PLANT OF THE WEEK: Raymond Evison Clematis

pictured above: Clematis 'Evijohil' (Josephine)

When these beauties were introduced in 2004, they were hailed as "the next generation of clematis," boasting bold, long-blooming flowers, and showing no "tempermental" qualities as some clematis are rumored to do.

Well, they certainly have proven themselves to be "all that" since then, and we ADORE them. They truly are the longest blooming clematis, flowering from late spring into fall, with some blooms even lasting until frost. The colors are spectacular, and cover the vines from top to bottom.
Read more about them on the Raymond Evison (UK) site.

This blog writer personally has never had a spot of trouble growing clematis, but everyone tells me that these are "easier to grow", less prone to diseases and just all-around heartier than other older cultivars. It's the macho clematis. But pretty.

pictured above: Clematis 'Evipo 016' (Rebecca)

And one of the best qualities of these RE Clematis is that they have a compact growth habit of up to 7-9 feet when mature (with some only getting 3-4 ft), so you can grow them successfully in pots and smaller trellises. I love to grow them right in the center of my perennial borders on small ironwork or a shrub.

Right now we have a bunch of these beauties in stock and flowering: Rebecca, Rosemoor, Ice Blue, Arctic Queen, Josephine, Picardy, Franziska Maria and Bourbon. As soon as you see them, you'll want one, so come on in and pick yours up!


That's the man we have to thank for these lovelies, above. And here's a brief article about Raymond, his Clematis breeding and "his engagingly quirky nature", if you want to learn more.

PLANT OF THE WEEK: Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Mohawk'

Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Mohawk'

Burkwood Viburnum are some of the best all-around Viburnum--nice foliage, attractive, fragrant flowers, good upright, rounded growth habit, and all-around reliable plants. We love them!

But 'Mohawk' has to be one of the absolute best. It starts with clusters of glossy, dark rosy-red flower buds (tons of them) that open to white flowers with red blotches on the undersides of the petals. They're very, very pretty, no doubt, but it's the fragrance of this extraordinary shrub that is so spectacular. If only we had a little "smell-evision" on this blog.

This blog's author has two gorgeous specimens behind her large house that she can smell when she opens the front door. Truly one of the best smells on the planet.

It grows well in many exposures and soils, but performs best in sun, or in light shade where it's super hot. Grows to 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide. You gotta plant one.

PLANT OF THE WEEK: Magnolia x soulangiana

Magnolia x soulangiana
Saucer Magnolia (Sometimes called Japanese Tulip Magnolia)

An absolutely breath-taking sight in early spring when the large, tulip-shaped flowers open on bare branches, this gorgeous magnolia, is, in fact, one of the very first harbingers of spring, along with the bright yellow of forsythia and those happy. happy little crocus.

It's a relatively small tree--a great specimen for a larger yard--growing 20' to 30' tall, and can be multi-trunked or single-trunked. The flowers are various shades of white, pink and purplish-maroon, depending on the cultivar.

The only drawback to this tree's spectacular spring beauty is that the flowers can be burnt by early spring frosts, a depressing sight indeed. If they are lucky enough to prevail without a killing frost however, you will be blessed with a virtual carpet of pink as the petals fall off, as you can see here outside this blog author's very own kitchen window:

A nice cultivar that we recommend is 'Jane', smaller (growing to about 10 feet) and with a deeper purplish pink color to the flowers, which seem to persist extra long.

'Jane' blooms later than the larger M.soulangiana making it less susceptible to late freezes.

Grow Your Own French Fries

Have you ever eaten a fresh, home-grown potato? If so, you know there is absolutely no comparison to potatoes from the supermarket.

How's this for yummy: baked potatoes with gooey cheddar cheese and fresh steamed broccoli; "new" potatoes sauteed with leeks and butter; maybe grilled fingerling potato salad with lobster and watercress; garlic-Parmesan mashed potatoes; homemade potato chips; and of course, everybody's favorite--french fries! The list of fabulous potato concoctions goes on and on. So imagine being able to walk outside and dig up a coupla spuds of your own-- as many as you need to whip up a delicious feast (of homemade potato chips) when the craving hits you.


Now that you are hungry for potatoes, why not consider growing the humble spud this year? Potatoes truly are one of the most popular vegetables in the home garden. And they are super easy to grow, storing well for months, and, like we said, they taste much, much better.

Valley View sells certified seed potatoes--Kennebec, Red Norland, Yukon Gold, Superior, Cobbler and Pontiac Red.

