2010 YEAR IN REVIEW!

December is a great month to look back on our accomplishments, the things that made us successful, and even some things that we will want to change in the coming year. It was an exciting year for Rutgers Landscape & Nursery starting from January and all the way through the present. 

For us at Rutgers, the winter months are a time to put back on our thinking caps and come up with ideas to WOW you!  We did a great job at it during 2010 so we set the bar high for another fantastic year ahead!  We hope you enjoy the following achievements we have accomplished this year and we thank you for being a part of our successes!

Here are our Top 10 Highlights of 2010!

Rutgers Landscape & Nursery joined FACE BOOK!
Click here to join in the fun today!

                Rutgers Celebrates its 
                    25th Anniversary!
                   Click here to rediscover who we are and
                    where we started from!

We announced our newly designed website!
Bookmark our website as there's always something new happening at Rutgers!

We built several "FUN" additions to the Nursery!
Rutgers has, and always will be, a FUN place to shop! Click here to see why!

Rutgers kicks off their "Steward of the Earth" Campaign!
This year we promoted the New Jersey Tree Foundation by donating 2% of all sales from June 18 through August 15 to this foundation. Click here to find out more and how you can take part during 2011!

We announced our "2010 Best Garden Contest" winners!
Click here to see the gardens that caught our attention! Maybe you'll be next!

Rutgers announces it's a "Dog Friendly" Nursery!
You can't miss our larger than life 'green roof' dog house and our watering stations throughout the nursery. We welcome our four-legged friends! Click here to learn more!

We Won First Prize in the "Today's Garden Magazine" Steal This Idea Contest!
We entered our idea of the "BIG" yellow chairs into the contest & won 1st prize thanks to the many voters who found our idea to be top notch! We won some very exciting prizes thanks to you! Click here to see our idea!

Our 2010 Seminar program was a complete success!
This year we added many "hands-on" workshops to our seminar program which received raved reviews! We are grateful for our many returning customers who spread the word about our seminar program and welcome the many new faces we met over the year. We promise that our 2011 Seminar Program will delight you as we have an all new program in store! 

Lastly, our Rutgers Reuters Blog receives more than 17,000 visitors!
It has been a great blogging year for us as we have continued to inspire and educate fellow gardeners in the passion of making the world a greener place to live in! We have received many fine comments on the quality of our posts and have been noted by several organizations and websites as having an "Outstanding Blog".  We thank all the readers that have commented on our posts. Because of your comments and encouraging words we are continually motivated to provide more content that will help you in your labor love of gardening!

Stay connected with Rutgers Landscape & Nursery as we have an exciting 2011 planned!

The entire staff of Rutgers Landscape & Nursery

wishes you a safe & healthy holiday

and a happy New Year!

Your Composter Called - It's Hungry!

Yes indeed if you have an established compost pile it is still willing and able to accept your contributions! If you've been composting your food scraps during spring, summer and fall, why stop now? 

Considering that the average family produces 400-600 pounds of organics per year, composting can still continue during the winter months. In theory, the compost will not 'cook' like it was in the spring and summer, but you can certainly continue to build the pile. 

Wintertime isn't the best time to 'start' a new compost pile, but adding to an existing pile is absolutely doable if you're willing to go the extra mile. For many, your compost piles are a distance away from your home, thus this means you'll have to shovel a path to your composter in order to 'feed it'.

During winter, adding food scraps will be your primary 'green' addition, but what about the 'browns'? Here's an idea! Get a covered container and fill it with leaves, twigs, dead plants now before the snow really covers everything! Put it next to your compost heap and after making an addition of greens, you'll have a convenient amount of browns to add afterwards.

There's no need to worry about adding water as snow cover will provide the moisture.  What's next? In Spring, once your heap thaws, turn it over and your ready for the following seasons worth of compost.

Have you always thought about starting a compost heap but haven't yet? There are so many benefits of composting that it's worth investigating such an endeavor.



You can start by reading our previous post "The Dirt on Composting".

Happy Composting!

Pretty in Plumes!

Ornamental grasses ... a truly versatile plant that deserves a place in the landscape. They are easy to grow, pest free and are available in a large variety of species.

Not only are they beautiful to look at and admire in spring and summer, but they add winter interest as well. Many have large white plumes or colorful seedheads that stand high above the dried foliage throughout winter. As an added bonus they also provide food for winter birds.

If you have already discovered the beautiful world of ornamental grasses by now you more than likely have fluffy plumes on your grasses. Why not bring the beauty inside? The plumes will last for years!

You can use grass plumes in wreaths, arrangements or simply put in a vase. If your plumes have not started drying yet, just cut the plumes to the desired length, bundle the stalks and hang them upside down to dry. You will be amazed how fast the plumes will puff out.

Ornamental grasses ... They add life, motion, interest and imagination into the garden - wouldn't you agree?

Tips on Caring for Your Perfect Christmas Tree

Selecting the perfect Christmas tree is often a cherished family tradition. Many will make an occasion out of such an event or just simply stop by the local stand to pick up the tree that will stand with joy in their homes throughout the holiday season.

Whether you purchase a 'cut' tree or a live 'B&B' (Balled and Burlap) tree, there are important measures to take with both.

Did you know that the five most popular Christmas tree varieties are:
- Frasier Fir
- Douglas Fir
- Balsam Fir
- Colorado Blue Spruce
- Scotch Pine

If you have purchased a 'cut' tree here are some important tips to keep in mind during the holiday season:

- Before putting the tree in your stand, be sure to cut one-half inch from the bottom of the tree, or ask the tree seller to make a 'fresh cut' on your tree.

- Avoid placing your tree near a heat source which includes sunny windows, radiators, heating vents and fireplaces.

- Check the water level every day and refill the stand when needed. Use warm water when watering your tree as it will soften the sap on the bottom of the tree.

If you are planning on purchasing a 'balled and burlap tree'  keep in mind the following:


- Dig a hole for the tree now where you expect to plant it after the holidays. Place the soil in an area where it will not freeze so you can plant it after without it being frozen.

- Keep your live tree in the house for as short a time as possible.

- Place the root ball in a galvanized container or another type of container that is large enough to sustain the size of the rootball.

- Keep the ball plenty moist while in your home without being soggy. To help you can add mulch around the ball to help contain the moisture.

- After Christmas move the tree outside as soon as possible and then plant it by placing it in the pre-dug hole and back fill with the soil you have saved.  Make sure there are no air pockets in the soil around the ball. When planting make sure you do not plant the tree too deep as the top of the ball should be one to two inches above the ground level.

- Fertilize the tree in the spring with an organic material.

Regardless of what type of tree you decide on this Christmas, whether it be a cut tree or balled and burlap tree, or whatever variety of tree you decide, remember that the meaning of the Christmas tree has always been everlasting light and life, thus there is no right or wrong when selecting a Christmas tree.

Today in the Gardeners Journal - December 10

While walking in my yard I heard a hammering noise high above me. To my surprise I saw this large bird perched on the tree hammering away with its beek. Upon doing some research I found it was a Pileated Woodpecker! 





Have you seen these large birds in your yard? They are considerably larger than any other woodpecker I've ever seen. 


Here are some facts about the Pileated Woodpecker:

- They are slightly larger than the American Crow with a wingspan of 26–29.5 inches

- These birds usually travel in pairs and will stay in their territory all year long. Once they mate, they will stay with their partner for life.

- They prefer large trees for nesting.

- They feed on insects, primarily carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae, fruits, and nuts. During winter, they will search out dormant insects nests.


To my surprise I found the proof of their continued existence in my yard as I found their typical way of forging for food in a nearby tree as they will make deep rectangular excavations in trees and logs to find their food then strip away long pieces of bark to further their exploration.

The next time you hear a 'knocking' sound high in the trees, be sure to look up as you will be surprised by this winged friend who by the way, was the original inspiration of the well known cartoon character called, "Woody the Woodpecker"!

Holiday Plants Sure To Please!

There are two plants that are commonly available during the holiday season which will make for an excellent houseplant as well!  Going to a holiday party and need a gift? You can delight the host or hostess with a beautiful Poinsettia or Cyclamen. Both of these plants are sure to please and will live long after the holiday decorations are taken down.

Poinsettia

Similar to many houseplants, poinsettia's are tropical plants.  Interestingly enough, the poinsettia is a member of the spurge family and has small, inconspicuous flowers. What most people refer to as their 'flowers' being beautiful, they are actually leaf-like bracts.

They are one of the most popular holiday flowers and range in colors from White, Pink to Red and many other colors in between due to hybridization. Would it surprise you to learn that growers will start planting poinsettias in August and nurture them until it's time for them to fill the need for the holiday rush.

If you are the lucky receiver of a beautiful poinsettia the care is easy!

- Place your poinsettia in a sunny window.

- Poinsettia's enjoy temperatures between 65-75 degrees and will tolerate 60 degrees at night, just be careful to avoid drafty areas or their leaves touching cold windows.

- Water your plant when the soil surface feels dry to the touch. Water until it drains out the bottom, but don't let it sit in water as this will cause wilt and can lead to leaf drop.

Are they poisonous?  For years poinsettia's were mislabeled with an old wives tale that they were. However, research indicates they do not contain chemicals commonly considered toxic. Still though, eating poinsettias is not recommended and while most people are not sensitive to their sap, it can cause mild skin irritation.

Do they have a meaning? Yes. The ancient Aztecs considered the poinsettia to be a symbol of purity. For them, it was considered the "skin flower". Poinsettia's were used to produce red dye and also medicinally to reduce fevers. Today, poinsettias are the most easily recognized flower symbolic of Christmas. Poinsettias are also known as the "Christmas flower" and "Mexican flame leaf."

Cyclamen

While the term Cyclamen is a diverse group of plants, they are commonly referred to during the holidays as "Florist Cyclamen" as they provide vibrant colored flowers and will remain a beautiful houseplant. They have striking flowers that stand upright above their heart-shaped foliage. Cyclamen can be found in shades of pink, red or white.

Cyclamen are easy to care for but will require a different atmosphere than the poinsettia.

- Place your cyclamen in bright, indirect light.

- Cyclamen prefer to be cooler than in a hot, dry room. Avoid temperatures below 50 degrees. Have a cool, bright window with a sheer? This is the perfect spot for this plant!

- Water whenever the soil feels dry, avoid getting the crown and leaves wet as this will cause wilt. As with most houseplants, do not allow it to sit in water.

Although Cyclamen are a popular flower during the holidays, they are also popular gifts for those that need to say so-long or goodbye. This symbolism makes cyclamen especially appropriate for gifts for friends who are retiring or relocating.