April 2010 Newsletter

Viola's News

The pansies, violas and our first two perennial shipments have come into the store which means one thing, the season is off and running. We will be receiving more perennials by next weekend. We have our best selection of pottery we have ever had, so if your pots are running out of steam, come on into the store.

I'm still adding items to the website to help you make an informative decision on what you plant. Rhubarb, garlic, potatoes and onion sets are here. This is the best time of year.

Those of you that follow my "Life Is Better" Blog, it is coming back at the end of the week! I'm pretty excited to get started!

What's Buggin'?

We are coming to thrips time of year if you are interested in reading more about them checkout our April 2009 Newsletter.

Walking through the neighborhood I've noticed a lot of the tips on the spruces were brown and limp like. The cause is a gall that is produced by insects called Cooley spruce gall adelgids (woolly aphids). The galls are light green during late spring and early summer then dry out turning brown in mid summer. The galls are filled with eggs from the adelgids. People often confuse the galls for seed cones.

The adelgids usually don't cause the tree much harm, but it can cause the tree to grow abnormally in the case of heavy infestations.

What to do? In minor cases on smaller trees you can just cut off the infected part of the branch and then dispose of it. In heavier cases or on taller trees you can spray with insecticidal soap or dormant oil.

Square Foot Gardening

Gro-well Brands has partnered with Mel Bartholomew the inventor of Square Foot Gardening. Together they have created an exclusively formulated mix of Mel's recommended soil, perfect for creating your own square foot garden.

That is great right? Well just like Emeril from the Food Network we are going to take it up a notch. They also have a square foot garden kit that takes 5-10 minutes to set up NO Hammers, No Screw Drivers, No Problem! You don't even have to mess with turning the soil. Just set up your kit and pour in the specifically formulated mix, that's it. We will be carrying 3 different sizes of the kits. We have one set up in the nursery so come on in and check it out.

Benefits Of Square Foot Gardening

Here are some benefits of Square Foot Gardening. Square Foot Gardening kits are very easy to set up! It took Robyn and me 5 minutes. This is also a great solution for gardeners that don't have a lot of room.

You never walk on your growing soil, and it's very easy to tend to your garden from the aisles.

You use less water and because it is a small area it is very easy to defend against predators, insects, weeds, and frost. If that was not enough we are also selling Mel's book it is packed with a lot of good information. This is a no brainer, everyone should give this a try.

Back To Basics

It is time to fertilize the lawn, we have a pure corn glutten fertilizer. Corn glutten is an organic source of nitrogen that is also a pre-emergent. It will last from 4 to 6 weeks. Corn glutten can be used on your lawn and in your garden.

It is important not to put in areas where you want seed to germinate. It will not kill weeds, it just prevents them from coming up.

Don't forget it is time to fertilize trees, shrubs and perennials with Yum Yum. Yum Yum has been getting good reviews from customers not to mention Dr. Dirt. If you have any questions we will be happy to help you.

Water Wise

Winter was good to us water wise. Depending on how long it has been since you have had snow pack you will have to start watering soon, especially if it warms up.

Make sure that you have your sprinkler systems checked, to make sure that they are watering correctly.

You should also get out there and freshen up your mulch to help retain moisture. Just remember keep it off the trunks of your trees and shrubs.