Brighter Blooms Nursery Blog

Blueberries are known for their many health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants and high in fiber and are a recommended part of a healthy diet. Growing them at home is an effective way of having plenty of fresh, delicious blueberries to eat all season long.

Once you decide what blueberries you want to plant, growing them is easy. Blueberry plants love sunlight and will require a full-sun location.  Blueberries grow best in fairly acidic soil with a pH of around 4.5. In most cases your soil will need amending to achieve this. Pete moss and sulfur as well are acidic fertilizers may help get your soils pH to the desired level.

Blueberry plants have shallow root systems and like to be planted in loamy soil (approximately 4-7 percent organic matter) with good drainage. If you have clay soil in your area or poor drainage you may want to consider a raised garden bed or as an alternative you can hill up the plants.

Many blueberries are self pollinating but for the best fruit yields you should plant multiple bushes. Blueberry plants typically reach their fully productive stage when they get to be about 6 years old. For the first two years after planting it is recommended that you remove the blossoms to prevent fruiting, this promotes vigorous and strong root systems.

With a blueberry garden you can enjoy years and years of sweet, healthy, delicious blueberries fresh from your own home. Pick your blueberries when they become large firm and dark with a whitish hue to the skin. The darker and more ripe the fruit, the higher they are in antioxidants.  Mega Blueberry

Sources for this blog include:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1422.html
http://howtogardenguide.com/2008/02/22/grow-blueberries/

Fall is here and so is our 15% flowering shrub sale. With over 50 different plants available, you are sure to find something to fit your needs.

Nursery professionals say that fall is the best time to plant your shrubs and hedges. This ensures your roots have ample time to grow before the heat of summer arrives next year.  Even though the shrub may not be growing on the top, you can bet the roots are branching out and establishing their place in your home landscape.  Once spring arrives you will be rewarded with explosive growth, amazing blooms and a large healthy shrub.

Click here for more info on shrubs and hedges

Fall is here and so is our 15% shrub sale. With over 50 different plants available, your are sure to find something to fit your needs.

Nursery professionals say that fall is the best time to plant your shrubs and hedges. This ensures your roots have ample time to grow before the heat of summer arrives next year. Even though the shrub may not be growing on the top, you can bet the roots are branching out and establishing their place in your home landscape. Once spring arrives you will be rewarded with explosive growth, amazing blooms and a large healthy shrub.

for more information on click shrubs or flowering shrubs or browse the email…

Full grown in less than 5 years makes the Royal Empress Tree one of the fastest growing trees in the world. This tree provides you with instant shade and hundreds of fragrant lavender blooms in the spring.

This Empress Tree is a tree you do not have to baby. Just plant in the ground and watch in amazement as it takes off… growing up to 15 ft. per year. Its huge leaves block out the sun providing you with cooling shade in the summer.

Click here to learn more about Royal Empress Tree…

As a thank you for being a previous customer of Brighter Blooms Nursery, we would like to offer you this one-time savings coupon. This coupon code will allow you to shop and receive 10% OFF all items in the store.

Choose from over 300 varieties of flowering shrubs and hedges, perennials, rose bushes and ground covers. We carry new varieties of Knockout Roses, including the Sunny Knockout Rose and the Double Red Knockout Rose. We also have a huge selection of flowering shrubs, like the Endless Summer Hydrangea that blooms from spring through fall and the Annabelle Hydrangea with its 10″ flowers!

click here to learn more about flowering shrubs…

These are the most amazing roses I have ever planted. The Knockout Roses bloom nonstop from spring through frost with absolutely no maintenance. That means no spraying, no picking of spent blooms, just months of bright color.

To learn more, click Knockout Rose…

They not only smell great, but they’re incredibly resistant to pests and diseases. These flowering shrubs and flowering trees are chosen for their incredible resistance to pests and disease, which means you never have to spray. Remember to plant several of these for a wonderful fragrance you can smell from a distance.

To learn more click fragrant shrubs…

Last year a friend and local farmer was over run with more than 60,000 daylily bulbs. His grandchildren removed all his plant signs and all his buyers cancelled their orders, since he could no longer tell what varieties they were.

Many people were touched by his story and unfortunate situation. You reached out and you bailed him out of a difficult situation.

