Friday, April 19, 2013

More Basket Previews

 
This week we will be adding more baskets to the availability - including 10" Verbena.
 
 
 
 
 
Verbena Lanai Red

Verbena Lanai Purple

Verbena American Mix

Verbena Berry Mix

 
Also here are some more of the 12" Mixed Sun Combos
 
 
 
Vivid Vive 2.0

Very Berry

Vision in Violet

Calypso Brights

Thursday, April 4, 2013

A Tisket a Tasket a Blue and Yellow Basket!

So for those of you who are songies (you like music) - yes the original line sung by Ella was a Brown and Yellow basket - but alas we don't have any of those.  What we do have are some lovely combos for sun and shade.

Basket fun fact: Did you know that I update the "colors" in each basket combo each year to reflect the Pantone color report?  That way the baskets should coordinate with other decor items folks are seeing out there.

For the Shady Ladies: No, not 50 shades - we don't sell that stuff!


Purple Brocade



























This year I have again tweaked the mixed shade baskets.  They are one of the most difficult things to grow at the nursery - and are constantly giving me fits.  The sunny stuff just goes to town and intermixes and generally behaves itself.  But shady stuff grows slower and is less predictable.  I think the combos came out pretty well this year - here is a look at some.


Pink Chiffon



Red Velvet

Lavender Lace




Sunbonnet Sues: You know you love the sun!

Twilight Mixed Sun
We have a totally new combination this year "Twilight" in light lavender, purple and black.  Spring Passion, Vivid Vive 2.0 and Summer Skies are some of the mixes that got updated with new colors.  Of course there are a few that don't change - like Sweet N' Sassy and Tuscan Hills.

Spring Passion


Summer Skies


Tuscan Hills



Sweet N' Sassy



Americana

Looking forward to putting a few of these in my own yard this year.  As some of you might remember, we tore out our yard at the end of summer.  Well Fred has completed a beautiful deck in our backyard (yay patio space!) and it even has a trellis!  For the first time in at least 10 years I can really have hanging baskets.  He even put a drip system in (so I can remember to water.)  I will post pictures of the progress in a future post.
 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

What's happenin' hot stuff!

I thought I would give all of you a preview of some new items that will be coming up in April.  Of course, we have all the great regular stuff, but sometimes we need a little "something something" to spark our interest.

Bedding Plants:

In 3.5" we have switched over to the Bada Bing and Bada Boom series of begonias. These have strong branching and a nice flower set early season. Also new is Portulaca Happy Hour Mix.

Bada Bing Rose
In 4" Premium Annuals we have Petunia Glow Red which is a nice true red selection.


Petunia Glow Red




In 4" Geraniums we have added Calliope Lavender Rose, Calliope Burgundy and Calliope Hot Pink to the line up of interspecific geraniums.  These geraniums tolerate some shade and have great flower power all summer without the need for constant deadheading.

Calliope Lavender Rose


Towards the end of the month, we will have some early season Stock (Aida series) in gallons.


Stock Aida Blue

Veggies & Herbs:

Mighty Mato Chocolate Stripes
Back this year are the grafted tomatoes (Mighty Matos).  Look for the link on our website for a great webinar on this vigorous plants.  They make excellent choice for your customers with problem soils.
Basil Red Rubin






New for this year is Basil Red Rubin (in 3.5").


Pratia County Park
Perennials:

Look for the "Stepables" groundcovers with the foot tag.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Get off your butt & Plant Something!








So the hardworking folks at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, along with some dedicated retailers have joined the Plant Something campaign.  This campaign is targeted to consumers with fun, catchy ads.  I have a "Play Dirty, Plant Something" sticker up in my car.



















The campaign is part of a nationwide effort to teach consumers all the wonderful benefits of gardening (which us plant nerds already know ;) ).  In Oregon we have our own website: http://www.plantsomethingoregon.com .  This website links up to participating garden centers, public gardens and other resources.


Here are some sample ads that retailers can use.  It is a relatively easy way for retailers to gain regional exposure for their locations.










If you are a retailer and would like more information on the program please contact Ann Murphy (Director of Marketing) at the OAN mailto:amurphy@oan.org , or visit the OAN website http://www.oan.org .  And by all means, get out there and Plant Something yourself!
 

