Barry Ligtenberg

“Of all flowers, methinks a rose is best.” – William Shakespeare, The Two Noble Kinsmen What do you call a Rose by any other name? What about one that smells divinely? Or one with no smell at all? Unless there’s a bee inside, the first impulse we have when we see a big, voluminous Rose bloom - is to stick our noses in it! The power of fragrance! It can make or break the decision regarding many things! Roses being among them! Anyone that has recently received a bouquet of flowers from a florist can attest to how little smell they have these days. In our search for bigger, more colorful, fuller, and faster growing Roses, we may have inadvertently bred out this highly desirable trait! The Science of Rose Fragrance Why Roses Are Losing Their Perfume How to Best Preserve Your Roses Fragrance Ensuring The Best Perfume and Performance! Stop And Smell The Roses! The Science of Rose Fragrance Long before humans began mixing Roses to create the dizzying array that is available to the consumer these days, Roses had a single layer of petals, and pretty green foliage, but more importantly - most of them smelled wonderful! Enough to spark the imaginations of artists and poets alike for centuries. Roses and all flowers that have scent do so because of volatile oils. Volatile, not because they may burst into flames at any moment, but because they quickly evaporate in the heat of the sun and when exposed to air. The aroma is due to a gene that triggers an enzyme called RhNUDX1 and this chemical makes cells in Rose petals produce a chemical called monoterpene geraniol.  Roses and other flowers produce scents mostly to attract pollinators for that ever-important purpose of pollination! The time of day and age of the bloom will affect how strong the fragrance is. Some Roses have a stronger scent due to the presence of more of these chemicals and other naturally produced essential oils, produced within glands on the undersides of the petals. While some of the smell comes from the stamen as well. The smell can range from damask and floral, maybe fruity like berries, or musky to citrusy, from honeyed and sweet, to licorice, spiced and herbal, to just plain fresh. They can be violet-like, or described as smelling like orrisroot (Iris rhizomes), sweet clover, or fresh hay. Why Roses Are Losing Their Perfume While some Roses have been bred specifically for their fragrance, others have been bred for other characteristics such as size, disease resistance, specific colors, and other factors that may inadvertently switch off this gene that makes them create those enzymes and fragrant chemicals. The way a Rose or fragrant flower is handled after picking it can also affect how they smell. Rose breeders in the floral industry need big, showy blooms that can handle being transported for days after being cut. They’re also breeding Roses with fewer to no thorns, can last longer in the vase and have longer stems and larger blooms. Unfortunately, the trade-off is that luxurious fragrance! Plus, the more (much-needed) disease resistance that is being bred into these blooms, the more we’re seeing a decrease in their smell. So is the trade-off worthwhile?  How to Best Preserve Your Roses Fragrance Rose breeders are also making a point to get back to basics. Creating new breeds and improving old ones, so we can enjoy the best of both worlds! Wild-Rose scent and hardiness, old-world beauty, and combined with modern resistance! Luckily, modern and antique Rose bushes that are grown in your own garden, especially if you do not spray them with lots of artificial fertilizer and pesticides, still have a great scent! Check out all the fragrant Roses available at Nature Hills, including many that are considered among the most fragrant like Scentimental, Mr. Lincoln, Tiffany, Rugosa Roses, Chrysler Imperial, and Fourth of July Climbing Rose, just to name a few. Choosing a Rose bush that is fragrant is only half the battle. Roses can smell stronger or weaker depending on the time of day, depending on the age of the bloom, and even smell better or stronger from year to year as weather, temperature, moisture, and nutrient availability also come into play. Clues a Rose Will Smell Good! Besides buying a Rose that is well-known for its scent, here are a few other indicators that may let you know that the Rose you are about to stick your nose in will be fragrant! More petals = more scent. Remember, the glands that make the oils are in the petals Darker Roses often have increased perfume The Rose color can often determine its fragrance profile.  Red and pink generally have a more traditional Rose smell White and yellow are often spicy, licorice and citrus Many orange and peachy Roses are very sweet and/or fruity Plus, there may be some truth to the saying “The most beautiful Roses sometimes have the sharpest thorns” because these more wild and defensive shrubs have something worthwhile to protect! Smelling, Snipping Cut Flowers, and Harvesting Rose Petal Do’s and Don’t’s Whether you are outside for a stroll through your garden to smell the Roses, snipping flowers for your bouquets and floral arrangements, or harvesting the blooms and petals for potpourri, Rosewater, for health and beauty, making tea or preserves, for crafts, and dried décor, follow these few simple tips to enjoy their scent at its highest. All About Timing Smell, snip blooms, or pluck petals when the buds are just beginning to open The