Huntree Newsletter September 2023

Hi there fellow gardeners!

How can summer be over already????   It’s just not fair!    Oh, but we do love the fall season.  Time to get excited for change.  That’s always invigorating.

Mums, ornamental cabbage and kale, ornamental peppers, Montauk Daisies, etc.  will be here tomorrow, and the daffodil and tulip bulbs, etc.  are heading this way in a week or so (as soon as they get off the boat from the Netherlands, literally).  It’s like Christmas when they arrive!

Store hours: For Labor Day weekend, we will be open our usual Saturday (9:00–5:00) and Sunday (10:00-4:00) hours.  Monday we will be open 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. The store will be open for the season until November 1.

Before we get thinking fall, let’s get out our note pad and jot down the ideas we’ve been collecting in our heads about changes to be made for next summer’s garden.   I know I will add more pollinator plants for my butterfly garden… both annuals and perennials. Don’t forget to include the late season bloomers in your garden like Vernonia,  Achillea (Yarrow), Seven Sons Flower, Rose of Sharon, Sedum, and Calamintha.   (And I know where you can get some.)  Give the Monarchs a reason to be in your yard.  I am totally enjoying all the critters zooming around in my back yard right now.  What a treat!  That’s definitely my happy place.

Pull the weeds that have sneaked in when you weren’t looking.  Get them out of there before they produce seed and drop them into the soil.  (You’ll have an easier time in the spring with less weedlings to remove.

If you are a neat nick, deadhead the flowers that are spent.  I always have a hard time cutting back my coneflowers even if they begin to look ratty because I know the goldfinches are going to enjoy those seeds.  So, I will leave them.  Letting plants go to seed give your birds and wildlife a banquet.

Aren’t the Hydrangeas looking spectacular this year??? Don’t you need one or two more in your garden?   We still have a plethora of varieties for your selection.  Check out the ones that turn from brilliant white to screaming deep pink.  Such a lovely kick to the late summer garden.

Again, we need to say…..  keep on watering.  It’s still dry.  So don’t give up.  Keep the hose going!    Water deeply.   Enough said.

Need to rejuvenate your lawn? September is the best month to sow grass seed and we have Jonathan Green Grass Seed which is a superior brand of quality seed.  It was developed to form deeper roots, which is is great for our sandy soils.  Added benefits are darker green color and greater disease resistance.  Choose from Ultra, Sun and Shade, and Dense Shade mixes.  Did you know that if you only fertilize your lawn once a year, fall is the most important time.  It’s all about the roots!

Keep in mind that plants may not look perfect anymore, and that’s OKAY! It’s been a long hard dry summer. Just trim back your perennials as needed. When it comes to your trees and shrubs, leaf changes will not affect the health of the plant at this point of the season. Evergreens shed previous year’s needles twice a year, spring and fall, towards the trunk of the plant. This is normal; don’t freak out… it’s just doing its thing. As always, if you have a concern, please bring us a picture of the plant and a sample in a baggie.

Resist fertilizing now (except for lawns).  The plants need time to slow down and get ready for what’s coming.  Once your plants start going dormant (when the leaves turn color) you can apply slow release fertilize such as Holly Tone (for acid loving plants such as evergreens) and  Plant Tone for everything else.  If you are planting this fall, you may use root stimulator, Root & Grow, or Bio tone to help those roots get established.

There are new décor items in the store and more coming soon.  New metal garden art bobblers are arriving within the next week!

A new load of statuary will be here any day.  Surprise, surprise!  We thought we’d have to wait until October but they cranked them out early!

We’re in the process of ordering for next spring.  If there’s anything you are looking for, just let us know and we’ll be on the hunt.

Wishing you a tremendous fall!

Jan and the Huntree Gang

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