Pender Nursery would like to congratulate Shirley Fleetwood and Tiffany Wolfe on recently passing the North Carolina Certified Plant Professional certification. This certification consists of a written test and a plant identification test that seeks to recognize proficiency in the nursery industry.

They proudly join Pender Nursery's current CPPs:
Chris Brown
Mike Ferrell
Tony Ferrell
Chris Hardison
Doug Wright

Fall is a great time for planting, and what is more enjoyable after a long hot summer than the crispness in the air on a beautiful fall day. Not only do the cooler temperatures make it more pleasureable for you to get in the garden, but they are also an added benefit for fall planting.

Cooler fall temperatures mean that trees and shrubs planted in the fall loose less water due to evaporation and transpiration, thus reducing the amount of water needed for your new transplant. (This does not mean you do not need to water fall planted items.)

While the air temperatures are getting cooler, the ground temperatures have been warming due to the heating of the summer sun. These warmer ground temperatures help promote root growth, and root growth will continue through the winter as long as the ground temperatures are above freezing, even while the above ground portion of the plant is dormant.

With the root growth trough the winter, plants will start their spirng growth with an established root system. This produces better spring blooming and well as more vigorous new growth. So make plans now for those fall projects, and get ready for a spring full of blooms.

Offering multi-season color and interest, Encore Azaleas make a great base plant for container plantings. Whether your hometown often experiences winters that are a little too frosty for Encore Azaleas, or you live in warmer regions and just want to add an impressive accent to your patio, Encore Azaleas can brighten any area now! The sky is the limit with these impressive blooming azaleas; add mixes of perennials, annuals, grasses, or cascading plants to make unique and interesting combinations of brilliant color and texture.

After many reqests from customers and employees, Pender Nursery now has common names added to our website. If you go to the Plant Guide tool bar and select one of the plant groups, you will see the common name in parentheses beside the botanical name. The common name also appears on the individual description pages of each plant.

Also, under the Plant Guide you will see a Search bullet. This search feature allows you to search by botanical name, common name, or other parameters such as sun requirements, height, water requirements, etc. to find the right plant for a particular location. Good luck in your search!

Pender Nursery is proud to be a Licensed grower of the Encore Azalea® since 1999.