Perennial Sale

It sure feels like fall today! I began to notice last week how dark it is in the morning and how early in the evening the light begins to fade. I feel like pulling out the candles, crockpot and pot roasts! Fortunately there is still a bit of time in the evenings to work outside in our yards...I desparately need to weed my front flowerbed. We had hoped to have it dug up, built up and replanted by this time but have been busy with other things. There are still a few weeks left to be out digging and planting so hopefully we'll still get a chance. Our perennials are still Buy One, get one Free. We still have a good variety left...hostas, daylilies, ornamental grasses, astilbe, ground covers, yellow russian hollyhock, peony, anemones and much more. Fall is such a great time to plant perennials as it's cooler (for the plants and us) and they will be there in the spring, ready to grow all season. Planting now gives perennials a headstart. We have a special section of hardy garden mums that are 3 for $10. They are beautiful and in colour, perhaps just smaller, in bloom more or a little lopsided compared to our $6.99 mums. We also have gourds, cornstalks and bows, and pumpkins for decorating. It's hard to believe it's that time of year already...summer flew by! Enjoy your day :) Here's just a little quote for you. Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. Lindley Karstens

Kittens find a home!

We have found a home for the kittens! So for anyone who was interested, sorry, they are gone. A big thank you to the couple who took all three! :)

Don't let squirrels dig up your bulbs!

This is a product we were introduced to last fall called Acti-sol. It's base is hen manure that comes pellitized so you can just sprinkle it on. I won't kid you, it still has a scent but that is what the squirrels don't like! Very mild to us but not to the squirrels. The bonus to this product is that it fertilizes as it dissolves so your ground isn't getting saturated with it all at once. Instead, it's gradual. Sprinkle it on the ground where you've planted bulbs and the squirrels will stay away. It comes in different combinations for trees and shrubs, flowers, tomatoes, rose bushes, and with bonemeal. I used the tree and shrub pellets this year and I'm seeing alot of new growth on our cedar hedge. All the rain was very helpful too by dissolving the pellets for me. For those of us who don't like using alot of chemicals, it's all natural. Check out the website. www.acti-sol.ca

Rain, rain go away!

What a soggy weekend! I''m sure glad we weren't camping. I think we would have packed up and went home. We received approximately 4" of rain since Saturday noon. I've been hearing stories of water in basements, sump pumps running all night and day, flooded gardens and wet soggy potted plants. Make sure your pots have good drainage or with all this water, they will drown and rot. If you haven't already, now might be a good time to start preparing to bring in your houseplants. A good spray with an insecticidal soap to rid the plants of bugs is recommended. Hope you're dry and cozy!

Tips for seeding new lawns.

Prepare soil by breaking up and working the soil. It's good to have a minimum of 4 inches of good top soil. Rake thoroughly and remove stones and other debris. Apply a starter fertilizer before seeding. This will help the seed to develop faster. Apply your lawn seed wtih a spreader if possible. It's difficult to achieve even coverage by hand. After applying the seed, lightly rake soil surface to ensure the seed has good soil contact. Don't bury the seed too deep, it may fail to emerge. Ideally, it should be 2mm deep.(1/16th") Keep area moist with frequent, light watering. Don't overwater. For best results, apply in early to mid-spring, late summer or early fall when soil temperatures are about 17*C (62 F).

Want colour for spring? Plant now!

If you like tulips, hyacinths and other early spring colour, you need to plant bulbs this fall. (up until we have a hard frost) We have a variety of early, mid and late spring flowering bulbs. They can also be planted into containers, just make sure pots have drainage holes.

Try planting hyacinths near your kitchen window so you can enjoy the wonderful scent when you open your window.

Fall is in the air!

It sure feels like fall out there today! I'm still wearing shorts though! Our garden mums are in full bloom now and looking beautiful. If your plants are looking tired, these would look beautiful in your pots. There are all sizes, from a 4" pot up to a 12" pot and ranging from $2.49- $14.99.

The Fall bulbs have arrived. We have tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, fritillaria, crocus, allium and narcissus. They need to be planted this fall for beautiful spring colour. If you have problems with squirrels digging them up, we have just the solution for you...a product we carry called Acti-Sol which is all natural. Sprinkle it with your bulbs when planting and on the soil after planting bulbs, and the squirrels will not dig. They do not like the feel or scent of it, but as a bonus for us, it is a fertilizer for the bulbs!

We also have bulb planters and small hand tools for planting.

Icicle Pansies are a popular plant for fall colour and

provides early spring colour as these pansies will over-

winter.

We have a selection of gourds that my kids have grown

this summer. We'll have a few pumpkins shortly.

Asters are another lovely alternative for fall planting.

They provide shades of purple and pink and when planted, will over-winter and be there for you next year!

Remember to trim them back in the spring to keep them

short and bushy.

Hope everyone is getting back into work and school routine. It seems like we barely had summer and it's over! Time to begin winding down the gardens, trimming, dead-heading and mulching.

Have a beautiful day!

Moonlight Madness over but Sale is still on!

Thanks to those of you who attended our Moonlight Madness event on Thursday. It was the kick off event for our Fall Perennial Sale. The weather held for us, remaining calm and warm until after 9 pm when the wind began to pick up. I believe some places received rain that night but we only got a sprinkle.

Our perennial sale will continue until Thanksgiving but the longer you wait, the less selection there will be. We are clearing out a selection of grasses that are good for erosion control for $3.00. Bulbs and Tubers such as canna and calla lilies, and caladium are buy one, get one free as well.