Parkside Orchid Nursery (http://www.parksideorchids.com/), located less than an hour away from the LehighValley, near Lake Nockamixon, has not only several greenhouses full of orchids to drool over but also how-to-books, pots, materials, and an expert staff to guide you according to your level of experience, interest, and wallet size—I believe they have the best quality and prices. They offer a free Saturday class and a first repotting of an orchid you buy there.

Speaking of orchids, Longwood Gardens—one of the best winter getaway garden spots—is having its Orchid Extravaganza until March 31. Visit http://www.longwoodgardens.org/ to get the details. The bonsai exhibit gives me an itchy pruning finger for the season to come.

Terrain at Styers (http://www.terrainathome.com/) gets my vote as the most innovative garden center around! Located outside of Wilmington, just off Rte. 202, it’s a little more of a drive, but well worth the time. Their supply of plants and containers is phenomenal and was just what I needed to create a new terrarium, dish garden, and a few other indoor plantings.

During the cold days of winter, the leaf pores on your plants are closed to conserve the water that cannot be replaced until the ground thaws. However, if the sunlight on a cold winter day is intense enough, the leaf pores open, allowing the stored moisture to escape (called transpiration) out of the leaf. The leaf dries out―a process commonly known as winter burn.

To help prevent this, an anti-desiccant such as Wilt Pruf can be applied to the foliage in late fall. This provides a waxy coating that prevents water loss from the leaves.

We also recommend that you thoroughly water any plants that you have concerns about later in fall in order to have them well hydrated prior to sealing off the leaf pores with the anti-desiccant.

Every tree has a flare in its trunk in the area known as the root collar. This root collar should be visible at ground level when the tree is planted. If the trunk looks like a telephone pole entering the ground, it is planted too deep–the root flare is underground. Your tree risks having the bark rot at a prime spot for entrance of insect pests as well as the development of girdling roots (to be discussed later). These factors do not have an immediate, obvious negative effect but they will stress the tree and possibly kill it a few years down the road.

Therefore, locate the root collar flare and plant the tree at that depth. Mulch the planting area, being careful not to get mulch against the trunk. Water the root zone thoroughly (more on watering in our next blog).

This courtyard area leading to a pool was tailor-made for an outdoor room. The “walls” are created by the building, a flagstone patio is the “floor,” and the cedar pergola becomes the “ceiling.” The vines growing on the pergola provide shade as well as color and a softening effect. The surrounding plantings complete the room decor.

The owners of this property wanted a water feature. This empty corner, which was highly visible from their deck, provided the perfect setting. They loved the wildlife, the woodland plantings, and sounds that the pond brought to their outdoor setting. A few years later we added a stream to flow into the pond and a bamboo privacy fence.

The front yard of this beautiful stone home needed an overhaul to measure up to the grandeur of the house. Working with the owners over time, we installed foundation plants that were appropriate to the scale of the house and added color. We created two stonewalls and some island beds in the open front lawn and replaced the front walkway with flagstone that matched the stone of the house. 

In preparation for a family wedding, the homeowners wanted to overhaul their backyard and create a welcoming setting. We relocated the ferns to the property’s wood’s edge, removed the existing small brick patio, and constructed a series of brick patios connected with an access walkway to the driveway. Two of the patio areas featured flagstone and slate inlays. We constructed a lattice screen for the propane tank.

In addition to the hardscaping, we removed stumps from the immediate lawn area, resodded the grass, and installed landscape plantings around the patios. Potted plants and arrangements provided finishing touches for the event.

This 1960s landscape needed an overhaul. The large blue spruce tree at the front door, while healthy, had grown so much that it blocked the view and access to the front entrance–a great example of the right plant in the wrong spot. The photo above of the newly completed landscape shows the freshened look, with new foundation plants and a curved brick walkway.