by Mary Beth Schwartz
When fall arrives in Bucks County, there is so much to enjoy—the changing leaves, autumn festivals, pumpkin and apple picking. The cooler weather is a pleasant change after the sweltering summer months. Most of all, fall is the perfect time for calling on Walter’s Nursery, Inc. for your landscaping needs.
“Fall is for planting. The cooler weather does not dry out the plants as quickly. Some plant selections do not like to be planted in the fall, such as the oak tree. Be sure to get advice from your nurseryman about these plants. Fall is the time to install new lawns. Seed should go in the ground by October 15 so that it has plenty of time to germinate before the frost arrives. Fall also is the time to prepare for winter. Clean up loose debris and leaf matter from landscape beds. Fallen leaves from plants can have fungus. If this gets into your soil, there could be a problem come spring. Also make sure plants are properly mulched for winter. This helps keep the temperature constant and protects the roots from frost damage,” says J. Willis Buck Walter, Head of Garden Design at Walter’s Nursery, Inc.
According to Buck Walter, a great tree to enjoy in autumn is the Parrotia. “Walter’s Nursery has been growing Parrotia for years. This is a single species genus of deciduous tree found in forests of the Caucasus and North Iran. The genus was named for F.W. Parrot, a German naturalist and traveler. Parrotia persica is a large garden tree—dense, spreading, and short trunked, with peeling gray and fawn bark when mature. The Parrotia is at its best in October as its leaves turn the most brilliant hues—reds, purples, oranges, and yellows all at the same time,” Walter says.
To finish reading this article go to page 112 in the Fall 2012 issue of Bucks County Magazine.