strongest fragrance is around mid-morning to very early afternoon Wait to pick or harvest after the dew has dried Sometimes It’s The Weather Choose a warm, clear, sunny day Get out in the garden before the hot midday sun causes the oils to evaporate Rain and chilly, damp weather can decrease fragrance Good Scent Sense Snip with clean shears to stop the spread of disease from one bush to another Roses affected by disease or powdery mildew tend to lose their fragrance temporarily Drought and insufficient moisture will greatly decrease the fragrance Use organic fertilizers and pesticides, and avoid spraying the blooms Avoid getting the flowers and leaves wet when watering - water at the roots Mulch over the root system helps prevents soil born diseases Preserving Fragrance in Cut Flowers & Petals Remove any foliage that will fall below the water line cleanly Cut the stems at an angle and plunge them immediately into cool, clean water Harvest cut flowers or petals after the morning dew has dried Keep cut flower water very clean, refreshing it every day Keep petals and blooms out of the sun and away from heat Dry petals right away in a dehydrator or other method, don’t wait Ensuring The Best Perfume and Performance! In addition to the above tips and tricks, the best way to enjoy the most fragrance from your Rose is to keep it happy and healthy! While Roses of old were considered fussy and difficult, it really comes down to proper site selection in the first place! Plant a Rose that is rated for your climate and USDA growing zone Situate the Rose in full sun, with a focus on receiving morning sun to quickly dry dew Choose a location with good Air Circulation Plant Roses in enriched, highly-organic, well-drained soil that never gets soggy Provide a 3-4 inch thick layer of compost and/or arborist mulch chips over the roots Give them regular moisture access. Nature Hills recommends the ‘finger-test’ method Don’t let Roses suffer through drought or hot summers without supplemental moisture Water only at the roots and keep their area clean and sanitary Fertilizer regularly with a quality organic, slow-release fertilizer. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, like those for lawns. Keep them far away from Roses! Stop And Smell The Roses! There are Roses… and then there are ROSES! Every shrub has a purpose in todays landscapes, and choosing the right shrub for your needs is almost as important as how it smells. While those garden workhorses and landscaping Shrub Roses serve their purpose as edging, color, backdrops, hedges, defensive barriers, and property definition, there’s nothing quite like having one frou-frou fragrant Rose that is there to just look - and smell - pretty! Check back often and visit your garden at different times of the day and on different days to find when your Roses smell and look the best! Then visit NatureHills.com on a regular basis to see all the exciting new Rose cultivars that are being made available as growers are tirelessly working to breed the perfume back into our most beloved flower - The Rose! Happy Planting!

There’s an amazing, dizzying, and incredible array of Roses out there! So many it may be difficult to narrow down which one you want! If only we had the room and an army of landscapers, we’d not have to choose! But if you have to choose just one (or just a few) Nature Hills is here to the rescue! Here are the many different types of Roses and how they each have an advantage over the others for your specific garden needs! Wonderful Rose Varieties Explained Elegant Hybrid Tea Roses Floriferous Floribunda Roses Grand Grandiflora Roses Versatile Landscaping and Shrub Roses Grow Vertical With Climbing Roses Sweet and Petite Miniature Rose Bushes Low-Growing Garden Gems - Groundcover Roses Go Big With Tree-Form Roses! Nearly Infinite Choices! Detailed Rose Care and Support Wonderful Rose Varieties Explained What exactly do all these Rose varieties mean for your landscape? Where is best for each type to grow? Nature Hills is here to explain the difference between each of these fantastic types of Rose bushes! Elegant Hybrid Tea Roses The fragrant, full, and posh English Rose garden beauty of Hybrid Tea Roses displays elegant single-borne blooms on long stems that just beg to be snipped for bouquets! Often taller shrubs, you can enjoy the beauty and smell of these spiraling buds that open into high-centered blooms from pointed buds. Often fragrant and continued reblooming, these large flowered shrubs feature high petal counts and a wondrous array of colors. The notoriety of Hybrid Tea Roses has also been enhanced by the practice of naming Rose plants after famous people. In addition to the Amelia Earhart hybrid rose plant, you’ll find roses named after Betty White, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dolly Parton, Princess Diana, and other flamboyant personalities.  Hybrid Tea Roses in the Landscape Must-haves for the Cut flower garden Taller Garden Specimens Rose Garden standards Lovely in containers and planters High petal count and repeat bloom Solitary, large flower borne atop a long stem Floriferous Floribunda Roses Floribunda Roses are a hybrid cross between Multiflora (aka Polyantha Roses) and Hybrid Tea Roses. Revered for their long-lasting flowers and extended season of bloom, these Roses keep their Multiflora roots by forming clusters of multiple flowers at a time!  