Redefining Beauty One Client at a Time! Over 20 years of experience
· Comprehensive Design and Maintenance Services · Installation, arbors, retaining walls, walkways, lighting, water features · Patios, roof top gardens, townhomes, single family homes • Trees & shrubs, formal & informal gardens • Custom Masonry, Fencing and Iron work · Restoration and Enhancement
Derek Thomas / Principal Certified Professional Horticulturist, Master Gardener; Member of the MD Nursery and Landscape Association & the Association of Professional Landscape Designers
301.642.5182
www.thomaslandscapes.com
THOMAS LANDSCAPES
Full -Service Landscape Design & Maintenance Firm 144 H HillRag | April 2012
Besides investing in very unusual and high quality plants, the FONA committee shares its research with the buyer by placing signs with the plants that are colorcoded for shade, sun, and in between, and the signs show symbols of birds, butterflies, and other pertinent growing information. “We really do try and make it easier for the shopper to know what they are getting,” says Charlie, “and of course there will be many plant experts on hand to answer questions.”
Don’t Forget Scale
Bill may love his annuals, but one of the special reasons to shop at the plant sale is for the extraordinary collection of woody bushes or trees. Christine notes that even in the smallest of Hill gardens, it is important to have different scale and size of plants. “I think some well-placed bushes, maybe a small tree, and then the annuals for zest is the perfect formula for a Hill garden.” A new small tree featuring edible apples is one of the new additions being offered this spring. This new tree grows 8-10 feet high and can even be grown in a container. It is considered in the industry to be a dwarf plant, and yet, despite being small, it still produces edible apples. The tree Malus ‘Urban Blushing Delight’ is sure to be a favorite, but it does need sun to grow. And another special offering will be a number of hellebores from Cole Burrell’s Pine Knot Farms. The Clarksville, Va. nursery is the premier farm for these shade-loving plants that are often known as the Christmas or Lenten rose. They are a carefree plant, and from the numbers recently seen in Hill gardens, they are becoming a fast favorite. This is a rare opportunity to get