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.
Read More2023 Garden Walk Buffalo
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"Garden Walk Buffalo attracts visitors from around the U.S., Canada and beyond. Tens of thousands of visitors visit beautiful Buffalo to enjoy the creativity and work of its best ambassadors - its gardeners."
And it's free!
https://www.gardensbuffaloniagara.com/garden-walk-buffalo
Put it on your calendar for next year and enjoy some of Victoria's pictures.
Spongy Moth Invasion
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Spongy moths are incredibly destructive!
They defoliate trees and in some circumstances, that defoliation can kill the affected trees.
"Spongy moth populations rise and fall in cycles of roughly 10-15 years. Populations vary during the cycle, from years with few caterpillars and very minor damage, to years with large numbers of caterpillars and very noticeable leaf damage and tree defoliation. These population cycles are driven by predator-prey interactions, specifically the interactions between spongy moth, small mammals, and acorn production."
Trees That Thrive in the Hudson Valley
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At Victoria Gardens, we seek out, stock, and plant trees that both stand out and thrive in our region.
We have a Seven Sons Flower tree planted outside our nursery and garden center, so we have a front row seat to all 3 seasons of it's unique showy features.
Modern Accord Depot: Before and After
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This was a really fun and interesting project for Victoria Gardens in partnership with Shawn McCloskey of Aurora Landscape Design. The owners of the Modern Accord Depot, Choreographer Chase Brock and Conductor Rob Berman already had renovated this historic Train Depot into a fun, colorful, modern structure, which is an arts residency space and luxury vacation rental. We transformed the outside space into a colorful garden with a rolling meadow feel.
Read MoreUpdated! Before and After Photos in Glenford, NY
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Many of our clients continue to add to their gardens after the initial design and install. Gardens mature and it’s always fun to go back and see all the progress and change! The initial design and installation happened in 2017 and we revisit this garden in 2022!
Read MoreWhy fall is the perfect time to plant:
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At Victoria Gardens, we find the best growers, we take vigilant care of our plants, and we continue to stock fresh, healthy plants throughout the fall. We stay open later in the season than most nurseries (because of our busy landscaping division, we continue to plant until the ground temperatures fall below 41 degrees Fahrenheit), which means we will have a wide and healthy selection through mid-November. And, yes! We ourselves are planting right up until Thanksgiving*, weather permitting. Not only that, but our staff is helpful and knowledgeable, and we will always take your plants to the parking lot and help you load.
Read MoreProtect Your Bulbs: 10 simple ways to stop critters from digging, eating, or stealing your newly planted bulbs
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Protect Your Bulbs
10 simple ways to stop critters from digging, eating, or stealing your newly planted bulbs. Try one or all of theses organic, kid-safe/pet-safe techniques to guard your bulbs from the wild animals and hungry critters!
Read MoreHow to bring houseplants inside before frost
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Victoria will discuss the particulars of giving your plants the light and conditions that they need to thrive, and demonstrate the steps to take when bringing your houseplants inside before the frost.
Watch the video or read the article below.
Read MoreVisit Our Unique Plant Nursery: Rosendale, NY
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Sitting up on a hill, this unusual boutique nursery is set on a 375 million year old bedrock shelf that was under the ocean. The rock’s surface is covered with fossils of shells and other sea creatures. This bedrock is the magical setting for a nursery with vignettes of complementary plants that provide a visual sense how they will look in your own garden.
Read MoreSpring Bulbs: Constantly Blooming Show From Early Spring to Early Summer.
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Most people think of daffodils and tulips when they think of spring blooming bulbs.
But there are SO MANY other types of spring blooming bulbs: Hyacinth, Allium, Anemone, Chionodoxa, Crocus, Eranthis, Fritillaria, Galanthus, and so many others.
Unexpected Fall Gardening Advice From The New York Times
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A new and interesting way to think about your gardening practice!
The times had a great article by Margaret Roach featuring Rebecca McMackin, the director of horticulture at the 85-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park. She makes a great point we love: Fall Planting makes time for spring weeding!
"And there’s a bonus: With the staff no longer on hose duty all spring and summer, they have more time for that all-important task that must not be postponed: weeding.
Read MoreWorld’s Worst Invasive Plants Sold at Many U.S. Garden Centers
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The best way to avoid invasives is to avoid fly-by-night growers and landscapers who lack any real plant knowledge. Some of Victoria’s growers have been in business for generations. And after 30+ years of garden design and maintenance, the Victoria Gardens’ crew know from personal experience whether plants stay, naturalize, or invade!
Read MoreTime to Fertilize!
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What do the 3 Numbers on Plant Food Mean?
The three numbers represent ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—in that order. For example, Rose-tone is a balanced 4-3-2 fertilizer includes 4 percent nitrogen, 3 percent phosphorus, 2 percent potassium. while Bone Meal’s ratio 4-12-0 is rich in phosphorus, which is highly beneficial for flowering plants and promote roots growth.
Fertilizers with a higher nitrogen (the first number) engorage leafy green growth.
Plant food with Potassium (the third number) can counter environmental stresses like heat, drought, bark damage, or garden pests.
Read MoreWhat does a multi-year landscaping project look like?
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At Victoria Gardens, we often work with clients for decades, doing the maintenance on a garden after the design and installation phase. But we also have clients who continue to develop and finetune their properties: adding pools, adding gardens, extending gardens, etc.
Your dream garden may not come into being overnight. You may not know exactly what you want all at once or budget restrictions may mean you need to break up a big dream into multiple phases.
We wanted to walk through what one of those muti-phase projects looks like.
Read More