Welcome to Fairweather Gardens!

Fall 2010

Our print catalogue is now being delivered, and our Fall listings are up to date!

We are mail-order growers of unusual Trees, Shrubs & Perennials, and we strive to send out the best plants that you can order by mail. When you receive plants from us, we think you'll be in for a pleasant surprise if you have previously ordered only from mass merchandisers. We are a small, hands-on nursery, and we do not ship the tiny rooted cuttings or anemic little plantlets you may have received from others. Our plants are ready to set out in your garden and enjoy! We’re located in southern New Jersey, about an hour from Philadelphia, and we ship to all U.S. points east of the Rockies. Because of plant quarantines we cannot ship to other U.S. states or outside of the U.S.A. 

We're now taking orders for our Fall shipping season, which runs from mid-September through mid-November, weather permitting. For Spring shipments, please order from our Spring 2011 plant listings, which will be posted in January. 

You can visit us and purchase plants in person at our Open Houses. We think you’ll enjoy seeing our many unusual plants close up, and you can also purchase plants on the spot. For dates, please check our Calendar. 

What's new for Fall? We've got nearly 100 new plants scattered throughout our listings. Here are few highlights:

Striped Giant Reed Grass often loses its variegation in hot summers, but Arundo donax 'Peppermint Stick' keeps its fresh looks through the worst of summer heat and humidity.

A Weeping Redbud with purple leaves? Here it is! Cercis canadensis 'Ruby Falls'.

Great new Echinaceas are here, and our listings include many of them.

New Hakonechloas never seem to stop coming, and we've got a couple of knockouts!

Among the new Magnolias are 'Daphne', the best yellow according to Arboretum Wespelaar in Belgium; 'Genie', a dwarf with purple flowers off and on all summer; 'Swarthmore Sentinel', a narrow-growing Yulan Magnolia; and a variegated-leaf form of the great Magnolia 'Elizabeth'.

Sassafras albidum. After many years this great native tree is finally available again.

Out with winter doldrums and in with Witch Hazels! We’ve got one of the largest collections of winter-blooming Witch Hazels in North America, and if you need more encouragement, then pick up Chris Lane’s Witch Hazel book, recently out from Timber Press.

A special note on fall planting. We're often asked if it's all right to plant in fall. In general, fall is an excellent time to plant since plants have six months to get their roots into the ground before they are required to put out new growth or flowers. However, if a plant is marginally hardy in your area, we advise you to wait till spring, so that the plant has a full growing season before the following winter. Camellias, in particular, should be planted in fall only from southern Virginia southward (Zone 7/8). Magnolias are another special case in that they should be fall planted only in Zone 6 and southward. (Click on Hardiness Zones if you're not sure in which Zone you're located.)

It's easy to contact us by email, fax, or regular mail. You may also phone us during business hours. Our business hours are Monday-Friday, 8-12 and 1-5, Eastern Time. We’re often out in the nursery, but you can leave a message, and we’ll get back to you shortly. We look forward to hearing from you!

Robert Hoffman