The Early Bloomer :: January 2020

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New Year Blooms

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JANUARY 2020

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Early Bloomer

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GARDEN BOUTIQUE

Peace of Garden YO U R V E RY OW N

While our Northern neighbors are watching their new-fallen snows, the weather outside here is pleasantly warm and beautiful. If ever you need a good reason to start a new garden project or spruce up your landscape and container gardens, it is now! Cooler breezes, lush landscapes, and colorful gardens are exactly what Florida gardeners love about this time of year – including evenings worthy of gathering ‘round an outdoor fireplace or firepit with family and friends.

GARDEN BOUTIQUE

Tired of your current garden or outdoor living space — or just in the mood for a change? Here’s a look at garden trends and inspiration for 2020.

1. GARDENS PROMOTING PEACE The garden as a place of relaxation and peace will be a hot trend this year. Besides all the work it takes to maintain a garden, it should also serve as an oasis to recharge your batteries. One easy tip to find joy in nature and skip the stress is to make sure you remove all flora that causes unnecessary work. Choose plants and flowers that only require modest maintenance.

2. GARDENS WITH PURPOSE Make use of your garden by planting your own vegetables and herbs. There’s something satisfying about picking your own homegrown plants and immediately enjoying the fruits of your labor. Have you ever tried edible flowers? They will add a wonderful zesty zing to your dishes as well as a colorful, unexpected garnish.

3. OUTDOOR KITCHENS For those who are open for bigger changes, outdoor kitchens continue to grow in popularity. From simple barbecues to more advanced outdoor kitchens, it allows you to cook outdoors and enjoy your garden on a whole new level.

Just take a look at Rock City’s outdoor kitchen creations and you’ll see why customers love taking it outside!

4. ECO-FRIENDLY GARDENS Current trends are directing us to more flora choices that have an ecological impact. Consider planting bee-friendly plants such as lavender to encourage pollination. The calming aroma of lavender will also perpetuate the idea of the garden being a place of serenity. The environmental aspect also gains more importance this year as even more manufacturers offer containers made of organic material and more environmentally friendly weed killers.

Whether you choose to implement all or just a few of the new garden trends, take your time and plan what makes you happy. Are you in need of further assistance and support? Visit Rock City Gardens soon and get expert advice from our friendly garden associates.

GARDEN TRENDS

CO LO R O F T H E Y E A R :

CLASSIC BLUE To help ring in another decade, the

Pantone Color of the Year is Classic Blue – a familiar, calming shade of azure. We love this shade of blue for the garden. From azure containers to true blue flowers, we’ve got your garden covered! Watch for these beauties in 2020 :

Evolvulus “Blue My Mind” A bright, colorful groundcover or container plant – plant in full to partial sunny spots.

Whirlwind Blue Scaevola Floriferous blooming annual cascades over the edges of sunny containers or makes a beautiful, bright blue groundcover.

Salvia “Blue Suede Shoes” Its blue flower stands out in the landscape and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Kathleen Kershaw ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Meet Kathleen

There’s something to be said for working in a beautiful garden environment — including loving the view from your office window every day. That is one of the many things that Kathleen enjoys about her job at Rock City Gardens, as well as working with her colleagues and our clientele. As the Administrative Assistant, she helps facilitate customer projects, answers phone calls, and works directly with Wade Baxley, our General Manager.

Nearly six years ago, Kathleen joined Rock City’s office team. As fate would have it, she was waitressing for a local restaurant that another Rock City employee frequented.

When she heard about the available position, she immediately applied. It was ideal because Kathleen had worked as a church

secretary for 30 years in her home state of Pennsylvania prior to moving to Florida.

If you have ever called Rock City, chances are you’ve spoken to Kathleen. There is no mistaking her friendly voice and vivacious personality. She is conscientious and very intuitive when it comes to customers’ needs, making her an invaluable part of the team.

“I have the pleasure of working with our customers from start to finish on their new garden and landscape projects. I love being able to work directly with the customers because it allows me to share their joy with the outcome of each gorgeous project. This is a direct result of all our hard work here,” Kathleen said.

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New Year Blooms

CLEOME This upright growing plant is a perfect tall, background plant for your sunny garden. Commonly known as “spider flower,” cleome grows to almost 3’ and blooms all season long. Its clusters of small flowers provide an interesting texture different from any other plant.

