Something to Look Forward To

Sometimes, amidst the worrying and scurrying for Christmas decorations and gifts, its nice to think about how close we are to the coming year. While there are reasons to fear it (who wants to get older?), we at Strange's use it as a time to look forward to another growing season. With Spring 2012 comes warm weather, which means tomatoes, butterfly bushes & crepe myrtles, just to name a few. New years also bring exciting new varieties, and 2012 will be no exception!

For the past 16 years, the Wave series (Wave Petunias) has been known for highly colorful, vigorously spreading plants that last all season long. Now, PanAmerican Seed has introduced an all-new spring and fall pansy series. Home gardeners can fill their gardens with three seasons of color using the new Cool Wave Pansy.

Cool Wave Pansy delivers the same easy-care, long-lasting color as Wave Petunias, and they also demonstrated superior overwintering in U.S. trials. Watch for its debut in March 2012.

Pansies!!!!

Over the weekend, many of you were coming in to gather up what you thought was the last of our stock of pansies. Well, fear not pansy lovers! A new shipment of big, beautiful pansies has just arrived today and our greenhouse is stocking them out in the nursery as we speak. If you haven't gotten your pansies yet, here are a few reasons why you should:

1. Pansies are winter hardy so they don't wither at the sight of cold weather.

2. Pansies are easy to care for and respond well to monthly feedings.

3. Pansies make a great addition to any garden or container because of their wide range of colors.

4. Right now we are selling 6" containers for only $2.99! Prices start at $1.29.

Christmas at Strange's

Our customers may not realize it, but we love Christmas at Strange's! Visit our W. Broad location and you can see for yourself -- since the beginning of October, we have transformed our store into a winter wonderland.

While our feature products are plants, flowers, and garden-related items, we also have everything you need for Christmas! From artificial and fresh cut trees to wreaths, ornaments, wrapping paper & gift cards, we have the decor you need covered. Plus, don't forget great gifts for kids & adults alike, and beautiful poinsettias in white, pink, red & every mixture in-between.

Visit our You Tube account to view a video featuring just a sample of some of our Christmas cheer.
http://www.youtube.com/user/StrangesFlorist

Tobacco Project: Richmond

Currently showing at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is an exhibition by Xu Bing called Tobacco Project. It explores the artist's fascination with the tobacco plant, as well as people's relationship with the plant over time. This exhibition is free and ends December 4th, so don't miss out on such an interesting look at Virginia's first major cash crop.

Strange's also participated in this exhibit by providing tobacco plants grown in our greenhouse, seen above.

Click here for more information on the exhibit.

Click here for a look at putting together the exhibit, plus an interview with the artist.

Fall is for Gardening!

Though Fall is sometimes known for days like today (rainy), its cooler weather and increased rainfall is actually very beneficial to some plants. Cool weather vegetables, for example, grow much better and faster in the Fall because they thrive in cooler temperatures than Spring can offer. Lettuce, swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts and many others fall in this category and should be planted in August or September. Some may have longer grow times than others, and you want your plants to be harvest-ready before the first frost, so check your vegetable before you plant.

Bulbs are another plant that many people don't know should be planted in the Fall. Planting bulbs in the Fall will give them more time to strengthen their root system and become a strong plant to bloom in the Spring. We have many varieties at Strange's, including tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, and eventually onions & garlic as well. Just remember to wait until your soil is at 55 degrees or below before you plant your bulbs, or you will fool them into thinking it is already Spring, and we don't want premature blooming!

There are other plants as well that enjoy cool weather, such as the beautiful foliage of heuchera, the showy flowers of the Encore azalea, the gorgeous color variety of pansies and the full, pillowy flowers of mums, not to mention many others!

Everyone can find something to plant, and also, don't forget those kitchen herb gardens. At Strange's, Fall is for Planting!

Click Here for a Video on Fall Gardening

A Breakthrough New Animal Repellent

Say goodbye to messy mixes and stinky sprays.

Repellex Systemic Tablets are easy-to-use, pre-measured tablets that require no mixing. This exclusive breakthrough technology allows capsaicin (hot pepper) to be absorbed into the plant by simply planting the tablet next to a growing plants' root system. Once the repellent is absorbed over 7-30 days, the repellent will stay active for up to one whole year. Since the repellent is internally treating the plant, it will not wash off in the rain like traditional repellents do over time or be faded by the sun.

Protecting your plants from hungry animals has never been easier. This repellent is labeled and approved for repelling: deer, rabbits, moles, voles, gophers, groundhogs, dogs, cats and feral hogs. At this period in time, Repellex states this product should be used on non-edible plants only, but they are working to eventually change that.

Strange's will be carrying this product at our West Broad location, so hurry in to get this amazing new animal repellent for yourself!

Fall is for Planting Annuals, Perennials, Trees & Shrubs!

Tired of planting in the hot summer sun? Did you know that it is actually better for the plants if you plant them in the fall? It’s true!

Planting your plants in the fall helps them establish a good, strong root system and in turn helps them survive the harsh summers. Having an established root system also makes plants more tolerant to hot weather. The fall and winter months tend to get more rainfall than the spring and summer, meaning you are going to need to water your plants less. It can also save you money in the spring and summer months. Plants that have an established root system are said to be drought tolerant and won’t need to be watered as much.

The beginning of September is the ideal time to start your fall planting. This is when you can start tilling your land and getting your beds ready to be planted. Some things you can do to prepare them is add soil amendments such as Black Velvet, Leafgro and Mushroom Compost. All of these things will make sure you have the ideal soil for starting your planting. If you want to get ahead of the game, it isn’t a bad idea to draw up a plan. Figure out what kind of plants will work well in your garden, and then decide where you would like to place them. This will make it easier for you to enjoy your time planting! You don’t have to rush your planting either. Fall planting last thru the first half of November depending on the weather.

There are many things that you can plant in the fall. It is the ideal time to plant your trees, bushes and shrubs. It is also a great time to put in your perennials. If you are looking for color from trees or shrubs think about planting some of these: maples, Encore azaleas, burning bush, itea, fall camellia and firepower nandina. (just to name a few!) If you want some perennials to spruce up your yard think about: any ornamental grasses, sedum, black-eyed susans, coneflowers, and fall blooming clematis. Fall blooming annuals add color and a bright vibe to your yard. Consider some of these: mums, pansies, and anything from the Fall Magic series, which are blooming annuals that do extremely well in the cooler fall weather. Most importantly, enjoy the time you spend planting. When you are out in the hot summer heat, you're wishing it was cooler outside. In the fall, you don’t have to wish!