What super days we’re having! The weather is great and lots of folks are feeling like gardening again…including us. Fall is my favorite time of year with the warmth of reds, oranges and yellows glowing from the landscapes around us.

The frogs are again performing their nightly chorus and the juveniles are perfecting their rendition of the dead man’s float in the water gardens in the rays of the evening sun. I sit along the edge of the water garden some evenings just to watch them bask and bob about.

The fragrant osmanthus varieties are sporting terrific blooms. My favorite, Osmanthus fragrans f. aurantiacus, waves showy tangerine blossoms outside the office window and the scent is heavenly. If I open the windows on the front side of the office, I can occasionally catch a whiff of another fragrant osmanthus, Clemson Yellow, which has an abundance of pastel yellow blossoms up and down its stems.

Fall is a wonderful time to plant shrubs, trees and perennials.  Our selection is extensive and we hope to offer you choices that you seldom find in other nurseries.  So get ready, set, go…

We continue to work on many structural issues in the nursery so please excuse our various messes. We’ve heard lots of great comments about the limbing up of the Burford Holly. It really does have a beautiful form, now that we can actually see his bare arms. The hydrangeas seem to relish their spot in the shade beneath the glossy green cap of leaves. Unfortunately, black and white photos made in the shade aren’t too effective, so you’ll just have to visit soon.

                                                               Happy Gardening,

In one section of the nursery, we have an area called the Mourning Corner. Congregated about a large pine, there are a number of trees and shrubs that weep…their pendulous branches cascading about in various directions to create the effect of one large waterfall. In wintertime, these selections continue to add interest to any garden spot with bare branches that offer an unusual structure and style.

Among the smaller selections is the Weeping Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonica ‘Pendula’). Arching branches of vivid green foliage are smothered in spring with fragrant white bell-shaped blossoms. Incredibly slow in our garden, it has been worth the wait to watch the one planted above and behind the water garden begin to spill over stones next to the waterfall.

            More common, but equally beautiful are the dissected forms of Japanese maple in lovely burgundy or brilliant green shades. The twenty-something year old ‘Crimson Queen’ that perches above the rock walls in the perennial section is a jaw dropper and encourages many a gardener to reach out and stroke that lace-like foliage. A number of terrific cultivars are available in today’s garden centers if  it is a soft textured, highly filigreed effect that is desired.

For those who prefer immediate gratification, the Weeping Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis pendula ‘Green Cascade’) is a perfect fast growing accent piece with large deep green leaves that flow gracefully over anything in its path.  This one can be trained into a number of sculptural forms that twist or curve to create a fabulous focal point. Its rapid growth rate ensures that you will succeed in living to see it fulfill its promise!

            The Weeping Katsuratree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Pendula’) is another specialty selection for those who love a hint of blue in heart-shaped foliage. Fall color in hues of apricot and mauve is hard to beat on this medium grower that will eventually stretch 15’ to 20’.

            For a narrow upright weeper that is great in front of tall walls or in the center of an island, the Weeping Purple Fountain Beech is an excellent choice. The dark purple foliage cascades downward in an elegant column. A slow grower, it will attract attention in practically any site.

            Perhaps, however, you’d prefer an evergreen to mourn in your garden.  The most obvious choice is the Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca pendula') Staked to attain the desired height, this picturesque, interesting cedar has a weeping form that can be  used to curtain an entrance, grown along a pathway as a natural fence railing or trained into a specimen form to add an architectural element to the garden.

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Green Arrow' has to be one of my favorites. Growing 30'- 40' x 6'-8' wide, this unusual false cedar makes a weeping exclamation point in the landscape! Hardy and easy to grow, the Green Arrow has an excellent form for framing a foundation planting or to use in a bermed area as a focal point. I like to call it the Grinch's Christmas tree…

Then, of  course, there’s a weeping redbud, a weeping bald cypress and hopefully, next year, we will offer a weeping kousa dogwood. Who’d of ever thunk it?

As fall kicks into gear, many of us are harvesting the last of our summer herbs and cleaning the gardens.  Here are a few pointers to keep in mind.

· It is best to cut your herbs right after the sun dries the dew from the leaves.

· The optimal time to harvest is right before a plant blooms. This is when the leaves contain the highest amount of oil and yield strong flavor. But if y you missed that opportunity, you can still have great flavors from many of your plants.

· If you plan to dry your herbs, the space should dark and have a low humidity level.  They can be dried in a dehydrator, hung in bunches, or zapped in the microwave for a few seconds between paper towels. Store in airtight containers once dried.

· To preserve the herbs in oil, you will need about 6 cups of chopped herbs to ½ cup oil.

· To freeze them in water (works great for basil) you will need about 2 cups of chopped foliage to 1 ½  cups water. Ice cube trays work great for this.

· For vinegars, you will need about 1 cup of fresh chopped foliage to 3 or 3 ½ cups wine vinegar. Be sure herbs are clean and dry before placing them in the vinegar.

· Chives are best chopped and put into small freezer bags for later use. Do not allow the bag to lie on the counter and thaw out while cooking, as this will cause them to lose their flavor.

Boneless Tarragon Chicken Breasts

2 Tbsp. Butter
4 boneless chicken breast halves
½ cup Riesling or other white wine
½ cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
1 small onion, halved
1 Tbsp.  all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. minced Texas tarragon  (or French)