Often fragrant, this variety is fantastic in the cutting garden, as lower growing garden accents and available in a striking array of colors, Floribunda Rose bushes are easy to grow and bloom from late spring until frost in fall! Floribundas in the Landscape Flowers held in clusters Bloom late spring through fall Borders and Edging Low-Hedges and Backdrops Striking Mass Plantings Extended Season Color Grand Grandiflora Roses Grandiflora Rose bushes are a cross between a Floribunda and Hybrid Tea Roses, keeping the full flower clusters of the Floribunda side of the family, but having the Tea Rose long stems and big flouncy blooms! Fantastic in bouquets as they are consistent rebloomers, Grandiflora Roses come in a wide range of sizes, colors, forms and scents. Often hardier in cold than Hybrid Teas, these are fantastic for bursts of garden color and as focal points in the landscape. Grandifloras in the Landscape Garden Accents and Focal Points Versatile Additions - Wide Range of Size Options Reblooming Hardy Roots Large, Full Flowers held in Clusters Versatile Landscaping and Shrub Roses The workhorses of the Rose family, Landscape and Shrub Roses act as living hedges and large-scale garden displays. Including the formidable Rugosa Rose, Landscaping Roses fill large areas and form thickets that birds adore. Fantastic nectar and pollen-laden resources for bees and butterflies, Shrub Roses are gorgeous leafy backdrops, often have fall Rose hips, and are fantastic for hedging and privacy anywhere in the sun! Landscape Shrub Roses in the Landscape Backdrop and Hedge Roses Larger-Sized Mounding and Thicket-Forming Barrier Plantings Landscape Definition and Structure Very Rugged, Durable and Easy to Grow Free Flowering and Pollinator-Friendly Great in Containers and Perfect for Rows, Groupings and En Masse Grow Vertical With Climbing Roses Fast-growing and with long, flexible, sturdy canes, the Climbing Rose is available in a wide range of colors, sizes, and forms! Either upright or rambling, Climbing Roses are able to grow from 8 to 20 feet tall and can be easily trained to grow on a trellis, drape over an arbor, romantically clamber over a pagoda or create vertical walls throughout the garden! They can even be left to cascade and ramble over the ground as groundcover and en masse filler. Climbing Roses typically flower on old canes first, and the new flowers are formed on new growth in summer. They will need to be attached to structures to keep them in place. Climbing Roses in the Landscape Acrobatic Climbers or Rambling Groundcover Strong Flexible Canes Easily Train onto any Structure Wide Range of Sizes, Styles and colors Vertical Garden Interest Includes Grandiflora, Hybrid Tea, Floribunda and Landscape Rose in Climbing Form Sweet and Petite Miniature Rose Bushes Pint-sized versions of the other above Rose bushes, Miniature Roses may be small, but they have just as much impact on the garden when it comes to color and variety! Perfect in containers and planters, anyone with or without a yard can still enjoy Roses! Small-scale landscaping at its best, balcony and Container Gardeners in a wide range of growing zones can experience the beauty of a Rose bush in a fraction of the space. Ideal as edging and front-of-the-border accents, en masse plantings of these versatile, mini flowering shrubs fill your landscape with drifts of reblooming color! From single-borne to clusters, the often perfumed little blooms are darling little pops of color and great gift plants! Miniature Roses in the Landscape Small-Scale Blooms are Big on Impact Containers, Planters and Balconies Lovely In Drifts, as Edging and Groupings Fantastic Gift Plants Dizzying Array of Colors and Sizes Low-Growing Garden Gems - Groundcover Roses Another form of Hardy Landscape Roses, hardworking and low-growing Groundcover Roses are the living mulch and finishing touches for your landscape! Often spreading much wider than they grow tall, but brimming in clusters of blooms from late spring until frost, these types of Rose bushes require the least amount of maintenance and fuss. Available in an equally dizzying array of colors and forms, from single to double, scented to unscented, Groundcover Rose bushes fill large swaths of area in lush greenery and drifts of colorful flowers! Often with remarkable disease resistance and cold/heat hardiness, we’re sure there’s a Groundcover Rose to match and enhance your landscape in our inventory. Groundcover Roses in the Landscape Low-Growing Garden Bed Definition, Edging & En Masse Color Vibrant and Free-Flowering Spring til Fall Very Tough, Hardy and Disease Resistant Low Maintenance Great as Spillers and Fillers in the Landscape and in Container Gardens! Perfect for Low Hedges, In Rows, Groupings, and as Facer Plants Go Big With Tree-Form Roses! Super special Rose Trees feature everything you love about Roses, and then elevated! The same big, bold, beautiful blooms you love - only now held up higher for your inspection and closer to the nose to enjoy their fragrance! Go ahead and gaze at these eye-level Roses of all types listed above. From Miniature Rose Trees to Grandiflora Rose Trees, we’re sure there is a Tree Form Rose to match your favorite Rose shrub! Expertly grafted atop a 2-3 foot tall standard Rose trunk that is straight, sturdy, and elegant! Over time, your beautiful Rose Tree will grow into a showy specimen. No one walks past a Tree Rose without stopping to take a long look! Container and planter