stones, pushing them down just far enough so the bulbs are supported in an upright position. You can place the bulbs fairly close together; they don’t mind being crowded.

Add water just to the bottom of the bulbs. If the water covers too much of the bulb, they can rot. Now put them in a cool, dark place for one to two weeks. When the bulbs begin to root and the plant has started to grow from the bulb, move your container out into a brightly lit room. Once the leaves start to grow about 1-2" tall, pour out the water & replace with a special solution. Mix together 1 part isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to 10 parts water. Fill to same line as before. This prevents the foliage and stems from growing too leggy. Keep watering with the special solution. Four to six weeks later, your paperwhites should be ready to bloom!

What's the difference between a daffodil and a narcissus?

Answer:

There is no difference. The two words are synonyms. Narcissus is the botanical name for daffodils, just as ilex is for hollies.

Daffodil is the common name for all members of the genus Narcissus, and its use is recommended by the American Daffodil Society at all times other than in scientific writing.

In some parts of the country, any yellow daffodil is called a jonquil, usually incorrectly. As a rule, but not always, jonquil species and hybrids are characterized by several yellow flowers, strong scent, and rounded foliage.

But who really cares? They are all lovely flowers--and we say, "Call them whatever makes you happy!"

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