Now In Bloom: Weigelia

Weigela are easily grown deciduous shrubs. They offer prolific, trumpet-shaped flowers on gracefully arching branches. In addition to their beauty, Weigela are adored by hummingbirds, and fortunately, are not a favorite of deer.

The Sonic Bloom® Series boasts the strongest reblooming ever seen in Weigela. Loads of flowers in May are followed by waves of flowers until frost. Deadheading is not required to get rebloom. The vibrant flowers of the Sonic Bloom series, held on arching branches, add season-long drama to the garden. Available in three colors – lipstick red, hot pink and pearl white – they will grow to a height and width of 4 feet. Foliage is an attractive bright green. These irresistible, low maintenance shrubs are sure to become a favorite in your garden.

Another series of Weigela is notable for its rich, dark foliage color and deep pink spring flowers. The foliage’s similarity to the color of fine burgundy wine inspired ‘Wine’ to be part of each variety’s name. A slight shearing will encourage re-bloom through the summer. ‘Fine Wine’ has a compact mounded habit, reaching 2-4’ high and 3’ wide. It is a refined plant with excellent texture, and is great in perennial borders or as a low foundation plant. ‘Wine & Roses’ is now a landscape standard, thanks to its dark burgundy-purple foliage and intense rosy-pink colored flowers. It reaches a height of 4-5’ feet. ‘Midnight Wine’ is a marvelous low mounding, dwarf version of ‘Wine & Roses’. At 12” tall, it is perfect for the front of the border. ‘Spilled Wine’ has dark red, wavy leaves and a spreading habit. Its flowers are hot pink-magenta. Growing wider than tall, it is perfect for filling in spaces in a sunny border.

Dazzling Dahlias

Dazzling dahlias! Our favorite summer bloomer, dahlias add color to your outdoor spaces unlike any other flower. Perfect for patio planters, window boxes and landscape beds, dahlias love to bask in full sun. The vivid colors are hypnotizing! Available in a wide range of sizes and colors. Be sure to check out our large-bloomed dahlias too!

What’s In Store: June 2, 2017

This week we’ve loaded up with dazzling dahlias! One of our favorite sun-loving summer blooms, the vivid colors are great for patio containers and landscape beds. It’s the perfect weekend to shop our Uncle Mike’s herbs and veggies where you’ll find an incredible selection of hybrid + heirloom tomatoes, cukes, eggplant, and more! Be sure to check out our selection of the world’s hottest peppers too!! Stop into Winchester and Falmouth for beautiful patio furniture and accessories!

Mahoney’s Exclusive: At Last Rose

New and Exclusive to Mahoney’s this year! Proven Winners “At Last” Rose. This is the first disease-resistant rose with classic rose fragrance. Flowers are fully double (35-42 petals) in a beautiful apricot-orange color. It’s low maintenance and blooms all summer. Ideal for perennial rose gardens, cu flower gardens, and borders. Available while supplies last.

Perennials in Bloom

Now’s a great time to shop our perennial yards with so much in color like coreopsis, lupine, foxglove, iris, allium, leucanthemum, roses, and much more! Be sure to check out our foliage perennials too- heuchera, hosta and ferns add stunning texture and dimension to the garden all season long!

What’s In Store: May 26, 2017

Get your outdoor patio ready with New England’s best selection of tropical mandevilla and hibiscus. Create a patriotic palette in reds, whites and blues or check out our incredible selection of Uncle Mike’s herbs and veggies. With the world’s hottest peppers, dozens of hybrid and heirloom tomato varieties, tasty herbs and more- it’s the perfect time to get planting!

What’s In Store: May 19, 2017

Our greenhouses have transformed into tropical paradises this week! With fresh hibiscus, mandevilla, and bougainvillea, we have everything you’ll need to transform your patio into an island oasis! Find an amazing selection of ceramic glazed pottery to complete the look! We also have spectacular, new begonias that now tolerate more sun… perfect for containers and window boxes. Be sure to check out our in-bloom trees, shrubs and perennials too!

Uncle Mike’s Top 10 Tomatoes for Container Growing

 

I always get asked about growing tomatoes in containers. I tell customers it will be easy and you’ll see success if you remember the following:

1. Bigger is always better. The larger the container, the better the harvest will be. There’s less problems with blossom end rot, lack of water and overall health from lack of nutrients because more soil will hold more nutrients and water.

2. Always fertilize. A container plant will use up the nutrients in the soil quicker than if it was in the ground, so you need to replace this in the form of fertilizer. I recommend planting with a granular like Tomato Tone and adding a water soluble feed like Neptune’s Harvest throughout the season to keep the nutrient levels high in the soil.
3. You are automatically more susceptible to Blossom End Rot in a container. Blossom End Rot is a calcium deficiency not a disease. The cure is adding more calcium to the soil and not treating with a fungicide. You need to fertilize with a feed that contains higher levels of Calcium like Tomato-Tone. It can even serve you well if you add lime or Jonathan Green’s Mag-i-cal to the soil for even more calcium. A calcium-rich soil must be preventative, not reactive to the problem. If you detect Blossom Rot on any of your tomatoes, you’ll need to pick them off and discard. You run the risk of not realizing you have a calcium deficiency until its too late.

