Spring is just around the corner and that means you'll soon be visiting us for all your gardening needs. Our greenhouse staff will be glad to help you choose the perfect plants for your landscape. We have a great selection of pots and containers for your deck, patio and porch.

We offer custom potting of containers with the plants of your choice. Bring in your containers from home (or purchase ours), choose your plants, and talk with our staff about your selections and in a few days you can come back and pick up your container — ready to be displayed at your home. Instant color without getting your hands dirty!

What's New in Annuals for 2001?

BACOPA, Candy Blue Floss — This new Bacopa is light blue and grows with a mounding habit.

PETITUNIA — This new type of petunia has small flowers that are self cleaning and great for baskets or containers. They are exceptionally tolerant to heat and humidity. They are available in three colors — Bright Dream, Happy Dream and Purple Dream.

DIASCIA — This cold tolerant plant is available in two new varieties: Sunchimes Coral and Red. This makes a great accent plant or a bedding plant. It blooms continuously to fall.

NEMESIA, Sachet Peach, Blueberry and Vanilla are added to our other varieties. This fragrant plant is ideal for small pots and makes a great accent plant.

Illumination VINCA VINE — is a new variety of Vinca Vine with yellow and green variegated leaves. It is not as invasive as the regular vinca vine.

ARGYRANTHEMUM, Comet Pink — This grey foliaged, single pink daisy flower is great in a combination or alone in your garden.

GAZANIA, Daybreak Rose Stripe — Rich magenta stripes on a creamy background make this a showy drought tolerant, sun loving annual. It reaches a height of 8 inches.

Kontiki — This unique mix of 20 different colors of Gazania has dark green foliage. The flowers will also stay open longer in the day.

IMPATIENS, Showstopper Peach Flair — Salmon orange with red highlights.

IMPATIENS, Showstopper Buttercream — Creamy white.

IMPATIENS, Accent Midnight Rose — This is the first Accent with a dark leaf.

PORTULACA, Margarita Rosita — AAS winner for 2001, this plant thrives in hot growing conditions. This drought tolerant semi—double deep pink flower grows 4—6" high and spreads to 12 inches.

NICOTIANA, Avalon Bright Pink — AAS Winner 2001, the perfect annual for the gardener who wants season long color without the garden maintenance. Bright pink star shaped flowers. 7—10" high; space this 8—10" apart.

VINCA, Victory Series — This new series of Vinca is sure to please everyone! The colors of this new series are totally different from the others. We will carry Cranberry, Purple, Red and White.

ZINNIAS, Profusion White — AAS winner 2001, this gold medal winner exhibits powdery mildew resistance. The plant performs with minimal garden care in full sun. This single daisy white Zinnia will grow about 12" tall; space about 12" apart in your garden.

PETUNIAS, Kahuna White — This white spreading petunia will spread to 4'. Reaching 18" tall. This variety is comparable to the Waves.

What's New in Vegetables for 2001!

Each year, we strive to improve our selection of vegetables available to our customers. This year is no exception! Look for these new varieties of vegetables this spring.

TOMATO 'Jolly' — This large, dark pink cherry tomato is an All American Selection winner for 2001. Clusters ripen in bunches of 9—14 fruits; perfect for dinner salads. The plant is indeterminate and fruits are crack—resistant.

TOMATO 'Cherokee Purple' — An heirloom tomato, Cherokee Purple produces an abundance of juicy, purple skinned fruits.

ONION 'Red Wing' — This small red onion is perfect for salads or grilling. It's storage capability and great flavor make this a superior onion.

ONION 'Super Star' — Super Star is the first onion to win an All American Selection Award in over 30 years. Jumbo sweet white fruits can weigh over a pound!

PEPPER 'Giant Marconi' — This green Italian pepper is best used for grilling. It's smoky, sweet flavor, size and disease resistance was rewarded with an All American Selection award for 2001!

New Herbs!

This year Ashcombe is adding 7 new varieties of scented geraniums to our extensive collection. We have also added 6 new herbs including 'Licorice Verbena,' 'Tangerine Sage,' and 'Lavender Sage.' 2001 marks the 'Year of the Sage,' and Ashcombe will be introducing 5 new types of Salvia (or Sage) in honor of this universal favorite.

Sage, or salvia as it is often called, is a diverse group of plants. Sage comes in annual and perennial varieties as well as an herb that can be used to season a wide range of dishes. In Pennsylvania, most herbal sages are either perennial or a tender perennial, meaning that a heavy mulching is needed to overwinter outdoors.

