This weekend Glick's Greenhouse in Oley celebrates the season with their annual Poinsettia Show! And it's a celebration not to be missed!
I've been going for the last five years at least, and it's become a holiday ritual for my family. Just a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon and get into the spirit of Christmas! And I've honestly never seen more poinsettias in so many color combinations in my life...
This year's theme is Route 66. This historic highway once acted as a mirror of our nation’s times, both the good and the bad. Crossing 8 states, 3 time zones, and more than 2400 miles, it was the first continuously paved highway in the United States. Though it gained the designation as an official U.S. highway in 1926, this status only remained until 1985. "America’s Main Street" had officially been replaced by four-lane highways.
As one of the characters in the Disney movie Cars said, "Back then, people didn’t drive to make good time…they drove to have a good time." This Christmas the family at Glick's hope you’ll join them for a journey. It’s a journey through small-town America, through United States' history, and through life. We know you’ll have a good time on this trip and look forward to seeing you along the way!
So get your kicks on Route 66 ... at Glicks!

Glick's Greenhouse Poinsettia Show runs from Friday thru Monday (closed Sunday). Hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Monday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
There will also be plenty of music on hand.

Music Schedule
Friday Dec. 5th
10:00-11:30 Keri Houp (Piano)
11:30-12:30 Leonard Stoltzfus (Accordion)
1:00-2:30 Berks Christian School Choir
2:30-4:00 Cammi Glick (Piano)
5:00-6:30 Damien Drago (Guitar/Vocal)
7:00-8:30 Camerata String Quartet
Saturday Dec. 6th
10:00-12:00 Hiram Ring (Guitar/Vocal)
12:00-1:00 Inglin Family (Instrumental/Vocal)
1:00-2:00 Andrew Uchida (Guitar/Vocal)
2:00-4:00 West Chester Octet (Vocal)
4:00-5:00 Boyertown String Quartet
Monday Dec. 8th
10:00-11:00 Angela Ludwig (Piano)
11:00-12:30 Keri Houp (Piano)
12:30-1:30 Angela Ludwig (Piano)
1:30-2:30 Keri Houp (Piano)
4:00-5:00 Leonard Stoltzfus (Accordion)
5:00-6:30 Dave Reichard (Guitar/Vocal)
7:00-8:30 Ringalier Hand Bell Choir

Glicks's Greenhouse is located at 57 Fisher Mill Road, Oley. For more information visit www.glicksgreenhouse.com or call 610-689-9856. Glick's will be closed today to prepare for the show!

Merry Christmas!

For those of you, like me, who haven't gotten around to your fall decorating yet, I just received an email from my favorite greenhouse, Glick's, in Oley, stating "Last Chance for Mums."

Yikes, is it that time already? Am I actually that late ... I mean, I haven't even gotten the chance to get down to Ott's Exotic Plants yet to see the Mountain of Mums in the parking lot. (If you've never been, it's really something to see.) Ott's is on Route 29 in Schwenksville. A quick search of the Internet didn't turn up a website, but there are directions available on various map sites.


Back to Glick's: Beginning today, fully blooming mums are being discounted to $3.50 each or 3 for $10. Purple Fountain Grass is only $5 a pot and the dollar sale remains in place for 2-qt. and 1-gallon perennials. 1-qt. perennials are only 50 cents! Now's a great time to stock up on these, get them in the ground immediately and reap the benefits next Spring!

However, don't plan on planting any mums after using them for display this fall. They won't have enough time to get established before the ground freezes.

Of course, they're still offering partially blooming mums for $4.25 each or 5 for $20and ornamental kale/cabbage for the same prices. Icicle pansies, blooming now and again in early winter, are $4.50 per 6-pack. For more information on this attractive winter flower visit http://www.iciclepansy.com/



So get on out this weekend and get those Fall bargains! Even if you don't want to make the trip to Glick's, I sure all the local greenhouses and nurseries are full of things to decorate your landscape with.

Glick's Greenhouse is located at 57 Fisher Mill Road in Oley. For information visit www.glicksgreenhouse.com or call 610-689-9856. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

This time of year, there's just nothing more impressive in my garden, including the stargazer lilly, than my perennial hisbiscus plants. The salad plate-sized flowers are too stupendous to describe, so I'm providing a few photos that I hope do them justice.

I currently have two hibiscus plants, one that is a survivor of a 4-pack of plants that I purchased off QVC from Cottage Farms (remember yesterday I was telling you how I learned my lesson about buying plants off TV -- well I didn't admit defeat right away, it took a couple times). The other one was bought locally from Glick's Greenhouse. Both plants are about four years old.
I couldn't wait to see them bloom the first year I planted them. The blooms don't come until about mid-August, and one morning I looked out the window to see the most gorgeous plate-sized flower beaming back at me! Of course, I took photos and invited the family to see it. Unfortunately, to my surprise, the bloom only lasted one day. The very next morning I looked out and thought "where'd it go?" It was already drooped and parts of it were on the ground. That was the only bloom I got that first year. This year, the blooms are coming in abundance and both plants are entering their third week of constant blooming!