ready, your Patio Garden can have a crowning jewel, the front porch or front garden gain a boost of amazing curb appeal, and back seating areas gain fragrant conversation pieces! Rose Trees in the Landscape Captivating Specimens Container Accents & Garden Focal Points Expertly Grafted Rose Bushes On Top of 2-3 foot tall Rose Standard Trunks Floribunda, Miniature, Grandiflora, Shrub, and Hybrid Teas on Tall Straight Stems Curb Appeal, Conversation Pieces, and Supreme Visual Interest Nearly Infinite Choices! Need help narrowing down your options? Check out these more Rose options to help you fill a specific garden requirement! There is an old-fashioned garden antique, hardy native Rose, or effortless-to-grow Modern Rose out there for you! Maybe you are looking for the most Fragrant Roses Nature Hills has to offer, or perhaps the most deer-resistant Roses that feature fragrance and thorns that can even keep deer at bay. Though when desperate, Deer will have a nibble at the new growth. Narrow your search first by Plant Hardiness Zone, and further fine-tune it based on height, color, and sun needs! Check out these Roses that bloom in partial shade or Roses that are incredibly cold-hardy! There are Roses that bloom in the hottest climates as well! Can’t decide on one color? Check out multi-colored Roses! Looking for a specific brand? Nature Hills Nursery is proud to offer Easy Elegance® Roses, Drift® and Knock Out® Rose bushes, Proven Winners® and First Editions® brand Roses! Plus a large selection of Nature Hills’ Choice Rose blooms for you to choose from! Detailed Rose Care and Support The Nature Hills #ProPlantTips Garden blog has tons of information available to you so you can learn how to give your new prized Rose bush the very best of care! From finding the right Rose fertilizer to support these blooming machines. To the right methods of Pruning Roses. Since Roses are deciduous shrubs, you need to know all about winterizing your Roses and un-wintering Roses in spring! Do you still need help with your Rose bush? Our helpful and knowledgeable customer service and sales department is here to help you grow the perfect Rose bush for your garden! Nature Hills is committed to partnering with expert growers, and providing quality plant material and mature rootstock to guarantee the Rose you receive is of the highest quality! Plant breeders and Rosarians are constantly developing new and exciting varieties of Rose bushes to suit every possible garden niche out there!  So check back often to see what the future holds for Rose bushes and fill your garden with these elegant plants that have captivated humanity for centuries! Happy Planting!

Want your Herb plants to do more for you than taste good? Hold onto your socks because the world of Herbs is blurring the lines between useful edible medicinals and ornamental plants! Now you can enjoy them for more than just tasty garnish and seasoning around the garden and landscape! Flavorful and Scented Landscaping! Decorating With Herbs in the Landscape Decorating With Herbs on the Porch and Patio Decorating With Herbs Indoors Easy To Grow Herbs! Scented, Flavorful & Double-Duty Herbs! Flavorful and Scented Landscaping! Don’t hide your herbs in the vegetable garden or use them as strictly Kitchen Garden herbs! Today’s newest Herbs are dressed up and ready for their close-up in your front yard and flower gardens! No longer needing to be utilitarian plants, these beauties will kick up the edible landscaping scene with their pollinator-friendly and cut flower-worthy blooms, enhanced sizes, and forms, and heightened aromatics to improve your garden experience! Stimulate the senses and inject some aromatic greenery anywhere into your world with Herbs! Decorating With Herbs in the Landscape Edible landscaping means turning garden beds and landscaping borders into multi-purpose planting sites that not just look great, but also feed and perfume your world! Herbs are fantastic for bringing in butterflies and beneficial pollinators, filling in the gaps between plants, and their aromatic foliage even drives away pests! Great Edging & Filler Got some xeric spots that need to be filled? Maybe a garden bed that needs a lacy and eye-catching facer plant to hide the bare stems of larger plants and shrubs? Herbs are a fantastic way to add fresh bright greenery to your garden and ease the transition between lawn and garden. Try the lacy charm of Late & Spicy Cilantro as a filler and flowering plant! Create frilly drifts of fine-textured Dill or accent small spaces with Chamomile. Try a row of Sage instead of flowering Salvia Use Highland Cream Thyme and Creeping English Thyme along garden edges. Fill Rock Gardens with Rosemary or Lavender plants, and Oregano. The spiky interest of Lemon Grass fills your garden and helps keep mosquitoes away! Marjoram, Catnip, Catmint, and Lovage look gorgeous in groupings Tall Herbs like Rue, Borage, Fennel, and Comfrey dress up the back of the border Scented & Flowering Accents Basil's big leaves and Parsley’s frilly foliage are wonderful skirting and fringe to use throughout the flower and shrub garden! Use Mints and Thyme as edging along pathways and sidewalks to perfume your garden strolls! Bee Balm, Lemon Balm, and Cat Mints are fantastic edible and medicinal landscaping plants that have drifts of unusual flowers. A Hi Ho Silver Thyme or Chocolate Mint form dense clumps of perfumed greenery and blooms, plus they look