To learn more click Daylilies

As with all Knockout Roses, these newest introductions are just as hardy and disease resistant as their cousins.

You get the same great benefits such as: cold tolerant in most climates, never needs spraying, resistant to insect and disease and produces an abundance of blooms for up to 6 months!

Click to learn more about Knockout Rose Bushes.

This flowering vine is one tough cookie. Wisteria vines are able to withstand extreme soil conditions and thrives on neglect. Plant in clay, sand and even rocky soils and your Purple Wisteria will exceed your expectations.

To learn more click Wisteria Vines.

Yes, I’m a plant geek. But this is amazing stuff. Nothing adds color like Azaleas. But the best bloomers only last for 2-3 weeks, and then you wait a whole year.

New improved, Encore Azaleas give you a bright, thick mass of color for 3 seasons. Plus you can grow them almost anywhere in the USA. They’re trouble free and extremely easy.

To learn more click Encore Azalea

Last summer our nursery manager Paul grew way too many Knockout Rose Trees. Due to a colder than average winter we were unable to sell as many as we had projected for Valentine’s Day.

This is where you come in. We are offering a special 25% discount on low maintenance, easy to grow Knockout Rose Trees. These Knockout Roses are resistant to most pests and diseases that affect other types of roses. That means you don’t have to spend your free time spraying, you just plant and enjoy.

To learn more click Knockout Rose Trees.

You might think it would be expensive to create an authentic oriental theme.
Some of the commonly used plants like Black Bamboo and Red Japanese Maples are very expensive plants to purchase. You’ll be delighted to know that there is an affordably priced and easy to grow evergreen shrub that works just as well.

The Nandina domestica or Heavenly Bamboo is really authentic to Asia.
This super drought tolerant plant was actually imported to the US direct from the Orient for its exotic beauty over 100 years ago. The reason it is called Heavenly Bamboo is because the Chinese grow it around their temples. It is common to find these Nandina shrubs beside the front doors of their homes. It was thought the shrubs were there to protect the homeowner from bad luck. Actually they are just there for beauty.

Heavenly Bamboo does well in sun or shade so you can grow it anywhere.
In the Orient, these landscape shrubs are specially clipped to mimic regular bamboo. This is easily done to give an authentic Oriental theme in your landscape too. Just keep all the lower leaves of your Nandina bushes clipped off and leave only the top fringe of foliage on each cane. There you have it a fast growing, authentic theme plant discussed as a common shrub.

Don’t think you have to fly to some distant shore to enjoy tropical beauty.

The most cold hardy banana tree in the world is the Basjoo Banana. Actually, bananas aren’t trees but the largest perennial in the world. Their “trunk” is created from tightly packed unfurled leaves that work to form an upright stem. The Basjoo or fiber banana will thrive even in winter chills of -20°F. So no matter where you live in the US, most likely you can grow ornamental bananas in your yard too.

These exciting tropical plants are very easy to grow.

The Basjoo Banana tree grows so fast it is incredible at 2 feet per week. You can enjoy them in a container where they’ll reach 6-9 feet tall. For that awesome banana tree accent in your cold climate landscape Basjoo will soar to 16 feet tall when planted in the ground. These cold hardy bananas are known to do well all they way up into Canada! If you live in zone 4, it would be a wise idea to mulch the roots heavily for winter. That way, no matter if you have good snow cover or not, your Basjoo Banana will thrive for many years.

Camellia shrubs are fast becoming one of the most popular flowering shrubs.

We have selected these varieties to provide you the ability to have a show of blooms from October through April.

That is over 6 months of colorful blooms!

To learn more click Camellia Shrubs…

Here are some of the birghtest and most popular trees for fall color.  These fast growing trees will product a spectacular color this fall.

From the deep red colors of maple trees to the bright yellow foliage of the Tulip Poplar trees, you are sure to find a fall colored tree to fit your home.

To learn more about fall colored trees click Fall Color Trees

A friend and one of the top Daylily breeders in the country let his grandchildren play in his fields during a recent visit.

What a great place for kids to experience.

Unfortunately they pulled up all of his Daylily signs so now he can’t say for certain what varieties they are. Many are Premium grade, collector quality plants that easily sell for $11.95 or more.