4. Try to grow medium to small sized tomatoes instead of the large ones. Large tomato varieties like Big Boy or Beefsteak are less forgiving with lack of water and require lots of room for a big root system.

5. Use the proper soil. I don’t like to use a typical soil-less potting mix because it dries out too fast. You can add a little compost to a regular potting mix or  use our Mahoney’s Organic Potting soil which contains a compost and is a bit denser that our regular soil-less mix.

Here’s my Top 10 Tomato varieties for growing in containers:

Patio: Not a generic term but the variety. A dwarf plant with medium-sized fruit. Good for containers 10″ or larger

Husky Red: a dwarf plant with. Great tasting cherry sized fruit. Good for containers 10″ or larger

Better Bush: a good dwarf plant with small to medium sized fruit. Good for pots 10″ or larger.

Moby Grape: I have to put a grape in the lineup, right? This grape is a determinate variety,  so the plant won get too big.  It’s everything you will expect from a sweet grape tomato. Use a container 14″ or larger.

Totem: Another dwarf plant that stands somewhat vertical so its not a wide one either and the fruit is great good for container 10″ or larger.

Tiny Tim: a very small plant with small, cherry sized fruit. This one is a great conversation piece, it only gets about 12″ tall. Great for a patio table when you have company over. This one will take a very small pot, 6″ or larger.

Jet Star: I often recommend this variety because it’s not too big of a fruit and the size of the plant is not too big either. I love this tomato, it will be quick to produce and it’s a nice medium-sized fruit with a thin skin and also considered to be one of the lowest acid tomato’s out there (not all low acid tomatoes are yellow) Good for pots 12″ or larger.

Black Krim: This is a nice heirloom and medium-sized fruit and plant. Purplish in color and very tasty, good for containers 12″ or larger. Watch out for heavy watering or rain as they come close to ripening because they crack very easy.

Celebrity: This is a medium to large tomato that’s on a determinate vine. If you want to try a large tomato in a container this on is the one to try. Its crack resistant as well. I’d use a pot 12″ or larger.

San Marzano: This is a sauce tomato.  It’s a bush-type plant that will tolerate containers. It’s great for everything from sauces to salads and salsa and cooking.

Marglobe: This is another heirloom with medium size real tasty fruit. This is a heavy producer for an heirloom and a determinate plant. Plant in a pot 12″ or larger.

 

Theoretically, a tomato can be grown in any size pot if you water and fertilizer well. My recommendations for pot sizes are just that, recommendations although sticking to these guidelines will make it easier for you and less work as you maintain your container garden into the summer.

Now in! Begonias

Some of you might hear the word begonias and instantly think of the tiny flowers your grandmother may have planted in the shade. The reality is, this remarkable group of plants has come a long way, with new introductions each year that are completely awe-inspiring. Paired with foliage plants like caladium or coleus, begonias make a container garden that is out of this world. This season, we love planting  begonias in our European-inspired terra cotta pottery.

With the onset of new breeding initiatives, the selection of begonias available to the home gardener is pretty incredible. At Mahoney’s, we’ve gone a little begonia crazy this season, and are offering more options than ever! With beautiful varieties like Solenia or Elatior. Solenia begonias are one of our favorites for their profuse blooming all season long and their tolerance for sun. Plant in sheltered full sun or part shade for beautiful color all summer long. Look for varieties like ‘Dark Pink’ ‘Red Velvet’ ‘Light Pink’ and ‘Orange’. Perfect for planting in containers or landscape beds.

Elatior begonias, or also known as Reiger begonias, elatiors are found in our greenhouses all year long and are great as houseplants or garden plants in the spring and summer. Available in dozens of bold colors, elatiors prefer part shade to part sun. Look for colors like Dragone White Blush, Dusty Rose, Rio and Batik.

Now In! Tropical Blooms

Our greenhouses have transformed into tropical paradises this week! With fresh hibiscus, mandevilla, and bougainvillea, we have everything you’ll need to transform your patio into an island oasis! The Hollywood Hibiscus Collection features impressive, multi-day open blooms in stunning, vibrant colors. Find varieties like “Hot Shot” and “Gossip Queen”. Tradewinds Hibiscus features exotic blooms in flamboyant, fluorescent colors and their compact growing habit makes them perfect for containers and window boxes. Some varieties include “Cayman Wind”, “Sunny Wind”, and “Tortuga Wind”. Shop now for best selection!