fantastic in a garden of the senses and as edging along the edges at the front of the border. Creeping Thyme are traditional plants in cracks and crevices, happily rambling between the stones of your pathways and in rockery gardens and retaining walls! Double-Duty Beyond the Herb Garden Mints, Pineapple Sage, and Chives are wonderful for bringing in the butterflies and bees! Want more pollinators and beneficial insects? Then you need to include Herbs everywhere! Ladybugs, dragonflies, and more are highly attracted to these plants! But oddly enough, pests seem discouraged by the volatile oils in their leaves. Borage looks pretty in a salad or your drink and attracts a wide variety of beneficial bugs! Many Dill plants like Late & Blue, or Parsley plants are host plants for the caterpillars of Swallow Tail butterflies and other butterfly larvae! Plant a few extra to feed them for flying flowers each year! Anise Hyssops, Pineapple Sage, and Chive flowers even attract hummingbirds! Fill Rock gardens with Tansy and Tarragon, or try a Tri-Color Sage Sensory garden plants are fragrant and flavorful from top to bottom like Mint and Sage!  Many Herbs are great Companion Plants Go big with a Bay Laurel tree or Kaffir Lime tree on your poolside patio for shade and double-duty culinary foliage! Decorating With Herbs on the Porch and Patio You don’t even need a yard to enjoy these space-saving aromatic beauties! Any sunny porch, balcony, terrace, seating area planter, or window box can house plenty of Herbs! Container & Planter Fillers, Spillers & Thrillers! Create a barbecue side planter with Rosemary and Dill within arms reach for the grill, or a planter of Mint by your poolside bar for fresh Suntea, Mojito, or other refreshing drink additions and garnish! A planter of Parsley and Basil in the middle of a bistro set means edible garnish and fresh salads pick-me-ups that also act as table bouquets and décor! Why buy an annual flowering plant as fillers or spillers in mixed planters on your front or back porch, when a Basil or Parsley will look just as pretty? Let Creeping Thymes spill over windowbox edges, or add spiky height and drama with the unique blooms and foliage of a Pink Flowering Chive. Include some pesticide-free edible flowers too! All Herb flowers are edible, and so are many other varieties of flowers that are more than just pretty faces! Balcony, Porch & Patio Gardens Hot front porches and balconies in the sun look better with a Mediterranean Tuscan Blue Rosemary or one of the many varieties of Lavender perfuming your reading nooks and gracing your pots either as formal or informal decorations! These space-saving plants are natural for growing in tight spots! Use a Cascading Rosemary as a spiller, or a Tall Dark & Traditional Oregano as an upright filler. Many trailing and creeping Herbs even do great in hanging baskets! Decorating With Herbs Indoors Throughout the growing season, many Herbs offer up a wide variety of ways for you to decorate indoors too! In addition to flavoring your food and preserves, drying them as a seasoning, or using them as a garnish, Herbs have a ton of uses indoors! Cut Flowers Dill, Lavender, and Chive blooms look fantastic in the cut flower garden, and many in the Mint family like Spearmints, Sages, and Catmints do too! Try using the fine-textured foliage of a Burgundy & Late Fennel, Purple-Leaf Basil, or Curly Leaf Parsley in your bouquets as greenery! You’ll create gorgeous and aromatic bouquets and flower arrangements with an unexpectedly chic and country flair by including Herbs among the other more expected blooms! The perfect centerpiece for a relaxed dinner or outdoor dining set, both living and cut Herb stems set the stage for a bohemian dining experience! Houseplants These plants even do fantastic in a sunny, indirect windowsill or sunroom, so as soon as the season is winding down, many of these plants can be brought in as houseplants for the winter, or kept year-round as windowsill gardens! Dried Décor! Instead of bringing in the last Herbs as houseplants for the winter, harvesting the entire plant before a frost and drying them is a great way to preserve your harvest and extend the enjoyment of the garden all winter! Gather bundles of the plant and tie them into little bouquets. Hang them upside down as kitchen decorations that can be used as a seasoning, or use the dried flowers and stems in botanical bouquets and wreaths. Great Gifts! Herbs are easy-to-grow gift plants that anyone will enjoy receiving!  Easy To Grow Herbs! The best location to grow Herbs outdoors is anywhere in the garden that has at least 6 hours of sunlight and enriched well-drained soil and consistent moisture to support their vigorous growth. Indoor grown Herbs need all day, bright but indirect sunlight and very close attention to moisture levels. Full Sun Well-drained soil - Never soggy Enriched, highly organic medium & regular fertility Regular moisture needs Pinch back or snip plants for Branching & Keeping them bushy Cut back most Herbaceous annual and perennial Herbs in autumn (or bring them indoors before frost) Scented, Flavorful & Double-Duty Herbs! It’s time to think outside the vegetable garden and use Herbs everywhere! These flavorful, aromatic, and beautiful plants deserve to be in your home’s spotlight! Check out all the amazing flowering Herbs, convenient 3-Pack Herbs, and unique varieties available today at NatureHills.com! Happy Planting!

