~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ October 2015 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Rubies of Fall I was cutting back Daisies for a customer when from behind I heard the distinct sound of a sigh. When I turned around, there was my customer, with a look of sadness in her eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked. She replied, "Cutting back my daisies means the end of summer." I had never thought of it that way! In our line of work, we are so busy planning and preparing for the coming seasons we tend to forget the emotions that come with the end of one season and the beginning of another. Daylight shortens, summer flowers fade, and leaf fall is heavy in the air. I can see why summer's end can be so emotional. But then, I feel a cool breeze blow against my face...and I pause. I see a brilliant blaze of color from the turning trees...and I pause. Berries once green turn red, grass once brown turns emerald green! Pink and purple color pallets change to brilliant oranges and yellows! I see pumpkins on porches, cornstalks and hay bales and dancing scarecrows and I pause again to fully appreciate the rubies of fall. Create a warm and welcoming Autumn Entrance! Stop by for your seasonal decorating needs: Garden Mums Hay Bales Pumpkins Corn Stalks Pansies Gourds Don't miss out on the great savings you can get with the Autumn Decorating Package! Available through October 15th as supplies last. Saturday, October 3 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. Call 757-898-7799 to reserve your seat. Saturday, October 3 12-6 PM Yorktown Wine Festival 2015 Riverwalk Landing in Historic Yorktown Advance Tickets $25 Cash or Check only Available at Ken Matthews Garden Center Monday, October 12 Columbus Day Thursday-Sunday, October 15-18 You Pick It, We Pot It You pick your plants and pot and we'll pot them up for you... for free!! Saturday, October 24 2 PM Light up the night with your very own Glow in the Dark Pumpkin...no electricity needed! All ages welcome, to our Glow in the Dark Pumpkin Painting Workshop. Load up your family and friends and join us. Workshop fee $5. Call 757.898.7799 to reserve your space Saturday, October 31 Halloween ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Check This Out! Ornamental Grasses Dazzle in Fall While Fall usually heralds cooler temperatures and captivating color, it is also the season for ornamental grasses. Purple spires of liriope. Gossamer, pink clouds of Muhly grass. Feathery plumes of pampas grass. Silken tassels of Miscanthus. Fall is the time for grasses to shine. Ornamental grasses are versatile additions to your landscaping. Smaller growing varieties, such as, Hameln can define the edge of a flower bed. Larger varieties, such as, Gracillimus, Adagio, or Zebra grasses can create drama in empty spaces. They are drought tolerant and relatively pest free. So, if you are looking to add character, but want low-maintenance, consider adding ornamental grasses to your landscape. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Container Gardens for Year-Round Interest Container gardens add interest and personality to your porch and landscape. By choosing a combination of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and bulbs, you can enjoy colorful container gardens throughout the seasons. Pansies, Snapdragons, Mums, ornamental Kales and Cabbages, Euphorbia, Swiss Chard, and Rosemary are great plants to use for Fall containers and will last through Winter. Set bulbs in the soil last and you will enjoy a fresh burst of color when Spring arrives. Tulips, Narcissus, Grape Hyacinths, and Snowdrops are all great options for containers. And don't limit yourself to plants. Tuck in little pumpkins or gourds for Thanksgiving then switch out with pinecones or holly sprigs for the Christmas season. Containers are a great way to enhance your landscape in any season. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bonide All Seasons Oil During winter, rid your trees and shrubs of inconspicuous killers by using a preventative application of dormant oil. We recommend using Bonide All Seasons Oil. This is a highly refined horticultural oil. When sprayed uniformly on the bark and foliage of trees and shrubs, it smothers and kills dormant insects. All Seasons Oil also smothers fungus & disease that causes powdery mildew, leaf spots, & rust. The ideal temperature for application is between 50 and 70°F in order to get the oil to coat the tree and flow into all nooks and crannies. As always, read the label completely before applying any chemical in your landscape. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tips for the Garden: As the leaves change into their brilliant fall colors, you realize that summer is over and fall is here.. Here are a few gardening tasks that you can do this month to help keep your garden looking it's best for the rest of fall, and prepare for the winter and upcoming spring. Plant Annuals, Perennials, and Bulbs * Plant Mums, Pansies, Ornamental Kale and Cabbage in containers and gardens for fall and winter color. * Plant perennials for fall color as well as spring color. * Plant bulbs such as Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Snowdrops, Anemone, and Crocus. Add Bone Meal as you prepare the soil to strengthen root growth.Mulch * Mulching new and existing plants will keep the soil warmer longer, allowing root growth to continue. A 2" thick layer is recommended. Shrub and Tree Care * Fertilize your acid loving plants with Holly Tone. For all other plants, use Dr Earth All Purpose Fertilizer. * As temperatures cool(below 80° F), apply Bonide All Seasons Oil to evergreen shrubs to prevent insects and disease. Fruit and Vegetable Gardening * Harvest summer fruits and vegetables: eat, freeze, dry, store, or can. Fall Lawn Care * Aerate and seed fescue lawns...there is still time. * Fertilizer fescue lawns with Jonathan Green Greenup. * Keep mowing as long as your grass is growing. Caring for your House Plants * Bring in houseplants. Treat them first with Bonide Houseplant Systemic Insecticide. Most cannot survive below 50°F. Odds and ends * Any weed that you can eliminate from the garden this fall will possibly prevent thousands of weed seeds from sprouting in the garden next spring! * Spray broadleaf weeds with Bonide Weed Beater and apply Preen to mulched beds. * Clean and oil your garden tools for winter storage. Place some sand and some oil in a large bucket, then slide your garden tools in and out of the sand. This will do an excellent job of cleaning them, as well as applying a light coat of oil to prevent rusting. * Mark your perennials with permanent tags, or create a map showing their locations so you'll know where and what they are when they die back. This will help you to avoid digging up something you intended to keep when you plant bulbs and plants this fall and next spring. * The birds will soon begin their winter migrations. Give them a helping hand by providing them with some food for their long journey. You may even persuade a few of them to stick around for the winter, if they know they have a reliable food source! * Think about a de-icer for the birdbath. If you're in an area that freezes and you don't have a de-icer, turn your birdbath over to keep it from cracking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bulb Packs - $1 off each when you buy 3 or more packs. Includes Easy Bloom Pad. Easy Bloom Pads [http://www.easybloompad.com/] will reduce planting time to only 30 seconds per pad and takes out all the hard work. The bulbs are pre-spaced and do not need to be adjusted. After digging a hole in the ground or a pot, the pad can be placed. Cover the path with soil, water it and enjoy the rest of your day!
One per customer with this coupon or email Expires October 31, 2015. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~