Upright Katsura Tree and Weeping Katsura Tree

Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Pendulum' "Weeping Katsura Tree"

On our sunset tour of Stonecrop Gardens, we dicovered yet another trasure! In between the waterfall and the stone bridge (at the Lake and Hillside Gardens), stands a majestic Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Pendulum' (Weeping Katsura Tree). 

The weeping Katsura, like it's upright cousin, has deeply textured bark and the deliciously scented (golden/apricot-colored) fall foliage. But the wide and weeping form of Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Pendulum' makes this specimen tree even more dramatic. 

Deer resistant, cold hardy, and eminently attractive, if you can find a home for this specimen tree in your own back yard, we highly recommend it!

Cercidiphyllum japonicum "Katsura Tree"

One of the greatest parts of touring established gardens and estates is the chance to see mature specimens before you plant them in your own back yard. It is hard to imagine what a tree in a two gallon container at Victoria Gardens will look like in 20 or 30 years.

Look at the great form and the sculptural upright branching of this mature Katsura tree!

Katsuras are deer resistant trees, with deeply textured bark, and well-shaped foliage that puts out a sweet fragrance as it changes color in the fall. Some people liken the scent to cotton candy, baking cookies, or baking muffins (yum!)

The Katsura is one of our favorite trees of all time, and at Stonecrop there was this amazing specimen (growing right up through a deck off the main house!)

At Victoria Gardens we are plant enthusiasts! So we seek out unusual varieties. We bring in hundreds of varieties of perennials, shrubs and trees – always focusing on plants that will perform the best in our climate.

We know plants.

After 30 years of field testing varieties, we know what works.

At Victoria Gardens we divide up our nursery according to where the plant will go in your garden.

• At Victoria Gardens, if you have a garden that is in full sun, you won’t accidentally fall in love with a plant that needs shade.
• You can look at the flowers, colors and textures instead of squinting at the tags, trying to figure out if it will survive in your garden.
• If you are browsing in the right section at Victoria Gardens, it will survive and thrive!

Victoria Gardens is located on the corner of Rt. 212 and Cottekill Road in between Rosendale and High Falls, NY.

Visit and be inspired.

What are shrubs?

At Victoria Gardens we carry trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. And that’s how we think and talk about the plants in our nursery.

But every once in a while we are reminded that as a home gardener, that’s NOT how you talk.

When someone asks, “What’s a shrub?”

We reply, “It’s a bush.”

And they give us a sidelong glance, like, why didn’t you just say bush, then?

This is an amazing shrub, called Vitex.

I think when people start gardening, there’s “green stuff,” “bushes,” and “flowers.” As you learn more about plants, you can’t help but LOVE them more and more. And you begin to see subtle differences, not just between colors, but textures, form, and growth habits.

Below is a decoder ring, for the next time you are speaking to one of us, or if you want to increase the depth of your plant knowledge, or if you are just plain curious.

“What are these plant people talking about?”

This explosion of color is made up of annuals

Plant definitions

Nursery speak translated to English

• Perennial = Flowering plant that returns every year (but only blooms for part of the summer**)
• Annual = Flowering plant that blooms all summer long (but dies at the end of the season*** – hey, you can’t have it all)
• Tree = You know this one, don’t be silly
• Shrub = Bush

But, from a horticultural standpoint, ‘bush’ and ‘shrub’ do not mean the same thing.

In horticulture*, “bush” is used to describe the shape of a plant, as in ‘forms a bush.’

“Shrub,” in horticulture, is defined as, “a plant which retains structure above ground year round, which cannot be split or divided because the growth is coming from one set of roots. (Some shrubs can be considered small trees, but will still be defined as shrubs.)”

Now a shrub can be as tiny as a dwarf ‘Tom Thumb’ cotoneaster, which only gets about 12 inches wide or a shrub can grow 8 to 10 feet tall like a lilac.

Another shrub, "RedStar" Hypericum

"RedStar" Hypericum: grows to 30"x30", full sun

We have other confusing industry terms.

Victoria will be speaking to a client and she will explain that she will bring the plant material on such-and-such a day. The client will ask, “What’s plant material?”