Houseplants, porch planters, and greenhouse potted plants are fantastically space-saving alternatives for many of us without the extra garden and landscape space! While for others, these containerized plants bring new dimension, height, and beauty to our landscapes by elevating plants and extending our enjoyment of these green leafy ‘plant pets’ both indoors and out! Allowing us to keep our green thumbs throughout the winter months! One important aspect of Container Gardening and growing plants in pots is knowing when it's time to divide and repot your plants! Know the Signs When to Go Up a Pot Size When It's Time for a Soil Refresh When to Completely Change Out the Soil Best Repotting Methods Tips & Tricks Happy Potted Plants! Know the Signs There are many reasons why you might wish to repot your plant. From decorative reasons to pure necessity, transferring a plant from one container to another is very simple and easy to do! Regular moisture and regular fertilizer applications can only do so much to sustain a plant that has its roots enclosed in a closed-environment that doesn’t benefit from natural composting and soil recycling cycles that in-ground plants benefit from! You’ll enjoy happier healthier plants when you regularly repot container plants at least every 12-18 months to refresh the soil and nutritional components and moisture-retaining properties of your potted plant. It’s been 1-2 years since the plant was repotted The plant seems to dry out very quickly between waterings You can physically lift the plant out of the pot and see more roots than soil You see roots poking out through the drainage holes When repotting a plant into a new pot or container You are transplanting a new plant from its nursery container The soil in the old pot is old or was overly soggy and the roots began to rot Your plant has outgrown its current home Leaves are not as green, or are yellowing/falling off while still green Water runs straight through and doesn’t seem to absorb at all along the way Your plant has circling roots at the bottom Your plant just isn’t putting on any new growth or blooming as well as it can You see crusty salt/calcium/hard water build up on the soil surface or around the inside rim of the pot Soil only holds so many nutrients and organic matter in the soil gets used by your plant over time and plants naturally grow and expand both above ground and below! When to Go Up a Pot Size You can tell your plant is due for a container size upgrade when the top looks disproportionately larger than the bottom, is top heavy (double to three times as large as its pot), has yellowing leaves or the foliage is wilting quicker between waterings. You can also tell it's time to upgrade when you can pull the plant free of its pot and see more roots than soil, conforming to the shape of the planter they just came out of! It’s important to remember when repotting for size increases to only go up one planter size at a time for small plants (4-inch to 6-inch pot for example) or two sizes for much larger plants and fast-growing plant types. Going up too large too fast leaves those roots surrounded by soil that can hold too much moisture and begin rotting or suffocating them in an anaerobic location. Alternatively, not going up large enough will have those roots running out of room quickly and have you back in the same situation as before in a hurry. When It's Time for a Soil Refresh Plant roots dissolve the nutrients in the soil and absorb what they need as the organic matter breaks down. In nature, these nutrients are replenished by the soil cycle and natural processes going on under your feet. But container plants, especially blooming plants, use up their finite resources quickly and with the absence of newly added organic matter from leaves and microorganisms breaking things down, they run out of nutrients fast to support themselves. At least yearly, it's important to give it a fresh boost of quality soil, stir in some compost, or completely change out its potting medium to give it the environment those roots need to support growth and flowering. You can tell it's time because those flowers just won’t be as numerous or as large as they used to be. Growth just isn’t as vigorous, and the leaf color is no longer as vibrant. When to Completely Change Out the Soil Plants use different amounts of water throughout the year and plants need good drainage to have happy roots. Soggy, poor quality, contaminated, or changes in drainage (blocked drainage holes, changes in soil quality) can result in plant roots sitting in water and therefore rotting. Overly wet soil has less oxygen and air, literally suffocating them! Maybe the pot got left out in a rain storm and saturated the soil, or maybe you weren’t paying attention the last time you watered your houseplants, but regardless of the reason, you now have a dirt soup that will kill the roots. You’ll notice leaves falling off while still green, the plant wilting even though you just watered it, leaves turning yellow, and you may notice a distinct rotting smell from the soil. It’s time for a complete soil refresh! Best Repotting Methods It’s important to be careful with plant root systems when repotting and planting, they are how most plants get all their water, anchorage in the soil, and take up nutrients. The best way to repot your plants, large or small, indoors or out, is all pretty simple and straightforward. 