I made an observation the other day when driving through a neighborhood. I was going to call this email “Heading for a Train Wreck”. I thought I could tie it into the September train event and be clever. But “Heading for a Train Wreck” is not the most upbeat subject for an email, especially considering we are in the business of all things living and colorful in nature. So, check this out.
What a perfect place for a tree. During the years of drought, the secret to success was planting the right plant in the right space. My friend, the Zelkova tree here will grow to a nice 35′ height and beyond. Would you say somebody is heading for a train wreck?
The good news is that we are not heading toward a train wreck. We’re heading for Train Day soon.
We will keep reminding you that the train is coming down the track as we get closer to September 9th. Click here to purchase your tickets.
Name your own price sale. What? Try to name your own price while buying a car. July 8th, this Saturday, is High-Hand’s Name Your Own Price Sale. Here’s how it will roll. We have pulled from the nursery several trees, some of them have scratches and dents, some of them are simply trees we’ve had for a while and I’m making room for something different. Come in and talk to Adrian and bargain away.
Back in the day when I bought High-Hand, a dilapidated unoccupied shed, it was almost a Name Your Own Price Sale. It was two guys leaning up against the hood of a pick-up truck. We were silent as we slid a paper back and forth about five times. And with that sheds were bought. Pretty simple. And so is this sale. Make us an offer and if we don’t like it, we might make you a lower offer. So there.
This is Luis. He is standing in front of a group of Crape Myrtles of various colors that are part of the Name Your Own Price Sale. We have reds, pinks, purples, Pink Velours, and many other cool colors. Name Your Own Price. You might be pleasantly surprised.
In the heat of the summer we tend to think that gardening is over and that the garden shuts down. Poppycock! Not true. Crape myrtles are not the only plants that flourish and bloom in the heat.
So, let me take this opportunity to set the record straight on a very popular flower, the hibiscus. There are different forms of hibiscus and it can be a bit confusing. It’s kind of like the movie “Twins”. Do you remember the 1988 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito? Do you remember Arnold went looking for his twin brother who ended up being a short, small-time crook?
They kind of look like brothers, don’t they? I watched the movie. I bought into it. Arnold, Danny, don’t get mad at me for using your photo. Please. I’m just making a point that things aren’t always as they appear in the world of flowers.
This is our friend, tropical hibiscus with its intoxicating “buy me” stare. Let’s go to hibiscus school. This is by far one of the most popular summer plants. I don’t buy a lot of them even though they sell well. I don’t want to set you up for a train wreck. This particular hibiscus most likely, if not given the utmost care, treatment and attention in the wintertime, will freeze dead. Here today, gone tomorrow. So, at High-Hand we have a hard time setting you up for a train wreck. That is not the most popular retail decision to make, but is simply a fact. If you want a hibiscus that you have to tend to all winter long, go for it, but I doubt you do.
This hibiscus is Rose of Sharon. It may appear to be a twin of a different color, but here’s the rub. It loses all of its leaves in the wintertime and for that reason people don’t buy it as much as I think people should. It blooms a gazillion times more than the tropical hibiscus and can be trained as a multi-trunk tree. I think it’s a great plant with great merit. It is very hardy in our area. Its many colors to choose from and its ability to survive in tough conditions makes it simply great.
But, as we were getting to know the twin of our hibiscus, little did we know we just gave birth to a triplet. So, off to the store for a third car seat. This is a dinner plate hibiscus because the blooms are as large as a dinner plate. This hibiscus astonishes me. It dies back completely to the ground in the wintertime. No sticks to look at. Nothing to trim. This triplet you will only have to touch once. Sure, you can nip and tuck a bit as it’s emerging from its slumber. It is dependable, predictable and perfectly scrumptious.
At High-Hand Cafe we actually use a hibiscus flower in one of our cocktails. It kind of looks like a red octopus sitting in the bottom of a glass. I know, not a pretty mental image, but actually the drink is quite lovely.
So, there you go. The trifecta of hibiscus.
So, as you roll in on Saturday to throw down and test your negotiating skills with Adrian, check out the hibiscus and the many other summer blooming plants we have grown right here at High Hand Nursery.
July 8th – Name Your Own Price on Trees
July 15th – Name Your Own Price on Shrubs
We will have two Name Your Own Price sales. First trees, then shrubs. Got it? Cool.
If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me “When is the best time to plant a tree?”, I would be obviously wealthy.
In my opinion, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, which makes the best time to plant a tree now.
See you at High-Hand Nursery.
Scott
