Two Trees That Please

Are you looking for 'that special tree' to add in your landscape? Any well-planned yard should contain at least one flowering tree of exceptional beauty.  Flowering trees are among the most prized specimens of the yard, making a bold statement. While trees, in general, help form the "backbone" of the landscape, flowering trees add pizazz to a yard in a way that few other plants can. Take a look at these two beautiful trees that not only add character, but are two trees that will flower during the summer months!

Golden Rain Tree
Koelreuteria Paniculata

An excellent ornamental or shade tree. Also known as Chinese Flame tree. Has an exquisite display of summer blooming bright yellow flowers which will last up to two weeks! It is heat and drought tolerate, has a broad, irregular globe-shape. Will grow 20-40' tall by 20-30' wide. A moderately fast grower that grows best in full sun. 

It is one of the very few fragrant yellow flowering trees available. A deciduous tree that is perfect for a lawn, or for shading a patio. 

Look forward to seeing this specimen show its beauty in fall as well!  The yellow flowers will slowly change to beige then mature to a medium brown by Autumn and form unique seed pods that look like tiny Chinese lanterns that contain one-three round black seeds which will last throughout the winter. Fall leaf color is yellow.

What's not to love about this Asian native tree? Although graceful in form, don't let this tree fool you as it's a tough and adaptable tree used for many landscaping applications.

Japanese Stewartia

Stewartia pseudocamellia

This ornamental tree is well known for its camellia-like flowers. While they are not long lasting flowers, they will keep blooming in regular intervals throughout 3-4 weeks during mid-summer. The flowers are white with yellow stamens.  This tree is very low maintenance, needs no pruning and will except part shade to full sun. A small to medium growing tree of 25-40' tall by 15-20' wide.

Stewardia's are often multi-trunked or low branched and have a spectacular polished, peeling trunk which gets more pronounced as it matures. This slow growing tree comes to us from the mountains of Japan and is perfect for planting near patio's, used as a canopy over a sidewalk or specimen tree.

This all-season performer is a highly appreciated landscape tree because of its beautiful flowers, late blooming habit, colorful bark and its autumn foliage!

In the fall, the green leaves turn yellow, red and purple which look beautiful against the gray, cinnamon and brown look of the bark. Imagine how a freshly fallen snow would look like against this bark too! Stunning!

Stewartia's will require a well-drained acidic soil, however it will tolerate some moisture. Grows wonderfully in our clay soil conditions too! One additional benefit is that this tree is rarely susceptible to diseases and pests!

Two trees that will please!

The Fruits of Your Labor - Part 1

If you planted a vegetable and herb garden this spring, you're more than likely ready to start reaping the benefits of your hard work!

It's right about now that gardeners will begin harvesting herbs and some early producing vegetables, but many are fearful that they don't know the proper harvesting techniques in order to have their plants thrive all summer. 

Let's begin with the most common herbs:

BASIL

Typically, the best time to harvest basil (and most other herbs) is in the morning. It should be right after the morning dew sets and before the heat of the afternoon. The essential oils in that plants are at their strongest, giving more of a robust flavor to the herb. To harvest fresh, delicious basil simply pinch the leaves directly above another set of leaves. By doing this, the plant will push out new stems and leaves. Fertilize your plants once a month by watering them with a diluted fish fertilize to keep them flourishing until late fall. Oregano and most other leafy herbs can be harvested in the same manner, just before a new leaf set to encourage further growth.

PARSLEY

You can begin harvesting parsley when it is about 6" tall and relatively full. Cut as needed, but try not to remove more than 1/3 of the leaves at a time. Harvest whole stems, from the base of the plant, to encourage more growth. Some gardeners also feel that harvesting older stems from the outside of the plant will help encourage new growth from the center.

Chives are very easy to harvest as you just cut what you need from the plant. No matter where you cut them, they will push new growth and continue to flourish until late fall.

LETTUCE

By now any lettuce that was planted is definitely worthy of picking and enjoying. The best method of cutting leaf lettuce is by starting from the outer most layer of leaves. Your lettuce plant will keep producing from the center as long as the outer leaves are removed until the plant bolts (or puts up a flower stalk). The outer leaves are usually bigger and laying down in a more horizontal position. You'll want to grasp the base of the leaf with your thumb and forefinger close to where it connects to the plant, then pinch and twist the leaf at the same time. By using this technique you will not harm the plant or its root system. Continue to do this until the leaves that are left on the plant are about two inches long. Give your plant time to rest and produce and usually within five days you can harvest again!