“Plant material is…plants.” And they give her a sidelong glance, like, why didn’t you just say plants, then?

Or she’ll say “I think you need some woody plants in the foundation planting near the house.”

“What are woody plants?”

And she replies, “Trees and shrubs.”****

See beginning of article.

Just kidding!

Visit and be inspired!

*As long as we’re defining things…”Horticulture is the science and art of producing, improving, marketing, and using fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants. It differs from botany and other plant sciences in that horticulture incorporates both science and aesthetics.” – American Society for Horticultural Science

**Some perennials have LONG blooming periods–some from May to September–but they are the exception, not the rule.

***Annuals bloom all summer long and complete their lifecycle within one season. Their job is to produce seeds, so they produce a lot of flowers again and again to complete their reproductive mission. Annuals give you a big blooming-bang for your buck, even though they die when the frost comes in fall.

***”Woody plants”–trees and shrubs–usually have bark as a defining feature.

Another spectacular shrub, 'Pearl Glam' callicarpa', grows 5'x5', full sun

A note about our nursery (if you’ve never visited):

Great garden design is accomplished with a tapestry of different shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. Visit our plant nursery in Rosendale, NY this weekend and feast your eyes on flowers, trees, and shrubs that will not only thrive in the Hudson Valley, but will also inspire you to take a fresh look at your outdoor spaces.

We lay the nursery out in areas by what conditions they need: deer resistant shade, deer resistant full sun, wet-tolerant plants, etc. We know this makes for a better shopping experience, because the plants you see together at the nursery can be planted together in the same garden bed once you get them home.

There’s no heartbreak–realizing that the two plants you picked out can’t survive in your shady front garden. (As professional landscapers, we’ve gardened in Ulster county for over 30 years, so believe us, we know what those conditions are!)

Our rock-top nursery is located on Cottekill Road, off of Rt 213 between Rosendale and High Falls. We are up on the hill, and when people step off the back porch into the nursery, they often say, “Wow. I had no idea this was back here.”

We know. It’s so much more than you can see from the road!

Why did my tree die?

This is a sad, but common question.

For some reason, in the spring, a young tree will fail to put out new foliage or the young foliage will appear to die on the tree.

So sad.

On closer inspection, at the base of the tree the bark looks as if it has been gnawed by some tree bark eating creature.

What could it be?

Beavers? 

Bugs?

No.

The mysterious animal is...

a weed wacker. 

Your lawn service (or your husband) in the pursuit of a neat and well kept lawn has been chipping away at the bark of your tree with the weed wacker.

Trees need their bark more than they need the inside wood of the trunk.

I have seen trees where the center of the trunk is almost entirely hollow, but as long as a half inch of the outside bark remains healthy, the tree will still put out foliage and even flowers.

Like this Hydrangea tree.

Look at that! It's hollow.

But this tree still has healthy foliage and flowers.

So what can you do to spare your trees this terrible fate?

Help young trees by maintaining a circle of mulch around the base. 

Your lawn service will keep the weed wacker away, and your tree's bark will stay intact and healthy.

No more dead trees.

We have a wide variety of young, healthy trees in stock to replace any weed wacker victims on your property.

We also carry an assortment of all natural and organic mulches to protect any newly planted trees!

We are located on the corner of Rt. 213 and Cottekill Road, between Rosendale and High Falls.

Visit and be inspired.

Before and After: It was meant to be

This before and after is a funny story, because in 2000, Victoria did a design consultation for this property. She made a recommendation to rip out the big Yew and a Hemlock hedge that had taken over the walkway and make a sloping garden, which would highlight the lovely Dogwood tree that was there. The home owners did not move forward with the big project, but did a smaller project instead.

Before

Seventeen years later, they said yes to the garden they deserved!

This year, 2017, we ripped out the big Yew and Hemlock hedge that had taken over the walkway and we installed a sloping garden, which now highlights the lovely Dogwood tree!

It was meant to be, obviously.

Check out the before and after pictures:

After

After

After

Before

After

After

During

After

After

After

Before

After

At Victoria Gardens, all our projects begin with an hour long on-site consultation with Victoria. This visit allows Vic to see the space you envision becoming your garden and allows you an opportunity to express your desires and ideas and ask any questions you may have. At the end of this hour, you will have been provided some great ideas, information on considerations for your garden site and some idea of how we will proceed with a design concept.

