February is here and we’re that much closer to the beginning of spring. We’ve been super busy planting thousands of plants and hanging baskets each week here at the greenhouses so it’s already feeling a bit like spring. We currently have a wonderful selection of cyclamen and primroses in color to help brighten up the February days. We grow our primroses a bit different than many growers, in that we start ours earlier than some and grow them at a much cooler temperature. The plants are started in the greenhouses, but once they have a good root structure we move them outside. This method takes a little longer, but makes for a much better plant, able to withstand much colder and harsh weather. We feel that you will see the difference in their garden performance.
We have also just started to bring out our first crop of pansies and cool season vegetables and continue to bring up more and more perennials each week. We currently have over 80 varieties ready. Stop by or check out our website to see our current availability.
Now is an excellent time to begin planting perennials. I recommend that most perennials be planted in the early spring to establish a root system before it warms up. For your garden design I recommend using a wide variety of perennials, often in small groupings to give a more noticeable and striking look. Then use more mass plantings of annuals to give summer long color. Another design idea is to plant the perennials in the background so that when they are done blooming there is a nice green background of their foliage. Since most perennials have a short bloom time I like to use many different types to extend the color as much as possible.
We’ll have a perennial and cool season annuals class coming up in March which is listed on our website along with other upcoming events. Just click on the “events” tab on our website for more information: www.ashlandgreenhouses.com. The website also has our hours and a list of available plants.