GREEN BEANS & PEAS

Early selections of green beans and peas should be ready to begin harvesting three weeks after the plants blossom. You'll want to look for the plumpest, bright green pods and use scissors to clip them from the vine. Too often anxious gardeners will pull the pods off the vine only to damage the vines which result in less bean and pea production. Harvesting daily will keep your plants producing longer. Pick them while they are young as beans and peas that are left on the vine too long will become hard and lose their flavor to a starchy taste.  Both peas and beans are best tasting when served the same day they are harvested unless you are going to freeze them.

ZUCCHINI FLOWERS

If you're growing zucchini plants, you're more than likely seeing the beginning of the zucchini's energy focusing on producing its fruit. How? You're seeing beautiful yellow flowers emerge from the base of the plant. While these flowers will eventually become zucchinis if left on the vine, you can also eat the flowers! Many gardeners enjoy harvesting and eating these delicately soft and tasty treats! They can be used in salads, sauteed or battered and deep fried for a tasty delicacy.  If you wish to pick the blossoms make sure you pick only the male blossoms as these are the ones that are borne on a narrow stalk. The female flowers have the start of a squash right under the flower where the male blossom is just on a stem. The picture shows the male blossom. If you want to obtain more zucchini than flowers, try to only pick the male blossoms.

Here's a nice recipe for Fried Zucchini Flowers:

16 Zucchini Flowers

2 Large Eggs

1 Cup Cold Water
1 Cup All-purpose Flour
Salt & Pepper
Oil For Frying

Prepare the zucchini flowers by cutting off their stems leaving only about an inch. Gently open the flowers and remove the stamen. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Mix together the flour, water, and eggs with a whisk until completely blended. Once your oil has reached the correct temperature, carefully dip the flower into the batter coating it completely and let the excess drip off. Drop the flower into the oil and cook about 1 minute each side until golden brown. Place the fried flower on a paper towel lined plate and continue to cook the rest of the flowers in the same manner. Serve immediately.

Do you have an abundance of herbs and want to save them for later use?  That's easy! Click on our earlier post on "How to Freeze Herbs".

Stay tuned as we will post a series of "The Fruits of Your Labor" in the coming weeks as more vegetables are ready to be harvested!

Plant a Shade Tree!

Shade trees are the most sought after trees in the United States. The stature, strength, and their potential for long life provide a sense of permanence and as living memorials for the residents who planted and nurtured the shade tree. Shade tree selection for bold fall color can and will provide pleasure for the eye in the autumn season for years to come. 

They also have the following benefits:

- They are usually the first plant chosen for the front and back yards of new homes.

- Business parks and recreational parks choose shade trees to beautify the landscape and provide habitat for birds and small mammals.

- Shade trees also reduce heating and cooling costs of houses and buildings and increase property values.

- They reduce the heat reflected from paved or asphalted areas and convert carbon dioxide to oxygen.

-Fast growing shade trees provide for a ‘welcome home’ feeling to urban neighborhoods.

Although there are many to chose from, the following are the most popular and most sought after. All of which, Rutgers Nursery has a vast selection to chose from.


Green Vase Zelkova

A fast growing, graceful tree with bright green leaves. Will grow 60'h x 30'w. Will tolerate clay soils and drought conditions. It has a beautiful vase shaped habit.  Leaves turn bronze-red in fall.

White Oak

A moderate growing great long-lived tree that will last for generations. It is an excellent wildlife source of food mass in the form of acorns.  This tree grows at a moderate pace. The White Oak is pyramidal in youth and then develops broad crown with age.The dense foliage is bluish-green, to reddish-brown in fall. Will grow to 45' tall.

Pin Oak

Pin oak is named for a characteristic where small, thin, dead branches stick out like pins from the main trunk. Pin oak is among the most widely planted native oaks in the landscape, the third most common street tree in New York City! It tolerates drought, poor soils.It is popular because of an attractive shape and trunk. This tree will grow 40'h x 25'w. The green, glossy leaves show brilliant red to bronze fall color.