A Landscape/Garden Consultation Visit cost is $150.

You can read more about Victoria Gardens' design consultations and see more of our projects here and here.

How to plant a tree

Don’t be intimidated by tree planting! Here’s how the professionals at Victoria Gardens plant happy healthy trees:

Digging the hole: When planting trees, the planting hole should be bigger than the diameter of the root ball, but not deeper! You want the top of the container or root ball level with the ground surface. Once you finish your hole, you want to firm the soil at the bottom of the hole, so the root ball sits on a solid surface. If you set the tree on soft, freshly turned over soil at the bottom of your hole, the dirt could settle one way or the other and your tree could be crooked a day or two after planting!

Remove the cage and burlap: If you purchased a tree with a root ball, you will need to snip the metal cage apart with wire-cutters and REMOVE IT COMPLETELY! Then peal of the burlap COMPLETELY (And carefully, keeping the root ball in tact)! If you leave the cage and burlap on, you will inhibit the roots, and therefore stunt the growth of the entire tree. A tree planted in it's cage can become girdled and die.

Tickle the roots: If you brought your new tree home in a container (which we recommend!), then remove it from the pot and "tickle" the roots, loosening strands at the bottom edges and along the sides. This will encourage them to grow out in all directions immediately.

Feed the roots, not the leaves: Victoria recommends Espoma Biotone Starter, which is organic and stimulates root growth, lowering the chances of the tree experiencing stress.

Trees experience stress? Yes, and it can be caused by a variety of environmental factors. These stresses are “recorded” by the tree, and scientist can see the evidence of a drought or flood or defoliation hundreds of years ago in the rings of trees. Damaging insects will attack a stressed tree before a health one, and stress now can have effects years later.

Avoid stress! Planting smaller is better: Younger trees are more adaptable, and make the transition to a new environment with greater success. They make up for their small size with faster growth rates and better overall health for years after planting.

Amend your soil: Mix organic material in with your soil as you backfill (We like the Moo Doo, Dynamulch or compost to amend the soil. Some people use peat moss, although because it is mined, and not renewable, we recommend a peat replacement product made of coconut fibers. Cover the root ball with backfill and firm in the soil around it. ("Firm" not concrete hard - the tree's roots still need to push through the soil so don't take out any aggression, foot stomping, and the like, on the surrounding soil of your young tree.)

Water, water, water: The first year of any tree's life is the most important when it comes to watering. When you pick up your trees from Victoria Gardens, they are addicted to water. You must wean them off their watering schedule: water everyday for the first four or five days, every other day for then four or five, then every third day, ect. (A Gator can help!) The tree will adjust to it's surrounding with minimal stress, if you make the transition over a period of several weeks. After that, supplemental watering should be done weekly during dry periods.

Help from a ‘Gator': After the initial weaning, if you cannot reach your newly planted tree with the hose or if you plan on going away for more than a week, use a Treegator. Treegator is a drip irrigation system in a bag, which will release water over time, keeping your young tree from experiencing stress.

Keep the weedwacker and lawnmower at bay! The bark of most young trees damages easily, extra care is needed when mowing or using any garden tools around them. Injuries not only weaken dogwoods, but bring an onset of unwanted insects and fungus to the damaged bark.

Choose the right tree! Sun or shade? Moist soil or dry soil? Visit our nursery in Rosendale and we’ll help you choose!

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) ‘Hearts of Gold’ at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY

The heart shaped leaves of this Redbud variety are a dazzling golden green. In the fall the leaves turn a striking orange/yellow. We love this tree planted at the woodland’s edge, where the striking light foliage stands out against the dark forest behind it.

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) Hearts of Gold at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) Heart of Gold at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY

Eastern-Redbud-(Cercis-canadensis) at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Eastern Redbud Growing Zones: 4-9
Mature Height: 20-30 ft.
Mature Width: 25-35 ft.
Sunlight: Full or Partial
Soil Conditions: Very Adaptable, Black Walnut tolerant
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Blooms: small pink blooms on bare branches in the spring
Fall color: Golden yellow

A superb, underused plant with unique, early spring bloom. The vivid spring bloom cover the bare branches of mature trees, giving them a dramatic, velvety look.