Well his buyers canceled orders on 60,000 plants. He just wants to cover his cost.

To read more about this story click Daylily Bulbs…

If you have never planted daylilies before click Planting Directions…

OK, Apple didn’t breed the Knockout Roses or Frost Proof Gardenia, but they are amazingly easy to grow. Plant them… neglect them and they bloom like crazy. No chemicals, no frost cloth, no fuss.

And if your looking for a phone, buy the iPhone. I’m a technologically illiterate farmer. I refuse to read directions or manuals. Within minutes I was checking emails, creating maps, getting weather forecasts and making calls.

Don’t you love it when things do what they’re supposed to do.

To check out more click, Knockout Roses or Frost Proof Gardenia

Fragrant Blooms smother this plant.

Everyone loves Gardenia shrubs, but old varieties can be finicky and not bloom if they get hit with a late frost.

New Frost Proof Gardenias solve these problems, plus give more blooms to enjoy, smell and display. No spraying or babying.

Buy several for a fragrance that can be enjoyed from a distance. Plant near a patio or window. They also make great property dividers. These are new and improved varieties you can’t find in stores.

To learn more about Frost Proof Gardenias, click the link…

Yes, I’m a plant geek. But this is amazing stuff. Nothing adds color like Azaleas. But the best bloomers only last for 2-3 weeks, and then you wait a whole year.

New improved, Encore Azaleas give you a bright, thick mass of color for 3 seasons. Plus you can grow them almost anywhere in the USA. They’re trouble free and extremely easy.

Read more about the amazing Encore Azaleas…

A friend and one of the top Daylily breeders in the country let his grandchildren play in his fields during a recent visit.

What a great place for kids to experience.

Unfortunately they pulled up all of his Daylily signs so now he can’t say for certain what varieties they are. Many are Premium grade, collector quality plants that easily sell for $11.95 or more.

Click here to find out more information about daylily bulbs…

Yuletide Camellia in bloom

Enjoy spring a month early. These Camellias are the first to bloom and will give you 2 months of colorful flowers. Beautiful green foliage adds interest all year round. These large blooms appear before most shrubs have even thought about flowering.

Camellia shrubs are extremely drought and disease resistant, you just plant and forget.

Click here to learn more about Camellia shrubs.

Yes, I’m a plant geek. But this is amazing stuff. Nothing adds color like Azaleas. But the best bloomers only last for 2-3 weeks, and then you wait a whole year.

New improved, Encore Azaleas give you a bright, thick mass of color for 3 seasons. Plus you can grow them almost anywhere in the USA. They’re trouble free and extremely easy.

Click to learn more about Encore Azaleas.

Soften the harsh look of any masonry structure with the Boston Ivy plant.
Brick, stone and concrete walls are without a doubt the ones that will withstand the elements for the longest span of time. Sometimes, too much of a good thing is too monotonous. You can add ambiance a towing brick building. Or add warmth to the barrier presented by privacy walls.

You can rapidly add ageless beauty to even the most unattractive walls.
Boston Ivy will quickly climb and fill in large areas with dark, glossy green leaves from spring to fall. When the chill of autumn fills the air, the entire plant will be radiant red. Imagine this striking accent against the bright yellows and gold fall foliage of shade trees. This easy to grow climber will hold onto those showy leaves longer than many other deciduous plants.

Boston Ivy plants are easy to grow.
Sometimes called Cottage Ivy or Boston Creeper, this beautiful plant does well even in poor soil. Once established, it has good drought tolerance and can adapt to a wide range of climate conditions. In the northern reaches of its hardiness zone, Boston Ivy can be late at leafing out. The richness of those large, shiny leaves makes it well worth the wait. This plant is very popular for disguising unattractive building designs in many locations.

You won’t need to invest a lot of money to soften or cover a cold or ugly wall.
When given the space to spread without restriction, one plant can get up to 50 feet wide over time. You don’t want to grow this on painted surfaces. It is best to plant at least 15 feet away from any such area. The chemicals in the roots of the climber will destroy the paint. In some design themes, this age-old appearance may lend great flair to a time worn patina. Shabby chic is just as wonderful inside as it is in your outdoor living areas.

