News from Made in the Shade

2021-05-01	......and this is why we caution people about early planting. Many plants are just fine when late snow arrives. Some plants fresh out of the greenhouse can suffer, although perennials will almost always survive. Clematis, Astilbe, Echinacea, Ferns, Hosta, Kirengeshoma and Rodgersia are perennials for which we are very cautious about spring frosts.
2021-04-14	Getting ready for opening day next Tuesday April 20th.....this warm weather has made everyone ready to buy, however when planning back in September we planned for the usual timing for our perennials. This means our young plants still need TLC until well into May. Everything is growing fast and looks great. We are reserving paid for plants via email ordering and will have extensive curbside business as well as limited browsing as we did last year (10 to 4 Tuesday to Saturday).
2021-03-29	Lots of planting going on.....we are growing well over 10,000 new plants this year. Look for new Hosta Varieties, lots of special Peonies, Daylilies and so much more. Our Availability is posted as a PDF for you to browse and plan what you want to buy. For photographs of many varieties check our catalogue pages. We are taking orders now however no plants will be released until after April 20th.
2021-02-23	Tuberous Begonias are here!! Plant these large tubers early indoors for a great show of flowers all summer long in dry shade. Pull in fall and store dry. Each year the tubers get bigger and better. See our catalogue for colours and prices. Order by email for curbside pickup.
2021-02-17	Seeds have arrived.....lots more than last year but order early for best selection. To order see our Seed PDF and make a list and email or print form and fill out then send it to us.
2021-01-19	Sign up for our email newsletter to get notified about product availability and seasonal sales. We are not one of those weekly types but send maybe 8-10 per year.
2021-01-13	We are updating the on line catalogues for spring. We are planning on curbside only through February for; Seeds Corms and other bulbs. We will also be able to sell small to large quantities of potting soil for seed starting. Ask us about seedling trays and we will happily give them away. New hours have been posted. Once again we will limit open days to Tuesday to Saturday as we will have limited staff. Some later in the day times will be available for curbside pick-up by appointment.
2020-11-09	LATE FALL We are closed for the winter. We will sell some seeds and potting soil starting in late February. We will open for the season April 20th 2021. This is a photo of some fall crocus we planted Oct 1st this year. They have been blooming for 2 weeks so far. We will again sell the bulbs in late summer next year....
2020-10-09	SOLD OUT Amaryllis bulbs are here!! Also lots of other bulbs still in stock. These Amaryllis are top sized and will usually produce 2 or 3 stems of flowers with 4 flowers per stem this winter. Plant in the first 2 weeks of November for Christmas Blooms.....or later for a mid winter dose of cheer.
2020-09-24	Sedum are a mainstay of the fall garden....the image is of an older Sedum Autumn Joy. Planted about 8 years ago. Sedum can get floppy if they are in too much shade or sometimes when they get old. Very drought tolerant the foliage sometimes turns yellow if too much water has been given. It is a good plant to split every 5-9 years or so, but wait till spring. We have a large selection of Sedum still available....see our Sedum Catalogue
2020-07-22	This tiny frog can rest easily on the Water Hyacinths in one of our small ponds. Bees also sometimes use water plants to rest on. This pond is over 24 years old and still looking great. One liner replacement and we have replaced the top boards once.
2020-07-14	Summer heat....keep watering regularly. For best results water thoroughly in the early morning. Deep watering less often will encourage roots to go deeper and plants to establish better. Monarda and Summer Phlox often get powdery mildew, and evening watering leaving the foliage moist overnight is a major cause. The best Monarda I have ever grown was around a leak in the sprinkler system. Soaker-hoses also suit Monarda and tall Phlox.
2020-06-06	POND PLANTS HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!! Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinths, Water Lilies, Parrot Feather, Papyrus, and more.
2020-05-28	We are continuing with allowing customers to browse and also curbside pickup. All the perennials look great. With the current Covid situation we have made the difficult decision not to bring any additional Trees, Fruit Trees or Shrubs in this year. This will allow us to concentrate on our core business of selling perennials. We will continue to operate with only family members for all of 2020.
2020-01-22	Other new plants include; 5 Echinacea, 5 Heuchera (and lots of old favourites), 5 Itoh Peonies, 6 regular Peonies, 5 Sedum, 7 Clematis and Martagon Lilies.
2019-12-28	Thanks to all our customers for a great year. Looking forward to 2020 with increased tree sales, and as usual lots of new varieties of perennials along with old favourites.
