~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Garden Post - September 2015 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mind, Body, Soul,and Community Gardening People in the land of the free aren't necessarily known for healthy eating. With fast food restaurants at every corner, and climbing concerns about poor eating habits, it's important to find ways these problems can be remedied. This is especially crucial for children and adolescents who are at greater risk of developing health complications from unhealthy eating. The hope is that children exposed to gardening will form a connection with locally grown food, leading to healthier dietary choices. There is nothing better than walking into your backyard and picking fresh food to use for a meal that evening. You learn to respect the earth and your body. Gardening also requires physical activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gardening is considered a moderate-intensity activity, which can reduce risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and depression. The CDC recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity for adults, while children need one hour of physical activity per day. We always hear that spending time outdoors can improve our mental health, but gardening isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind. A study published in the Journal of Health Psychology reported variation of stress-relief levels from gardening and reading. The decreases in stress levels were significantly stronger from gardening. Nature and green spaces bring about relaxation and lower stress levels. A garden provides peace and quiet while allowing the mind to unwind by focusing on planting seeds, trimming dead leaves, picking ripe fruit or hunting down sneaky insects. Communities also reap benefits from gardening. "Growing your own" can provide high-quality nourishment and unite adults and children by letting them participate in projects that contribute to their well-being. There are now many community gardens so check to see if there is one near you. Whether it's a backyard garden or an all-out farm, "growing your own" promotes wellness in many areas. Not only does it supply healthier food options and improve mental well-being, it allows communities to make use of vacant land and reunite for a common purpose. And now... it's time to start your own fall garden. Article Content by Bianca Gibson Coming in September: *Garden Mums *Fall Veggies *Daffodil & Tulip Bulbs *Shrubs with fall berries, blooms and foliage color. *Fall Decorating Items - Hay Bales, Corn Stalks, Pumpkins. Monday, September 7 Labor Day Store Hours 9 AM - 2 PM Saturday, September 19 10-11 AM Perfect Lawns on the Peninsula Speaker: Danielle Hendricks with a Q & A Session. Call 757-898-7799 to reserve your seat! Saturday, September 26 10-11 AM Indoor Herb Class Learn the health benefits of certain herbs and pot up their own container. Class fee $25, includes container, three 4" herbs, soil and personal planting assistance. Must pre-pay to secure a seat in the class. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Check This Out! Fall Gardening "Am I too late, can I still plant a fall garden?" This is a question we hear numerous times in the Garden Center. During calmer days after schools start, temperatures begin to drop along with the leaves and it finally feels like fall. Guess what? Plant your heart out! Leafy greens like kale, collards, spinach, and lettuces thrive in the cool nighttime temps. If you're crazy about those Super Foods - plant a row of broccoli, cauliflower, and leeks. Check seed packet dates for the last date to sow outside. For quicker results, plant cell pack vegetables. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fresh Herbs in All Seasons Fresh herbs, like basil, thyme and oregano, can be enjoyed in the garden or containers until first frost-usually November. Continue herbs inside for the rest of the year by putting them in containers in a bright sunny spot in your home. They will need at least 4-6 hours of sun to thrive. Keep your indoor herbs healthy by fertilizing them with Dr. Earth Tomato, Vegetable, & Herb Fertilizer, a low nitrogen, high potassium fertilizer, twice a month. We like to check soil at least twice a week - water only if dry. Check out our indoor herb planter and start planning now for a flavorful meal this fall and winter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tips for the Garden: September should bring relief to gardens and signal the start of a new season for gardeners and as a result, September can be one of the busiest months in the garden.. Flowers and Other Ornamental Plants * Divide and transplant perennials like Hostas, Daylilies, Black-Eyed Susan and Echinacea * Start planting spring flowering bulbs. Use Volebloc when planting bulbs. Volebloc creates a physical barrier between the chewing critters and your bulbs. * Pansies, Ornamental Kale and Cabbage and fall blooming Chrysanthemums can be planted now to give a little color to the garden when the summer's flowers have faded away. * Scatter the seeds of wildflowers in rows or in open beds this month so that the young seedlings will be ready to be transplanted into their permanent spot next spring. * Fall is an excellent time to shop for annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. Fruits and Vegetables * Although most fruits and vegetables are best when eaten fresh on the day they're picked, you can extend the season by freezing, drying, storing, or canning. * Harvest remaining vegetables, including green tomatoes. Never too many fried green tomatoes! * Pick herbs for drying or freezing. For year round fresh herbs, plant an herb garden indoors. Pests * Dispose of any diseased or infested plant debris, to avoid overwintering the problem * Continue to watch for insect, slug and snail, or disease damage throughout the garden, and take the necessary steps to control the problem. Lawn Care * September is one of the best months of the entire year for seeding or sodding new lawns. * Always check your soil pH before starting your lawn renovations. * If the lawn needs thatching, it can be done during the early fall. * Over-seed old lawns with fresh seed to help fill in the bare spots and crowd out weeds and mosses. * Start Fall Lawn Fertilization (See our Lawn Care Recommendations [http://kenmatthewsgardencenter.com/garden-reference-tools/]) Odds and Ends * Photograph your gardens and containers for a record of the year's triumphs. * The birds will soon begin their winter migrations. Give them a helping hand by providing them with some food and water for their long journey. No one likes to travel on an empty stomach, and you may even persuade a few of them to stick around for the winter if they know they have a reliable food source! * Bring summer vacationing houseplants back indoors while the day and night temperatures are above 50° . To prevent hitchhiking pests treat with Bonide Houseplant Systemic before bringing them indoors. * Start fall clean-up in the flower beds, cutting back anything that has finished blooming or is diseased. * Give the compost bin a fall turn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Any 3 Vegetables or Herbs Mix and Match $10 Regularly $3.99 each One per customer with this coupon or email Expires September 15, 2015. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
