Hello Gardening Friend,

We hope you had a Happy Halloween! We've certainly enjoyed the much-needed rain and gorgeous weather.

If you need to decorate for Thanksgiving or you're already thinking about Christmas presents, we'd like to invite you to join us Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20 at Myers Park & Event Center in McKinney for Vintage Market Days. This is a great place to find unique, hand-crafted gifts. Click the link for tickets and additional information or see the ad below. 

Christmas trees will be arriving the week of Thanksgiving. This year we'll have Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, and Noble Fir in a range of sizes. We'll be closed Thanksgiving Day, but come by Friday morning, November 25, to see all that we have to offer. You'll find more information below.

We will be closed on Thursday, November 24 in observance of Thanksgiving. We'll resume normal business hours on Friday. 

Texas Arbor Day is Friday, November 4. You can learn more about it (and why Texas has their own Arbor Day) below.

We've decided to extend our Annual Tree & Shrub Sale for one more weekend. If you missed out, come see us November 11-13. Details below.

We are now hiring nursery salespeople! Pay begins at $15 hour + commission. If you or someone you know is interested, please email toni@shadesofgreeninc.com.

As always, if you want to know what's new at the nursery, check out our weekly Inventory Update video. We still have plenty of pansies and pumpkins in stock and all pumpkins are 75% off!

We hope you can get out and enjoy the lovely fall weather this month. 

Happy Thanksgiving, 

Jarratt Calvert
Operations Manager, Shades of Green Nursery + Landscape

Tree Sale Extension

For the first time ever, our Annual Tree & Shrub Sale, which ran September 1 through October 30, had almost no B&B (ball and burlap) trees. These are the larger trees with their root ball wrapped in burlap. Why? Because it was WAY too hot and dry in August and September to pull them out of the ground. Now that we've FINALLY had some rain and cooler weather is here, it is safe to transport them to Shades of Green. 

So, we've decided to EXTEND OUR TREE SALE for ONE WEEKEND ONLY!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13
Save on all trees & large shrubs 15-gallon size or larger.
(Sale discounts do not apply to planting fees.) 
Spend $1-$500 and save 10%.
Spend $501-$1000 and save 15%.
Spend $1000 or more and save 20%!

Texas Arbor Day

Texas Arbor Day is the first Friday in November. This is a better time to plant trees in Texas due to the cooler temperatures of the Fall. High temperatures occur around the state in the Spring when National Arbor Day is scheduled on the last Friday in April. That's way too close to the hot, dry weather of summer, which can really stress newly planted trees. Click here to learn more. 

Tips for Taking Care of Your Real Christmas Tree

"Do not allow the water level to drop below the fresh cut or the stem will reseal and be unable to drink. Christmas trees are very thirsty! It is not unusual for a tree to drink 2 gallons of water the first day it is in the stand." - read more here

Arriving This Week

Bromeliad, ZZ Plant, Rubber Tree, Fiddle-leaf Ficus, Monstera, Alocasia, Chinese Indigo, Little Daisy™ Gardenia, Camellia, Sunshine Ligustrum, Indian Hawthorn, Barberry, Nandina, Boxwood, 75% off pumpkins, 'Desperado' Texas Sage, 'Rising Sun Chestnut Gold' Rudbeckia, 'New Gold' Lantana, Mexican Mint Marigold, Variegated Society Garlic, Arctic Blaze® Salvia greggii, Owari Satsuma, Persian Lime, Mandarin Orange, Calamondin, Red Grapefruit, Lisbon Lemon, Thornless Key Lime, Arctic Frost Satsuma, Improved Meyer Lemon, Spotted Leopard Plant, Bear's Breeches, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Snow Princess® Sweet Alyssum, Ornamental Kale & Cabbage, Gerber Daisy, Petunia, Chrysanthemum, Marigold, Pansy, Viola and more available now at Shades of Green Nursery + Landscape. 

November Timely Tips

PLANT: Plant winter color! Pansies, violas, snapdragons, dianthus, ornamental kale & cabbage, and cyclamen. Now is the best time to plant shrubs, perennials, vines, and trees. Planting them now allows them to root-in and become established before next summer’s heat.

PRUNE: Prune trees, shrubs, and perennials as needed to keep things shapely. You can trim back old flower stalks and unsightly foliage on perennials if you are a tidy type. – Wait on major tree pruning until trees are dormant – usually mid-December to mid-February. Call an arborist for major tree trimming. – Remove the wires and stakes on trees that have been in the ground a year or longer. – Click here to download our How & When To Prune Perennials garden guide.

FERTILIZE: Fertilize pansies and other winter color with Blood Meal and/or a slow-release organic fertilizer. Sprinkle over the top and water in every two weeks. Use Superthrive® on newly planted trees once per month to get those roots established and growing.

PEST: Fire ants can mound up in cold, wet weather. Control them with Come and Get It (a great organic bait). – Keep your bird feeders filled with seed and fresh water in the bird baths.

WATER:  Hand water newly planted plants instead of running the whole sprinkler system. This concentrates the water where it’s needed most and saves water. Once trees and plants have shed their foliage and gone dormant, they require less water. – Water your plants once per week if we go two or more weeks without rain. – Use a moisture meter to help determine how dry your soil is before you water. – Run your sprinkler system manually to water your lawn if we get little to no rain in a 3-4 week time period. Remember, roots are still growing in winter. Don’t water during below freezing temps, which may create a safety hazard on pavements.

OTHER BITS: Now is the time to transplant those perennials, shrubs, roses, and crape myrtles that seemed to be unhappy this past season in their current circumstances. Be sure to use Superthrive® to help them get re-established in their new location.

The Shades of Green Show 

Shades of Green has our own show on YouTube! Hosted by Jarratt Calvert and Tim Wardell, the show aims to provide as much helpful information as possible to gardeners in North Texas, specifically residents of Collin County. Please like and subscribe to be notified when new episodes are posted. 

You can click the images below to see our latest videos!

Christmas Trees are Coming!

Christmas trees arrive the week of Thanksgiving. We'll be closed Thanksgiving Day, but come by Friday morning, November 25, to see all that we have to offer. We'll have three varieties this year in various sizes. If you like the "snow covered" look, any of our trees at our Frisco location can be flocked for an additional charge. 

FRASER FIR: Has branches that turn slightly upward. They have good form and needle-retention. They are dark blue-green in color. They have a pleasant scent, and excellent shipping characteristics as well.

DOUGLAS FIR: Has soft needles that are dark green to blue green in color and are approximately 1 to 1 ½ in. in length. Douglas-fir needles radiate in all directions from the branch. When crushed, these needles have a sweet fragrance. They are one of the top Christmas tree species in the U.S.

NOBLE FIR: Has needles that turn upward, exposing the lower branches. Known for its beauty, the noble fir has a long keepability, and its stiff branches make it a good tree for heavy ornaments, as well as providing excellent greenery for wreaths and garland.

Learn more about Christmas Trees at the National Christmas Tree Association.