Farmer's Market in Winston-Salem, NC

This part of the journey has begun, early Saturday am, unload and set-up for those who venture out into our still chilly temperatures for a look at fresh flowers and locally grown vegetables at the Farmer's Market on the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds.

Duane brought home double-yolked eggs last week and was able to assist a few people with purchasing and planting Leland Cypress. Apparently this is a good time to put them in the ground. Ours are significantly lower price than most and if your tree fails after proper planting and care, we will replace it for you.

You may purchase a Brugmansia now,but you'll need a temp of 46 degrees or better for it until after-frost planting. However, many people in Zone 6 and below keep their brugs in large pots and over-winter in above mentioned temps, or as a houseplant. We are working on some dwarf varieties.

Some lilies are available, some Cancun Asiatics showing movement, paper whites bursting out, sprouting and blooming blueberry and forsythia shrubs.

We are adding Rose of Sharon, Giant Pussywillow and a wonderful, exciting Swamp Lily which was a favorite in anti-bellum Southern gardens. The best description I can give is a six-foot Lycoris Squamigera, if you haven't seen the flowers, (massive, on a single stalk); take a look under Resurrection lily or Naked Lady. All are members of the Amarylis family.

In Horticulture class this week, I've been involved with planting Basil, Calendula (pot marigold) and a variety of bushes and trees.

Visit us at the WS Farmer's Market, or email us. If you need a special plant, let us know: We're Planting!

The Greenhouse (and Contents) Survived!

Zone 7B is alot more fortunate than the many areas of the country that have experienced extreme cold, but temps down to 9 degrees overnight required lots of monitoring in our newly renovated, ancient greenhouse.

Things seem to have weathered well, only a little stress in one corner. We have roughly 150 brugs, 50 each blueberry bush, forsythia shrub (with blooms), 10 paperwhites, 20 Pink Pearl Hyacinths (in conjunuction with breast cancer research) and 50 primroses, this does not include my started seeds.

Our Farmer's market list currently includes:

• White, Yellow and Creamscicle Brugmansia
• Leland Cypress
• Yellow Forsythia
• Blooming Crocus

By March we anticipate:

• Evening Primrose
• 4 O'clocks
• Asiatic Lillies
• Blooming Paperwhites

We hope to have a good variety of blooms by Easter. If you have a particular interest in a specific plants or flower, let us know. We're Planting!

Join Us In Our Greenhouse Journey!

My husband recently renovated an ancient greenhouse to house his prized Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia). Please accompany us in our efforts to turn this into a lucrative venture and have fun playing in the dirt!

Brugmansia

While his newly renovated structure is largely filled with pots of Brugmansia, he's allowed me some room to play and propagate as well. The Brugs are potted and thriving, exhibiting daily development and will eventually make their way to the local Farmer's Market, where he will painstakingly advise the purchasers of planting and care directions.

Angel's Trumpets fall largely into two categories, Brugmansia and Datura. There are also trumpet vines and other specimens with trumpet shaped flowers which are so nicknamed.



Flushes and Fragrance


True Angel's Trumpets are native to the tropics and flourish in the most southern regions of the US, but in our Zone 7 gardens they require extra attention to reach their potential. In optimum growing conditions they may reach 15 feet in height with spreads of six to eight feet across.


Once they begin to bloom (flush) efforts are rewarded with hundreds of prolific blooms. Regarded as one of the most fragrant of all flowers, the evening smell entices one to breath deeply to take it all in. Don't let the fragrance obscure your vision, these plants glow in the dark and are a great focal point in a moon garden!



My Plantings



My contributions thus far have included plantings of Primrose, Dahlia and Cleome. My houseplants are divided and blooms are being forced. Although I am a longtime outdoor gardener, the indoor forcing efforts are a new experience. I was successful with paper white daffodils and Holiday cacti. Jonquils, crocus and hyacinths are chilling and wildflower, marigolds and cosmos are sprouting in pots.



My latest challenge is dividing a Bromeliad. Comments and advice are welcome, if you have questions, ask, we might have the answers. Check back often on our progress.



Becca