Choose from white Senorita Blanca or Senorita Rosalita, which is a light lavender.

MAINTENANCE Easy!

Requires minimal watering and deadheading LIGHT Full Sun 6

RIEGER BEGONIA We’ve grown these winter-flowering begonias for you to use indoors in a sunny window or in outdoor containers in bright filtered light.

Allow them to dry slightly between waterings and feed monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer. Our growers have 6� pots of this beautiful flowering plant in red, pink, white, salmon and orange.

MAINTENANCE Water

only as needed LIGHT Bright filtered light

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HEUCHERA The foliage on these plants is so striking you’ll have a difficult time deciding which colorful variety to use! From nearly black to chartreuse, their colors and textures are perfect additions to your containers or garden.

The small bell-shaped flowers that appear on wispy tall stems are what give heucheras their common name of “Coral Bells.” We have grown boldcolored varieties appropriately named Berrie Smoothie, Blackout, Rose Granita, Guacamole, Peach Flambe and Stoplight. Butterflies love them!

MAINTENANCE Minimal!

LIGHT Partial shade or dappled sunlight

Our garden associates look forward to helping you select the best blooms for your New Year gardens.

SNAPDRAGON These prolific bloomers are dramatic additions to a colorful garden or container. Growing 16”-18” tall, they love the sun and our cool winter temperatures.

A bonus – they make great long-lasting cut flowers. Deadheading spent flowers will encourage repeat blooms all winter long. Choose from pink, rose, white, yellow or bronze – or mix them all!

MAINTENANCE Plant

8”-10” apart and deadhead spent flowers for repeat blooming throughout the season LIGHT Full Sun

GARDEN BOUTIQUE

All container gardens designed by Rock City Gardens

Big, Bold and Blue We love this year’s color of the year: Classic Blue. Not only is it a calming and cool color, it’s one of our most popular planter colors. Think shades of the ocean! Blue pots planted with colorful flowers and plants look beautiful and harmonious against a lush green landscape.

From large to small containers and every shape imaginable, Rock City’s Garden Boutique has one of the largest selections of pots in the area.

To make a big blue statement this season, visit soon for the best pot selections. Our garden associates will help guide you in the right direction to fit your style and décor.

ASK

What are the brown furry looking caterpillars feeding on my oak tree?

It’s again the season for the Puss caterpillar to appear in your garden here in Florida. It’s also one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States, so if you see one, don’t touch it!

If you have oak or citrus trees in your yard, there’s a high probability that you will come into contact with them. Puss caterpillars have also been found in gardens, especially around ivy, shrubs and roses, but they can lay claim to any of your ornamentals. Despite its cute name and appearance, this furry creature’s sting is extremely painful but not deadly. Its sting can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, muscle cramps and leaves a painful red mark wherever it touches you.

Your landscape and garden are susceptible to destruction when infested with Puss caterpillars, so eliminating these creatures with a safe insecticide is recommended. They feed on the leaves of various shrubs and trees. They are identified by their grayish brown fur that completely covers their body like a wig – and are approximately 1.5” long. If you suspect that Puss caterpillars are feeding on your plants and decide to inspect your landscape for these creatures, use a stick to move the branches and leaves, and wear gloves to protect your skin. If you are stung by one, try applying ice and a mixture of baking soda and water to help soothe the sting. If the symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical attention.

For more information about these pests and how to rid your landscape of them, visit or contact Rock City Gardens and our knowledgeable associates will assist you.

Namaste. Let us design and install your backyard oasis.

It's no surprise that the continued growth and popularity of outdoor living is a top garden trend for 2020. We like to call it Outdoor Therapy because outdoor activities like dining, cooking, and gathering with friends and family in the great outdoors improves the quality of our life. So it's important to build and furnish your outdoor spaces with the same care and attention you give to your indoor rooms. The design possibilities and materials are endless. To learn more about Rock City's hardscape designs and installation, call 772.589.5835.

9080 U.S. Hwy 1 Sebastian, Florida PO Box 700808 Wabasso, FL 32970

acres of inspiration

772.589.5835 RockCityGardens.com

Monday through Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm Saturday and Sunday 9:00am – 5:00pm © 2013-2020 Rock City Gardens