Construction, What's Blooming Now

Just a friendly reminder that construction crews will be repaving part of Route 13 starting Monday June 10th, specifically a section near Early Bird. So, if you plan to visit us during that week, please be prepared for a possible delay in traffic. Route 13A will also be having some work done starting the following Monday (June 17th).

After some much needed rain and warmer night temperatures, things are really taking off here at Early Bird. At this time, we are also having a sale (buy one, get one free) on all of our 4-pack pansies, violas and impatiens. We will soon be posting pictures of the construction WE will be doing on the new garden center- it will be located 1 mile down the road, in Newfield.

Here are just a few pictures of what is in bloom right now. 

Tibouchina- Princess Flower

A very vibrant verbena, indeed.

Angelonia- a lovely scent and beautiful in the garden.

A mixed basket of calibrachoa and petunias.

 

Perennial linum, or blue flax.

An iris with an antique look.

And who couldn't remember forget-me-nots!

Armeria- Sea Thrift

Helenium makes a showy ground cover.

It's hard to miss this show-stopping lupine.

Simply irresistible bleeding hearts.

Add texture with some coreopsis.

Arenia 'Avalanche' makes a nice low mound for borders.

 

Baptisia are excellent focal points with their
interesting foliage and bountiful flowers.

Large blossoms cover much of this climbing clematis.

Wisteria is pleasantly fragrant with these
grape-like flower clusters.

Poppies have large blooms and are instantly recognizable.

Memorial Day Weekend

Sending a thank you to all our troops, past and present, for the
sacrifices you've made keeping us safe and free.

Rich colors make this verbena, petunia and lobelia
 combination pop.

Blue delphineum

Twisted peppermint verbena- showy in a
hanging basket or window box.

Even bumbles can't resist our bleeding hearts.

Arenia 'Avalanche' is a sun loving ground cover that
has bountiful white blooms in early to mid summer.

Prepping for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 12th.

The weather is warming up and it's time to get out into the garden. This is your opportunity to get the whole family involved. Children are very excited about new things, and watching a garden grow and develop throughout the summer will continue to hold their interest. So whether you're stopping in to get some flowers for Mom, fill up the vegetable garden and window boxes or just looking for some inspiration, feel free to stop by and check out the greenhouses. Rain or shine, we'll be here! There is additional parking in a grass lot just before the Early Bird stone parking lot. Hope to see you this weekend!

In search of my mother's garden, I found my own.

-Alice Walker 

Try This Garden Inspired Recipe

        

Spinach, Bacon & Salsa Sandwiches

Ingredients: 

2 large tomatoes, seeded & chopped (about 1-3/4 cups)

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/8 tsp salt

8 slices turkey bacon

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

4 10-inch flour tortillas

2 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions: 

1. For tomato salsa, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeno pepper. Stir in lime juice and salt. Set aside.

2. Cook bacon according to package directions. Drain well on paper towels; cut bacon in large pieces.

3. For sandwiches, spread mayonnaise on tortillas; top with spinach. With a slotted spoon, scoop salsa on spinach. Top with bacon. Roll up tortillas to enclose filling. Cut each tortilla in half. Makes 4 servings.

*Picture and recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.

Downy Mildew vs Your Impatiens

Impatiens in our front flower bed last year

The Ithaca Journal recently wrote an article about the possible risk of downy mildew affecting Impatiens walleria this year, and we here at EBF would offer what we know as well.

Southern Florida has been affected by the presence of downy mildew this year, and as The Ithaca Journal suggests, many growers all over the country are preparing for a possible outbreak in their areas. Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict if we will be hit with the disease, and there is no real protection against it. Downy mildew spores easily detach from the plant and can be spread by wind or water splash. In the landscape, spores can travel for miles via wind currents, and plants not yet showing symptoms may unintentionally infect those around them. It spread most easily in moist conditions.

Early symptoms include leaves with light-green yellowing. The leaves may also curl downward, have gray markings on the upper surface or white fungal growth on the undersides. Advanced symptoms include stunted plant and leaf growth, bare plants as the result of leaf and flower drop and softened, weak stems. 

Although there is currently no cure for downy mildew, there are still steps that can be taken to prevent its spread. We have sprayed the impatiens with a preventative application, but this will not continue to protect the impatiens once they leave the greenhouse.  Once planted, be sure to scout for any symptoms and if seen, remove the infected leaves/plants. Because the spores can survive in the soil, any discarded material should either be buried in an area not near the planting or simply thrown away. Watering early in the day and allowing time to dry out between waterings will help also help to deter downy mildew.

We are offering many of the alternatives suggested in the article including: coleus, begonias, torenia, hypoestes, lobelia, fuschia, and new guinea impatiens, and a variety of perennial options.

One of the varieties of coleus we offer.

Purple torenia (also available in blue, white and pink)

We have several fuschias that come in hanging and upright varieties.

Large new guinea impatien blossoms- with a quarter for size reference.

Shade loving escargot begonias.

Bountiful Blooms

Champagne bubbles poppy.

Up close and personal with the poppy.

Luscious lantana.

Gomphrenia explosion!

The trees are starting to blossom.

We're Open!

Coleus lookin' sharp next to some nemesia.

Our gerberas are starting to show their colors!

Need a shade lover? Try a bleeding heart.

Warm colors from straw flower and coleus heat things up!

Linaria looks like a field of wildflowers, and so fragrant!

The nemesia are full of buds and blossoms.

Variegated lobularia and diamond frost have an airy feel.

Our alyssum doesn't mind this cold.

Rainy weather making you blue? Orange you glad we open next week?! Hope to see you all on Friday, April 19th.

Plumbago flowers of baby blue.

Forget-me-nots in bloom.

Our new biodegradable coir pots, filled with tomatoes.

The pansies and violas are ready to be planted!

A soft glow surrounds these blue torenia.

Look at those Fishnet Stockings...coleus.

Torenia hanging baskets full of blossoms already.

We even planted our gerbera daisies early this year, so that
more blooms would be open for you to see.

Double impatiens are great shade garden flowers.

I dare you to find one without a flower...

 

Almost looks like they've been painted with water colors.

Firey orange nemesia.

Hope this brings a smile to your face.