Swamp White Oak

A beautiful native tree with lustrous, heavy textured leaves. This rugged oak grows well in either well drained soil or swampy areas. It is tolerant of poorly drained sites and frequently is found in heavy mucky soils. A rapidly growing tree that will grow to 45'h. The acorns mature and are shed in September or October of the same year. The name bicolor refers to the two-colored leaf, shining dark green above and velvety white  below, turning golden in the fall.

Autumn Blaze Maple

A unique combination of good traits from the Red maple and Silver maple. They are strong trees that resist ice damage and high winds and adapt to a large range of soil conditions. You can't beat this trees show stopping orange-red leaves in the fall!  These trees will grow 50'h x 40'w.

October Glory Maple

The most highly prized of all Red Maples! It is one of the “reddest” red maple trees available. Combine that with easy maintenance, versatility and the ability to flourish in a variety of soils, moisture levels, and sun amounts, and you have the perfect specimen. Whether it is to provide a focal point, line your drive, or shade your yard, October Glory Maple trees are your best bet. They quickly grow to 50'h. They also hold their brillant red leaves longer than the typical red maple!

Shademaster Honey Locust

A moderately fast growing tree commonly found on moist lands. It has proven to be a very hardy tree and is widely planted for windbreaks and soil erosion control. An excellent street and lawn tree because it is thornless and seedless. The dark green foliage turns yellow for great fall color. Because the medium green leaves are fine textured, there's seldom need for raking! 

Now that it's hot, it's time to think Shade!

What a great time to start planting your shade trees while Rutgers Nursery is holding their "5-Tree" Special!

Stay cool and take "5"!  

Any five trees (Shade & Flowering Trees) - 2-2.5" caliper for $1294 (includes delivery and planting)   You save: $600 

Any five trees (Shade & Flowering Trees) - 2.5-3" caliper

for $1586 (includes delivery and planting)  You save: $700

Any five trees (Shade & Flowering Trees) - 3-3.5" caliper

for $1899 (includes delivery and planting)  You save: $864

The Sensational Beauty of Lightning Bugs

Have you noticed the bountiful population of this years lightning bugs? For many, lightning bugs or otherwise known as 'fireflies' are a distinct memory of our childhoods. Just as dusk set in the parade of lightning bugs would rise from the grass, one or two at first and then the whole sky would fill with fireflies. Do you remember running around the yard catching them in your hands or collecting them in glass jars? 

Lightning bugs are members of a particular family of the Beetle. Thus, they are truly a beetle, and not in the fly family as their common name "Firefly" would suggest.  They produce light via a chemical reaction in their bodies. While scientists can not determine how this fascinating bug can turn their lights on and off, there is strong evidence that it has a lot to do with the oxygen supply in their bodies. When a lightning bug flashes they are trying to attract mates and are male. The females usually perch on vegetation near the ground and wait to see the males flashing.  Interestingly enough, so that a male bug doesn't attract a firefly of a different species, each bug of a particular family has its own special flash pattern. 

Lightning bug larvae live on the ground, under bark and in moist, swampy places. They eat earthworms, snails and slugs and other organic matter.




Did you know that there are also "Glow-Worms"? They are the larva of a two-winged insect. They are similar to lightning bugs as they produce a similar chemical reaction in their bodies, producing a bio-luminescence effect. Unlike the lightning bug, the Glow-Worm uses its glow to invite insects to dinner. Insects fly towards the glow and ultimately regret the invitation as they get stuck in the sticky lines that the glow-worm makes, similar to a spider web.  

Scientists believe that lightning bugs may have have gotten an early start this year due to higher temperatures in April, however, what is the cause of the increase of this fabulous light display? There are theories that fewer people are using pesticides and chemicals in their lawns. Or, is it the fact that we had such a rainy season last year? Whatever the reason, take a moment and capture this mystical beauty in the night, pull up your favorite comfortable chair and recapture some memories or start some new ones! 

The Enchanted Butterfly Garden

Butterfly gardening has become one of the most enjoyable and popular hobbies today. What could be more exciting or joyful than a beautiful butterfly fluttering around your garden?

To promote butterflies entering your gardens, plant some of the plants listed below in a sunny location (5-6 hours a day). Chose a location that is sheltered from winds. Butterflies need the sun to warm themselves so put a few flat stones in your sunny location so they can take a break while warming up.  

