The Early Bloomer seven acres of inspiration
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
JULY 2013
Room Service in this issue Room Service Hail to the Red, White and Blue! Coming Soon: Annual Hibiscus Sale Water Features and Statuary Bring Gardens to Life Take it Outside How Does Your Garden Grow?
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container gardening
Room Service At Rock City Gardens, keeping your home’s interior and outdoor rooms filled with natural color is our professional obsession. Manicure scissors aren’t out of the question. Feeding, watering, deadheading, pruning, seasonal plant replacements, and disease and insect control are naturally part of our container gardening services. Plus a healthy dash of tender loving care by our horticulture professionals. We take tremendous pride in our nursery-grown flowers, used in part for our container garden services. It’s rare that a retail nursery grows its own flowers, and it’s a beautiful feature that sets Rock City apart from other nurseries. Once you’ve visited our flower houses and selected your favorite varieties for your new containers, take a stroll through our Garden Boutique. You’ll find striking pots of all shapes and sizes, and more creative container ideas than you can imagine. Or if you prefer, just call for room service and we’ll come to you. We will evaluate your needs, design the container gardens, prepare the plantings, and, if you choose, maintain your gardens. For a personal consultation, please contact Rhonda Lowe at Rhonda@rockcitygardens.com or 772.589.5841.
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container garden of the month
Hail to the red, white and blue! When you’re getting ready for the Fourth of July festivities, consider planting your container gardens with colorful flowers like these sparkling varieties featured this month. Our glazed urn is filled with Caliope Red Geraniums, White Salvia, Blue Lobelia and Diamond Frost. They are ideal for the summer holiday and will last long after the celebrations have ended.
Fun Fact: Why do Americans commemorate Independence Day by setting off thousands of fireworks? Because John Adams wanted us to. In a letter to Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776, he wrote that the signing of the Declaration of Independence should be commemorated “with pomp and parade...and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward.” So it was, the first commemorative Independence Day fireworks display was on July 4, 1777 in Philadelphia and Boston. By 1783, a range of pyrotechnics was available to the public, including cherry trees, fountains and sun flowers. Source: Slate Magazine, July 2012
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coming soon
Coming Soon: Annual Hibiscus Sale One of the many joys of gardening in our subtropical climate is the bounty of beautiful hibiscus. These showy flowers add vibrant color and character as landscape shrubs and trees, and even attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your gardens. Rock City Gardens has a host of hibiscus varieties, including 19 different colors that will be included in our upcoming Hibiscus Sale. Watch your email announcements and advertising for exact dates of sale.
Tradewind series includes:
Other yummy colors include:
Montego Wind
Pink Versicolor
President Red
Tye Dye Wind
Ft. Meyers Yellow
Double Red
Antigua Wind
Seminole Pink
Orange with a red throat
Trinidad Wind
Double White
Double Light Pink
Samoa Wind
White Wing
Double Peach
Aruba Wind
Painted Lady
Hula Girl
Regularly $8.50 each, all varieties will be on sale. 3 for $15.00
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garden boutique
Water Features and Statuary Bring Gardens to Life From the classically inspired to simple elegance, our Garden Boutique water features and statuary create a soothing oasis and add unique character to your garden. Fountains, birdbaths, and waterfalls of all sizes are available. Water features add a soothing effect and a dramatic architectural element to your landscaping. Maintenance is easy, especially if you chose to have Rock City install an auto-fill device. It automatically adds water when the level is too low and prevents the pump from burning out when the fountain runs dry from evaporation or splash. It’s a worthwhile, worry-free investment, especially when you’re out of residence or on vacation. Our wide selection of concrete statuary includes animals, gnomes, religious and secular figures, benches, finials, garden plaques and more. Not only are statuary beautiful and functional, they last for many years. Whether it’s a memorial, special gift or a personal expression for your garden, a visit to our Garden Boutique will likely find just the style you’re looking for.
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special events
Take it Outside More than 75 area professionals joined Rock City Gardens for cocktails, hors d’ouevres and live jazz in our new outdoor living area on May 8th. The “Take It Outside” event introduced clients and design professionals to our new hardscape division, including outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, patio pavers, sitting walls, garden walkways and more. Watch for more upcoming professional events at Rock City. For more information about our hardscape division, please contact Wade Baxley, General Manager at 772.589.5835.
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Tom and Rhonda Lowe of Rock City Gardens
Helen and Dick Post
Nancy and Vaughn Bryson
Susan Chenault of Northern Trust, Rick Hahn, Charlotte Terry and John Hilton
John and Jan Dolan. Indian River Medical
Janet and David Croom of Croom Construction Company
Mary Beth Verde and Eva Chapman of PNC Bank
Marilyn Kolar of Croom Construction Company and Amy Flickinger of Surfaces Inc.
Chris Mock of Belgard and Wade Baxley, GM of Rock City Gardens
Rena Fine and Patricia Davis Brown of Patricia Davis Brown Designs, Inc.
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How does your garden grow? This month and throughout the summer, continue to fertilize your plants since Florida’s sandy soils do not hold nutrients well. Heavy summer rains and constant watering cause nutrients to be leached from the root zone resulting in nutritional deficiencies. More frequent feeding in smaller amounts is the best way to keep your landscape looking its best. If you prefer, contact Rock City Gardens for our quarterly fertilizing program and we’ll take care of it for you.
seven acres of inspiration
9080 U.S.. Hwy 1, Wabasso, Florida 32970 772-589-5835 RockCityGardens.com
The Early Bloomer © Rock City Gardens