

PLANT GIFT WRAPPING FOR A SMALL FEE.
Take a look at some of the Valentine’s Day gifts available at PAYNE’S NORTH!




PLANT GIFT WRAPPING FOR A SMALL FEE.
Take a look at some of the Valentine’s Day gifts available at PAYNE’S NORTH!
Get ready! The Year of the Snake slithered in on January 29th, 2025, bringing a wave of wisdom, transformation, and creativity. This isn’t just any Snake – it’s the Wood Green Snake, a mystical blend of intuition and growth that promises a year of thoughtful progress and exciting opportunities.
In Chinese astrology, the Snake symbolizes intelligence, elegance, and quiet strength. Paired with the Wood element, 2025 becomes a year of creativity, flexibility, and nurturing energy. Ready to shed old habits and embrace new possibilities? The Snake is your guide to personal transformation, whether in your career, relationships, or inner growth.
Four Lucky Plants for the AuspiciousYear of the Dragon in 2024
Gong Xi Fa Cai! As we joyously step into the vibrant and auspicious Year of the Dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar, there’s an extra surge of excitement and anticipation in the air. The dragon, a symbol of power, good fortune, and transformation, is believed to bring heightened energy and positive change in 2024. This celestial creature, known for its mythical presence, signifies success, courage, and prosperity. So, why not join in on this celebration by adorning your living space with plants that not only symbolize wealth, health, and happiness but also align with the powerful energy that the Year of the Dragon brings? Thanks to Salisbury Greenhouses for this article.
Here are four lucky plants to make your home a haven of abundance in this extraordinary year.
Money Tree (Pachira Aquatica):
The Money Tree is another fantastic option for those seeking financial prosperity. With its braided trunk and lush green foliage, the Money Tree is believed to bring good luck and positive energy. The five leaves on each stem are said to represent the five elements of feng shui, making it an ideal choice for attracting wealth. Place your Money Tree in the wealth corner of your living space and watch as it flourishes, bringing financial abundance and good fortune throughout the year.
Orchid (Orchidaceae)
Embodying grace, beauty, and strength, the Orchid is a symbol of love, fertility, and prosperity in Chinese culture. Its elegant blooms and soothing fragrance make it a perfect addition to any home. During the Year of the Dragon, consider placing an orchid in the southwest corner of your living space to enhance your love and relationship luck. Whether you choose a single-stemmed orchid or a cascading arrangement, this plant is sure to bring a touch of sophistication and positive energy to your surroundings.
Jade Plant (Crassula Ovata): Known as the “money plant” or “dollars and cents,” the Jade Plant is associated with prosperity and financial success in Chinese culture. With its small, round leaves and sturdy branches, the Jade Plant is believed to attract wealth and good fortune. Place it in the southeast corner of your home or office, known as the wealth sector, to enhance its money-drawing properties. As a resilient succulent, the Jade Plant is easy to care for, making it an excellent addition to your auspicious plant collection.
Citrus Tree (Citrus spp.) In the spirit of the Year of the Dragon, consider bringing the vibrant energy of a Citrus Tree into your home. Citrus trees, such as lemon or orange, are associated with prosperity, abundance, and good luck. The bright fruits symbolize wealth and are believed to bring positive energy into your space. Place a potted Citrus Tree in a well-lit area to encourage healthy growth and let the refreshing scent of citrus fill your home, creating a lively and auspicious atmosphere.
WHAT DID THE ROMANS HAVE TO DO WITH THE LEGEND OF VALENTINE’S DAY!
ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION!
In this week’s archived show from previous years, the Garden Guru gave us a history lesson about the origins of Valentine’s Day.
Legend has it that back during the Roman Empire, there was this guy named Valentinas and he had this habit of cutting hearts out of red parchment paper and handing them out to people that he would run across. Now some of the people that he gave them to were soldiers of the Roman army… and one of the things that he was doing that kind of got him into trouble was that he was performing weddings for lovesick soldiers!