When shopping for Boston Ivy, you will want to look for larger plants.
Some nurseries will state that you should plant one every two feet for quick coverage. In truth, you will have much more pleasant results if you buy Boston Ivy plants that have well developed root systems. To enjoy the beauty faster, you will want to start out with plants that already a 1-gallon size and plant them at least 10-12 feet apart.

The beauty of spring is enriched with these big, beautiful flowers.
Professional designers will often find a spot for the Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum opulus) in almost any landscape they work on. This large shrub has many points of interest. Beginning with the white ball-type flowers up to 5 inches across. Flowering so thickly, the plant will look like a late spring snow bank.

The foliage of the Snowball Bush offers good textural interest.
All plants are attractive in flower, but those that have outstanding leaves can heighten the any landscape design. The foliage of this Viburnum resembles three-lobed maple leaves. The coloring will be rich, attractive green over the summer months. As cooler weather arrives in fall, each leaf will turn to sun kissed gold.

For a long-lived shrub where height is needed, this is an excellent plant.
The Chinese Snowball Bush is not only attractive; you will find it very easy to grow. This Viburnum will adapt to a wide variety of soils and growing conditions. These shrubs are quite drought tolerant once established and mature to 8-10 feet tall and wide. You will get the best flowering results when planting this bush in full sun, though it tolerates quite a bit of shade. Viburnums grown in a mostly shady situation will not flower at all.

The Snowball Viburnum works well with many other plants in your landscaping.
To establish a really dazzling early season display, you can pair this beautiful shrub up with almost any other same time bloomer. Consider creating a planting that also features Encore Azaleas and some low growing purple leaved shrubs such as Crimson Pygmy Barberry. To really heighten the beauty of such a landscape planting, add a few perennials to extend the beauty through the season.

You will love the changing beauty of this deciduous shrub in your yard.
The hummingbirds will be most delighted with your choice in plants and feed on the blossoms. Once spent, the flowers of Snowball Bush produce brilliant red berries as a bonus color point. Birds are attracted to the berries as a source of food.

It’s hard to find a landscape plant with so many benefits to offer your yard.
Now you can easily understand why a professional designer will seek out the right spot to include this shrub in almost every yard. The Snowball Viburnum is wonderful as a tall specimen plant or planted as a hedge. It grows rapidly and will fill to offer warm season privacy where it many be needed.

This is definitely the smartest rose on the planet.

Not all roses are created equal.

If you have shied away from plating roses in your yard because they require so much coddling, we don’t blame you a bit. Who has time for all that tedious, finicky behavior? Everyone loves roses as a flower but most refuse to be a slave to their plants. Just as with anything else, if you wait a while, a vast improved specimen will come along and change everything.

They named it Knockout for a lot of good reasons.

All roses are beautiful. As performers in your yard the majority tend to fall short of low maintenance. Many rose bushes only flower once a year. Shrub roses are your best bet for low maintenance and reblooming beauty. While there are some great landscape roses available, none of them holds a candle to the Knockout Rose.

Excellent disease resistance makes this one brainy plant.

All shrub or landscape roses are disease resistant, but resistant and excellent resistance is two different things. Knock Out Rose also have exceptionally large flowers for the shrub rose family with showy clusters of blooms opening repeatedly from early summer right through to hard frost. The individual blooms on Pink Double Knock Out Rose measure 3.5”-4” across and lightly fragrant with an expected rosy aroma.

Maintains great shape with only a minimal clipping.

Knockout Roses are naturally a compact and tidy flowering shrub with the blooms forming on new growth at the tips of the stems. Knockouts grow to 3’-4’ high and wide and will flower at maximum proportions in full, hot sun. You can grow your Red Double Knockout Rose in part sun, but bear in mind that you will have less flowers. Roses should always be planted with good drainage to prevent root rot from waterlogged soils.

Did you know that Rhododendrons and Azaleas are close kin?

Confusion in family tree is revealed.

If the tag on your new Azalea says that it is a Rhododendron, it isn’t an error. Rhododendrons have eight distinct divisions, two of which are actually what we call Azaleas. You have evergreen azaleas (Rhododendron Tsutsusi), of which there are about 100 different species that originated in the Orient. Then there are the deciduous azaleas (Rhododendron Pentanthera), which represents only about 18 different species that are native to North America. The family tree gets a bit more mixed than that but those are not important at this moment.

