Happy Father's Day, from all of us at The Patch!

The Genus Iris flowers are in parts of three; the three petals that droop downwards are called "falls", while the three petals that stand more upright are called "standards". The shape of this flower inspired the well-known emblem we know today as "fleur-de-lis". Bearded Iris (Iris germanica) are named for their bushy "beards" that are on each of the three falls. They are among the most popular irises grown today. Easy to grow, they have fleshy rhizomes, that need well-drained soil and surface exposure to 6 to 8 hours of sun per day. Heavy feeders, bearded iris like a light application of a well-balanced fertilizer (eg. perennial fertilizer 7-12-12) in early spring and once again a month after they bloom. Some bearded irises are classified as "rebloomers", blooming again in late summer or early fall. Many are fragrant. Here's a beautiful variety with both assets, Iris germanica 'Clarence' -- it's a re-bloomer and it's fragrant!

Nova Scotia native Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis and compact, large-flowered, Origami hybrids. Easy-care, hardy perennials that look beautiful, with a long bloom time, and provide much needed nectar for pollinators and hummers!

Happy Friday! Many new Cast Art pieces have arrived and baby ducks, too!

Thank you all for your expressions of sympathy for Spike. We are missing him and so is Mr. Scrooge..even though Spike beat him up on a regular basis.

New Special this week! Yuki Cherry Blossom Dwarf Deutzia in a 3 gallon pot, Reg $39.95 is on Special for $31.95! Here's the link to our webpage: http://briarpatchnursery.com/index.php/specials/

Mount Saint Helens deciduous Azalea has erupted into full bloom at The Patch! This is a very desirable Exbury hybrid. Huge flower trusses of fragrant, deep pink to salmon pink flowers, each with an orange blotch on it's upper lobe. Mature size - 1.5 to 2m (5 to 6 feet) tall x 1.2 to 1.5m (4 to 5 feet) wide. Has great fall colour, too. It is a beautiful thing.

Sadly we lost Spike the cat this week. He had a heart defect, and succumbed to it suddenly on Thursday evening. One minute he was there, the next he was gone. He adopted the Briar Patch as his home several years ago, charmed us and many of our customers with his antics, and formed a lasting bond of friendship with our two flatcoats, Zinnia and Cocoa. RIP little guy. We will all miss you.

Another "something new"! BLOOM-A-THON Red Azaleas are semi-evergreen, and bloom on old and new wood. That means they bloom in spring and then again later in summer. Compact sized, with large flowers, they grow 1 to 1.2 meters tall and wide, and they need to be sited in a spot protected from winter NW winds, in full sun to partial shade, with moist, well-drained soil. Hardy to zone 6.

Looking for something different? Red Dragon Corkscrew Hazel shrub has the same curling branches of it's species, except catkins, leaf buds and new large, crinkled leaves open with deep burgundy colour, lasting well into the season before changing to green. Later leaves turn yellow in the fall, before dropping to expose it's fabulous twisted, branching structure. This is a new, hardy variety that was developed at Oregon State University with resistance to filbert blight disease. A large shrub, it can reach a height of 2.5m x 3m spread at maturity, therefore it makes an excellent focal point plant in full sun to partial shade, in moist, well-drained soil. We only brought in three, now only these two left in stock!

The boys have been busy digging out some of our field-grown rhododendrons. Looking for mature-sized plants? These large sized, big-leaf rhodies are ready to go and priced to sell, starting at $79.95 and up! Hybrid varieties here, include: R. 'Capistrano', R. 'Ingrid Mehlquist', R. 'Kullervo', R. 'Hachmann's Polaris', R. 'Astrid', R. 'Florence Parks', R. 'Big Deal', R. 'Rangoon', R. 'Anna H. Hall', with more to come!