But the real appeal of this understory tree are the heart shaped leaves. Available in deep purple, deep green and golden green, the eastern redbud adds character, texture and structure to a garden bed.

River Birch (Betula nigra ‘Heritage’)

‘Heritage’ River Birch(Betula nigra ‘Heritage’)

‘Heritage’River Birch ‘Heritage’ Growing Zones: 4-9
Mature Height: 40-50 ft.
Mature Width: 25-30 ft.
Sunlight: Full or Partial
Soil Conditions: Very wet tolerant, clay tolerant
Bark: very ornamental in maturity
Fall color: yellow

As is implied in the name, river birch are well-suited for planting along river banks, and in other spots which can flood for weeks at a time, but they also thrive in normal soil conditions.

One of our best-selling trees!

Why we love it: This native tree is elegant and performs better in our area than its European cousin. Its bark is not quite as showy, but its form is lovely.

We love the ‘Heritage’ variety because of its glossier leaves, but it really shines in a winter garden too, because of its attractive silhouette and exfoliating reddish brown bark. The texture of the bark becomes more dramatic as the specimen matures. The dark outer bark peels, exposing salmon color underneath.

Betula nigra is fast growing, and the multi-branch, clumping river birch is graceful and elegant. We especially like the sophisticated look of the multi-trunk river birch planted in a grove.

Unique tree specimens that will thrive in the Hudson Valley

Stewartia pseudocamllia (Japanese Stewartia)

Why we love it: The dramatic exfoliating bark and great fall foliage.

Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
Height: 20 ft to 40 ft Spread: 20 ft to 40 ft
Form: pyramidal/oval in youth – more rounded in maturity
Type: deciduous tree
Annual Growth Rate: 6 to 12 inches
Flowers: White with yellow center Blooms in July

Prefers full sun, but will tolerate partial shade. Soil should be moist and ideally acidic. Dry soil will limit this trees growth. The real appeal of this tree is its stunning exfoliating bark. When branches reach 2″ or 3″ in diameter, the gray, gold, and brown pealing bark is a real stand-out as a winter interest. Plus the Stewartia has fantastic fall foliage.

Fagus sylvatica ‘Purple Fountain’ – purple weeping beech

Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood)

Why we love it: This native tree blooms when no other tree is blooming in summer, and with the panicles still on the tree, the fall foliage will knock your socks off.

Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Height: 25 ft to 30 ft Spread: 20 ft to 25 ft
Form: pyramidal
Type: deciduous tree
Annual Growth Rate: 8 to 15 inches
Flowers: White Blooms Mid- to Late Summer

Prefers full sun to partial shade. Can grow in acidic, infertile soil.. The primary attraction of this small deciduous tree is the drooping clusters of fragrant, white blossoms are borne on 4″ to 10″ long panicles. Flowers open over a three to four week period, and then the panicles remain on the tree while the leaves turn yellow, orange and red for a spectacular fall show. The persistent fruit remains on the tree through winter.

Syringa x ‘Boomerang’ – purple lilac tree (This matching pair is perfect for an entry way.)

Sciadopitys verticillata (Japanese Umbrella Pine)

Why we love it: Long glossy needles and slow to grow, this tree is like no other evergreen.
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Height: 20 ft to 30 ft Spread: 15 ft to 20 ft
Form: pyramidal
Type: evergreen tree
Annual Growth Rate: 6 inches
Flowers: None

Prefers full sun to partial shade. Likes moist, acidic, well-drained soil. Slow growing tree, but worth the wait.
Long glossy needles give this tree a distinct look, different than any other evergreen.

Cutleaf Japanese Maple – 6′ to 10′ tall and wide – Zone 5 -A dwarf, mounded, small tree with a cascading and weeping habit. Also called a Threadleaf maple, the leaves are finely dissected (ribbon-like), and comes in many different varieties – too many to name! Visit the nursery in Rosendale, and fall in love with one! Full sun to part shade.

Q&A Which annuals are deer candy? And are there any annuals the deer will leave alone?