1. Gather a pot or planter that is one size larger than the current pot. Ensure it has great drainage and a tray large enough to catch any water that drains. Avoid using gravel in the bottom of the pot as these can actually block the drainage holes and not allow excess moisture to escape! A good dribble tray is all you need. 2. Prepare a work surface to protect it from soil and water damage and gather tools: Box Cutter, Scissors, or Garden knife New soil or potting medium Trowel or another suitable tool Garden fork Garden gloves - its a bit messy on the manicure Nature Hills Root Booster (optional) A water source 3. Lay your plant down on its side on the prepared work area. Gently pry your plant free of its container, you may need to run a knife or thin, long utensil around to dislodge stubborn roots from the inside of the pot. Sometimes gently tapping on the outside of the pot all around helps dislodge it. Remove the root ball as intact as possible and inspect it for circling/girdling roots 4. Gently remove loose old soil from around the root ball and fluff up the root system slightly. Root washing is a common method of removing old soil. Soak the root ball if the plant is very dehydrated or encrusted in hard water, clay, or other caked-on debris. Using a sharp knife or garden spade, slice off about 2 inches of any circling roots from the bottom. Cut away or remove any rotten, dead, or dying roots and plant matter. If you are dividing your plant at this time, use a sharp spade or knife to cut it into even sections. Division is recommended for many plants every 3-5 years, or whenever they are outgrowing their containers. 5. Add a few inches of sterile potting mix into the bottom of your new container and situate the plant's roots onto it, centering it as best as possible. Backfill with the new potting mix, gently tamping down as you go to ensure there are no excessively large air pockets and settling. Ensure the top of your root system is situated at the same depth as it was previously! Too deep and your roots will smother, but too shallow or exposed at the surface, and they will dry out and die back! 6. Water well, ensuring excess moisture runs out of the drainage holes but also that the whole pot has been hydrated. Fill any settling areas with more soil. We recommend the Finger-Test method. Monitor moisture levels carefully and remove drained water so it doesn’t sit in it and end up rotting your fresh soil. Now just baby your plant for a few days by keeping it out of direct sunlight and watching how much moisture it needs while the roots are acclimating to their new environment. Some plants are sensitive to changes and you may see some additional leaf drop, or leaf yellowing as they adjust. Tips & Tricks Optional additions to your soil can include: Adding a slow-release fertilizer (not liquid or granular fertilizers that are instantly available because they may shock the roots). Dusting the root ball with Nature Hills Root Booster to help them better get over any planting shock, increase feeder root formation, and foster a life-long symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and your plant. This formula improves micronutrient and water absorption too!  Plants that spend a lot of time outside in the heat and sun appreciate a layer of mulch or florist moss over the surface. This not only enhances the look of your planting and dresses them up, but acts as a barrier to stop moisture evaporation and keeps roots cooler. For outdoor plants in the sun and heat appreciate having some Vermiculite, Sphagnum (peat) moss, or Coconut coir mixed into the soil to help hold in moisture more consistently. You can also add a special moisture-absorbing product known as water gel crystals or water-absorbing crystals (similar to what is in babies' diapers) that absorb excess moisture and then release it slowly as the soil around them dries out. This helps reduce the frequency you need to be outdoors watering. For plants that need especially good drainage, such as Orchids, Cactus and Succulents, mixing bark chips, sand, perlite, and even fine gravel into their potting medium can help improve the drainage of a basic potting soil mixture. Happy Potted Plants! Like a fresh pair of new kicks or that first sip of a perfect cup of coffee, a fresh pot of soil is a luxury to a pot-bound plant! Keep your plants happy, and healthy, and keep them blooming vigorously by refreshing their growing medium often! Happy plants make for happy plant parents and beautiful gardens! Keep your container plants happy and healthy with the help of Nature Hills Nursery! Happy Planting!