TGIF-The Garden Is Fabulous!

"If you order the plants, they will come."

That was the whisper we heard this past week. With warmer weather, and wonderful availabilities from our suppliers, we decided to fill every nook and cranny of our nursery with a plant of some sort. This sort of ordering can be a gamble. What if you weren't ready? What if you decided not to garden for a while? What if, dare I say it, there was a freeze?

Thankfully, you showed up, like bears to honey, to see and purchase some of the coolest plants out there. For example, the Evergreen Clematis, that was mentioned in the blog previously, has been snapped up by many of you! The ever-expanding selection of herbs has been a huge draw! Oh, and, of course, citrus sales are still going strong!

I thought I might interest you all in a meal idea which uses some of the plants in stock now! It's Paella! This Spanish dish can be made a million different ways. Recipes abound on line and in thousands of cook books. Here is a picture of mine.



The great thing about this dish is that it is a great use of garden favorites like:
red bell peppers, cilantro, and lemons! It is as attractive as it is tasty, and makes a great presentation for company. Even better is that it is a one dish meal!

So, we'll see you at the store soon!

Happy Easter! (FYI-we're closed Easter.)

Compose Yourself Maam. It's A Clematis.

I understand your excitement though. It's an Evergreen Clematis, and it's one of our arrivals that we seldom see. Its striking blooms and evergreen foliage is enough to make anyone go ga-ga. That's right-GA-GA. It's the same feeling that a fashion-lover might get upon spying the latest hand bag. You can't carry this Clematis with you everywhere, but you can, most certainly, carry one home.



Sometimes it is important for people not to take gardening so seriously. When done right, it should be a creative release and not a source of frustration. To help lighten the mood try these funny Veggie Stakes to label your plants. They're cute, corny, and cool gifts.

When it's raining, nothing could be more fun than measuring the drops in one of these silly little guys. Kids will enjoy finding one of these rain-gauge creatures waiting for them in the garden. Consider one for your young Master Gardener.



For those of you looking to sprinkle some Spring indoors, check out our retro-animal baskets and old-fashioned pull toys. They bring a sense of nostalgia and seasonal style all at the same time. Surprise friends with an Easter basket that they'll remember forever. Bring relatives one as a center piece.


Three-year-old Ava of Wilmington Island came by Hester and Zipperer the other day, and I couldn't resist showing her off as a young gardener with style!



Boots never looked so good!

The Kumquat is the New Key Lime

There are millions of recipes using citrus fruits, but I have to admit that I've always been a little unsure of what to do with Kumquats. Sure, they look beautiful on the tree, but I'd wonder, "What have you little buggers done for me lately?"

Thankfully, Juanita De Gennaro, arrived in our store the other day with just the recipe to allow the Kumquat to shine.

Kumquat Pie

2/3 cup of Kumquats
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
8oz Cool Whip
Can of Condensed Milk
Graham Cracker Crust

Cut Kumquats in half and take out seeds. Place in blender (skin and all) and blend until smooth. Pour in a large bowl, add other ingredients, blend well, and pour in to the crust. Place pie in the freezer to set. Serve frozen.

Carnivorous Plants-Yikes!

Ring Around The Organically-Grown Roses

There are people that grow everything organically, and there are people that grow roses. People who do both are a rare breed. I almost consider them a Fairy Tale group of gardeners that work with magic wands rather than trowels. They've got their own spells, or recipes, for fertilizers, soils, insect repellents, and more. One of these magic formulas I will share with you today. This came from a former employee of ours, and tales of its success are still coming in.

Per Rose Bush

3 cups of dehydrated cow manure
5 cups alfalfa meal
1/3 cup bat guano
1 cup bone meal
1 cup cottonseed meal
1/4 cup blood meal
1 cup triple super phosphate


This would be a lovely time to pick up a Knock Out Rose at H&Z and try it out!

Garden Centers Bring Up More Than Flowers

Garden Centers are constantly striving to be more than stores. To be successful, they must become part of the community. To do so, many form partnerships with local charities,schools,and businesses.

Hester and Zipperer is taking this approach on a number of different fronts. Hester and Zipperer employee, Kristen Phillips is working with Wilmington Island's May Howard Elementary to establish an outdoor classroom. It will serve as a learning tool and directly relate to the students' curriculum. Members of May Howard's faculty, as well as other volunteers, are hoping to make this a prototype for other schools throughout Chatham County.

Hester and Zipperer has also worked to address the ferral cat problem on Wilmington Island by accepting donations for a spay and neuter fund residing at Island's Vet Care. While funds exist, Wilmington Island residents can humanely trap ferral cats and use the fund to have them fixed. (Contact Island's Vet Care at 897-1121 for more info on procedures and prices.)To facilitate this process, the Wilmington Island location also lends out a "Have a Hart" trap free of charge. We also sell them if you want one for your very own.

Customers should watch out for products benefiting national causes like the fight against breast cancer.



Hester and Zipperer employee, Alex Brown, spent Friday setting up a display of pink garden tools that will benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation. These are wonderful gifts for the lady in your life, and also a cute way to introduce a little girl to the garden. (If you know a guy who likes pink-hey...)

It's Good To Be Back!

Well, I've made it back from my internship at Riddle's Elephant Sanctuary, and it seems that I've come back to wonderful gardening weather! Tomorrow it is supposed to be 80 degrees! God Bless the South. Remember that Mother Nature can be fickle though. We are not out of danger for frost until around St. Patrick's Day. That being said, there are plenty of plants in stock that are just aching to make your yards look great.

Butterfly gardeners can get an early start with our gallon pots of Scabiosa. The lavender blooms, also called Pincushion Flowers, stand on wire-like stems and give a sense of whimsy to a landscape. Of course, that reliable work horse, Lantana, is also available to feed your butterfly cronies. Gardeners not familiar with the newer dwarf varieties should come check them out, because they can be accomodated by small gardens and containers easier than their massive counterparts.

Caladium and Elephant Ear bulbs have just arrived, and there are varieties for almost every lighting situation. These trobical looking beauties make excellent backdrops for flowers like Begonias and Impatiens that will arrive later in Spring.
A garden spot that stays moist, has soil rich in organic matter, and protected from strong winds is ideal for both Caladiums and Elephant Ears, and don't forget that they can make striking additions to containers. Monthly fertilizing is a good plan to keep their foliage healthy.

If your New Year's Resolution is to eat healthier, than we can help. Let us show you how to plant an attractive container of salad greens, or better yet, have one custom made! You'll also want to keep an eye out for fruit trees that will be arriving in the nursery soon. Of course, our recent shipment of Citrus can hold you over until then. Don't forget to ask about the proper fertilizer as well.

Lastly, Valentine's Day is approaching. This would be a good time to ask your gardening sweetie what they might enjoy for their plot. Don't forget good gifts like bird houses,bird feeders, and bird baths!