It wouldn’t be the holiday season without poinsettias dressed in brilliant reds, pinks, whites, and even variegated forms adding festive color to our indoor and outdoor holiday displays. At 12 to 18 inches in height poinsettias are the perennial favorites. Create a dazzling display by placing different varieties of poinsettias in a large grouping of five plants or more and arrange to highlight the mass of color.

Wegman’s has a large selection of poinsettias from 4 inch containers to terra cotta pots with 3 different colors. Check out the new accent color poinsettias—Salmon, Strawberries and Cream, DaVinci, and Shimmer Pink.

YULETIDE CAMELLIA--Camellia sasanqua `Yuletide`

Sasanqua camellias are hardy and long-lived, and they make wonderful hedges. They grow reasonably fast, but not so fast that you have to continually clip them when they reach full size. They come in a wide range of flower colors from white, through pinks to deep red.

Care: Camellias prefer a slightly acid, humus rich soil with good drainage. Sasanquas will grow in either full sun or partial shade but do best with protection from hot sun. Fertilize in spring with Master Nursery Azalea and Camellia Food. Mulch with compost (such as composted autumn leaves) or milled cow manure. Keep well watered, particularly when it is hot and dry.

Have you planted your Christmas red cyclamen? If not, be sure to come in this weekend! Our Bedding Manager has ordered all the available supply from our growers and when these red cyclamen are gone, they won’t be back until next season. Of course we will have other colors and varieties, but we wanted you to know the red was in short supply.

Iceland Poppies, pansies, primroses, violas and all of your winter favorites are still in plentiful supply.

There are a number of products available at the Nursery to protect your plants during this frost season. In the past, we have showcased Cloud Clover, an anti-transpirant which will place a protective coating on the leaves of your fruit trees and other tender plants to keep them from losing water and protecting them from frost.

Other products available are:

Plant & Seed Blanket - A double layer fabric that creates a greenhouse effect that promotes faster seed germination as well as protecting from light frost. Available in rolls of 6’x 20’ for $13.99.

Frost Cover - A shower cap for plants! It retains warmth and ideal for potted plants, pot groupings, window boxes and in-ground plants. Available in a variety of sizes from $11.99.

Trivia Question: How much ketchup contains the nutritional equivalent of an entire ripe medium tomato.

Question, answer, and winner from November 9th edition:

Question: What fruit are almonds a member of?

Answer: Almonds are members of the peach family.

Winner: Sally Eastland

MR. ED’S TIPS:
Mushrooms

At this time of year, we see mushrooms popping up in our lawns or growing on our trees and we wonder if they are harmful. Usually they are not.

Mushrooms are the ‘fruit’ of a fungus. The fungus grows in the soil or the wood of a tree as thin, white, thread-like strands. As these strands grow, they release enzymes which digest whatever they are growing on. Fungi may be parasites which grow on and digest living things, or others may be saprophytes which grow on and digest non-living things.

The mushrooms in your lawn or growing on tree stems and branches are usually saprophytes. Those growing in the lawn are feeding on dead grass or compost and helping to decompose it and turn it into humus (that’s a good thing!). Mushrooms growing on the side of a branch or tree trunk are doing the same and indicate that part of the tree is dead.

A notable exception is Oak Root Fungus (Armillaria mella) which is both a parasite and a saprophyte and infects many plants other than oaks. Armillaria produces yellow mushrooms at the base of the trees it infects (honey mushrooms which have been claimed to be edible). It feeds on and destroys plant roots.

If it bothers you to see mushrooms in your lawn, pick them, mow them or knock them over. But remember, these are the ‘fruit’ of the fungus and will not stop the fungus from growing or spreading, any more than picking the apples off a tree will stop the tree from growing.

The difference between mushrooms and toadstools is that toadstools are poisonous if eaten. Unfortunately, some people may eat certain wild mushrooms and find them delicious while others may become violently ill from eating the same mushrooms. A mushroom to one may be a toadstool to another.