Now weddings were frowned upon by the folks of the Roman army because they thought that soldiers have to keep their mind on fighting and nothing else. So when they found out who was performing these weddings they rounded up poor little Valentina and they threw him in jail. Well, in jail he met the jailer’s daughter and she was blind! Legend has it that somehow he cured her blindness and the jailer became kind of fond of this Valentinas guy! So the jailer did him some special favors! And just before his execution… WELL… you need to listen to the Garden Guru to find out what happened to Valentinas?
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE GARDEN GURU’S
ARCHIVED RADIO SHOW ON THIS TOPIC.
HAPPY GARDENING!
Now that the beginning of February has been unseasonably warm so far … and you are getting SPRING FEVER … Payne’s doesn’t recommend fertilizing any outdoor plants at this time. But please continue to water your outdoor plants during these fluctuating degrees of weather.
Fertilizing your plants will enhance and encourage NEW growth and a possible hard freeze may cause damage to the new buds. It’s not time yet.
Wait until towards the end of FEBRUARY or beginning or MARCH to start fertilizing, but keep an eye on the weather. It’s better to have more days above 45 or 50 degrees! We’ll let you know when it’s time and safe to start feeding your plants.
February’s a great month to get your seeds for this year’s crop of annual flowers. Buy now and avoid the last minute rush, because by May 15th, our last official frost date, a lot of stores will have run out of the highest-demand seeds. Our number #1 best-selling annual flower seed? Blue-flowered morning glories (Ipomoea purpurea ‘Clarke’s Heavenly Blue’), followed closely by sunflowers (Helianthus annuus).
If you have a greenhouse, fluorescent light plant-growing units, or a very sunny sunroom, late February isn’t too early to start seeds of begonias, petunias, pansies, violas, lobelias, and snapdragons, which take a long time to mature to blooming size. (We’ll also have tons of lovely annuals for sale in four-packs March onwards.)
One of the most important secrets to successful gardening in New Mexico is mulch, mulch, mulch. Composts make the best mulches because they improve the soil they cover. Bark mulches are used for decorative reasons or to hold compost mulch in place, but may interfere with nutrient cycling if directly in contact with the soil surface.
Composts can also be used as soil amendments. Northern New Mexico soils are very high in some minerals but usually very low in nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter. Organic matter is necessary not only for soil moisture retention, but also for maintaining adequate populations of beneficial soil microbes, essential in facilitating plant nutrient uptake. The right compost for your yard depends on the type of soil you have.
In addition to the composts ready to load at POSY we can make custom blends to fit your soil needs.
CLICK HERE for more information or call SAM “the WORM MAN” if you have any questions regarding BULK soil, mulch, pumice or compost at 505-424-0336.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK!
CONGRATULATIONS Kris M. from Santa Fe!
Photo of a two-tailed swallowtail and perennials at our Payne’s North Greenhouse
WINNER of this WEEK’S PAYNE’S PHOTO OF THE WEEK
and $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE!
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SHARE YOUR PHOTOS! Please keep sending in your photos.
You Could WIN a $25 Gift Card!
If you have a photo taken in one of our greenhouses or of your own garden orlandscape that contains products from Payne’s, please send it to info@paynes.com!
If your photo is chosen, and used in our e-newsletter website or other marketingmaterials, then you will receive a Gift Certificate from Payne’s for $25!Please make sure to give us your contact information in your email.
by The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Here’s THIS MONTHS ZODIAC SIGN PROFILE AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU GARDEN:
AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 to FEBRUARY 19)
Aquarius deepens the winter. Being an extremely independent individual, you favor easy-care plants like pumpkins and squashes (whose leaves quickly shade and kill weeds) meandering alongside your walkways and patios. Peas and snow peas can be found climbing radiantly up your porch railings, while tomatoes appeal to your egalitarian nature. The annual scattering of wildflowers brings great joy to your heart. In the kitchen, all manner of fruits can be found stacked in your bowls and on counters and tables. What can be simpler than wash-and-eat? Eclectic friends bring ethnic tabboulehs, ratatouilles, and couscous to share enthusiastically.