Like humans, they will need water too. Keep a mud puddle damp in a sunny location or fill a bucket with sand and enough water to make the sand moist. 

The number one rule for Butterfly Gardening is to keep your garden pesticide free. Go organic!

Butterflies use two different types of plants. "Nectar" plants for the adults to eat and those that provide "food" for their offspring. The following are common, easy to grow plants that attract many butterflies.

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

Lantana

Zinneas

Bee Balm (Monarda)

Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea)

Pentas

Sage

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias) or Milkweeds

Lilac

Sunflower

Marjoram

Gayfeather (Liatris)

To see which butterflies are popular in New Jersey click here

Don't forget! To learn more, stop in the Nursery on June 19th at 11:00am for our Butterfly and Hummingbird Gardens Free Seminar!

Summer Watering Habits

When properly planted and cared for your plants will prosper, "A happy plant is a healthy plant" as the saying goes because insects and plant diseases are rarely a major problem with happy plants. To help keep your plants happy, we've listed some "Summer Watering Habits" for you to follow.

The Golden Rule

CHECK FOR MOISTURE BEFORE YOU WATER!

When planting trees and shrubs you should check the moisture level for one full year, or until the root system is established. To accurately do this, pull back the mulch and feel the soil with your hands along side the rootball about four inches below ground level. During the hot and dry summer months, this should be done every 2-3 days for smaller plants and every 3-5 days for larger plants and trees. If the soil is dry - water thoroughly, if it is moist - do not water and check the soil in another few days.  The object of watering is to find that "happy medium" neither too wet, nor too dry.  Be aware that both too little water and too much water can be detrimental.

There are many different ways to water plants. The most common methods are:

Garden Hose

Garden hoses can be turned on at a slow trickle and set on a root ball of a tree. During hot and dry weather you can water a tree with a trunk that is 2 1/2" in diameter for approximately a half hour moving the hose around the tree. Hoses are ideal for watering a single plant or tree or a number of plants.

Sprinklers

Sprinklers are best for watering lawns or an entire bed of plants, especially those with annuals and perennials. They are not, however, the best way to water individual plants because they do not allow for deep watering.

Soaker Hoses

Soaker hoses are great for slow, deep watering. They can be used in beds or rows, around root balls and surrounding soil. Soaker hoses 'sweat' and can be left to run for several hours depending on the size of the tree or plant.

Watering Wands

They are great for providing supplemental watering, especially for container grown plants. Container plants dry out more quickly than other plants. Let the water soak through the container for a few minutes while you move on to the next plant you are watering. Then go back and water each container again with the wand to ensure the roots absorbed the water.

Gator Bags

These can be used to water trees during hot and dry summer months. They can hold up to 20 gallons of water, are secured to the trunk of the tree and will release water slowly to the root ball over the course of 15-20 hours.  A convenient method of watering newly installed trees.

Water-Wise Tips

Container plants dry out quicker than balled and burlapped plants.

It is very important to water trees and shrubs thoroughly as needed during the hot summer months and in the late fall before the onset of winter.

Summer thunderstorms can provide some helpful moisture, BUT should not be considered a substitute for deep watering for trees.

Wilted leaves can result from the soil being either too dry or too wet thus it is best to feel the soil to determine which is the case before you water.

Bedding plants, vegetable gardens, hanging baskets and potted plants may need to be watered daily during the summer months depending on the amount of rain received.

It is best time to water in early morning before temperatures begin to rise. Water early enough so that the leaves have time to dry before nightfall to avoid disease. This pertains to grass and lawns too!

Mulching your plants will help retain moisture and will reduce the amount of watering you need to do as well.

June Gardening Tips

Thoroughly water new plants and transplants, preferably early in the morning, and make sure they are well mulched (to retain water during heat/dry spells).

Water all plants heavily and infrequently when not in extreme heat or drought conditions, to build drought resistance.

Weed as necessary- for a plant to be truly healthy, it must be weed-free!

Throw healthy grass clippings into compost pile



Prune spring-flowering shrubs, deadhead mountain laurel, rhododendron, azalea, lilacs (when done flowering) and shrub roses (to encourage continued blooms)

Spray roses to prevent fungus; fertilize

Continue planting shrubs, trees and perennials (especially containers)

Prune evergreens

Plant annual seeds

Pinch back mums when they've grown 4-6"