Please join us for our

Holiday Open House at Garden Shop Nursery

December 5^th

The dedicated gardener knows that a garden is never finished. That’s why the Garden Shop Nursery wants to help you keep up with all those never-ending garden chores. Beginning this month we will provide you with a monthly list of gardening chores that will help you successfully attain a beautiful and productive garden from start to finish.

Winter is the perfect time to pause and think about the kind of plants you want to grow in next year’s garden. The Garden Shop Nursery now has a large selection of vegetable and flower seeds that can be sowed indoors in early spring, ready to go into your garden after the last frost. If you are uncomfortable with the process of sowing seeds, don’t despair. There are a few simple rules that, if followed, will ensure a high germination rate. Other than water and adequate light, the seeds will also need a temperature of about 68 degrees, give or take 4 or 5 degrees in either direction. If you have never made an attempt to start your own seeds, I highly recommend doing so. Not only is it fun to watch the seeds sprout and grow (in some cases, right before your eyes), but it is extremely rewarding to know that your fresh vegetables came entirely from your own labors. This is also a great way to introduce your children to the joy of gardening. Provide them with their own small container of soil; let them pick their favorite vegetable seeds to sprout, then sit back and wait for the rewards to come. When that first sprout appears, your child’s excitement and intrigue will be an unforgettable experience for both of you.

The Garden Shop Nursery wants our customers to know how important it is to water their trees during the winter. Young trees that have been planted the past summer or fall especially need to be watered during the winter in order to keep their root system healthy. Because pine trees do not go completely dormant during winter, they also will benefit from some winter watering. If there has been no measurable snow or rain in your area, we recommend watering your trees at least once a month. As long as the ground is not frozen you can pull out the hose and sprinkler from the garden shed, hook it up to the outside faucet, and give those trees a good soaking. This practice can help to maintain plant vigor throughout the winter which will not only enhance plant appearance but also increase tolerance to damage and infestation by borers.

The two main plants you will see at the Garden Shop Nursery right now are pansies and kale. You might wonder how something as delicate as a pansy can survive the cold nights. Both kale and pansies are cold hardy plants and will continue to look nice well into the middle of winter. Of course they will still need to be watered, and it doesn’t hurt to deadhead the pansies just as you would in a summer garden. They will start to fade if we get several nights of extremely low temperatures in a row. Don’t worry, because even if this happens there is a good chance that the pansies will pick up their growing habits again in early spring. You just can’t ignore those cute, little pansy faces peeking out of the snow. They are the perfect cure for a case of the winter doldrums.

Mulch, mulch, mulch –

Now is a good time to add mulch to your garden and yard. Mulch has many uses in the garden, such as: to improve soil structure, cut down on watering; help with weed problems, prevent erosion, and in our area a layer of mulch spread over the top of the soil will insulate plant roots from the winter’s cold.

There are a variety of different kinds of mulch products you can purchase, but one of the best and least expensive are the ones already in your yard. Leaves and twigs are the natural mulch on the forest floor, so why not take advantage of what is naturally provided?

If you decide to spread a layer of mulch in your yard, keep in mind these two essential rules:

1. Keep mulch 4 to 6 inches away from the trunks of your trees. Mulch that is piled up against the trunk of a tree becomes an inviting place for rodents, insects and/or disease.
2. Don’t assume that if a little mulch is good, then a lot more is better. That extra-thick layer of mulch that you think will be even better for your garden is only going to prevent water, air and nutrients from getting through to the soil.
   Depending on what type of mulch you use, this extra-thick layer could also smother the tiny seedlings that want to emerge in your flower bed in the spring.

We have several different types of mulch materials available at the Garden Shop, such as bark, cocoa hulls, compost, and wood chips. Just remember that no single mulch is best for all situations. Our experienced staff can help you select the right mulch for your area based on appearance, availability, and cost. Happy Mulching!

Betsy Lemons, Garden Shop Nursery

The first five people who come into the Garden Shop with the answer to this question will receive one free packet of flower or vegetable seeds.

December Guests for the Impatient Gardener Radio Show
Saturday's at 9:00 on 1270 the Buzz with Marnie Brennan along with her nursery/gardening guests

December 5th    Guest Host Dave Ruf, owner of Green House Garden Center
December 12th  Indoor plant care with Suzanne Cody Adams
December 19th  Weather and your garden with Mike Alger KTVN Channel 2
December 26th  to be announced