2019-09-18	Spring Bulbs are all here, lots of choice this year including (but not limited to) Fritallaria, Allium, Eranthis, Chionodoxa, Camassia, Muscari, Snowdrops and of course Tulips and Daffodils. The first bees we see in spring are on the Crocus and other early bulbs.....and they give us lovely early colour before any other flowers are ready to bloom.
2019-03-28	We are prepping for opening, potting the new stock, wetting our plants. Opening day will be April 20th....the Saturday of Easter weekend. Drop by and see all the new baby plants.
2018-05-22	Pond plants have arrived.... Oxygenators, Water Hyacinth, Water Lettuce, Hardy Water-Lilies and more. Waterlilies can be grown in any container that is at least 15" deep and make a real showstopper on your patio. As a bonus....they don't need to be watered all the time.
2018-05-01	Plants are coming out of the greenhouses ready for planting. We also have a large quantity of overwintered well rooted perennials. These are prime stock and much sought after by knowledgeable landscape designers.
2017-10-10	Camassia bulbs give these wonderful blue spiked flowers in Late May / Early June. They are about 60 cm (2 feet) tall and our patches last for about 3 weeks. These bulbs are very long lived with patches planted 20 years ago still flowering well every year. The foliage can easily be hidden by planting with a late flowering perennial such as Black-Eyed Susan or Asters. Deer resistant. Bulbs available now, or in pots come spring.
2017-08-30	New Article about Garden Renovation as well as re-formatting some articles that were PDF's.
2017-06-29	Baptisia australis
2017-05-13	Plants are coming out of the greenhouses, everything is ready to go.....Miniature Hosta looking wonderful, and the cool weather has kept the bulbs in our gardens fresh and long lasting......
June 27, 2016	Summer already.....Just finishing our yearly inventory count. 1400 Hosta in 118 varieties. Over 500 Varieties of other perennials and shrubs in stock.....for roughly 10,000 plants (we keep making more so it is hard to keep track!).
Nov 6, 2014	After our best year ever, with great sales growth we are ready for whatever winter brings us....All plants protected for winter, orders placed for spring.....Time to start planning for another great season. Thanks to all our wonderful customers!!
Aug 1, 2014	If you thought Hemerocallis (Daylilies) only came in ditch orange, think again. Daylilies come in stunning colours, and flower for most of the summer....still lots in stock.
July 31, 2014	The Alpine Scree Garden we started last fall, is really rewarding us with some terrific displays. These 3 types of thread leaf Coreopsis have been blooming for all of July and just don't seem to be stopping. All 3 varieties wintered well after being planted in late fall. The new hybrid Coreopsis do not produce seeds the way the old varieties did, and so they are welcome additions our collection. Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' (Red) Coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset' (Burnt Orange) Coreopsis 'Zagreb' (Yellow)
June 24, 2014	How to plant a Yucca......use cable ties or string to collect up the leaves. This prevents damage to the Yucca flower from handling (and protects the planter from sharp leaf tips).
June 24, 2014	Orchids at Purdon Conservation Area. http://mvc.on.ca/places-to-see/purdon/ Last week we made a pilgrimage to see the wild Orchids. Well worth a visit every couple of years. To get there travel to Perth then turn north off Hwy 7 onto Hwy #511; follow it through Lanark village. Travel about 5 km north, turn left onto Watson's Corners Rd.; follow it for 12 km watch for signs. Turn right onto concession Rd 8 and travel 3 km. There is a good boardwalk which allows you to walk right into the wetlands to see the 1,000's of Cypripedium regina (Showy Orchids) along with other orchids, pitcher plants and much more. Mosquito repellant might be needed, although the breeze kept them off the day we were there. We will be bringing in a very limited number of Showy Orchids in the fall. Please contact us if you are interested in reserving one. sales@mitsperennials.com
June 3,2014	We also do windows!! Thanks to Lynn and Tia who each produced works of art for our windows.
June 3,2014	Lots of wonderful plants still available. Some of the plants just coming in to bloom now include; Prunella, Salvia, Iris, Hemerocallis (Daylilies), Astilbe, Tradescantia, Astrantia, Clematis, Van-Houtti Spireas, all of the Roses including Climbing, Hybrid Tea, Floribunda and Explorers. Tree Peony 'Shima Nishiki' in bloom.
April 2014	All four greenhouses are full of plants now, the bad weather caused a delay to the start of our potting season, but everything is quickly catching up, to be ready for the spring planting season. Look for updates to the catalogue page in the next week. Opening day is April 20th!!
