Hard not to be in love with the Inland Northwest right now!

We are coming ablaze with fall color here in North Idaho…just about anywhere in town, you can see a stunning display of bright red, gold and orange trees! Yes, the best time of the year is on our doorstep…

And New Leaf Nursery is loaded with tons of fall color. From truly unusual pumpkins and gourds, to a bevy of colorful mums, kale and peppers, we’ve got just the thing to brighten your doorstep. 

---

Fall Sale is in full swing!

Have you been waiting for it? Well, it’s here, and we have some pretty great perennials with your name on them! For you new gardeners, remember, the perennials will come back next year, and for many, many seasons to come! With the cooler weather, it’s the perfect time to plant in your garden. With the cool, dewy nights, and still warm soil, the plants, entering dormancy, offers a far less chance of shock to being planted now! Go forth and plant!

From brilliant Helenium, to ‘Sombrero’ Echinacea, to lots and lots of day lilies…we’ve got some great selections to make your garden ‘sing’ in the summer and well into next fall.

Come in soon for the best selection, and yes, you will earn rewards points on every purchase! Our sale is between 20% - 60% off nearly all shrubs, trees, and perennial plants.

We are open 9am - 5pm daily, including Saturday, and Sunday 11am - 4pm.

---

And, when you are picking pumpkins and perennials…

Stop into the garden center in the barn and find the perfect Halloween ghost for your front porch, and check out the lighted branches and other fall goodies! We have custom wreaths available for you to take home with you, and we can make a custom one in your colors!

Here's a pair we made last week!

As featured at the home show house by Rosenberger Construction in the NIBCA Parade of Homes.

---

Who is this happy lady?

Please meet Kari! We loved this photo she posted on her social media, so we wanted to share it with you! If you’ve met Kari, you know this photo captures her very essence! She is kind, happy, and always has a cheery hello for everyone she meets! She joined our team last year, and we are so lucky to have her. It is simply great to work with someone like Kari—she’s the best!

---

What’s happening at the Nursery?

We had a blast at our fall wreath making class a week or so ago. Look at these talented ladies and the wreaths they created!

Want in on the action? Check out the EVENTS tab on our website to sign up for classes! Next up is Elaine Christen, our own resident horticulturist extraordinaire, who will be talking about gardening in the four seasons!

Next class: four seasons gardening with elaine christen

Learn about the plants that offer year-round interest in your garden! New Leaf Nursery owner and horticulturist Elaine Christen shares her wealth of gardening knowledge with you to help plan your gardens for the next spring season.

SIGN UP

---

And before we say goodbye…

Over this past weekend, we held a contest on social media to guess the weight of this bad boy (the pumpkin, not the other bad boy)…well, if you can believe it, after countless guesses, two local ladies guessed within 8 ounces of each other. The pumpkin was 114.67 lbs in actual weight, and one guessed 114 lbs and the other, 114.5 lbs. Being the good guy he is, Ben decided to award a winning gift certificate to both lucky ladies. The closest winner donated the pumpkin to the Children’s Village!

Mr. Giant Pumpkin at the Children’s Village!

We look forward to seeing you soon! You’re always welcome at our door! 

Happy Fall from your friends at New Leaf Nursery!

Fall Sale starts Saturday, September 25

*Sale excludes décor items, flower pots and fall plant items (mums, pumpkins, décor in barn) or dirt, bark, or other bulk materials.

The big weekend is here!

The North Idaho Building Contractors Association (NIBCA) Parade of Homes is Saturday & Sunday, September 18 & 19, and returns the following weekend, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, September 24, 25, & 26.

New Leaf Nursery in Hayden is a proud supporting member of the NIBCA.

We are honored to create the planters showcased on the outdoor terraces at the show home by Rosenberger Construction! The interior of the home was artfully, and beautifully, decorated by our friends at The Tin Roof in Spokane, WA. Heather Hanley, owner of The Tin Roof, lent her special skills of combining color and texture to create perfect furniture and décor selections to enhance the beautiful home design. Heather invited us to provide the ambience for the outdoor terraces by creating garden plantings in large pots and vessels. Our design team created pieces to coordinate with the landscape design, created by Yochum Lancscape. We hope you’ll be able to see the home in person to see a perfect collaboration of professionals!

Get your tickets to tour all of the homes in the NIBCA Parade of Homes!

Our work is showcased at the Rosenberger home in Fox Hollow at Hayden, house #1 on the parade map. You will see gatherings of interesting foliages that are happy to grow in North Idaho landscapes!

After you tour the home, and walk out onto the terraces, you will find a QR code on our signage. Scan it with your smartphone, and it will take you directly to our website, where you will find images of the plantings you are viewing in person, with a full identification of all the plants that were used in the various containers. We didn’t want to make you guess what that crazy curly branched plant was! Click on the photo, and you will learn more about the Harry Lauder Walking Stick! While you’re there on the site, sign up to win a custom planter for YOUR home, created by our talented designers in your custom color palette!

If you can’t visit the show home, visit our website to view the plantings and get details on the combinations we used.

