How to fight Spongy Moths
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There are several phases of the spongy moth and so we are going to cover each season in their cycle.
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Rhododendrons: How Fall Drought Set the Stage for Trouble
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Rhododendrons: How Fall Drought Set the Stage for Trouble
Many gardeners in the Northeast were dismayed to find their beloved rhododendrons looking scorched, brittle, or even dead in places this spring. While harsh winters can always take a toll on plants, this year's widespread winter burn appears to have a more specific cause: fall drought.
Read MoreShade Plant Spotlight: Epimediums (Barrenwort)
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If you’re designing or refreshing a shade garden, do yourself a favor: plant some Epimediums.
They’re the tough, elegant, whimsical understory plants you didn’t know you were missing. They’re deer resistant, drought tolerant once established, long-lived, and virtually pest-free. They’ll forgive neglect, tolerate poor soil, and still look charming doing it.
Read MoreFlowering Tree Favorites
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Celebrate Spring with Flowering Trees: Jane Magnolia, Pink Snow Showers Cherry, and Dogwoods!
Read MoreLilacs Blooms About to Burst
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Mid-April Lilacs in the nursery are budded and about to open into full fragrant blooms!
They thrive in full sun, needing at least six hours of direct light each day to produce their best blooms. They prefer well-drained soil and tend to do especially well in slightly alkaline conditions. When first planted, regular watering is important to help them establish strong roots, but once mature, most lilacs are quite drought-tolerant.
Shrubs That Shine in the Shade--Hudson Valley Gardening
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While perennials bring the seasonal sizzle—blooms, foliage flair, and color fireworks—it’s the shrubs that give a garden its structure, rhythm, and grace. And in the shady corners of the garden, where sunlight is filtered or fleeting, choosing the right shrubs is essential.
At Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, we’re passionate about transforming difficult spaces into garden highlights. And if you’re working with part-shade, full-shade, or dry woodland conditions, our curated selection of shade-tolerant shrubs offers a wealth of solutions for form, texture, and year-round appeal.
Here’s a closer look at some of our favorite shade-loving shrubs—each one a design powerhouse in its own right.
Read MoreMove Over Forsythia: 3 Shrubs That Bloom Early
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Blooming forsythia are the burst of yellow that signals spring has sprung, and while it does pack a punch in the early season, maybe you are looking for an early blooming alternative?
Here are three shrubs that not only bloom beautifully, but also feed pollinators, delight birds, and keep your garden looking fabulous long after spring.
Winter Garden Design Consultations - Including houseplant consultations!
/Winter Garden Design Consultations
Including houseplant consultations!
Winter garden design consultations are in February and March. The winter is great time to look "the bones" of your outdoor space. In the colder months, when deciduous plants have shed their leaves and perennials have died back, the underlying framework of the garden—such as evergreen plants, hardscaping, garden shapes, arbors, and trellises—becomes more prominent. Observing drainage patterns during winter also reveals potential issues with water retention or erosion that might go unnoticed in drier seasons. These winter consultations provide valuable insights into the garden’s structure, resilience, and year-round appeal.
If those elements aren't right, no selection or amount of plants will ever look or feel like you want them to.
Check our consultation page for the price.
Email victoriagardens.ny@gmail.com or call to make an appointment: (845) 658-9007
Need some help with your houseplants?
Houseplant consultations now available!
House plant health is very dependant on the indoor environment in your home.
Cool? Dry? Indirect light? South-facing? Full sun?
Understanding the different conditions inside your house and determining which plants go where is critical for houseplants health. Now you can show me around your space and I’ll help you choose the houseplants that will look great in your space and thrive in your home.
I normally do consultations for outdoor spaces, landscaping, and garden design, but now I can also help you "green" your indoor space.
Details:
I can help you determine the right plants for the different conditions in your home
I can walk you through proper plant care for your existing plants
I can help you determine if a plant can be propagated or if a plant needs to be repotted
if you are looking for new houseplants for your space, I can recommend different house plant options and walk you through the type of care they need.
At Victoria Gardens we have a wide selection of houseplants--in all shapes and sizes.
If you need existing plants repotted or if you want your new house plants planted in pottery, we can do that for you at the store for a planting fee.
Call the shop (845) 658-9007 or email victoriagardens.ny@gmail.com to schedule a consultation.
Check our consultation page for the price.
End of Season Planting Tips:
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If you can dig a hole, you can still put plants in the ground
It’s a great time to plant trees even if there are no leaves on it. The roots are what will develop and grow from now until spring.
Read MoreAutumn Chores in the Garden
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After the first killing frost, here are the chores to tackle in the garden.
Read MoreDid you know you can divide your peony plants?