Q: Dear Victoria,

The deer seem to eat my annual containers like candy! Are there any annuals the deer will leave alone?

Help!

A: There are quite a few options for deer resistant annuals, then there are some varieties that they mostly leave alone, but nibble on occasionally, and there are, as you say, “deer candy.”

Everyone has different anecdotal evidence for one variety being left alone while another is always eaten, but after more than 3 decades as a professional landscaper in Ulster county – these are my findings:

Deer candy:

(You can plant these if you are deer free, protected by a fence or if you are willing to spray deer repellant. We carry Deer Defeat, an all natural, locally produced deer spray.)

• Sweet potato vine

• Coleus

• Oxalis

• Impatients

• Fuchsias

Annuals that deer mostly leave alone:

• Zinneas

• Marigolds

• Angelonia

• Snapdragons

• Cosmos

• Fragrant petunias

• Persian shield

• Geraniums

Deer resistant:

• Annual Grasses

• Mint

• Salvia

• Agastache

• Verbena bonariensis

• Cleome

• Lantana

• Euphorbia “Diamond frost”

We have a huge selection of annuals in stock, so come in this weekend and pick out some all-summer color for your containers and gardens.

If you battle the deer, don’t worry we’ve got you covered!

And if you have questions about many of the other varieties we carry, just ask one of the knowledgeable gardeners who work in the store -they can help you find the right combination for your planter: sun, shade, deer-resitant, drought-tolerant – we have the perfect annuals for you.

Happy planting!

How to make your garden an all season delight

"I'm too late!"

We hear from clients and customers all the time that they feel that if they don't plant in May, then they have missed their window of opportunity and they will just have to wait until next year.

This is crazy talk!

The gardening season continues: June, July, August, September, and sometimes extends to Thanksgiving! That's when the ground is warm enough for plants to put down roots before going dormant for the winter.

That is four or five more months, 120 to 150 more days, 1,440 to 1,750 daylight hours left in the gardening season!

Another thing we hear from customers is that they feel like they have to do it all at once.

This is also crazy.

Because of the nature of plant growers and the nature of the plant nursery business, we tend to have the plants that bloom in June in stock...in June. The plants that bloom in July we have on display...in July.

So if you buy all your plants t once, there is a good chance your garden looks fantastic for that one month, but then quiet the rest of the gardening season.

If your garden is quiet this week, visit Victoria Gardens and choose a couple plants in bloom to brighten up this time in your garden year after year! Visit through out the season and your garden will become an all season delight.

Remember the gardening season is looong.

Visit and be inspired.

Victoria Gardens Nursery is located on the corner of Cottekill Rd and Rt. 213 in Rosendale. (845) 658-9007

Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’

Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’

Dawn Redwood Growing Zones: 4-8
Mature Height: 40-50 ft.
Mature Width: 20-30 ft.
Sunlight: Full or Partial
Soil Conditions: Very Adaptable
Drought Tolerance: Good
Fall color: Orange and yellow

The Dawn Redwood tree, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, is a deciduous conifer, with soft needle-like leaves that look like evergreens, but are bright green in the spring and brilliant orange/red in the fall. The needles are then shed in winter.

Dawn Redwood trees are a very interesting–one of the few deciduous conifers in the world.

It is feathery pyramidal in form with a straight, fluted trunk. It grows very fast to 40’ and can grow to 70’. Dawn Redwoods are considered by many to be the Fastest Growing Conifer.

• Plant away from foundations and plan for it eventually being a very large tree.(Under ideal conditions they have been reported to grow up to 5 feet per year.)
• Adaptable to almost any soil (except desert sand) can withstand both moderate flooding and drought. Dawn Redwoods can even grow in standing water.
• Great when planted alone as an ornamental tree or in groupings. A great tree for borders and fence lines. Grows consistently into a pyramidal form and makes an attractive shade tree.
• Once very hard-to-find, but now we have found reliable growers. At Victoria Gardens, we keep these lovely trees in stock throughout the year and we use them in plantings when ever we get a chance!

