You Can’t Kill It: Flowers

We discussed perennials a couple weeks ago, but this week we’re focusing on annuals – for those of us who like to mix it up year after year.

Zinnia

You can find Zinnias in nearly any color (except blue), and in a variety of heights. They work well in pots, planters, or in the ground, and can be planted in direct sunlight.

Marigolds

They’re super tough to kill, and they’ll brighten up any garden, planter or pot all summer long – because they just keep blooming. Some varieties of marigolds will grow as tall as 5 feet, but most variations are more compact.

Begonias

These tough cookies are often found in hanging baskets or in garden beds. Begonias will grow in sun or shade, and with just a little water, they will continue to grow and bloom through summer.

Snapdragons

A childhood favorite for many, snapdragons will bring butterflies to your garden at little labor-cost to you. In healthy environments, Snapdragons will grow tall and lush, making them strong and able to stand up to harsh weather conditions in the spring and fall.

Photo Cred: enkivillage.com 

Cosmos

Don’t have the best soil in your garden? Never fear. Cosmos are here! Cosmos flowers grow from seeds and can tolerate drought once they are up and growing (so all you have to do is water them to that point).

So now you have a list of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees that you cannot kill. Which ones will you plant this year?

You Can’t Kill It: Trees

You need them for shade and even perhaps privacy. They add a certain aesthetic to your home, and a little bit of personality… but you just haven’t been able to keep one alive long enough to enjoy these benefits. We’re talking about trees of course. So which ones can you plant that won’t require a ton of TLC? Here are a few to start with.

American Hornbeam

This low-maintenance tree thrives in the shade of other trees, so if your yard backs up to other trees or greenery, it’s a fabulous choice to lend some shade to your yard. The American Hornbeam has thin bark with a muscled appearance and maintains a beautiful look in the winter months. In the fall, leaf colors will turn to beautiful shads of yellow, red and orange. It will grow to about 20 feet tall by 40 feet wide.

Bur Oak

A classic tree in the Northeast, the Bur Oak requires little maintenance. Acorns grow from this tall tree (80 feet!) and can be as large as 2 inches long. Perfect for large yards, if growing out in the open where roots can spread, the Bur Oak can grow as wide as it is tall.

Hackberry

A relative of the elm tree, the Hackberry takes similar form. They don’t require much attention, and soon grow and spread, providing excellent shade in your yard. They do also yield berry-like fruit in the late summer months, which welcome birds of many kinds. This tree will grow between 40 and 60 feet high by 40 to 50 feet wide.

Snowdance Japanese Tree Lilac

Growing as tall as 18 feet and 20 feet wide, the Snowdance Japanese Lilac Tree boasts a massive canopy that grows wider than it does in height. You’ll notice a lovely fragrance in the early summer months, which then fades, while still providing shade through lush green leaves. 

Photo Cred: pixgood.com

Northern Catalpa

If you’re looking for a taller tree that blooms, the Northern Catalpa is the tree for you. It’s flowering blooms show in the early summer months, which then turn into cigar-like pods. It is because of these pods that the tree has inherited the name “cigar tree.” The tree grows well in urban settings, and can grow as tall as 60 feet (and 40 feet wide). Just don’t plant it near water features or pools in your yard, as the pods do shed a bit.

You Can’t Kill It: Perennials

We left off last week with a list of our favorite shrubs that even if you tried very hard, you’d have a difficult time killing. To compliment your favorite shrub choice, we’ve compiled a list of some beautiful perennials that you will have a hard time destroying.

Ostrich Fern

Named after its appearance, which highly resembles the feathery tail of an ostrich, the Ostrich Fern spreads aggressively, making it perfect for spaces in need of ground cover.

Hosta

Perfect in dry soil, the hosta is a classic perennial that will turn any garden from drab into fab. Every year you’ll be rewarded with a fuller, more lush plant that yields white flowers in the peak of summer. For a little dimension, we recommend selecting the “Gold Standard” Hosta variety, as it boasts light green leaves with darker green edges.

Perry’s Blue Siberian Iris

A stunning purple flower that lasts as long as four weeks is what you can expect from this perennial. Perfect in full sun or part shade, the Perry’s Blue Siberian Iris will grow and bloom in just about any soil type. Dry soil? You’ll just have a shorter stem. Often paired with the Shasta Daisy, this flower is very hard to kill.

Shasta Daisy

She’s a classic, this beauty. The Shasta Daisy lives well in nearly any condition in any garden or yard. They require minimal water and only need your attention when blooms die off. Clipping spent blooms will extend the life of the daisy for months.

Photo Cred: ufseeds.com

Lily of the Valley

It’s true. This beautiful perennial can live a long, prosperous life in your garden. Ideal in mostly-shaded areas, Lily of the Valley perennials will bloom and make for lovely flowers in a vase.

If you’re in need of some shade for Lily of the Valley, stay tuned for next week’s blog on trees that you cannot kill.  

You Can’t Kill It: Shrubs

Roses from your significant other. Potted plants from your mother. It doesn’t matter. You kill everything with your not-so-green-thumb. It’s OK, you’re not alone. That’s why this month, we’re featuring a series of blogs on plants you cannot kill (or at least you’ll have a hard time killing them).