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Watch Victoria demonstrate dividing this peony because over time, the garden has grown more shaded and the peony will be much happier in full sun. There are also a couple of invasive weed trees sprouted up in the middle of the peony and dividing and transplanting will be a good opportunity to extract those!
Read MoreWhy Plant Milkweed for Monarch Butterflies?
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Monarch butterflies are currently facing population declines due to habitat loss, climate change, pesticide use, and other factors. Planting milkweed helps to restore and maintain their breeding habitats, contributing to the conservation efforts for monarch butterflies.
Planting milkweed is crucial for butterflies, particularly monarch butterflies, for several important reasons:
Read MoreThe Stand Out Features of Bracken's Brown Beauty Magnolia
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Bracken's Brown Beauty Magnolia (Magnolia Grandiflora 'Bracken's Brown Beauty') is a cultivar of the Southern magnolia tree, renowned for its compact size, attractive foliage, and abundant creamy-white flowers.
Read MoreThe 3 different bloom times of Clematis (and when to prune them)
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Spring-blooming Clematis alpina
Spring, Summer, and Fall!
Spring-blooming Clematis:
These varieties typically bloom in early to mid-spring on the previous year's growth. They often produce large, showy flowers. Examples include Clematis montana and Clematis alpina. Pruning for these Clematis types is best done after flowering in late spring or early summer to ensure prolific blooms the following year.
Summer-blooming Clematis:
This group includes a wide range of cultivars that bloom from late spring to late summer. They bloom on new growth, so they can be pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Examples include Clematis 'Nelly Moser' and Clematis 'Jackmanii'.
Late-blooming Clematis:
These varieties typically bloom from mid-summer to fall on new growth. They are pruned in late winter or early spring like the summer-blooming types. These include a Victoria Gardens’ favorite, Clematis 'Sweet Autumn’.
When pruning Clematis, it's important to identify which group your particular variety belongs to, as pruning at the wrong time can result in reduced or delayed flowering. Generally, it's best to prune lightly until you're familiar with your specific Clematis's growth habits.
PLUS A NEW VARIETY: Long-blooming Patio Clematis
Clematis Bijou
Bijou and Elodi Patio Clematis are long-blooming, dwarf, mounding clematis specifically bred for container gardens, but also thrive in the garden. They are "spillers" as opposed to "climbers."
With their compact growth habit and prolific flowering, patio clematis add elegance and color to balconies, porches, and compact outdoor spaces. They can even be used in rock gardens!
These petite clematis varieties showcase an abundance of delicate blooms, typically in shades of blue or purple, providing a delightful focal point in any container garden. Their versatility, low-maintenance nature, and long bloom time (June to September) make them a popular choice for gardeners looking to enhance their outdoor living areas with beautiful, space-saving blooms.
Clematis Elodi
USDA Released New Plant Zone Map 2023
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The USDA released a new, updated Plant Zone Map and...things have changed!
Most of us in Ulster and Dutchess counties were listed as Zone 5 in the 2012 Plant Hardiness Map.
Spring Clean Up Q&A: How to prune hydrangeas and when
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Q: Should I cut back my hydrangea plants now?
A: First of all, you are not going to kill your hydrangea if you cut it back or prune it at the wrong time, but you will lose the blooms that you would have had this garden season. So we want to be mindful about when we are pruning, so that we enjoy the maximum number of blooms.
Second, prune-time depends which hydrangea bush you have.
Increase visual impact, decrease maintenance
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Victoria has a long-held design principle, “You want your garden to quiet your heart.”
Simplicity can support the feeling of calm we are all aiming for.
Read MoreYour Expert Guide to Early Spring Gardening in the Hudson Valley
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Hudson Valley Magazine did a great article on early spring gardening advice.
They interviewed local professional Gardeners and Garden Designers, including Victoria Coyne from Victoria Gardens. :) The advice she gave is something she also talked about on the March episode of the Garden and Home Show with Sally Spillane on WKZE: Divide but be “quick and quiet.”
Read MoreFor the Birds: Fall Fruiting Plants
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As we move into autumn, there is a way to bring more color, more interest, and more drama into your backyard. By planting fall-fruiting bushes you will have the double benefit of colorful berries and the colorful birds that the berries attract. Many bird species gorge on fall berries before they migrate south and many other species, like cardinals, nuthatches and blue jays stay for the winter and continue to feed off the berries in your garden. Want to attract more birds to your backyard? Start with these attractive, fall-fruiting favorites.
Read MorePutting down roots: The Benefits of Fall Planting
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Cool nights and autumn rain make fall a great time to plant.
At Victoria Gardens, located on the corner of Cottekill Road and Rt. 213 between Rosendale and High Falls, we call it the “2nd Planting Season” because we plant as much in the fall as we do in the spring.
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