Summer Blues

It's hot. You're sweating. You drank a gallon of water but still feeling like someone stuffed cotton balls in your mouth. You put 100 SPF sunscreen on all over yet you still look like a lobster. Summer is a physically tough time to get through. No wonder the season is known for activities like sitting on the beach, laying by the pool to tan, lounging by the BBQ and drinking cold beverages. Rarely does anyone say "hey! It's 90 degrees out today so let's go work in the garden." I wish! No, unfortunately this is the time of year that is known for garden neglect. Please don't fall in the "it's too hot" trap and forget about all the hard work you did in Spring. Now is the time you need to revisit your plantings and check up on how they're doing. Are they getting enough water? Too much water? Are they being fertilized regularly? Are there pest problems anywhere in the garden? You should be keeping an eye on these things now that the plants are in a stressful time period. Lots samples of beetle issues have come through garden center lately and it inspired me to remind you all to keep an eye out because catching any problems early will relieve headaches later on. Bring in a sample and we can try to identify any problem and give you a proper solution! Hopefully your garden is doing just fine though!

Cultivate 2014

It's the last day here in Columbus, Ohio for this year's Cultivate trade show/conference. It went by quickly and I'm ready to get back to the garden center to put what I've discovered into practice. A few new products and lots of ideas on how to better serve you our customers!

That is why we come to these events. Sure, it's always fun to take a trip but in the end, we do it so we can discover new items, techniques and establish relationships with new vendors that will provide for a bright future! All of it is meant to bring you the best shopping experience possible.

I am excited to see what we can do for the rest of the summer. It's a great time to enjoy your gardens! You may need to freshen up a few things as the heat can take its toll on some things from early spring. Don't worry because we have you covered!

A few more classes, a plane ride to Philly, a drive home, and I'll be back to the regular schedule. Plant highlights, gardening techniques, new products, events, etc will be back to the blog! 

Thank you for reading!

Tour Pictures

Garden Center Tour

What a nice day it is here in Ohio. Great weather for a garden center tour! We packed in on a tour bus this morning and headed towards the Cleveland area. There are some nice garden centers out here! 

Our first stop was at Lowe's. No, not the big box store. This is an independent a lot like us at Gateway. They have the usual trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, fertilizers, etc. but what caught my eye were the unique selections for their gift shop. Candles in mason jar mugs, unique jewelry, colorful table settings, even some clothing! 

Next up was Petiti's. Wow. I've never seen such a large garden center! The crazy thing is that it isn't even the biggest one in the chain. Plants everywhere! So much color! Everything looked so healthy too. They have a large growing operation that supplies them with the fresh product weekly even in the heat of the summer!

The third stop was Breezewood which was a stunning garden center right from the start as you walk in through a log cabin like front into the first part of what has to be one of the neatest and coziest store layouts I've ever seen in any kind of retail store. Lots of gifts and apparel to choose from as well as a large selection of fresh cut flower arrangements. They had lots of large beautiful trees outside along with the bread and butter crops. 

The fourth was Bremec's. Man I'm tired. A large place with lots to see and my feet and legs were yelling at me. There is a hug barn like structure dedicated to only pottery and fountains. I've never seen so many in one place before! They had a whole building filled with pond care products. The property goes on for ever and you can see their growing operation from a distance. The landscape trucks were coming in and out so that must be a busy part of their business too. Everyone was very friendly and welcomed us graciously. If you're ever in the area, it's definitely worth a visit!

I think that's it as far as the tour goes. Tomorrow starts the classes and trade show. Stay tuned for what new things I find and learn!

Cultivate 2014

Hello!! Long time no see! A whole month? How did that happen? Lack of time, focus, or ideas? Well, whatever it was, the streak has ended! What better way to restart the blog than to update you all on North America's largest horticulture trade show! 

I am in Columbus, Ohio for Cultivate 2014. Here I will see new products and vendors as well as take classes that will teach me how to provide an even better shopping experience for you!  

I just posted a picture of the beginning stages of our sister company's display booth. They are here to promote their great plants and I am here to help. Check back in for more info as the days go by here!

Gateway and North Creek @ Cultivate 2014

You Say Tomato… I say Mighty ‘Mato!

There is nothing in the world as good as a real, vine-ripened tomato. So why not get yours growing and grow them like a pro? Grafted veggies aren’t anything new to the top professional growers but they are newly available for home gardeners to buy.

Grafted tomatoes are:

• Stronger and more vigorous growers
• They can handle extreme temperatures and poor soil
• They are better able to defend themselves from soil born disease
• They produce more tomatoes and have a longer growing season

Plant your Mighty ‘Mato with the graft above the soil line. That’s a good time to give it some organic fertilizer. Water your tomato deeply every time you see the foliage begin to wilt. That could be every day in a warm climate like ours. Try not to get water on the foliage, which can cause disease. Keep your watering wand low. Remove dead leaves when you see them. It’s normal for the bottom leaves to turn brown, as the plants get bigger.

What? No vegetable garden? Plant your Mighty ‘Mato in a pot on your deck or balcony. Use a big pot, at lease 20” x 16” and use premium potting soil. Add your organic fertilizer and water well. Then, call me when the BLT’s are ready!

Bringing life to your garden!

Have fun out there,

Peggy Anne