Foliar Fireworks as a Fall Finale

Sorry it's taken us a while to get back to posting. Like most gardeners, there aren't enough hours in the summer to do everything, and it's been a busy, busy summer and autumn here at Baldwin's Nurseries. Things are quieting down now as we put away the stock for the winter and start thinking about next spring. We're still open in case you are looking for inspiration, gift ideas for family or friends, advice or one more plant to tuck in this autumn.

We've noticed some truly spectacular autumn colour this year, in many of the deciduous shrubs and trees. While Japanese maples are known for the dramatic colour display they put on each fall, they seem to be particularly fantastic this year, as well as late in dropping their leaves.

This red tipped gold leafed maple is one of ours grown from seed.

While this is an upright, green-leafed form that turns incredible shades of red, gold, pink and copper.

This beauty is the tricolour maple 'Butterfly', which is gorgeous from the the time its first leaf opens until the last leaf drops. 

It's not just the maples that have been putting on a show. The dawn redwoods, both the golden 'Ogon' and the regular green variety, turn wonder shades of copper, peach, gold before dropping their needles for another fall.

While the oak leaf hydrangea is marginally hardy for some parts of the province, if you can grow it, it's well worth nurturing a little just for the remarkable fall colour display. Even while pushing new, green leaves, the giant large leaves are richly tinged with burgundy, ruby, pink and bronze.

We are well known as being fond of ornamental grasses, many of which come into their own in autumn. The flower heads are wonderfully showy, but the foliage provides a great display as well--more subtle, perhaps, than the maples and sumacs and other brilliantly coloured showoffs, but lovely just the same.

Some of the magnolias are shimmering with buttery gold foliage. They don't all turn this rich shade, and sometimes the fall winds strip the leaves before they get a chance to change colour. Despite the winds we've all had this autumn, a clump of them have managed to dazzle visitors.

Visitors who have seen the foliage of the Cornus kousa in its luminescent fall finery are tempted to try a tree in their gardens next year. The flowers that come on in May and last for many weeks are showstoppers, but we think this end of season blaze of glory is pretty fantastic too, don't you?

Baldwin's is blooming nicely despite the wet spring

Despite it being a very wet and cool month of May so far, things are blooming nicely at Baldwin's Nurseries. It's been a very busy time, first with the successful and hectic Saltscapes Expo, and now with some changes to the nursery property.  

In the nursery trade, we often remark that cool, wet weather brings out the serious gardeners, the ones who like to take their time looking through nursery stock, chat with staff about challenges and interests in their garden, without a lot of rushing around. There's certainly lots to see around our nursery right now, from the early-blooming rhododendrons like the PJMs,

To the blazing colours of the quinces, with their showy pink, red, or scarlet flowers.

This seems to be an outstanding year for magnolia bloom around the province, as we're hearing reports of fantastic bloom on most people's trees and shrubs. The Leonard Messills have been fantastic for us this spring, with a rich display of colour.

We've brought in some new Japanese maples for those with a fondness for these handsome, colourful trees. The cutleaf varieties are especially popular.

We have a selection of hostas, which are beloved by many shade gardeners but also work well in container plantings, or as border plants around trees and shrubs.

One of our favourite flower-and-foliage plants this year is Dicentra 'Burning Hearts' bleeding heart. Its lacy, blue-green foliage contrasts nicely with the rich crimson-red heartshaped flowers. This is a low-growing variety that spreads gradually, and blooms for a long time.

Last year tree peonies were especially popular, and we have brought in more this year. These are magnificent plants, taking a few years to get well established, but even with only a few blooms they are showstopping and wonderful.

These photos represent only a very tiny portion of what's in bloom, or what's in bud, at Baldwin Nurseries. We're open 7 days a week, and we look forward to helping you get inspired about your garden landscape. Don't worry about the rain--it will stop one of these days. It always does. And we're always glad to see you, rain or shine.

Welcome to Baldwin Nurseries!

Welcome to the official launch of the Baldwin Nurseries blog. Baldwin Nurseries is located in Upper Falmouth, Nova Scotia, just outside of Windsor.

Baldwin Nurseries has been in operation since 1995, and we specialize in shrubs, trees, and perennials suitable for the maritime gardener. We have more than 5 acres of potted trees, shrubs and perennials available for the home gardener as well as for professional landscapers.

Spring is a little early in Nova Scotia this year, but we're ready for it with a huge selection of flowering shrubs, broadleaf and coniferous evergreens, Japanese maples, and interesting perennials such as this tree peony. We're open 7 days a week, 9 am to 5 pm. You can click here for directions to our nursery.

Over the coming weeks we'll be developing this blog with information on current events, sales, profiles of special plants, and more. If you are looking for something special, come and see us--we pride ourselves on carrying a wide selection of well-grown, healthy, and interesting plants, so there's usually something for every gardener.
Here's the nursery owner, Robert Baldwin, industriously watering a collection of golden Japanese Forest Grass, Hakenechloa 'All Gold'. This is just one of many ornamental perennial grasses available at the nursery. Come and visit!