Indecisiveness

What a fun surprise this morning!  Perhaps you can have it both ways after all...

Colorful Caladiums

Due to this year's early warm weather, it seems that everything in the greenhouses (and around us outside, too!) is ahead of schedule.  Even the portulaca is blooming- wow!  Among all of this earlier-than-usual color there are a few plants that have really caught our eye, namely all of the colorful caladiums.  This particular variety, Miss Muffet, is one of Marty's favorites for its bright and unique foliage:

So fun!  But of course there's more- in fact, there's over 1,000 different kinds originating from South America.  You'll find red, pink, white and green caladiums, often with a unique varigation or a textured edging.  Their foliage is a wonderful addition to a shady bed or container either alone or grouped with ferns, grasses and begonias.

So why not consider a caladium or two?  You can't beat the non-stop color and beside that they have Marty's stamp of approval!

Peepin' at the Peeps!

Can you see them?  

They're trying to play it cool with their statuesque friends...

We'd like to take a moment to introduce you to our newest greenhouse addition- 14 tiny peeps!  If you're familiar with chickens, you will recognize that there are three fun kinds:  black Jersey Giants, some black and white Polish and a few Araucana ("Easter egg") chicks too.  They've been keeping us company by the checkout counter for the past week.  If you haven't met them yet, make it a point to check them out the next time we see you!  But hurry, hurry- they're growing up quickly!

Beguiling Begonias

Beguile:  To distract the attention of; to amuse or charm, to delight

How true of begonias!  At 'Another Garden Gathering' this past Saturday, Miriam chose to highlight a few of our very beguiling begonias that are sometimes overlooked.  

Here are a few of her favorites:

Richmondensis begonias are so, so great!  Their shiny, jagged leaves are the perfect backdrop for their proliferous pink flowers. The Richmondensis' bushy habit makes them a good choice for containers and hanging baskets. 

You can almost guess the name of this begonia without checking the tag... Escargot!  Can you see the snail?  The spiraling foliage on the Escargot begonia is a fun conversation piece for gown-ups and kids, too.

The Art Hodes begonia is a perfect example of why we just need to 

s l o w  d o w n and take a closer look.  Its foliage is just beautifully textured (next time you see an Art Hodes, touch it too!) and the individual leaves can grow to the size of pancakes.

Another aptly- named begonia: Looking Glass.  Gorgeous silver foliage with an almost metallic sheen.  It's pretty enough to stand alone!

And last (but absolutely not least!) are the fabulous Rex begonias.  This is only one of the many Rex begonias available.  The foliage is stunning- dotted in this case, sometimes striped, multicolored and even chartreuse!  Rex begonias are always a great statement plant.

Of course, there's so many more begonias available at through our greenhouse as well as others.  So go check 'em out- they're just too beguiling to turn down!

Ahead of Schedule

The recent spell of warm weather did wonders for everything in the greenhouses, especially our hanging baskets.  They're certainly not ready to be outside, but Miriam's hanging cones are coming along quickly.  We've been enjoying their color- such pretty blooms already!  

There's nothing like flowers to put you in the mood for spring!