March 2013 Newsletter
Viola’s News
We are officially OPEN for the 2013 season! With Flagstaff finally showing early signs of our upcoming Spring, Viola’s is busy preparing for an amazing planting season! Viola’s is planning plenty of remarkable events for everyone to join in with this year. As the snow begins to melt and the days slowly start becoming warmer, more Spring flowers will begin to arrive. This month we will begin to receive our first shipments of annuals, perennials, seeds, and loads of other items to get Spring started right!
Another year and we are celebrating the return of our first and most dedicated employee; Shaniqua! She just celebrated her 13th Birthday and is ready to return to work and greet everyone.
With a new planting season, we are excited to introduce new ideas and features at Viola’s. Spring Cleaning is in full effect, so watch out for some new features around the store. We plan on implementing new elements such as a new store layout and a Community/Store Information Board. Come on in to see what’s new at Viola’s!
We are also now accepting applications for open positions for the 2013 season. Positions we are accepting for include the Store/Nursery, our Maintenance Crew, and a Graphic/Web Site Designer. Applications are available in store. Please indicate which position the application is regarding.
Pansy Party 2013
Come celebrate the beginning of Spring at Viola’s with our Pansy Party! We will be offering fun, innovative ways to enjoy these pretty posies. As Spring slowly begins to show itself around town, everyone is catching a critical case of Spring planting fever. Pansies are a cold hardy, colorful annual that is perfect for the fluctuating Spring weather. Our Pansy Party is scheduled for the beginning of April, so stay tuned for more details.
Back To Basics
Looking out among the garden now it seem hard to believe that in a couple of months we will be planting our tomatoes and other tender veggies and flowers. To ensure that our plants and lawns receive the nutrition that is essential for photosynthesis, flower and fruit production, we need to look at our soil.
The winter slows the metabolism of the soil processes and microorganisms. In order to boost the soil activity and add needed nutrients to the soil, a soil amendment or fertilizer can be used to enhance the garden.
Viola’s has just what your soil needs, with great amendments such as Yum-Yum and the entire Soil Secrets line.
Soil Secrets:
The Soil Secrets line is based around 4 main products. These products work together to jump start the natural soil process, they propagate soil micro-organisms and work to feed and enhance the progression of natural soil production. Basically, the product work collectively to “grow” you a better garden starting with the soil.
TerraPro: Inoculation of soil micro-organisms that produce the healthy, nutrient-rich humus. (Black/Brown part of soil that retains water and improves soil structure.)
Protein Crumblies: Feeds the inoculated micro-organisms that are found in the soil. It provides the amino acid building blocks that offer the best nutrition for the soil food web.
Earth Ambrosia: A liquid version of the TerraPro, faster working and suitable for immediate results.
Earth Nectar: Concentrated liquid microbe-composed enzymes made from compost, whole kelp, humus, and plant extracts. An invigorating mix of soil boosting enzymes, like super vitamins for the soil and your plants.
Seedling Starting:
An early start to the season is always the best way to usher in Spring-time. With the Flagstaff weather as unpredictable as always, the best way to start is with some indoor seedling kits. Tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and other veggies can be fun to start indoors. Or great means to a gain a much needed head start on our notoriously short season, especially if the variety is a rare, cold-hardy, and short-season Stupice or Siletz tomato. Or just a fun way to show the kids that Summer Break is just around the corner.
We have seed starting kits, seedling soil and a whole building filled with flower and vegetable seeds. So come on in and take a look at some of the many different seed varieties and pick out something fun to try.
Water Wise
Our Winter may not be completely over, but as the weather warms up all the garden perennials, shrubs and trees will waking up and that means everyone will need to start watering soon. As we ease back into the growing season start with watering once a week to wake up the lawn, garden and landscaping. Increase watering as the weather warms up.
What to do?
Pre-Spring cleaning time! Take this opportunity to clean up and survey the garden and landscape. Prune back winter damage on trees and shrubs and cut back your perennials if you have not done so already.
Time to prep! Spring always seems to take forever in arriving, but the warm weather is merely a month or two away, so time to start those seedlings and dig out the Flagstaff Planting Guide for some inspiration.
Invest in some Spring color. Nothing says “Spring is Here!” like some bright Violas or hardy Pansies in the garden or in a pretty planter.