Fall 2013	We are very excited about the new pond at the back of the property. It will be used for trials of pond plants, over-wintering waterlilies, and also just for the pure fun of having a pond! Lots of wildlife have already been attracted, including a visit from a local Heron and a large population of frogs. (Less after the Heron visit.)
Aug 1, 2013	Did you know we sell Ornamental grasses? We have large quantities of high quality ornamental grasses available.
March 20, 2013	The first round of planting was just finished when we got yet more snow...Conditions were perfect so we made a snow-lady, complete with Made in the Shade pink dress. The greenhouses are full, with lots of new items, including a good selection of Itoh Peonies, Tree Peonies, lots of Hosta, Daylilies and so much more. Opening day is April 20th but visitors are welcome Mon to Fri 9-5 if you just need a dose of growing things. Weekend visits should be arranged by email.
Sept 1,2011	What's in Bloom; In the Shade....Actea (Bugbane), Chelone (Turtlehead), Ligularia, Plumbago, Thalictrum. In the Part Shade ... Japanese Anemone, Summer Phlox, Black-Eyed-Susan In the Sun.... Russian Sage, Sedum, Joe-Pye Weed, Helenium, Heliopsis, Buddleia, Roses, Chrysanthemums, Oenthera (Sundrops) and more. Photo Thalictrum splendid
May 28, 2011	The new pond at the front is working very well and is now stocked with Water-Lilies, Pickerel Lilies, Miniature Bullrushes, Marsh Marigolds, Water Hyacinths and Water-Lettuce.
May 28, 2011	Rain Rain Rain.....and a visitor to the nursery. This painted turtle came through right beside the patio behind the house. Perhaps it was trying to get to drier land? Certainly it was at least 500 ft from anything remotely resembling a pond. All the rain we have had this spring has made for lots of lush growth on our plants...and very little watering needed.
May 19, 2011	What's in Bloom. Brunnera are still going strong, as are the primula's. The Aubrieta's and Arabis (Rockcress) are pretty and the Moss Phlox is starting. The Anemone blanda we potted up has been blooming for over a month now, and the Cammasia are about to bloom. The late tulips we planted in the front garden are spectacular and loving the cool weather. There are lots more varieties in bloom to see when you visit.
April 29, 2011	Open for the season. Greenhouses are stuffed, with lots of new varieties to choose from as well as old favorites. In blom now are Hepaticas, Brunnera, English Bluebells and Trilliums as well as many more just about ready to flower. In the gardens the daffodils are just starting their display, and the scilla, chinodoxa crocus and other small lawn bulbs are putting on a wonderful display. The four year old in the picture was enjoying herslf in a sea of Scilla in her backyard this week.
May 26, 2010	Japanese Tree Peony in bloom in the garden. Spectacular!!! This is a Paeonia suffruticosa 'Shimadaijin' (Island Minister) blooming in my garden today. It was planted two years ago. The flower is about the size of a cereal bowl. The tree peonies prefer a location with good light but some protection from the hot mid day sun. They will slowly grow to waist high. A beautiful specimen for your partially shaded border. There are still 4 left for sale, hurry though, they won't last long!
May 22, 2010	Victoria Day Weekend! This is traditionally the weekend your frost worries are over and a great time to get out in the garden. Most of our new stock is out of the greenhouses and ready to plant. The irises are blooming like mad, and it's all much more stunning in person. We're open 10 to 6 all weekend.
April 20, 2010	Greenhouse 2 is full of plants for the sun, as well as some spillover shade loving plants. Hosta First Frost on the right is this years Hosta of the Year, and this photo taken on the 18th shows how big and full the plants are already.
January 24, 2010	Getting Ready for Planting. During the winter we prepare for spring planting. On of the chores is getting pro-mix down into greenhouse #3. As you can see, we like to combine work with play, using our wheel-barrow sled. This is also the time of year we make the new catalogue and do our planning for the coming season. Plans are in the works for a booth at the up-coming Garden Show in Kingston, March 5-7.
October 3, 2009	October is great month for Ornamental Grasses. They provide interest through the fall and all winter long with their tall stalks and plumes. Many perennials are still going strong in October with vibrant blooms to brighten your garden. Come in and see the display stock blooming now -- we're open 6 days a week until the end of the month (except Thanksgiving Weekend). The foliage on many plants like this Brunnera lasts well into the fall with sharper contrasts under the greyer fall skies.
May 17, 2009	The new Made in the Shade Perennials Inc. web site went on-line today, so watch this space for news about what's happening at the nursery, which plants are blooming this week, and what's on special.

What's New at Made in the Shade