"What exactly is a 'seed' potato?" you might ask. It's not actually a seed, but was grown from one. Always buy certified disease-free seed potatoes. Planting potatoes from the grocery store is risky; not only may they harbor diseases, potatoes, like many grocery store vegetables, are often treated with a growth inhibitor to keep them from sprouting.

Growing potatoes is easy, as long as you start off with the proper potato-lovin' soil. Potatoes are aggressively rooting plants, and produce an abundant crop when planted in a light, loose, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.0. (Bring in a soil sample, and we will test your pH for free!)

Here's a great guide to planting potatoes:
http://www.eartheasy.com/blog/2009/04/growing-potatoes-is-easy-and-so-rewarding/


To complement your potatoes, we also carry onion sets, shallots, and "cole crops" are here, too: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (Savoy, Flat Dutch, Golden Acre, Red Acre), cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi and Swiss chard. We have rhubarb, asparagus and horseradish. Next week look for 6 varieties of lettuce, peas and bok choy.

And for dessert: 4 varieties of strawberries!

PLANT OF THE WEEK: Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'
Witch Hazel
What we all need right now...


'Diane' is the most gorgeous red-flowering form of Witch Hazel, and has received a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit for being such a great plant.

At this time of year, when there is so little color in the garden, besides white, dirty white, gray-white, brown-white, stick brown, and the dark green of our tired, broken, snow-embattled evergreens, the unique coppery-red flower petals and their crazy zig-zaggy form stand out strikingly-- a true natural beauty and that bit of garden pizazz that we all need right now.

It's also a knockout in fall, when the leaves turn a lush bright orangey-red or yellow. And not only is it a beauty, but a smart multi-tasker--its fruit, flowers, and next year's leaf buds all appear on the branch simultaneously, a true rarity among trees.

You know what else is cool? The seed capsules explode at maturity in fall (about 8 months after flowering in late winter), ejecting the seeds with a snap to send them over 30 feet away!

Easy to grow, requiring only average, well-drained soil, in full or part sun, reaching about 12 feet with a vase-like spread. Remarkably care-free, and very resistant to pests and disease.

top photo courtesy of White Flower Farm

Have you ever had a white tomato?

Well now you can grow your own, along with lots of other unique fruits and veggies.

We have received the bulk of our SEEDS for 2010! You know what that means?? Spring is almost here!

Well, at least it's closer than it was yesterday.

This year, we are focusing on having the best selection of heirloom seeds, so you can introduce some real variety into your garden and have fun at the same time. We just got our first shipment from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and boy, are they COOL! They are all open-pollinated seeds: pure, natural & non-GMO!

Stop in and check them out, and see what else we have to get you started...

Don't miss these upcoming Holiday Events!

Weekends Now thru Christmas, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.—Our in-house artist Carey Wilkerson will personalize any ornament you purchase here for free! Carey will write the name of a friend, family member, even pet to add a special touch.


Tuesday, December 8, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.—Karla Steinbach will he here to sign Steinbach nutcrackers purchased here since her last visit in 2008. Meet Karla and be inspired by the work of six generations of German artisans now known world wide. Receive a free Steinbach ornament with the purchase of a Steinbach nutcracker!

Saturday, December 12, 10:00 a.m.—December Gardening Tips—Ideas for gift giving, including a list of Carrie’s favorite gardening books and authors and a summary of the gardening year will be on today’s agenda. Free Seminar


Saturday, December 19, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. And Wednesday, December 23 & Thursday, December 24, 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.—Local artist Paul DeRemigis will sign his regional prints and demonstrate his work. The subject matter of his prints include skipjacks, lighthouses, Ocean City, M & T Stadium, Camden Yards, Memorial Stadium, Rehoboth Beach, & Fells Point to name a few. Come meet Paul and watch him turn your fondest area memories into beautiful life-like pictures.



Wednesday, December 23, 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.—WBAL Radio will be here to broadcast their morning show live and kick off their annual fund raising event! Steve Rouse and Keith Mills will be your on-air hosts. All donations benefit the WBAL Radio Kids Campaign.

Thursday, December 24, 5:00 a.m. to noon—WBAL Radio’s Dave Durian, Steve Rouse, and Keith Mills will be here broadcasting live and accepting donations which will benefit the WBAL Radio Kids Campaign. Join us both days for fun-filled activities, special guests, music, food, and more