If you're interested, here's a few facts. Perennial hibiscus plants, those that come back for several years without replanting, are rapidly gaining favor with plant lovers across the nation. If you wish to enjoy a plant that is easy to care for, try the perennial hibiscus. Our zone (6) is perfect for this plant.
The perennial hibiscus should not be confused with the tropical hibiscus, which would not survive our winters. As the name implies, perennial hibiscus are truly perennial and, once established, will provide years and years of brilliant landscape color. There are many varieties of perennial hibiscus to choose from. Plant heights range from 3 feet to 8 feet tall. They can be used in the garden as focal point or arranged in a manner to provide an informal hedge. Some perennial hibiscus plants are compact and rather formal looking compared with the more loosely arranged habit of taller hibiscus.

So don't be afraid to try this easy-going, versatile plant. All your neighbors will be impressed and think you're a master gardener!
Up next -- beware Creeping Jenny!

Every year, towards the end of summer, I can't help but go to my favorite greenhouse just to see what bargains might be left for the taking. You never know when you might find something great that's been overlooked.
About five years ago, while perusing leftover annuals and perennials at Glick's Greenhouses in Oley, an odd-looking plant caught my eye. It had two stems about 5-ft. tall with large blooms resembling sunflowers. It was in the area of the perennials, and I thought how great would it be to have a perennial "sunflower." There was no tag, so I had no idea what this "mystery" plant actually was, other than perennial.
It cost $1.95, so I figured what the heck ... I took it home and found a spot near the corner of the garden pathway, between a butterfly bush and clematis. I couldn't wait till the next summer to see what it would do.
Well, it certainly didn't disappoint. The plant came up abundant the next year, much more dense than the two stems I had purchased it as. It grew at least 4-ft. tall and had fabulous sunflower-like yellow blooms from July-September. We absolutely loved it and referred to it as our "sunflower bush."

It continued to stay hardy and spread. I had to start digging it up each year, because it was spreading too much. I've given it to my mother, friends and coworkers and they've all had success. I've planted it all along our fence and it provides a beautiful screen.
I recently found it in a nursery while on vacation and, after learning its proper name (helianthus x multiflorus), looked it up on the Internet. Here's what I found.
It's common name is Capenoch Star, and it is actually considered a Perennial Sunflower. Who knew? It's clean, deep green leaves give way to large, single, bright yellow flowers that are reminiscent of annual sunflowers with their wide centers. Refreshing and attractive .. especially to butterflies and bees. It prefers moist soils in full sun, but is tolerant of drought and light shade. Fertilizer is recommended, but believe me, I've never had to do anything to propagate this plant. It may be divided or can be rooted thru cuttings.

The site warns that Helianthus can be quite invasive, which I've found to be true. And because of its height, it's best utilized in the back of a border garden to accent lower growing perennials.
So don't ever be afraid of buying that Mystery Plant. Sometimes you get a better bargain than you ever thought you would!

Sorry, it's been awhile, but when I last blogged, I said I was going away for a couple days. And you know how that goes ... take a few days off and pay for it when you get back. So it's taken my a couple more days to clear the piles off my desks (yes, I said "desks," I wear more than one hat at work).


But work's not the only thing that I needed to catch up on when I got back. Although my family did a great job of watering the gardens while I was gone, things needed to be tended to when I got back ...


Like the pond: It seems that another vacuuming is in order. Unless you experience it yourself, you'll really never know how much waste 30-odd goldfish can make! And there's eggs hanging onto the roots of the floating water hyacinths! Not sure if they're from the fish or the frogs, but I can only hope that the fish are making a smorgasbord out of them!


At least I came home to find a couple of beautiful waterlilly flowers! Aren't these blooms beautiful? And the water Canna are coming up nicely. They'll be blooming in a couple weeks.


Hopefully (and I know I've said this before) this weekend will be the weekend we FINALLY install that new waterfall (weather permitting, of course). It seems that every time I try to schedule this task, it rains or the temp is way too high to be doing it in the hot sun. I'm thinking Sunday might be better since Saturday's going to be a scorcher!!


The "hill" where the waterfall is going is really getting out of hand, since I really haven't done any gardening and/or weeding there. I figured why plant anything new there, it'll just get ripped out doing the waterfall. So it's getting quite overgrown now.


Weeds are invading the stone path and brick patio. This happens every year, yet it always seems to just appear overnight. I'll have to buy some extra vinegar at the store this weekend.


The petunias are in desperate need of dead-heading. And we're fast approaching July, when in my garden the petunias get leggy and the blooms are few. Every year I vow to figure out exactly how all those wave petunias in the professional beds at the malls and businesses, not to mention in the hanging baskets in downtown Pottstown, stay so full and blooming, maybe this'll be the year it works for me!

And if that's not enough, I'm not in the middle of a HUGE computer issue at home ... I can't open any programs. I can already tell that fixing this will take a pretty big chunk out of my weekend.


Well, it's not all bad ... I was happy to come home to a pretty established pepper on one of my plants, and there are also some cherry tomatoes and a couple of early girls on the stems. My cucumbers are coming along great this year. They're really taking to the twine-vine I stapled to the shed for them.


And the daylillies! What can I say about one of my faves? They are a great plant that needs absolutely no care at all! They don't take a lot of water and when they bloom, it's show-stopping! I'll blog more about these fantastic plants next week. But for now ... take a trip to Manatawny Creek Daylilly Farm in scenic Oley.


This weekend will be a perfect time to see most of the daylillies in bloom. The farm is located at 64 Fisher Mill Road, right across the street from Glick's Greenhouses. Or visit their web site www.manatawnycreekfarm.com for more information. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday.


Also next week, I'll be featuring my neighbors fabulous garden ... here's a sneak peak.
Well, it looks like my weekend's all planned, see you Monday.