Dawn-Redwood-Metasequoia-glyptostroboides-‘Gold-Rush’ at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY

Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’ at Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY

5 garden chores to do after a heavy rain

After a heavy rain, there are a handful of garden chores you will want to do before the soil dries out again.

#1. Weed

The moisture in the soil makes weeding so much easier than after a week of dry weather. The soil is soft and you have a better chance of pulling the whole root out.

#2. Deadhead

After a heavy rain, some perennials and annuals may need to be cut back if they were damaged or flattened. And any spent flowers can be trimmed off.

Gerber daisies – deadhead spent flowers and they will rebloom all summer long

#3. Check for wet spots

Area that are slow to drain and stay wet for days after a storm need special attention. If this area is up against your house foundation, you may need to reroute your gutters or install a French drain.

If it is a spot you would like to plant, you will need to choose wet-tolerant plants. Many trees, shrubs, and perennials can thrive with “wet feet” (like river birch, dappled willows, Ligularia, Siberian iris, Chelone, and the ground cover Lysimachia.)

#4. Plant

Again, the moisture in the soil makes digging easy. After you’ve cleared out the weeds and deadheaded spent flowers, you will see spaces in your garden that need color.

When you visit the nursery, the perennials and shrubs blooming now are the plants that will bloom at this time every year. Shopping and planting throughout the season this year is a way to guarantee continuous color for years to come.

Show-stopping lupines will spread by seed and naturalize in your garden

If you have a young garden and you are waiting for perennials and shrubs to grow to their mature size, you can fill in holes just for the summer with annuals.

#5. If you haven’t already, lay down a 2″ to 3″ layer of mulch. Mulch helps retain the moisture in the soil during the hot dry spells that can happen throughout the summer.

Happy, Happy Herb Boxes

 

Growing herbs, especially in easily accessible pots near your grill or kitchen door is one of the true luxuries of summer. Grabbing a fist full of fresh oregano or thyme to throw into a dish in progress will make you happy! But there are some unusual edibles we’d like you to consider this summer:

Corsica mint

Corsica mint is one of our favorites, because it is so so fragrant. When you pet the tiny, densely packed foliage, it releases a heavenly, minty fragrance. We recommend you plant a full pot of it near a lounge chair for relaxation and aromatherapy purposes, but it can also be planted in the ground as a steppable ground cover. Use it in iced tea or sprinkle the little leaves over fresh greens.

Another one of our favorites is French Sorrel. You need to harvest the leaves before the plant bolts (throws up its flowers) and you can harvest it multiple times through the season. The baby leaves add a lemony bite to fresh salads or a wonderful herb and aromatic to throw in with fish dishes, but French Sorrel soup is the best use of this leafy green!

French Sorrel

Chocolate mint can be used to infuse milk for homemade ice cream, but chocolate mint mojitos are also a crowd pleaser. Mints have a tendency to take over in the garden, so they are the perfect herb to keep in a container.

Chocolate mint

Cold hardy, perennial herbs—like mint, sage and thyme—can overwinter in pots outside, but more tender herbs—like rosemary—need to be brought inside in the fall or planted a new each spring. Pots of herbs perform best in full sun, but no fertilizers are needed. Most herbs thrive in lean soil and like to dry out in between watering. That said, they can perform just fine in a mixed container if you want to throw an herb in with blooming annuals.

Sage

Rosemary

Lovage

Golden Oregano

Variegated Oregano

Salad Burnet

Sweet Marjoram

We also love the idea of an all edible mixed pot. Here are a few edible flowering plants to brighten up your grill side herb boxes: violets, pansies, and violas. The small, delicate flowers can be used to decorate desserts or garnish any main dish. Nasturtium is a prolific annual with red, yellow and orange blossoms. The flower and the foliage are both pretty and peppery. They make a spicy addition to salads or fish dishes. The thick, juicy petals of Tuberous Begonia taste like lemon water. They can be tossed into salads or drinks for a colorful, tart crunch. You don’t see these commonly used, maybe because most people feel the flowers are too beautiful to eat!

Our favorite Columbines – spring blooms

Lacy and graceful, Columbine are a lovely spring bloom.

Deer resistant, sun and shade tolerant, and–with a little help from you–columbines will naturalize. (More on that later.) Here are a few of our favorites.

