I hope every one had a good Valentine’s day; and those of you waiting for this weekend, cheers!  If you bought or received roses for or from someone special, (Or you bought them for yourself because you're WORTH IT!) and you want to keep them alive or even re-grow them, I have a few simple steps to take that bouquet and turn in into a beautiful, thriving plant!

For many of us, this is resolution season.  It may be to get outside more, stop sitting around, eat better, or lose weight.  Well, this may not be the best month to get in the gardens, there are things to do.  There’s still time to plant spring bulbs, like tulips, daffodils, or alliums.   January is also a good time to get some pruning done on trees, shrubs, and woody perennials.  Doing so now allows one to see the structure of the plant better than when its covered in leaves.  Look first for any broken branches, then anything crossing or crowded branches. Once all of those are removed, step back and look at the over all shape of the plant.

First cut out all of the mushy stems and leaves.  Leave any stem that still firm and greenish, and any leaves that are halfway decent looking.

After you cut the stems back, hopefully you should see some water or sap flowing out of the cut.  That usually means the plant is alive and trying to make new leaves.

Succulents are all the rage right now, and they have been for a while.  It’s easy to see why.  They are low maintenance, interesting and colorful without flowers, making an arrangement attractive throughout the season.  Most come from extremely harsh climates, so bringing them here they almost grow too easily.  They can be planted in a trough or bowl for a mixed arrangement, planted in small individual pots that can be rearranged on the fly, or planted singly to use as a specimen.  They need full sun to stay healthy and vibrant, but usually this is not a problem in Oklahoma...until winter.  Most succulents are tropical or at least not pot-hardy here.

Conifers(and some evergreens), however, meet all of these requirements including that critical one.  They are evergreen, cold hardy, and for the most part, pot hardy, meaning they can be left outside all winter.  Something that can’t be done with most succulents.  But the best part is that they look great all year.  We carry a line of evergreens and hollies that are either dwarf or extremely slow growing, which means they only out grow a pot every 5+ years or so.

Rock Garden Holly

This hybrid Holly has shiny dark green leaves that are bronze when they emerge in the spring and during the growing season.  It’s mature size is only a foot tall and wide, so it’s perfect in a mixed pot or as a specimen or even a small bonsai.  The red berries in fall and winter make it ideal for decorating for the holidays!

Goshiki False Holly

This will grow into a larger shrub, about 5-6 feet tall and wide but responds well to shearing.  It has a holly-like leaf that is variegated, changing from pinks to copper to yellow as the seasons progress, giving it renewed interest all year.  It only grows three to six inches a year, but eventually, it will need a large pot or a home in your garden.

Wilma Monterey Cypress

This beauty has a soft, fine texture with a narrow, upright habit.  Another one that will get large (12’ tall X 4’ across).  This will do better solo in a pot or straight in the ground.  Its golden color is highlighted by cinnamon colored bark and lemon scented foliage.

Whipcord Red Cedar

This is for the fans of Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons.  You can almost hear the low grumbling as his plans are being thwarted by Bart.  Whipcords only get three to four feet across in the garden or pot and develop a lovely bronze color in winter.  Just watch out for the rakes as you plant it!

Jean’s Dilly Alberta Spruce

Similar to the typical dwarf Alberta Spruce but much more compact.  Growing only a couple inches a year, it will max out at three feet tall and about a foot wide.  Perfect for a mixed conifer bowl or collection of pots.

Upright Mugo Pine

Slow-growing, upright mugo with attractive cones.

Valley Cushion Mugo Pine

An extremely hardy, low-growing Mugo - less than a foot tall and four feet across, with a growth rate of three to five inches a year.  New buds are a rusty red that contrasts with the dark green foliage.