Delaware Garden Center
25 Kilbourne Road Delaware, OH 43015 | p: 740-548-6633 | f: 740-363-2091
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Welcome to the New Year of 2025!
If you are anything like me, you have already been earnestly flipping through seed and plant catalogs to find your old favorites. And especially to find what is new on the market! Even though winter is really just beginning, now is the best time to start planning for those dream gardens you wish to dig into as soon as the ground has thawed out. With good reason folks. We all know that with great planning our garden(s) are going to be more productive, exceptionally beautiful, and easier for us to maintain. I want all of that for each of us - especially the easier part! Because if it is easier to maintain then it creates more joy. Simple as that. Please understand that I am not saying there is no work involved in creating your garden. Great planning does make it easier and more enjoyable. And isn't that what we all really want? Of course it is!
So here are a few things I am looking into doing to plan and prepare ahead of time before I get buried with everything in the early spring.
Mulch: The best time to mulch perennials is after the top 1-2 inches of soil has frozen. Add mulch around trees and shrubs to help protect roots. No more than 2 inches. A side benefit of this is that the mulch helps to control weeds by preventing sunlight from getting to the soil.
Bulbs: If by chance you haven't already planted your spring blooming bulbs you still can do so if the ground is not frozen. I have planted as late as early February and been quite successful. Another option is to start tulips, hyacinths, narcissus, etc. in pots of soil or vermiculite and store in the refrigerator or cold garage until they are ready to sprout. Then either keep them in the pots and let them bloom for you or repot in early spring when the soil is not frozen. Also be sure to plant your amaryllis and paperwhites for winter indoor blooms to enjoy right now.
Trees and shrubs: Any of these cold hardy plants can be planted any time the ground is not frozen. Just be sure to water if there has not been any rain or snow to provide watering to the roots. Also keep in mind that if you have any newly planted trees and shrubs you still may need to augment your watering through the winter depending on what Mother Nature provides us. Good deep soaking to the roots is always appreciated by your plants. With that in mind, I am not suggesting watering when we have snow cover. And definitely not when the ground is frozen. Even I am not that much of a lunatic!
Seeds: Getting to the exciting part here! Oakland will start receiving new seed shipments shortly after Christmas and into the first couple of weeks of January. Choosing what seeds to start and when is such an upper while dealing with miserable weather in Ohio. Consult the information on the back of each seed packet for recommendations on starting indoors/outdoors. Keeping a journal with notes as to what you have started will really help you keep track with your thoughts and plans. I would be lost without these notes. My memory is simply not that extraordinary!
Clean-up: If decent weather presents itself, you can still do garden cleanup. And feel great because being outdoors even in cold temperatures is a wonderful energy booster. A side benefit is that the cold temperatures burn up calories. Who of us didn't gain a ounce or two over the holidays?!
Now on to other important items for you. The Bird Suet sale will begin on December 26 with prices starting at $1.29. Fantastic time to stock up to help our feathered friends this time of year. And the bird seed sale is just around the corner too.
If you are looking for a perennial that blooms in the winter months, you might want to consider Hellebores. This perennial has marvelous evergreen foliage and blooms in late winter or early spring depending on the variety. Hellebore Niger cultivar (Xmas roses) blooms from November through late winter. Hellebores x hybrids (Lenten Rose) bloom from February through April. Another nice benefit is that they are deer and rabbit resistant. And the flowers are nice to cut and bring indoors for a vase arrangement.
Valentine's Day will be arriving very quickly on February 14th. A thoughtful gift would be a beautiful tropical plant from the extensive selection in our beautiful Delaware Greenhouse. Anthurium, with its heart-shaped flower spathes would be a unique choice for that special person. Of course, African violets, cyclamen, Heart hoya, or a gorgeous blooming orchid plant would all be a delightful and thoughtful gift to receive.
I do want to remind everyone that Oakland Nursery is open all year long. Really! We only close three days of the year - Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. Otherwise we are always available for you to run in for birdseed, a tropical plant to perk you up (don't forget to say hello to all of the dinosaurs in the greenhouse), a quick gift or card from the gift shop. Or just to stop in and say HI!
We will be working diligently to bring new and wonderful ideas and gifts for you to welcome Spring Forward in this New Year!
So Happiest of New Years to each of you! I toast all of you with best wishes! Till next time.
CUSTOM CONTAINER PLANTINGS
Can’t seem to find exactly what you’re looking for? Maybe a color scheme isn’t what you were envisioning, or the premade planters are never the right scale for your area. Whatever the case may be, Oakland Nursery is happy to customize seasonal containers for you! Let us create a custom combination planter for your home, based upon YOUR specifications!
You can pick from our wide selection of pottery or bring in your own container. You can pick out exactly what you want or just give us some guidelines and let us do our magic.
Colorful containers can start as early as February and go as late as November, and there are many options for holiday greens arrangements to fill even the coldest months!
Prices are dependent upon the plant selection and container size. Additives such as Soil Moist and slow release fertilizers are also available options. We will do our best to understand your needs and make informed, educated decisions about what plants will work best for your location and lifestyle.
Call us or stop in anytime, we are here to help!