Don’t be “that house” on the street. Grab your gardening gloves and toss-around shoes. This week we’re featuring our favorite shrubs that you cannot kill.

Japanese Flowering Quince

Otherwise known as the “Pink Lady,” this flowering shrub gives your landscaping a blast of color, even into late winter. If you’re in need of a hedge and love colors like pink, coral, bright orange or even white, this shrub is perfect for your space. The flowering quince works well in wildlife gardens, so if your property backs up to trees, the dense interiors will provide great shelter for birds.

Black Beauty Elderberry

If high-contrast is what you’re hoping to achieve with your landscaping, the Black Beauty Elderberry might be the shrub for you. Its beautiful dark leaves are complimented with pink blooms which appear mid summer, followed by berries. You won’t want to eat the berries, however if you love birds, you’ll notice they’re drawn to these berries.

Rose Satin

More popularly known as a hibiscus, the Rose Satin brings beautiful, bold color through huge blooms in colors such as white, red, lavender and pink. If birds aren’t your cup of tea, but you prefer the likes of butterflies and hummingbirds, you’ll find they are attracted to the Rose Satin.

Photo Cred: gardengatenursery.com

Bridal Wreath Spirea

This mid-spring blooming shrub forms a beautiful fountain of white flowers, which linger on for about a week. It’s an extremely low-maintenance shrub, but it just needs room to spread, so the branches can do what they do best: cascade (and take up a ton of room in your yard so you don’t have to worry about planting a huge variety of other plants).

Bridal Wreath Spirea is best combined with perennials, so if you like this shrub the most, stay tuned to our blog next week on perennials that you cannot kill.

Growing berries in NY

Did you know it’s totally possible to grow delicious berries in your backyard in New York? Many gardeners stick to the veggie staples like pumpkins, carrots, and peppers, but our temperatures are absolutely conducive to growing berries. You’ll want to get started on your garden soon, so here are some tips on growing these yummy fruit.

 Photo Cred: livinghealthyway.com

Start with a healthy soil base. Deep, fertile soil containing high organic matter really helps to set the foundation for a healthy, prosperous garden. The garden site should also have excellent drainage year-round, and be prepared to address early spring frosts.

Weed control is a vital component to growing berries, especially strawberries. You’ll want to get a jump start on the season and plant your berry garden before mid-May, and start immediately with residual herbicides to address upcoming weed sprouts.

Otherwise, berries should be planted 12-18 inches apart on raised beds with around 40 inches between each row. Water daily to ensure adequate hydration, and with proper care, berries will yield about 6 to 7 pickings beginning about a month after the first bloom.

If you desire late-season pickings in the late fall, it’s important to take care of the garden area for cooler temperatures. Mow off leaves close to the ground so the deceased leaves can be replaced, improve access to sunlight, fertilize, place new soil over the plant crown to improve root growth, and apply a dose of herbicides to take care of weeds. Once it does start to get cool, it is recommended that you toss a layer of mulch to minimize frost damage. Just be sure to remove the mulch in the spring of the following year.

Will you spruce up your garden with some delicious berries this year? Let us know in the comments below!

Low maintenance plants

Even if there’s still snow on the ground, it’s still technically spring, so we are getting in the gardening mood here at Faber Homes! Whether you’re a new family with us, current resident, or thinking about building a new Faber Home, landscaping is probably on your checklist. Curb appeal is not only nice for passerbys, but everyone wants an attractive home on the (inside and) outside. You certainly don’t want to be “that house” with the overgrown, weed-infested lawn.

Don’t have time for a full blown landscaping job this year? No worries. Here are some plants to start you out that are low maintenance and beautiful.  

Photo Cred: homecurbappeal.com

Trees

Velvet Cloak Smoke Tree. Best planted in full sun in the spring or early fall, this small tree has deep purple leaves and can grow to 10-15 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide.

Winter King Hawthorn. If you’re looking to add some shade to your yard, this small flowering tree is perfect. This deciduous tree can grow to a height of 15-20 feet and span a width of 18-20 feet, and its beautiful white cluster flowers bloom in May and then give way to red fruits in the late fall.

Shrubbery

Japanese Barberry. If you’re looking for a quick-growing shrub, the Barberry is perfect. Be sure to watch the plant’s growth, as it can take an area over very quickly (and trim those spent flower stalks as it grows to prevent seedlings). Best planted in the spring in full sun, this plant can grow to 3-4 feet tall by 3-4 feet wide, making it a very suitable solution for quick landscaping.

Elijah Blue. This evergreen ornamental grass has a blue-gray foliage and sprouts blue-green flowers if planted in the spring. Each gathering can grow 8-12 inches high and the same in width. These grasses are beautiful and can even be used to cover less than attractive yard requirements such as power boxes and other utilities.

Flowering Plants

Peony. Known for its large fragrant flowers, the peony should be planted in full sun to light afternoon shade. These plants can grow up to 30+ inches tall and can span 25-35 inches wide. They’re best planted in the spring, so grab some seeds soon!