#1. Aquilegia vulgaris plena ‘Black Barrow’

The deep purple (almost black) color of the bell shaped flowers are an elegant addition to any shade garden.

#2. Aquilegia canadensis ‘Corbett’ is a variety of wild columbine.

Humming birds, bees, and butterflies love the nectar rich wild columbines.

#3. Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Clementine Salmon Rose’

New varieties of columbine appear all the time because of the cross-pollination caused by natural pollinators. Plant a few varieties and see if any hybrids bloom in your yard!

#4. Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Clementine Blue’

Columbines of all varieties do best in moist spring soil, followed by drier summer soil. If planted in a swampy or often flooded area, crown rot can kill the plant.

The delicate foliage can occasionally develop powdery mildew. If this happens, cut your columbine down to the ground. If it persists, think about relocating them to a an area with more air flow.

#5. Aquilegia canadensis ‘Little Lanterns’

Red wild columbines have twice the amount of sugar in their nectar than other columbine species native to North America and ornithologists have noted that the ruby-throated humming birds follow the blossoming of Aquilegia canadensis as they travel north.

Later in the season finches will eat the columbine seeds, but–if you want to naturalize columbine through out your property–don’t let the seeds go to the birds!

Let the seeds dry on the plant. When they rattle collect the seeds and check the Weather Channel. Right before a thunderstorm, sprinkle the seeds everywhere you’d like them to be, and next spring you will be rewarded with glorious volunteers.

One final note: Columbines die back after flowering, so be sure to mix them in with summer blooming perennials, wildflowers and grasses.

Dramatic Before and After: Poolside in Olivebridge

And just think, this was the “before”:

Finished Pool Project in Olivebridge, NY

The finished project was an exciting collaboration between Walter Cudnohufsky Associates (landscape architect) and Victoria Gardens (garden design).

The front yard was an example of reclaiming space by eliminating part of the driveway. Where there was once asphalt, the front walk now leads visitors through a peaceful grove-like garden to the front porch and welcoming entrance.

Before

After

For the multiple levels of gardens, low maintenance, drought-tolerant plants were chosen to create a tapestry of textures and colors to reflect a more modern feel and enhance the stone walls and paths.

Before

After

We can help you with your landscape project… big or small.

Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY has been designing and installing gardens in Ulster County for 30 years. We’d love to help you shape the backyard of your dreams.

Call to schedule a design consultation today: (845) 658-9007

Also, we weed!

Beat the heat and have the Victoria Gardens’ crew weed your garden!

When we finish a landscape and garden renovation project like the collaboration above, we will often set up a maintenance–once a month, twice a month–in order to keep the gardens looking picture perfect.

All you have to do is enjoy the view (and the pool!)

Call to schedule your mid-summer weeding session:
(845) 658-9007

Landscaping Before and After Photos in Olivebridge, NY

After almost 30 years garden design, landscaping installation and maintenance in Ulster, Dutchess and Sullivan counties, Victoria Gardens has made clients happy by thinking out of the box.

And sometimes out of the driveway!

This before and after is the perfect example of a driveway that was inhibiting how the clients were enjoying their outside space.

The gravel driveway came all the way up to the back door. This separated the house from a set of outdoor stairs, which led to the pool.

You had to traverse across sharp gravel, weave in and around parked cars, and run into the FedEx guy in your bare feet and bathing suit every time you wanted to take a dip in the pool!

Not even consciously thinking about it, that becomes a passive barrier blocking the client from spending optimal time enjoying their pool.

But what’s a person to do? Isn’t the driveway literally set in stone?

No!

You are not limited by existing walkways, garden beds, or even driveways. Victoria and her crew have dramatically transformed outside spaces to the surprise and delight of clients.

We brought in the backhoe and tore up the driveway.

We brought in stone dust and flat stone for the new patio.

The patio was designed to blend in with the natural rock outcroppings in the hillside next to it. Victoria picked out ferns and sedums to be planted in and around the rock outcroppings to feel natural at the edge of the wooded area near by.

And we brought in square stone for the retaining wall and stairs that would define the new reclaimed yard from the now (much!) smaller driveway.