Thursday, February 28, 2013

May the wind always be at your back....

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, and for those of us with Irish blood it's a special day to celebrate.  All those leprechauns and shamrocks, soad bread and corned beef!  Speaking of shamrocks (Oxalis regnellii for you plant nerds), I thought I would write a post about this wonderful garden plant.

Legend has it that St. Patrick used the 3 leaved shamrock as a tool to explain the Trinity (3 beings - 1 God: 3 sections - 1 leaf) to the Irish people.  You will see this same "pattern" reflected in a celtic trinity knot.
 
But no matter if you are Irish or not, oxalis make wonderful garden plants.  Their tidy clumps of green foliage are mostly evergreen - fading only in extreme summer heat or those really frosty winter months. (They are considered zone 6-10 plants.)  My pink regnellii at home blooms several times a year - usually in mid-spring, early - mid summer, and sometimes in early fall.  The changing seasons seem to stimulate it's bloom cycle.


For indoor use, oxalis make a cheerful addition to your springtime decorating.  They are sensitive to light (their leaves and blooms will close up in low light) and they do not like to be overwatered. (They grow from a corm - so like most bulbs they do not have an extensive root system.)




So if you are looking for a bit o' something Irish for your spring give Oxalis a try.


Friday, January 4, 2013

Exciting Changes Ahead


Starting in the middle of January we will be offering online ordering.  We’ve been testing the system for the last few weeks and found it really easy to use.

To get into the online ordering all you need is your existing email address and a pass word. You can sign up for the pass word on our web site or call or email us and we will assign you one.

Upon signing in you’ll get to pick a ship date. Keep in mind our regular delivery schedule still applies but if you pick a day outside of the regular schedule we will let you know when we email the confirmation.  There is also a place for PO numbers, order notes, and special delivery instructions.

 Screen Shot of P.O. Page


Next you will see the availability with pictures of all the items. No more wondering what the leaf color of Heuchera villosa ‘Encore’ is or what color  Calla ‘Neon Amour has. You can click on the thumb nail and the picture comes up and you can get a close up.

When you put your order quantity in the ship column the system will tell you if we don’t have the full quantity ordered, for instance you want 10 flats of Viola Sorbet mix but we have only 5. Now you can decide if you want to order another color to make up the difference or have to find them elsewhere.



 
Availability Page Sorted By Category, Type and Size
 

The system lets you filter by plant name, if you are just looking for pansies, you can filter by pansy or you are looking only for 4” geranium you can filter by size and name. No more scanning 10 pages for the one item you really want. But – we do want you to look through the whole list of course….

 
"Type" filter is red - indicating that you have made a sort.
 

The other cool thing is that online ordering gives you more control over the order and cuts down on errors – order entry error on our end that is. At the end at the order overview page you get the total cost of your order which can help those of you who are further away and pay freight. You can tweak your order to get the most out of your freight charge.

 Finalized Order

For those of you who’d rather stick with faxing or calling an order is that’s just fine by us. We still go with first come first serve. We receive a notification when an online order is placed with date and time.  Limited quantity product will be divided up among those who order it first, regardless of how you placed the order.

We should have the system up and running in the next couple of weeks and will send out an announcement with the regular Friday availability.

Call or email us now to get your password then you are ready to go when the system is live. Regina or Stefani at sales@fandbfarms.com , 503-982-2748. 
 

Friday, November 30, 2012

Oh, Happy Days

The holidays are here, and its always nice to see such color in the greenhouses - even when it is cloudy and gray outside.  Here is some shots of the houses to bring you a smile.

Enriqueta in the Cyclamen House
 
 
 
6" Zygocactus
 
 
 
Red Poinsettias - makes this house look so warm and cozy!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Matrix Morpheus (Bicolor Blue & Yellow) Pansy
 
Sorbet Beaconberry Mix Violas
 
 
 
Heucherella Sweet Tea - lots of pretty foliage, and the cold weather makes the colors bolder.
 
 
 
 
Helleborus nigers - the Christmas Rose!
 
 
 
White Hydrangea
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ice Punch Poinsettia
 
 
 
 
 
Jingle Bells Poinsettia - Jingle all the way!
 
 
 
Hope your holiday season is merry and bright!