---

More news

This past Wednesday evening, many friends gathered to listen to Paige & Nick, of Ooh La La Arborculture of Sandpoint! It was a great evening, loaded with lots and lots of information about plant and tree pruning! Almost like magic, these two took a Japanese Maple and turned it into a work of art!

Before Pruning “Where is Paige?”

After Pruning: “Magic, a beautiful tree! And there is Paige!”

It was a great evening of questions, and answers. One question that came up was how to help the large pine trees that are showing brown needles right now in our area. Paige explained that this was caused by water deprivation, because of the extremely high temperatures we endured this summer, and the extreme lack of water we’ve received in the region. Paige told us that drip irrigation could assist the survival of these distressed trees.

Make it Nick & Paige of Ooh La La Arborculture

If you have any questions or would like to have them help your trees and landscape, Paige & Nick can be found on Facebook, Ooh La La Arborculture, or @oohlalatrees on Instagram. Their phone number is 208-290-0343

---

What’s next?

Petra creating a weekly floral arrangement at Grand Del Mar in San Diego, CA

Next week, talented Petra Van Baar, will show us all how to make a fall inspired wreath for our door, or for a thoughtful gift for a neighbor or a friend! It’s brisk in the morning…the leaves are starting to turn…fall is upon us!

Join us for Petra’s Fall Wreath Making class on Tuesday, September 21 from 6:00 - 8:00pm at New Leaf Nursery

---

So. . . if it’s fall,
then we all know what comes next!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are heading this way again! The elves are busy at work, creating amazing and beautiful things to adorn your homes and offices. Keep checking our website for all the news! You will find a HOLIDAY tab where you will find more information about our holiday decorating services!

Would you like your tree to look like this? We know how and would love to talk with you about it! Click here for more information about the service!

Don’t forget! We are expecting our first load of the freshest cut Christmas trees arriving just in time for Thanksgiving weekend. This year we added flocking services for any of our trees! You will find more information about all the holiday offerings on our website.

---

So what’s happening in the nursery?

Home show house by Rosenberger Construction in the 2021 NIBCA Parade of Homes

Quite a bit…so glad you asked! Along with classes, and a great weekend of touring beautiful homes in the region, and classes, 2022 seeds are in-stock, fall bulbs and garlic and set to arrive next week, there are cornstalks galore, and the mums! Have you seen the mums? Honestly, these are the best, most colorful mums ever. While they are called ‘hardy’ mums, we don’t guarantee they will be back next year. Our climate says no, but sometimes Mother Nature says yes, and back they come next year about this time!

---

From your friends at New Leaf Nursery, we hope you have a wonderful weekend, and come by and say hello if you’re out and about! We always love to see you…

Don’t forget, every time you visit the nursery and make a purchase, if you’re a rewards member, you automatically earn points. If you aren’t a rewards member yet and would like to be, CLICK HERE to sign up for rewards.

Happy fall gardening!

It's beautiful North Idaho weather—let's get outside and do our fall planting!

Everyone asks, “what can I plant in the fall in North Idaho?” Here’s a check list of some of the plants that actually love to be planted in the fall! 

Next question everyone asks is, “how do you know how to cut back perennials?” If you are new to the area, or new to gardening, both questions can be daunting. Here’s an overview to help you get started! For more detailed info, visit our nursery and we’ll be happy to offer more knowledge. Check out our fall fertilizing video on our website for more helpful info CLICK HERE. 

While you want to wait until spring to fertilize your perennials, it is the perfect time to feed your lawn for a beautiful spring and summer result. And the lawn fertilizer is in.

In North Idaho, fall is the perfect time to start to plant your bulb garden, or add to your existing bulbs. 

Local favorites such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinth and crocus can bring immediate joy and color to your spring time garden. They can also provide brilliant color in your home when you cut them and put them in vases inside the house. Aah, I can smell the hyacinth now! While it is tempting to plant them when the weather is still warm, wait til the soil cools in late September. The bulbs will grow enough roots to solidly grow, but not enough to sprout before Spring. We are receiving our shipment of spring bulbs in the last week of September so be sure to make plans to come and get some! 

We are also hosting a bulb planting class at the nursery that will provide you with detailed information about planting and fertilizing bulbs. You can sign up for the class HERE. 

Fall is also a good time to plant raspberries, blueberries and grapes.

Come into the nursery soon to gather up your favorites! We have lots of raspberries, and lots of grapes are coming soon! And yes, there are some blueberries too!

General clean up, raking leaves, and cleaning out general garden debris in your flower beds will save you the hassle of a messy clean up in the fall, and promote healthy flower beds and plants in the spring!

GOOD TIP: Trees, shrubs and perennials can establish roots in soils that range from 45-65 degrees. In some cases, fall planting can actually be better for the plant than asking it to endure sweltering summer temperatures. The exception to the rule are evergreens.

---

So, tell me about perennials…

Some perennials don’t handle cold weather very well, and the cold can lead to multiple problems with pests and diseases. Cutting them back can help to protect them for a robust ‘come back’ in the spring! As a rule, most perennials should be cut back to between 3” - 6”.

GOOD TIP: Cutting old, diseased foliage in the fall helps a perennial be bigger and better in the spring! Some perennials need foliage for protection over the winter, and should be pruned in the spring. Refer to the care tags that came on your plant, or come see us and we’ll be happy to help guide you!