DNA studies show long line of evolution at play.

Following the recent discovery of a new native Azalea in Alabama, genetic studies of that shrub’s DNA have led horticulture scientists to test surprising results. The natural splicing of the newly discovered plant’s genes show them that it very well may have evolved to this new species from a well known existing native azalea. The actions of the birds and bees have been causing the evolution of many plants into completely new forms as far back as we have records.

Louisiana man reinvents the Azalea wheel.

Plant evolution in nature takes eons. Plant enthusiasts experimenting with crossbreeding can finish the process in record time. The most superior Azalea ever to appear is the Encore Azalea collection. If it weren’t for Robert Lee whose love of Azaleas and curiosity over breeding them we would still have only azaleas that bloom in the spring. In a mere 15 years of breeding and test trials, Mr. Lee has brought us a blooming wonder that just cannot stop performing until frost sets in.

Encore Azaleas outshine traditional azalea traits.

The first Encore Azalea selections were available for purchase in 1997. By 2002, the work of Mr. Lee and Plant Development Services, Inc. had a total of 13 different shrubs to choose from. Today the Encore Azalea Autumn series offers an astounding 23 different superior shrubs. All of them are evergreen azaleas that begin blooming in spring and continue to repeat the beauty until frost takes out the flowers. Encore Azaleas cover shrub sizes from demure to robust in a dazzling variety of colors.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven … a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Would you consider your Maple tree as an invasive and dreadful nuisance?
The number one sold shade tree in America and yet those whirlybird seeds can create a forest without some cleanup when they fall. No one plants a shrub around the foundation of their house without expecting to do some clipping to keep it in control. It is common sense to not allow bushes to cover up the windows or creep under the siding.

Good judgment and common sense are used to avoid problems.
Thousands of plants left unchecked, could be labeled as invasive. Yet with common sense and timely tricks, they are not the thugs you can be led to believe. To do away with one of the most fabulous heralds of spring would surely be a crime.

Wisteria in bloom is a blessing of spring.
You can keep this vine in check with a couple simple tasks. First use good sense when selecting where you plant it. This extremely fragrant vine can be trained as a tree with staking and grown in the open where it cannot climb desired trees or creep into your gutters. Plan ahead if you want to grow wisteria on a structure like an arbor. You want sturdy, metal construction that will withstand the weight and twisting nature of the plant.

You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.
The right time for trimming a wisteria: a light trimming in July and a heavy pruning in October – January. To keep the plant from sending up running shoots simply prune the roots with a sharp spade to a depth of 18″ all the way around the trunk at 4-ft. out. Root pruning should be done in late fall and also can make the vine produce more flowers with less top growth.

What makes most wisterias not flower?
In the north (zone 5 and colder), a harsh spring can freeze the buds forming in the stems. The most common cause of not getting flowers is the fertilizers used. Wisteria does not use nitrogen. To coax it to flower or even flower more profusely use a combination of root pruning and a heavy dose of super phosphate fertilizer. Another recommended method is a severe pruning in early spring, which can reward you with a bumper crop of blooms.

The curiosity and determination of plant breeders bring continual delights.

Reinventing the wheel occupies many a curious professional mind.
The creation of new and improved long ago spread into the world of ornamental plants. Each spring homeowners looking to improve their yards and gardening buffs hunting for the next big thing shop for the easiest to grow and most beautiful plants they can locate. Everyone looks forward to the new colors and easier to grow ornamental plants that arrive on the scene each season.

Flower lovers everywhere attempt to grow this plant.
The exotic fragrance and pure, snowy blossoms of the Gardenia bush make it a favorite flowering shrub of florists. As a houseplant or in the landscape, the Gardenia plant has always been finicky and heavily dependent on chemical sprays. The powerful scent makes the plant the envy of every person who cannot grow them in their yard. Until recent improvements, this was a plant that only very warm climate gardeners could enjoy the scent of in their personal space.

Southern scentsation improved for the north.
It took only one plant specialist, Don Kleim of Henderson Experimental Gardens in California to discover one particularly cold tolerant Gardenia shrub in the crowd. After some thorough testing around the country, Gardenia jasminoides ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ came on the market. This Gardenia is known for holding its flower buds even through a spring frost. He later developed a similar cultivar known as ‘Frost Proof’ Gardenia.