Endless Summer Hydrangea. This flowering plan is as beautiful as it sounds. Endless Summer Hydrangea begins its season with lime green flowers which then change to pink during the summer. Each grouping will grow to 8-10 feet high and the same in width, so be sure you’re planting this beauty in an area that can accommodate such growth, as it will happen quickly.

Best Winter Houseplants

Don’t feel like tending to outdoor winter plants this season? No worries. There’s plenty of flowering plants that do well in your home. Here are some of our favorites.

Lavender. A famous plant and go-to herb for aromatherapy, soaps and other yummy things, lavender is one of the best indoor plants to grow in the winter. Lavender will grow from a seed if you wish to start from scratch, or you can pick up a young plant. Clearly, the benefit of a young plant is that you get to instantly enjoy the fragrance and pretty purple-blue flowers. You’ll want to place your lavender plant in your home’s sunniest window.

Jasmine. Originating in Asia, jasmine is very simple to care for if you keep your home’s temperature in the high 60’s to low 70’s. Make sure to place this starry-flowering plant in an east or south-facing window and don’t let the soil dry out. Also, jasmine will climb a trellis, so stake one in the pot if you’d like!

Citrus. Yes – really! You don’t need to live in Florida to enjoy citrus fruits such as grapefruit, lemon, or oranges. All you need is a very bright spot in your house, and follow these easy directions from HGTV on how to properly care for your citrus plants.

Geraniums. Are you a fan of lemon, lime, rose, ginger, or even chocolate? Who isn’t? Geraniums are available in all of these fragrances, but did you know the fragrance comes not from flowers but from their hairy leaves? Your local nursery can tell you which they have in stock and which would work best for your home.

What’s your favorite indoor plant for the winter?

Plants to Stay Away From

It’s almost that time of year for gardeners! If you’re new to horticulture, we thought we’d share this list of plants you should stay away from if children or pets frequent your yard.

Rhododendron. Yes, the beautiful purple/pink flowering plant also known as both West Virginia and Washington’s state flower. Swallowing any part of this plant will cause you to drool, cause your eyes to water, and if that doesn’t get you feeling yucky enough, you’ll soon start to vomit. Stay away from this plant if you can.

Hydrangea. Similar to the rhododendron in its use, when swallowed, hydrangea’s poison will cause shortness of breath, fainting, and a rapid pulse. Along with a drop in blood pressure, the plant can cause convulsions and in some cases, death. 

 Lily-of-the-Valley. This plant will make you sick and will even cause you to hallucinate with just one small bite. It has also been tied to cardiovascular issues that have, in some cases, lead to coma and death.

Foxglove. Often used to deter deer (because of its foul taste and adverse affects on the digestive system), the plant, obviously, will not sit will with your (or your pet’s) digestive system. If ingested in large amounts, the plant will lower your heart rate and/or cause an irregular rhythm. Sound fun? We didn’t think so.

Oleander. This pretty white flower has a beautiful scent, but is also extremely deadly, especially to infants and small children. One leaf contains enough toxins to be lethal, as the poison first affects the digestive system, then moves along to the central nervous system. Definitely stay away from this plant.

Mistletoe. While this plant is more common during the holidays, it’s still important to note that all parts of mistletoe are toxic. Not very romantic, indeed. Ingesting mistletoe will cause gastroenteritis and in some cases, cardiovascular collapse. The berries are particularly toxic to pets, so be mindful of fallen berries. 

Water Hemlock. Common all across Northern America in the wild, water hemlock’s poison is so deadly it can be fatal within the first 15 minutes of ingestion.

If you have questions about any flowers or shrubs you’d like to plant around your home, run a quick online search to make sure what you’re planting is safe. The helpful folks in any superstore garden section are also great resources.

Cost Efficient Landscaping

Landscaping is a daunting task. You know you want flowers, perhaps some shrubs, and maybe even a spot for a garden. But how expensive is it to get the job done? Obviously, it depends on the project, but there are steps you can take to minimize your trips to the store, and maximize your budget.

First, it’s important to start with a plan. Sketch out your landscape design on engineering paper and know exactly what you need and where you’re going to put each item. 

 Once you’ve figured out your ideal design, go and talk to an expert. A landscape architect will run between $50 and $100 per hour, but it may be worth the investment if you’re inexperienced. If this isn’t your first landscaping job, the experts at your local big box home project store can help you price everything out and make recommendations based on your home. It’s also helpful to bring the site plan for your home so you can put everything into perspective.

When you’re set to start making final purchases, do a little research. Sometimes big box stores won’t carry the items you’re looking for, or if they’re not “in season” you may be paying too much. Items such as lumber for decks is often cheaper during winter months, so be patient if you can afford to be.

Shopping online is also another option for saving money.  Shopping is a little more convenient online, and a bit less stressful when you’re able to search for the exact items you need. Just be mindful of shipping costs and weigh those costs against making the trek to a wholesaler or store for the same item.

Dividing up your projects will also allow you the time you need to do the proper research and plan out your investments. This will also allow you to make adjustments to your plans if you need to, before you go out and buy supplies.

As a last bit of advice, be sure to thoroughly check the quality of all products you receive and don’t be afraid to ask about money-back guarantees. Happy landscaping!