---

Here’s a list of 10 area favorite perennials & what to do to get them ready for winter

Bearded Iris (Iris Germanica) Bearded Iris is the king of the iris family! But they can harbor fungus and iris borers, so be sure to cut back the stalk once the flower has finished blooming.  Remove damaged leaves. Cut back the leaves to approximately 6” above ground level in the fall.

Bee Balm (Mondarda Didyma) Bee mine! Bee balm is one of the most loved garden plants in the Inland Northwest! But they are prone to powdery mildew. If that happens, cut them back immediately. Otherwise, healthy growth should be left until spring. You can selectively trim and thin the plant, leaving seed heads for the birds over the winter.

Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia Xgrandiflora) This hardy plant can benefit from being cut back during the growing season. Encourage new and prolonged growth by cutting back the spent stems. Deadhead during the growing season to promote the continuous bloom of this gorgeous pop of color. Fall pruning will encourage full and healthier plants next spring!

Catmint (Nepete) This local favorite benefits from multiple prunings through the growing season. This will give the plant a boost, and help keep the foliage tall and strong. When fall comes knocking, it’s time to cut back the plant. If you don’t, the winter snows will topple the foliage, exposing the ‘crown’ of the plant, leaving a spectacular mess to clean in the spring!

Day Lily (Hemerocallis) Day lilies rise to the occasion and give us amazing pops of tall color through the summer months in our gardens! But it’s important to remove the spent stem stalks to encourage new blooms during the growing season, especially in the re-blooming varieties.  This is another plant that you need to trim way back to prevent a very messy spring clean up.

Japanese Anemone (Anemone Hupehensis) Beetle haven! Those pesky guys love to nibble the foliage of this beautiful anemone, so most times, the foliage has disappeared by fall. Typically, any foliage that remains will turn black with the onset of cold weather, so cut it back for more beauty to come the following year!

Penstemon (Penstemon Barbatus) This is a plant that does NOT like to have wet feet (roots). As a rule of thumb, this plant typically will decline towards the end of summer and need to be cut back and thinned at that time. Leaving the old growth on the plant will do to the penstemon, what it will do to our friend the catmint…the snow weighs down the center, and exposes the crown. Cut this guy back too!

Peony (Paeonia) If the bearded iris is the king, surely the regal peony is the queen of the garden! It is terrifying to a new gardener, or a gardener new to growing peonies, to cut them back in the fall. The question lingers, ‘will they ever come back, or did I kill my beautiful peonies?’  Alas, the queen is susceptible to mildew, and the infected foliage should be removed immediately. The healthy foliage may turn golden in fall, and that is the cue to cut them back.  Fear not, they will almost always make their return, resplendent for another year!

Phlox (Phlox Paniculata) Phlox ignites a firestorm of color in our summer gardens. Long after the peonies, tulips, and iris have left us for the season, the phlox continues to sway gracefully in the summer breeze. White, pinks, corals, purples, magentas…stunning colors to brighten up the flower beds. They, along with other perennials we’ve discussed, tend to fall prey to powdery mildew. Prune all the affected foliage and stems, and in the fall, after the blooms have faded, cut back the stems. Even if the plant is still healthy, it will benefit from the thinning process to increase airflow and prevent disease

And finally, the plant that is most asked about regarding pruning in the fall…

Lavender (Lavendula) How do I prune? When do I prune? Start pruning when plants are young. Pruning will help the plant to grow full and lush. It also helps prevent that woody growth at the base of the plant. As the plant matures, cut the plant back by 1/3 after the plant has finished blooming. Hand pruners are the preferred garden tool to create the coveted mound shape of the lavender! Put the hedge trimmers away! Keep pruning your older lavender plants, but don’t ever cut them down to the leafless mound. The ‘rule of thumb’ is to count back to the third node (raised bump where leaves grow) and cut above it for the most prolific growth in the spring and summer months!

Fall is the perfect time to work in your garden in the Inland Northwest!

Beautiful weather, ideal working conditions, and a crispness in the early morning air. Checkout our website for information on the pruning class that is coming up soon! CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

---

Before we call this a wrap on the newsletter this week, remember…

LABOR DAY WEEKEND IS UPON US! Come see what’s new!

Huge mums, fall corn husks, kales & cabbages, and ornamental peppers…along with a huge load of trees (such as Princeton Gold maples), more amazing hydrangea and those stellar hibiscus we wrote about earlier this summer! And then there are the hellebores!

Hellebore (Helleborus x hybridus) Literally the first flower you will see, even peeking up thru the snow, the hellebore is a super cut flower and looks great in a vase. The photo above captures them as a cut flower, but look at the range of color! One of our favorites, they produce large glossy green leaves and beautiful blooms that can last for months, and the DEER HAVE NO TASTE FOR THEM! Our shade house is brimming with them! Come get some soon.

We look forward to seeing you this holiday weekend! We will be open our normal hours! If you haven’t already done so, be sure to sign up for our Rewards Program the next time you are at the nursery and start earning points towards your first reward!

Safe and happy Labor Day to you all!