Salvia, which comes from the Latin word meaning "to heal," has been used since ancient times throughout the world to treat everything from insomnia to snakebites to measles. It is a universal 'heal—all' and held in great regard even still today.

Sage can range in size from 16—40 inches and blooms in an array of colors including blue, purple, violet, red and white. Sage is also graced with unusual foliage that accents any container or landscape.

Sage can be used in many different ways but is most often used in cooking. Sage has also been used medicinally, in perfumes, cosmetics, preservatives, for aromatherapy...the list goes on and on!

Look for these new varieties of sage in our herb department: Fruit, Honeydew, Lavender, Mexican Bush and Tangerine.

Outstanding Evergreens, Trees and Shrubs

EVERGREENS

Ilex meservae 'Honey Maid' — Rich, golden yellow and butter—cream decorate each green leaf of this 5 foot evergreen female holly. Pollinate with a blue male.

Juniper horizontalis 'Mother Lode' — This ground cover juniper makes a striking gold accent in the landscape all year long. Spreads to 3 feet.

Pieris 'Flaming Silver' — A lovely spring flowering evergreen. Young foliage emerges red. Pink leaf margins age to white.

Prunus laurocerus 'Otto Luyken' — This 'Cherry laurel' has glossy evergreen foliage and sweetly fragrant April flowers that make it a nice 3—4' hedge for the shade.

Thuja occidentalis 'Danica' — This compact conifer only grows 11/2 feet tall and wide! Wow!

Thuja occidentalis 'Teddy' — This fantastic, soft, huggable conifer is absolutely adorable in a trough or rock garden. Grows to only 1 foot tall and wide.

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS

Berberis thunbergii 'Royal Burgundy' — This new barberry has foliage with the look of rich red velvet. Fall color is almost black. Wow! Grows to only 2 feet tall.

Buddleia davidii 'Summer Beauty' — The rich, deep pink flowers on this Butterfly Bush are very fine. The compact growth habit and silvery foliage are distinctive.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Hanabi' — The unique lace—cap flowers of this Japanese Hydrangea are comprised of pink, doubled florets. A remarkable plant!

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Izu No Hana' — This amazing Japanese Hydrangea has pure white, lace—cap flowers with huge, double florets. Unique and beautiful!

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Parzifal' — The huge blooms of this Hydrangea range in color from dark pink to deep blue — depending on your soil pH.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Pee Wee' — This petite Oakleaf Hyrangea grows only 2—3 feet tall.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' — Huge, cone—shaped flowers on this Oakleaf Hydrangea are held upright for a stunning display.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake' — Double florets on this Oakleaf Hydrangea make it a knockout!

Lagerstroemia indica 'Pocomoke' — This dwarf Crape Myrtle grows to only 2 feet tall. Long blooming summer flowers are fuschia—lavender.

Viburnum dentatum 'Blue Muffin' — The abundant white spring flowers on this 5 to 7 foot shrub are followed by fabulous, blue, late summer fruits. Great for the bird garden!

Viburnum dilatatum 'Cardinal Candy' — This 5 foot Linden Viburnum will knock your socks off with its spring display of white flowers and fall show of vibrant red berries.

TREES

Cercis canadensis 'Lavender Twist' — This unusual form of the native Red Bud is ideal for small landscapes. Mature size is only 5 feet tall and 6—8 feet wide. Wow!

Cornus kousa 'Rosabella' — Korean Dogwood is disease resistant and a fabulous small ornamental tree with year—round beauty. Rosabellas' boast pink spring flowers, showy summer fruits, crimson fall color and smooth gray bark.

Fagus tricolor — For the mid—sized to larger yard, this breath—taking 50 foot tree is a perfect focal point. Enjoy its fabulous purple, rose and cream foliage.

Franklinia alatamaha — Ben Franklin tree is a rare native tree beloved for it's fragrant, white summer flowers. Demands very particular growing conditions.

Magnolia 'Butterflies' — This 20' tall, late spring bloomer will brighten your landscape with magnificent yellow flowers.

Magnolia 'Galaxy' — This lovely pyramidal magnolia will astound you with it's red—purple tulip—shaped flowers. Use as an accent or specimen. Great for tight spaces.

Syringa reticulata 'Ivory Silk' — The creamy—white flowers of this Japanese Tree Lilac are a welcome addition to the June garden. Flowering begins at an early age! Grows 20—25 feet.

Garden Additions Galore!

The arrival of spring means the arrival of many new items in the Garden Supplies department at Ashcombe! This year, of course, is no exception. Our line of garden products, designed purely for the pleasure of gardening entertainment, continues to grow with the following additions: