January Garden Tips

Just in time for January, we head up to the New York Botanical Garden's for timely tips on what to do in our yards and gardens. The link to February tips is not a mistake; New York weather lags behind us a bit, as explained in the note at the bottom of the NYBG page.

Everything is bigger in New York...or so they say. I myself am somewhat indifferent to the charms of the City; it bustles about a bit too much for my tastes. But the New York Botanical Gardens are indeed big, and splendid as well. It has a series of what it calls 'collections,' a word that connotes something small, like a coin collection that you can keep under your bed. At the NYBG, however, a 'collection' is of landscape proportions, big enough to walk through, about, and around.

Above you see a picture from their Daffodil 'collection,' which is obviously panoramic in scope. But they also have numerous other flower and landscape specific collections (50 in fact) which offer a host of distinctive and luxurious spectacles. Here are just a few of them:

Daylilly Walk

Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden

Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum

Ladies Border

The Many Faces of Ben's Creek Nursery

Christmas greetings from all of us to all of you, our customers and friends! And when I say 'all of us,' I really mean all of us:

In this season of wondrous Hope, we wish you and your families peace, health, and happiness!

A Daunting Prospect

When we begin a project, frequently we face a daunting prospect.

This customer's Japanese Maple is not one of them. I included this picture here just 'cause I like it.

But other yards have not been so inviting. Herewith photos of some recent projects our guys will be working on. 

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The Color of Thanksgiving

Something often overlooked are the distinctive colors of the Thanksgiving season. They run the gamut of what's called 'earth tones,' rich browns, deep oranges, and dusky yellows....

....all captured  in the incredible collage of autumn leaves as their summer youth fades into winter's twilight.

Courtesy Matthew Wingram, some rights reserved

But these seasonal colors are more than just a calm beauty to look upon. They evoke in us a recurring time of year when mankind harvests and stores up its abundance in preparation for the winter, and gives thanks to God for the bounty His Earth has produced.

And that, of course, is what Thanksgiving is all about, giving thanks for our abundance. An abundance not in just food or other material goods, but also family, friends, and faith.

So in grateful appreciation of our own abundance, we at Ben's Creek Nursery wish all our family and friends a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving!

Fall means Install!

We had a surfeit of installations in October. Herewith an over-abundance of photos.

Front foundation planting

Front foundation plants

Property line plantings

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November Garden Tips

Witch Hazel in the wild
Photo courtesy of the US Forest Service

The blooming witch hazel reminded us that November is here and it's time to look up some seasonal garden tips. Much of November's work involves preparation for the coming winter. But there is planting to be done and even colorful flowers to be enjoyed.

For the flowers, see this take on autumn blooms from Southern Living.  For Fall vegetable and herb planting, The Old Farmer's Almanac has a quickie list.  And for general November bullet points, we have this from the NC Cooperative Extension and this from the Clemson Cooperative Extension.

That ought to keep you busy through Turkey Day.