The Early Bloomer - July 2014

The Early Bloomer seven acres of inspiration

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

JULY 2014

Booming Outdoor Spaces in this issue Booming Outdoor Spaces Florida’s State Tree Star-Spangled Beauties A Few of Our Favorite Things Seminars How Does Your Garden Grow?

hardscapes

Booming Outdoor Spaces Outdoor spaces are becoming increasingly popular as more homeowners recognize that what surrounds the home is just as important as what’s in it. Whether it’s a manicured lawn, stone paver pathway, pool deck or intricate garden design, these spaces benefit from the same attention to detail as any bath or kitchen. Welldesigned landscaping and hardscaping will complement your home’s architecture. The right plants and flowers coupled with the right hardscape design greatly enhance your curb appeal by adding color, texture and even fragrance to your landscaping.

When planning and designing it, first think about aspects that make you happy and then consider what your friends and family will enjoy. For instance, you can add accessories like birdbaths and feeders to encourage birds to visit. For the ultimate entertainment area, incorporate a pool and patio with a fire pit, outdoor fireplace, barbecue or outdoor kitchen. If you’re an active, sports-loving family, consider a play area that naturally blends in with the environment – such as a croquet court. Outdoor spaces are for entertaining and relaxing, so incorporate seating, dining areas, pathways and shady relaxation spots.

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hardscapes

Rock City Gardens offers full-service design and installation of outdoor spaces, including landscape, hardscape, container gardens, and outdoor furniture and accessories. Summertime is a prime time to start your new project so it’s ready to enjoy by fall. For more information, visit us at our seven-acre garden center or contact Wade Baxley, General Manager at 772.589.5835.

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gardening

Florida’s State Tree: best kept in its natural state Unbeknownst to many, pruning a Sabal Palm can be harmful to the tree and

native and migratory songbirds,

to the environment. Sabal Palm fronds

woodpeckers, butterflies,

do not need to be trimmed unless

honeybees, tree frogs and more.

their fronds are interfering with foot

• Brown fronds provide habitat for

traffic, power lines or building/home

tree frogs. In nature, there is no

maintenance. Fronds drop naturally

waste. Fallen palm fronds can be

when ready, and brown fronds are

recycled as mulch or used as a

beneficial to the environment. The

habitat for wildlife.

practice of pruning these palms was

• Palm berries are vital sources of

only started about 30 years ago in

highly nutritious food for birds

Florida, unfortunately at the expense

and wildlife.

of many property owners who spent

• Palm “boots” (the leafbases) are

money on this unnecessary service. If

habitats for other plants, including

you look elsewhere, like the low country

endangered and beautiful rare

area of Charleston, South Carolina,

ferns.

Sabal Palms have lush crowns – as they

For more information about caring

naturally should be allowed to grow!

for your beautiful palm trees, please

Rock City Gardens does not

contact Rock City Gardens. And if you

recommend unnecessary pruning of

have pictures of Sabal Palms that are

palms. Following are a few key facts to

growing with pride on your property,

know before you trim our state tree:

please send them to us at admin@

• Cutting green fronds stunts growth,

rockcitygardens.com. We’ll post it on

invites disease, and reduces the

our Facebook page as a guideline for

palm’s natural resilience to high

others.

winds.

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• Harsh pruning is harmful to

Source: plantrealflorida.org

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container garden of the month

Star-Spangled Beauties Red, white and blue instantly remind us of Independence Day and the freedoms we celebrate at this time of year. Set the festive mood to last all summer long with beautiful container gardens.

July’s red urn contains Regina Iris, Salvia “Black & Blue,” variegated Plectranthus, white Gaura and blue daze. The white planter displays Pentas “Starcluster Red,” white upright Angelonia and Torenia “Summer Wave Blue.”

The blue container boasts red Phygelius, Pentas “Graffitti Red,” white upright Angelonia, Caladium “Miss Muffet” and Nierembergia “Blue Eyes.”

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How Did July 4th Become a National Holiday?

Following the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776, people rarely celebrated the event for the first 15 or 20 years. It was too new and too much else was happening in our young nation. By the 1790s, a time of bitter partisan conflicts, the Declaration had become controversial. The Democratic-Republicans admired Jefferson and the Declaration. But the other party, the Federalists, thought the Declaration was too French and too anti-British, which went against their current policies.

By 1817, John Adams complained in a letter that America seemed uninterested in its past.

But that would soon change.

After the War of 1812, the Federalist party began to fall apart and the new parties of the 1820s and 1830s all considered themselves inheritors of Jefferson and the DemocraticRepublicans. Printed copies of the Declaration began to circulate again, all with the date July 4, 1776, listed at the top. The deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on July 4, 1826, may have also helped to promote the idea of July 4th as an important date to be celebrated.

Celebrations of the Fourth of July became more common as the years progressed and in 1870, almost 100 years after the Declaration was written, Congress first declared July 4th to be a national holiday as part of a bill to officially recognize several holidays, including Christmas.

Additional legislation about national holidays, including July 4th, was passed in 1939 and 1941.

Source: ConstitutionFacts.com

of us City at Rock City Gardens, From all ofFrom us atallRock Gardens,

Happy of July!

Happy 4th4th of July!

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garden boutique

A Few of Our Favorite Things Throughout the season we feature different collections from our Garden Boutique in each issue of The Early Bloomer. This month, we thought it would be fun to highlight a few of our favorite things from previous issues. So if you missed them then, here’s your chance to catch up on our unique garden accessories and home dÊcor!

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seminars

Seminars Thank you to all who attended and participated in our seminars and special events this past season. The response was fantastic and the range of topics allowed something for just about everyone. We hosted our final two seminars of the season in June.

We are already planning exciting and informative events, including luncheons, cocktail parties, and multiple informative seminars for next season. Watch for new seminars and special events coming up in late fall and winter! We’ll send save-the-date emails and include details in our monthly newsletters.

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

Rock City Gardens is dedicated to providing you with continuous outdoor living inspiration. We’re renovating several areas of our garden center, including the garden boutique, our famous flower house, and we’re even adding a deck on our beautiful pond. Look for dramatic “before” and “after” shots coming soon!

CLOSED FRIDAY, JULY 4TH REOPENING JULY 5TH AT 9AM

seven acres of inspiration

9080 U.S.. Hwy 1 Wabasso, Florida 32970 772-589-5835 RockCityGardens.com

Hours Monday through Friday Saturday and Sunday

8:00am – 6:00pm 9:00am – 5:00pm

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