August 2011 and Tree Sale!

THINGS TO DO:
Come to our AUGUST TREE SALE!!! Yes, for those of you who were going to wait until our end of the season sale, wait no longer! All of our fruit, shade, flowering and evergreen trees are 20% off through the month of August. No, we will not be getting in any more trees until next year but we still have many good varieties left. Stop by, take advantage of our sale and plant a tree in August. 

Control snails. I am somewhat surprised that people are seeing snails this year as dry as it has been however they are here. Maybe not in the numbers they were last year but doing their damage none the less. These little creatures hide out under garden debris and other shady areas during the heat of the day and come out to dine on your plants when it's cool. They have toothlike jaws that eat holes in your plants' leaves and flowers. To control them start by clearing out their hiding areas. You can fill shallow containers with beer or a little yeast and sugar mixed with water and this will lure the little lushes in to drown. Happy, but dead. There is also an organic product called Sluggo. This product, which we sell, is simply iron phosphate with a bait additive. It is very effective and after eating the bait, slugs and snails will stop feeding, become less mobile and begin to die within three to six days. It is OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) registered and can be applied at a rate of 1 lb per 1000 square feet or 1 teaspoon per square yard. It is safe to use around pets, wildlife and homo sapiens.

PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Sedum. The sedums that we carry are among the hardiest succulents and their small flowers are starlike in large clusters borne on stems above the foliage. They are useful as a ground cover, in a rock garden, along a walkway or cascading over a stone wall. Sedum 'Coral Reef' has very round deep green leaves with rosy-bronze tips and yellow flowers in early summer. Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' has scalloped-edged and red-tinged foliage that turns completely red in the fall. Its blooms are red and appear summer into fall. This same species has another cultivar 'Red Carpet' which has bronze and green leaves and red flowers in the summer. Also in this species is 'Tricolor' that blooms throughout the summer with soft pink flowers and has, as its name implies, white, pink and green foliage. Sedum 'Blue Spruce' has a very different leaf than the previous sedums. It actually looks like the gray-green needles of a Blue Spruce and its summer blooms are yellow. All of these evergreen perennials will grow to 3-4" tall and 1-2' wide, are hardy to at least 30 degrees below zero, drought tolerant and should be planted in full or half a day of sun.

'Tricolor'

'Coral Reef'

'Blue Spruce'

NOW AVAILABLE:
We still have lots of beautiful, reasonably priced glazed pottery, Back to Earth Compost, Uni-Gro Potting Soil, shrubs, perennials and fertilizers. Don't forget we will be getting a truckload of Pansies, Violas, Mums and Cool-Season Veggies in September...just in time for fall planting!

2011 SEED SALE!

Our 2011 Lake Valley Seeds are half price from Tuesday, July 12th through Saturday, July 23rd. We still have Herb, Flower and cool season Vegetable seeds available. Most seeds are viable for several years, so take advantage of this sale now!

July 2011

THINGS TO DO:
Control blossom-end rot. We have had a lot of questions concerning blossom-end rot this season so I will try to explain it so you have a better idea of how to prevent it. Blossom-end rot affects the fruit of tomatoes, peppers, squash and other vegetables and first appears as a brown discoloration on the blossom end of the fruit. The spot will enlarge as the fruit grows, becoming sunken and leathery with age. Bacteria can invade the tissue resulting in a black and watery appearance. This affected portion of the fruit can be cut off and the remaining part still eaten. Blossom-end rot is not a disease or a virus so it is not passed through the soil or spread by insects. This disorder is caused by a deficiency of calcium as a result of the plant's inability to take up this necessary element that is usually present in our soil. This can occur due to 1) excess nitrogen, magnesium, potassium or sodium fertilization, 2) very wet or very dry conditions, 3) high salts, 4) a combination of the above causes. To control this condition mulch with organic matter to keep roots evenly moist and do not over-fertilize. Nitrogen fertilizer should only be applied to keep a normal green color and maintain moderate growth. Use organic fertilizers such as Yum Yum Mix, Peace of Mind or Chickity Doo Doo and never use chemical fertilizers that have a high salt content such as Miracle-Gro. If you follow these simple rules you won't have a problem with blossom-end rot. Bon Appetit!

Control Insects. I think I covered this subject pretty comprehensively last July. Here is the link July 2010.

PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Coreopsis species. When most people think of Coreopsis they think of those bright yellow flowers with slightly hairy narrow leaves that reseed freely in your garden. I am here to share two very different Coreopsis with you; Coreopsis verticillata 'Sienna Sunset' and Coreopsis rosea 'Heaven's Gate'. Although they are different species these two new Coreopsis have some similar traits. The leaves are fern-like and both will reach 1-1.5' tall and wide. From June until September flowers cover the stems with 1 1/2 inch, 8 petaled blooms that are good for cutting and bringing indoors. The differences are that the flower of 'Sienna Sunset' is burnt sienna fading to a salmon orange and it is more drought tolerant than 'Heaven's Gate' which has a light pink blossom with a rosy eye. Enjoy these perennials planted in masses, borders or pots in full sun or half a day of shade and know that even in a harsh winter they are hardy to 20 degrees below zero.

'Sienna Sunset'

'Heaven's Gate'

NEW ARRIVALS:
We got in our last trucks until September and are loaded with annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs and vines. Now that it looks as though it may rain it would be a great time to plant! In September we will get in a truckload of pansies, violas, snapdragons, mums and cool season veggies.

We have also just received another shipment of glazed, cold tolerant, Chinese pottery in beautiful shades of blue, green and brown.

As always we have our Back to Earth Compost (great for mulching), Uni-Gro Potting Soil, Composted Cattle Manure, Top Soil, Fox Farm Fertilizers, Yum Yum Mix, Chickity Doo Doo and a variety of organic pesticides and fungicides.

Do a rain dance and come and see us soon!!!