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The beloved Irish holiday is upon us and what better way to celebrate than with green flowers. Get double the green and double the luck in your landscape this year. Now we can’t guarantee that your landscape will flourish (that’s up to your individual care and nature, of course!) but with the luck of the Irish on your side, who’s to say it won’t!  Here at Nature Hills, we can proudly say that green is our specialty! We’ve taken it upon ourselves to give you five types of green flowers that will leave you tickled pink with your landscape choice. Top 5 Green as St. Patrick’s Day Plants Other Non-Flowering Options Kiss Me I'm Irish! Top 5 Green as St. Patrick’s Day Plants #5 - American Pie® Key Lime Pie Dianthus Growing zones 5-9 Spicy-scented with a pure white flower and curious lime green eye, the American Pie® Key Lime Pie Dianthus takes after its namesake in more ways than one. Highly adaptable to a variety of conditions, this member of the Carnation family is perfect for the diverse weather your area may experience in March.  With multiple application sites to choose from, it’s hard to pick just one. Key Lime Pie Dianthus can be added to planters or throughout garden beds as edging. Trust us, you’ll want to make room for this perennial!  #4 - First Editions® Green Hypericum Growing zones 6-9 Mystical Green indeed! First Editions® Green Hypericum is a small, dense native shrub that will bring happiness into your garden with its small rays of sunshine for blooms. First Editions® Green Hypericum boasts glossy green berries that emerge in late summer and simply scream St. Patty’s Day.  The exfoliating bark and evergreen foliage mark the intriguing winter interest of this hardy shrub. Those hard-to-mow slopes, hillsides, and wooded areas (where four-leaf clovers may hang about) are ideal locations where Green Hypericum can be planted as erosion control or to bridge the transition between your yard and a wooded edge. #3 - Martin’s Spurge Growing zones 6-11 Have you spotted a leprechaun? No, that’s just Martin’s Spurge! With red foliage akin to a leprechaun’s scruffy beard and green foliage similar to their lengthy green coat, we could see why you may have gotten confused. Even the stems of Martin’s Spurge offer visual interest, ranging from yellow to green to red.  Martin’s Spurge is a fascinating perennial to add to your cottage border or perennial garden to give it a modern touch. It’s optimal to grow Martin’s Spurge in an area where it will receive ample amounts of sunlight. Unlike leprechauns which are solitary creatures, Martin’s Spurge prefers to be grown in groups.  Beware! You may attract more than just pollinators i.e. fairy friends by planting this alluring flowering variety.  #2 - Green Jewel Coneflower Growing zones 3-8 No need to chase the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when you have this prized perennial planted in your garden. The Green Jewel Coneflower features a large green center cone with long-lasting lime green petals that stem out from the middle and a sturdy, leafy green stem, offering not just double but triple the green color.  Opt for deadheading the spent flowers to encourage new growth and improve overall appearance. With its tantalizing scent and dried seed heads materializing in the winter, the Green Jewel Coneflower will draw beneficial pollinators from all over, right to your yard!  Pro Plant Tip - About every four years, you may divide clumps when they become overcrowded and enjoy doubling plants for you or a friend!  #1 - Invincibelle Limetta® Hydrangea Growing zones 3-8 She’s beauty and she’s grace; she’s the Invincibelle Limetta® Hydrangea! You can never go wrong with a hydrangea, especially one like the Invincibelle Limetta®. It has been carefully field-tested and maintains very reliable performance year after year. The Invincibelle Limetta® Hydrangea is as good of a good luck charm as a four leaf clover!  This shrub is smaller in size but no less than wonderful in appearance. Its lime green blooms emerge in early summer and age to jade green in the fall, offering two seasons of visual interest. The Invincibelle Limetta loves its fair share of the sun. Just be sure not to plant in full shade or it will develop thin stems that won’t be able to support the large flower heads.  Other Non-Flowering Options Leprechaun Arborvitae - Year-round greenery, perfect size for privacy and screening around smaller properties.  Green Magic Inkberry Holly - Small, inconspicuous flowers but grown for its beautiful glossy green foliage year round. Ferns - Soft and fluffy green fronds that come back year after year. Boxwoods - Grown for their beautiful small rounded evergreen foliage year-round, a classic staple in the landscape. Kiss Me I'm Irish! All of these options are fashionable in cut flower arrangements if you plan on giving your Irish prince or princess a lavish display of green to commemorate the holiday. By planting any one of these lush green flowering varieties, you will have a landscape looking like the Emerald Isle in no time!  Happy Planting & Irish Blessings!