If it grows, it goes for 25% off! That means all tropical houseplants, trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, vines or grasses you find at Payne's is 25% off now through Saturday, July 31, 2010. This offer is limited to stock on hand, while supplies last, and cannot be combined with any other discount or coupon. New shipments of annuals are arriving weekly, but the best stock is moving fast, so hurry in for best selection!
Customers have been asking us whether it's too late to plant anything more outside this season. The answer is a resounding NO, it is NOT too late — there's plenty of time! Here's what you can plant in the Santa Fe area, timed for best results:
Plant From Now Through Mid-August: • Quart and gallon size annual flowers, such as geraniums, cosmos, snapdragons and osteospermums) • Hardy cool-loving vegetables such as beets, broccoli raab, broccoli, carrots, chard, fennel, kale, leeks, lettuces, mâche, pak choi, peas, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, spinach); annual cool-loving herbs (arugula, borage, chervil, cilantro, dill). Just be sure to give them shade from the worst of the afternoon sun till it starts to cool down in the fall.
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a hardy deciduous member of the tropical hibiscus family native to India and East Asia. Also called shrub althaea and Chinese hibiscus, it is the national flower of Korea. Its late bloom, striking flower-shape, range of colors, ease of maintenance, and good drought tolerance once established makes rose of Sharon a prize for northern New Mexico gardens. As one of the few summer-blooming shrubs, Rose of Sharon is are hardy to Zone 5 and perfect for urban gardens. Most varieties grow up to 8 to 12 feet tall by 6 to 10 feet wide. They bear 4-inch, lobed or toothed leaves that emerge so late in the spring that sometimes gardeners who are new Rose of Sharon worry that their plants have died. Flowers are large, flat, single, semidouble, or double, 2.5 to 3-inches wide, with a single striking stamen; they appear mid- to late summer and bloom until early fall. They come in a range of colors from white through pink and red to blue, lavender, and purple. Individual
This versatile and labor saving garden tool can be used instead of, or in addition to, a regular hoe. It is designed with a long handle so that weeding can be done without stooping over, thus alleviating back strain. We carry three lengths, including the Junior Short Handle model for those of us who also work kneeling over gardens and flower beds.
July is the beginning of the so-called Northern New Mexico “monsoon” season, when this area gets much of its moisture for the growing year. Many folks come into Payne’s stores looking for tips on water harvesting.
One of the best and easiest ways to take advantage of the season is to place a Payne's rain barrel beneath a canale or gutter spout. Then, when you are ready to water your yard or plants, simply attach a hose to the built-in spigot and let gravity take over, sending your free water to thirsty grass, trees, plants and shrubs. (For info on using gray water systems in Northern New Mexico, click here.)
July is also the month when the first flushes of early-season tomatoes ripen. You can plant our earliest ripening varieties as late as July 15 in order to have ripe tomatoes before first frost! We still have a few tomato plants available, so come in to either store very soon to get yours. See JULY VEGETABLES below for more info.
Yes! It's only July 22 and Payne's is thinking about Christmas. This is when we start planting poinsettias so that you will have plenty of homegrown plants to choose from. We'll be taking progress photos and posting them as the plants mature. Come back and see the great colors and varieties we'll be offering this holiday season.