Purple Pods!!

Hyacinth Bean Vine or Lablab purpureus is

one of the coolest vines around.

These insanely deep purple pods come out on the plants around early September, as the plant blooms with a flower similar to a sweet pea. The racemes of small pink and white flowers stand out against vibrant green leaves with gorgeous purple veining and maroon stems.

The vines themselves can exceed 10' in height, in one season, so be sure if it is being used vertically, that it is well supported with a trellis, arbor, fence or wall.

Hyacinth Bean is a fun, easy to grow plant adaptable to most soils and if nothing else, an interesting conversation piece in your yard.

As an important side note...yes, the pod seeds are edible. However, due to the presence of cyanogenic glycoside, a toxic substance which can cause gastrointestinal issues, especially if ingested in larger amounts, the beans should be boiled thoroughly in water, which needs to be changed at least twice during the cooking process!

Containers Gone Wild!

Our gorgeous planters by the roadside are so full and bursting with color! We are proud of how they look and wanted to share this photo with you. Most of this material has been planted since May...so you can see it is possible to keep your containers going well into September, if you consistently water, feed and maintain your plants!!

American Toad

Bufo americanus, or American Toad, at the Nursery.

Porcupine or Zebra...what's the difference anyhow?

Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus' or Porcupine Grass is a favorite of Warner Nursery staff member Jessica Duncan. She is pictured here with some samples of this seriously striped plant. Porcupine Grass is a 6-8' upright grass with alternating yellow-gold bands on its' medium green foliage. These can reach a height of 9', including the plumes, in the Fall. Porcupine Grass "gives great structure to a garden space due to its' non-floppy, upright habit" according to Jess. This is one of the reasons she loves it!

A close relative to Porcupine Grass is Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus', another New England cold hardy species of maiden grass. Zebra Grass maxes out at 5-6' tall and its' foliage, similarly banded to Porcupine Grass, has distinct gold horizontal bands. It reaches 7-8' including its plumes or flowers in the Fall.

Zebra Grass does not have the same erect structure as Porcupine Grass, as it tends to want to fall outward from the center a bit. Both grasses have very sharp leaves and can be divided in early Spring once they have been cut back, for the least amount of contact with the foliage.

Fauna at Warner's

Daily life at Warner's has its memorable moments. Although it can be a calm place to work, every day holds something new and different. On one recent August afternoon, our neighbor Robb had to come and collect his chickens. They had gotten loose and wandered over to our perennial sales area, looking for food and a cool place to chill out! We were more than happy to host them for the time they were here!

Hanging Handiwork!

Pictured here see some of our hanging handiwork. These hanging baskets are located at Simsburytown Shops and the Fitzgerald's Plaza here in town. We are pretty darn good at putting together planter combinations for hanging baskets or patio pots. Whether you are a homeowner or a shop owner, let us help you adorn your indoor or outdoor spaces.

Hibiscus Heaven

Perennial Hibiscus, or Rose Mallow as it is sometimes called, has the largest, most luscious flowers of any perennial that will grow in this area!! These large, flying saucer sized blooms attract butterflies and make wonderful showy accents in any garden. Pictured here is Hibiscus 'Lady Baltimore', which blooms from August to October and reaches a mature height of 4'-5'.

We have plenty of Hardy Hibiscus here at our nursery to choose from, depending on your color preference, but one consistent necessity is full sun. In order for these plants to bloom well, they need full sun. They are, however, not so picky about soil conditions. Hibiscus will grow in average garden soil, but also do well in semi-moist areas or dry soils. They do prefer a well-drained spot. For late summer to early Fall color...try one today!