We moved the fence back to around the pool area. Then we brought in new soil to make garden beds and level out where we had dug out the old driveway – adding to the size and openness of the backyard.

We planted grass seed.

And waited for the grass to grow!

Now our clients walk out their back door into the privacy of their new backyard, across the new relaxing patio, past their newly planted garden beds, and head to the pool.

The new garden beds were planted with a variety of deer resistant perennials, ferns, grasses, and ground covers.

Victoria Gardens helped our clients reclaim hundreds of square feet on their property for their privacy and enjoyment.

But what about the poor cars?

Don’t worry, there is still enough driveway to park 3 or 4 cars if necessary. And now there is a real entrance! As you climb a few stone steps, you are led on a whimsical curving path of stepping stones to the front porch. Leave the outside world behind as you step into a backyard that feels like a sanctuary in the country, instead of a parking lot.

Any project by Victoria Gardens begins with an hour long consultation with Victoria. The purpose of a consultation is to allow the designer to see your property and gives you the opportunity to ask any questions and to express your vision, wishes, and requirements for the project.

• Design Consultations
• Garden Installation
• Garden Maintenance
• Weeding & Mulching
• Spring & Fall Clean Ups
• Deer Spray

Call (845) 658-9007 to make an appointment or visit our Nursery and Garden Center on the corner of Rt. 213 and Cottekill Road, between Rosendale and High Falls.

At Victoria Gardens you will find a selection of trees, shrubs and perennials that are chosen specifically for our area and for our customers most frequently voiced problems: deer, dry soil, wet spots, and shady areas.

Our knowledgeable staff will help you find the perfect combinations, so you only have to plant once!

• Trees
• Shrubs
• Perennials
• Annuals
• House Plants
• Seeds
• Soils & Mulches
• Tools

Landscaping Before and After Photos in Accord, NY

This cheerful home is set on top of a gentle slope overlooking a picturesque meadow. When you approach the house, you drive up the hill, through the sunny meadow and pull around the back of the house to a shady courtyard.

To make the transition from “driveway” to courtyard and welcoming entrance, Victoria Gardens added a gently trickling water feature. The sound has a soothing effect. It allows the residents and guests alike, to leave the stresses of the outside world parked right next to where they left their cars.

In a corner with the client’s house on one side and a retaining wall on the other, creating a natural looking water feature was essential to a sense of “belonging” in the setting. Victoria’s crew brought in and arranged large stones, burying them in the ground to create a landscape within the landscape.

Inspired by Buddist traditions and aesthetics, Donna artfully builds the Asian-influenced water feature. River stones edge the water feature and the pea gravel walkway. Bright green perennial sedum and deep purple, flowering Ajuga were planted in-between the rocks, and water plants function both as ornamental features and as natural filters.

“Flowing water’s soothing sounds have long been associated with meditation, a well-known relaxation method. Michael Wenger, dean of Buddhist studies at the San Francisco Zen Center, tells us that, “Moving water is ‘white noise,’ in which you can hear many things. Each individual may hear a different song in the water. Just listening to the sound–not tying it to anything, just letting sound wash over you–is a way of letting go of your ideas and directly experiencing things as they are.” This notion is exemplified in Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, one of the most important works of 20th-century Buddhist fiction. In it, the title character, while meditating upon the sound of a river and its “many-voiced song,” has a life-changing experience, whereupon he ceases to fight against his destiny and thus achieves enlightenment.” – Water’s Wonders by Hollis Kline and Laura Schiff (Psychology Today)

Victoria Coyne and her crew at Victoria Gardens have been designing, installing and maintaining gardens in Ulster, Dutchess and Sullivan counties for almost 30 years.

Click here for details about arranging a design consultation or call 845-658-9007.

Or visit our landscaping portfolio to see more of Victoria Gardens’ projects.

Victoria Gardens: our own before and after

It is hard to believe, that when Victoria Coyne and her husband, Wayne Waddell saw this turquoise, abandoned, cement block building, that they had a vision of a unique garden center with mighty sugar maples holding up the high, lofty ceiling. Or that the back doors would open onto a shelf of bedrock that would become home to the Victoria Gardens’ nursery.

This is a short chronicle of the dramatic “before” and “after.”