Leaves of three let them be.

I was walking through the lowe's theater parking lot yesterday and noticed this extremely healthy looking vine growing along the fence...Large green leaves...it was filling in quite nicely indeed. The bad news is that the vine was poison ivy.

Poison ivy's leaves are born in clusters of three leaves. If your unlucky enough to have poison ivy in your yard. The best control is with roundup. You can still get poison ivy from dead vines, so you must use the utmost care in removing it. There is a product called tecnu that will break down the oils in your skin if you come in contact with the vine. We don't carry it, but a local pharmacy should.

-- Post From My iPhone

Earth Box Part II

The last Earth Box post was a late night insomniac version of my Earth Box Story...
This one is more serious... I have two earthbox testimonials one from My Dad, and the other from a customer:

I planted these boxes Six Weeks ago, and I can’t believe how well they filled out. My son David, told me they were impressive, but seeing is definitely believing. Wow!
-Ed Williams

And if you don’t believe my Dad, here’s one other testimonial from another of our customers:

My wife and I were first exposed to the EarthBox a few years ago when my uncle bought us one. We were skeptical of his extremely high endorsement until our Earthbox started to produce vegetables. Last year my one tomato plant produced approximately 60 tomatoes.
It's perfect for people who don't have green thumbs and who don't have a lot of room in their backyard. All you need to do is to prepare the EarthBox with the easy to follow instructions, don't let the water reservoir dry out, and try to give the plants as much sunlight as possible.
It saved us a lot of money on produce and herbs last summer and provided us with fresh and delicious tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, squash, basil and parsley. I highly recommend the Earth Box to anyone considering it.
-David Deramo

So what is an earthbox...its a well engineered container that is perfect for vegetable gardening...part of the secret to its success is to the large water resivoir. When you first put it together you follow the simple directions and you place soil in the corners which cause the water to wick through the box. Once packed you use the supplied dolomitic lime and fertilizer. You then place a cover over the top. (It looks like a shower cap.) What this cover does is hold the heat into the soil which causes quick rooting. Instead of watering the entire box, you water in a single fill tube on the side. You don't have to worry about over watering because there is an overflow. It has casters, so you can move it once planted.

If you don't have a lot of space, this is perfect. Have fun!

Presby Memorial Iris Garden - Montclair

Milton, the person that makes sure that our office runs smoothly, asked me if I ever was to the Presby Memorial Iris Garden in Montclair. It was one of those places that was on my list, but never had a chance to visit. Since I assumed that the Iris's were in peak bloom, I grabbed my camera and my girlfriend, and we made the trek to the gardens. (Only about a 30 minute drive). Wow, the Iris's were stunning. They didn't hit peak yet though, and I would think that this weekend would be ideal.

I attached a few of the pictures that I took. The garden suggests a $5 donation. Try to go either in the morning or the evening, the Iris's look best with that lighting.

Poll Results - What color impatiens are you planting this year?

Blue(ish pink)	3 (6%)
Carmine	0 (0%)
Deep Pink	12 (26%)
Mixed - Regular	5 (11%)
Mixed - Pastel	6 (13%)
Orange	6 (13%)
Red	6 (13%)
Salmon	6 (13%)
Violet	9 (20%)
White	16 (35%)
Other	0 (0%)
I don't Plant Impatiens	2 (4%)

America in Bloom Judges are Coming to Westfield!

Westfield, NJ - Downtown Westfield Corporation and Williams Nursery of Westfield have teamed up for Westfield to be awarded a national "America in Bloom" award. The America in Bloom contest awards community applicants for their efforts in the following categories: tidiness, environmental, community involvement, heritage, urban forestry, landscaped areas, floral display, and turf and ground cover areas. The DWC and Williams Nursery are partnering with the Town of Westfield and other community organizations like the Garden Club of Westfield, Rake & Hoe Garden Club, Friends of Mindowaskin, Master Gardeners, and many other volunteers to help Westfield win the contest.

Two judges will be visiting Westfield on July 2 and 3 as part of the AIB national beautification campaign and contest. Westfield is one of 39 cities competing in 10 population categories in this friendly contest that promotes community involvement, patriotism, and civic pride along with beautiful landscapes.

America in Bloom is modeled after Canada’s successful Communities in Bloom program, which began more than eight years ago with just 29 cities and has grown to include several hundred competing provincially, nationally, and internationally. AIB began on a small scale in 2001 when four US cities were mentored by Canadian cities in environmental awareness, community involvement, heritage, urban forestry, landscaped areas, floral displays, and turf and ground cover areas.

Judges are professionally trained volunteers. While many are retirees with careers devoted to public gardening and municipal grounds keeping, others are master gardeners and civic activists. The same pair of judges will evaluate each community within a population category.

America in Bloom judges begin their journey in the Southeast in June and will finish the end of July. In their travels, they will witness the same community spirit that made Canada’s program so successful. “In speaking with participants, I find a new-found enthusiasm for their neighbors and the community they live in,” says Alex Pearl, AIB’s chief justice. “Municipalities, businesses, and individuals are willing to pitch in. Little efforts go a long way to include so many people. America in Bloom is building pride through the use of plants.”

The results of the competition will be revealed at the America in Bloom awards symposium in October in Hershey, PA. In addition to the awards banquet, there will be educational seminars and tours to horticultural attractions in the area. For local information about Westfield’s participation or to submit stories and digital photos of your Westfield residence, business or outdoor environment, contact Sherry Cronin at Downtown Westfield Corporation or Dave Williams at Williams Nursery at info@westfieldinbloom.com or visit the website at www.westfieldinbloom.com. For additional information on the national program, contact America in Bloom at 614-487-1117 or visit www.americainbloom.org.

A Man of Many Talents

I wanted to share this hand painted drawing with my readers. It is done by our Hardgood's Manager Tim O'Neil. A unique concept drawing for barges that are not being used. Turning them into greenhouses.

Tim is trained as a fine artist, and does Architectural Renderings. Visit his website at Artcorenderings.com for more information.

Mother's Day Commercial now running on HGTV

From Williams Nursery Mother's Day

White Out Rose - Knock Out

White Out Rose - Knock Out
Originally uploaded by williamsnursery

What if you could have as many white flowers in the garden as the snow flakes we had this winter? A virtual blizzard of bright white blossoms would be absolutely stunning.
Some wishes do come true. This year the Conard-Pyle Company (known for their Star Roses) is introducing a new rose called White Out™. For those that are familiar with the Knock Out series of roses, you may have heard of Bill Radler. He is the rose breeder that has brought us the Knock Out Roses. I believe he is significantly responsible for changing the entire rose industry by engineering roses that are truly easy to grow. White Out™ is the newest introduction from Bill Radler. It looks like it’s going to be the best white shrub rose ever available. It will reach a height of about three to three and a half feet tall. It has pure white petals. Each flower is an open style with five petals. Unlike many other white roses, the foliage is a dark green, with the young foliage almost black. It is a very compact grower. White Out™ is the closest thing to a white Knock Out rose. White Out™ is considered disease resistant, but in really humid weather it may get a bit of black spot. It’s because of the black spot that White Out™ is not called White Knock Out. Just remember all roses need lots of sun, so pick a sunny location when deciding placement. For a spectacular effect, interplant White Out™ with Knock Out.