Family Tree Garden Center | Snellville GA | Loganville | Stone Mountain

Making Our Town Beautiful in 2012

Just as in most any hobby or business, we in the nursery industry get excited about the next new thing. Every year we look forward to the new annual and perennial varieties. One of our favorite destinations to see what’s new is the Trial Gardens at The University of Georgia. These gardens developed by Dr. Allan Armitage and Dr. Michael Dirr in 1982 are specifically for research, teaching, and new crop introduction. New cultivars and varieties are developed, grown, evaluated and hopefully introduced to the greenhouse and landscape industries. And, of course, they introduce what’s new to the retail nursery industry for the enjoyment of our customers.

So, do you want to hear what’s new for this year? Let’s start with

Drift^® Roses

The Next Big Thing for Small Gardens

From the introducers of The Knock Out® Family of Roses, comes the next big thing for small gardens. Like The Knock Out® Family of Roses, Drift® Roses are repeat-bloomers that are tough, disease resistant, winter hardy and virtually maintenance-free.

Drift® Roses are a cross between full-size groundcover roses and miniature roses. From the former they kept toughness, disease resistance and winter hardiness. From the miniatures, they inherited their well-managed size and repeat-blooming nature.

Continuously blooming from spring to frost (bloom cycle about every 5-6 weeks), they are naturally dwarf, with very attractive foliage. They are winter hardy to zone 4. The series is composed of 6 varieties:

Apricot Drift® - NEW for 2012 - Groundcover habit, double flowers

Sweet Drift® - NEW for 2012 - Groundcover habit, clear pink double flowers

Icy Drift® - NEW for 2012 - Pure white double flower, 1.5’ tall x 2.5’ wide

Pink Drift® - Deep pink single flower, blooms abundantly all season

Red Drift® - tiny red abundant flower, blooms abundantly all season

Coral Drift® - Bright coral flowers from spring to fall

Drift® Roses range in size from 2-3' wide x 1 1/2' tall. The low, manageable habit of Drift® Roses makes them perfect for small gardens, hillsides, perennial beds and even awkward areas. They brighten up borders and fill in empty spaces around your favorite
established plants.Prune back to about 6" in early spring (after the last hard frost) for best performance.
Regular deadheading encourages re-blooming and helps maintain a tidy appearance but isn't necessary.

Apricot Drift� Rose

Sweet Drift� Rose

Icy Drift� Rose

Delosperma 'Fire Spinner' ( Ice Plant )

A new take on hardy Ice Plants, Fire Spinner is lighting up gardens all over the country.

Quick Facts About Fire Spinner:

· USE FOR: Rock gardens, front of the border in perennial gardens, along walkways, plant in mass for maximum impact.

· BLOOM TIME: Heavy in late spring, then all summer

· MATURE SIZE: 2-3" tall, spreading habit

· USDA HARDINESS: Zone 5-10

The high contrast color combination pairs fiery purple with orange for unique
bi-color flowers that bloom heavy in the spring literally covering the glossy apple green, succulent-like foliage. Fire Spinner continues putting on a show during the summer blooming on and off all season until fall. As the temperature drops, the succulent-type foliage turns an attractive reddish-purple. Easy to grow, this hardy ice plant is true to its name, and thrives in USDA hardiness zones 5 - 10.

How to Grow Fire Spinner Ice Plant

Easy to grow hardy ice plants produce a fine mat of little roots as they grow and spreading, giving them a very neat and tidy
appearance in the garden. Here a few tips to successfully growing Delosperma Fire Spinner in the garden:

Hardy Ice Plants, or Deleosperma, like it hot, dry, and sunny.

Good drainage is necessary, if your soil is heavy or drainage is poor, amend first with organic matter and add in a handful or

playground sand or small pea gravel to help with drainage. In colder areas where snow can sit on the ground, plant

Fire Spinner on slopes or areas where snow-pack will not sit for prolonged periods.

Once established, this perennial plant is xeric and only needs supplemental water during the heat of the summer.

Fertilizer once in the spring and again mid summer, with a balanced, slow release organic fertilizer.

Plant Fire Spinner in rock gardens, along borders or pathways, in container gardens, as a low maintenance ground cover,
and in raised perennial beds. Pair with other hardy Ice Plants to create a carpet of varied flower colors and textures in the garden.

Other perennial plants to pair with Fire Spinner include Coreopsis, Hens and Chicks, stepable ground cover, or Salvias.

The UGA Trial Gardens introduced a number of new perennials last year that are worthy of mention. Research at The Trial Gardens is meticulously carried out by Horticulture students under the supervision of Dr. Allan Armitage. The gardens are open to the public and all garden enthusiasts are encouraged to come and browse.

Just to name a few perennials introduced:

	1. Rudbeckia ‘Henry Eilers’ ‘Henry Eilers’ is a terrific new perennial cone flower with narrow petals and a handsome center. They will start flowering in late spring and mid summer. It can easily be cut back if it gets too tall.
	2. Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’ ‘Georgia Peach’ features a “wow” color. It looks fabulous in the container and equally good in the landscape. Among the many excellent coral bells, this is one of the best.
	3. Phlox ‘Peppermint Twist’ ‘Peppermint Twist’ is a terrific new dwarf summer phlox. It is bicolor, 2- to 3-inch tall and mildew-resistant. ‘Peppermint Twist’ flowers well, ships well and looks good in a container.

The drab winter is just about over! Start getting your gardens ready. To us “Every Landscape has a Story” and since all of our plants and products are personal to us, we take that statement seriously. Come by and take a look at our top quality plants and products and, of course, talk to our expert and knowledgeable staff about all your gardening needs.

For more information about the UGA Trial Gardens: http://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.home/index.htm