Nothing ever stays the same – in life or plants.
Every season brings us new and exciting plants for our yards and gardens. Frost Proof Gardenia is the new Gardenia bush for success and the reward of fragrance all the way into zone 6. These Gardenia plants may suffer a little frost burn on the leaves, but the flower buds will hang on. Frost Proof Gardenia is one hothouse flower that can take the heat and the cold. You’ll have the heady fragrance of that singular perfume from spring into fall with this cold hardy Gardenia plant.

Whether you’re looking to add some color to the garden, create a flowering privacy screen, or plant a new focal point for the front yard, a Rhododendron is a perfect selection that millions of gardeners love and recommend.

Before selecting a Lavender Rhododendron or Azalea, be sure to gather some general knowledge about your local climate and temperature conditions. Be sure that your USDA growing zone is proper for the shrub of your choice. Information about your area’s soil, sun, and growing conditions is also essential. You can typically gather this information from the internet, a local nursery, or even other experienced gardeners in your area. Knowledge is power, and having a good deal of knowledge about your location’s gardening conditions will make selecting your White Rhododendron more simplified, and also prevent you from falling in love with a plant that you cannot cultivate in your location.

In addition to this factual information, you may wish to discuss Red Rhododendrons with local gardeners in your area. Find out which varieties they have found to be successful where you live, as well as their recommendations are for care and maintenance. Typically, local gardeners will also be able to give you specific information about how long you can expect blooms, etc. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this in person, get on the internet and locate a gardening forum for your area that you can participate in.

Once you have an idea of what you like and what will work in your location, visit or investigate the nursery of your choice. Local nurseries will have a limited selection of Yellow Rhododendron on hand; however they will be “tried and true” varieties that the nursery has found to be ideal for your area. However, bare in mind that some nurseries stick to “what works” and don’t update their inventory as fast as new and improved cultivars are being developed. So just because the variety you are interested in is not available at your local nursery, this does not mean it won’t work for your area.

Again, this is why knowledge is power.

If the nurseries in your area do not carry the Rhododendron or Azalea that you like, consider an online nursery. Not only will you find a vast selection of shrubs, you will also have the convenience of having them delivered to your door.

Following these simple steps should allow you to select the ideal Rhododendron for your yard. Your new flowering shrub will provide you with beauty and joy for years to come.

Encore Azaleas bloom up to 9 months a year, while improving your landscape and increasing your property value. The dwarf compact size of Encore Azalea shrubs makes it the perfect flowering shrub. Encore Azaleas also grow in most areas of the United States.

We all know at least one person whose yard looks like a barren wasteland in winter. Their perennials and annuals have died back, and their shrubs and bushes are bare sticks. Becoming the proprietor of such a dismal landscape, however, is quite easily avoided with just a bit of foresight. If you want year round color, it is essential that when selecting shrubs and hedges that you ensure what you are purchasing is an evergreen.

While homeowners all across the country drop thousands of dollars on landscaping each year, few take into account just what their yard will look like in the cold winter months. Plants tend to die back and trees go dormant, creating a dismal landscape that one must contend with all winter long. This can be avoided however, if during your initial landscaping plans you choose to include and put emphasis on shrubs and perennials that will provide visual interest in the wintertime.

Due to the steady rise in heating and cooling costs over the past decade, homeowners are taking advantage of every money saving idea that comes there way. One of the most popular methods in recent years is landscaping for energy efficiency. Shade trees that block the sun and lower air conditioning bills and privacy screens that double as wind barriers for the cold winter months have become staples in the attempt to save energy and funds through landscape.

For passionate gardeners, this cold time of year cannot pass quickly enough. However, there are several things you can do all season long to prepare for the coming of spring that can actually improve your gardening endeavors far more than you may thing. Plus, they’ll keep you busy and make the cold season fly right by!

The rose is a stand alone in the gardening world, historically and today. Arguably the most popular flower in American history, it is rare to find an experienced gardener that has not tried their hand at the cultivation of a rose bush. With fragrance, visual charm, and undeniable romance… the classic rose is just a flower that cannot get any better, right?