The Online Garden Gossip
October 2008/Issue #28

1011 North Woodlawn, Kirkwood, MO 63122             www.sugarcreekgardens.com                   314-965-3070
  

 

 
Karen's
gardening calendar

click here
What's new?

 ÞPansy care 101.

ÞBest of Missouri is Oct. 4-5 at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  Look for our booth.

ÞMake plans to protect your ceramic and terra cotta pots and bird baths this winter.  If left outside to collect water, they can crack from the freezing and thawing of ice.

ÞThe holidays have arrived at our gift shop.  Look here for a peek at our new arrivals for fall, Christmas, and other seasonal decor and gifts ideas.

ÞThis month's e-newsletter coupon.

 

 

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Plant flowering perennials through late October with confidence

Autumn is a great time to find deals on perennial plants as nurseries are thinning stock for the winter.  The rule of thumb for planting is to get them in the ground six weeks before the ground freezes, which in St. Louis is usually mid-December.  Enjoy the cooler weather -- and plant a flower or two...
 

      
50% off fall clearance sale
You've got to see it to believe it -- 50% OFF NOW -- select gift shop items, ceramic pots, books, wrought iron baskets, window boxes, trellises, children's furniture, plant stakes, tools, garden ornaments, fall decor, hummingbird feeders, Espoma fertilizers, Liquid Fence and Bobbex deer and rabbit repellents, and much more!  Shop early for best selection.  Sale ends Friday, Oct. 17.  See pictures of some of the items here.
        October talks at Sugar Creek
"Window Boxes and Containers for Fall and Winter," Sat., Oct. 11, 10 a.m. Enliven your window boxes and plant containers with festive foliage and plants of the season. Learn how to use an exciting variety of plants for great color and texture that will last through fall, the holiday season and beyond.

"The Garden In Autumn," Sat., Oct. 18, 10 a.m.  Even as the days grow shorter, you still can have wonderful displays of color with the ever-expanding list of fall blooming plants. Learn about the perennials that boast exceptional fall flowers and bright foliage.
 


Mark your calendars

Tues., Oct. 7, is Senior Citizens' Discount Day at Sugar Creek Gardens.  All seniors 60 years and older receive 15% off all purchases.  Shoppers must be V.I.G. members to participate.  You can join for FREE at the nursery, or sign up online.

 

      
        Interested in overwintering your tropical plants?  Read our online handout here, or pick up a copy the next time you're in the neighborhood...
     
     

The Sugar Creek Girls have started a blog!  Read it here.  It's not fancy, but it gives us a chance to talk about our gardens, whine about things that aren't growing well, and brag about things that are. 
 
 
FALL BEAUTY: Helianthus -- willowleaf sunflower

Looking to add a little color to your waning perennial garden?  Consider helianthus, or willowleaf sunflower.  It blooms in late summer or early fall with clusters of two inch wide, medium yellow sunflowers with dark brown centers on whitish green stems. It makes a good cut flower. The distinctive foliage, narrow, drooping, willow-like pale green leaves, provides interest all through the growing season. It will spread over time to form a dense colony. The plants can be cut back through late June to promote denser habit.

We like the cultivars 'Low Down' and 'First Light.'  

'Low Down' -- 12" tall by 16" to 20" wide

'First Light' -- 44" tall by 48" wide

 

 

 

 

 

 
   
       
 
Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.

Albert Camus