Hop on Over

     Bunny statues, Easter flowers, and special gifts are all available at Gateway. This is a big weekend for garden centers all over the country. It seems to have become the symbolic start to the official spring gardening season! In spirit of the holiday weekend, we are having a few sales that will let you jump start your gardening! Check out our grand selection of houseplants, pick up some mulch or find a unique gift for that special someone. It looks like we will be having some great weather so get some free coffee, take a stroll around the garden center, and take in the sights. We have been working on our displays and they're starting to shape up to be some fine examples of what you could possibly do in your own garden. Our staff, as always, is here to help you with any questions you may have regarding any plant or product! We hope to see you soon!

Pine Time

     After all of this Mulch Madness talk, it got us thinking about the alternatives to the standard wood based mulches. It has been used for years as an apt substitute for your run of the mill hardwood mulch. Now, don't get us wrong, we love our hardwood as much as the next person but with pine straw gaining popularity, we had to see what the fuss was all about. Yes, it has been used in nature as mulch for centuries but more recently, the needles have started to be collected, bailed, and spread in areas where there are no pine trees. If this sounds crazy to you, using pine needles as mulch, then keep reading because we want to highlight a few reasons why we like to use this product. 

• Weed prevention
• Just like all mulches, it helps to keep weeds at bay but with the pine needles locking together, they seem to do a better job covering an area than the wood mulch that separates when it is spread.
• Mud prevention
• When you're hiking in the woods and the ground is damp and there are some muddy spots, you can always rely on a pine tree to provide some natural traction. The needles do a great job of keeping an area neat and safe when wet.
• Acid lovers
• Plants like gardenias and camellias, that like acidic soil, will be highly appreciative of the pine straw you put around them. 
• Stands the heat
• The pine straw seems like it can withstand high temperatures better than wood mulches. If you're a reader that is anywhere near us in Delaware, you are certainly not too concerned with how much heat something can take right now!
• = $
• The price for a bale of pine straw is about the same of a bag of mulch so need to worry about the costs!

    So, take a gander at the photos here and see if you're interested. If you are, come on in and check it out in person. We would be happy to talk to you about it. You could always post a question here on the blog too!

Mulch Madness

With all of the hoopla surrounding the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, we decided to take the opportunity to highlight our mulches. Because of the uncanny similarity between March and mulch...?...we have instituted a Mulch Madness here at Gateway. We are putting all of our mulches on sale so stock up early and you will be ready to spread whenever that real spring weather comes! We have the following mulches:

• Right Dress
• resistant to mulch fungus--------------------

• Shredded Hardwood
• all natural hardwood----------------------

• Pine Bark Mulch
• great for evergreens------------------------

• Pine Bark Nuggets
• more resistant to mulch decay---------------

Unhappy Hellebores

YIKES! My Hellebores Have Wilted!!

Don’t panic, it’s actually normal and a defense mechanism to avoid freeze damage. Hellebores are one of the earliest blooming perennials in our area.  A welcome releief from the gray winter days in February are the red-purple shoots that begin to emerge even through the snow. Once up and forming blooms, if the temperatures drop below the freezing mark, Hellebores pump the water from their bloom stems and the plants look like a frozen wilted mess.  BUT, let the warmth of the mid morning sun hit them and they will stand right back up. Tough as nails, these blooms can repeat this process as many times as necessary to ensure the blooms last all the way through until May!

This past weekend, the temperatures dropped to the mid 20s at my house and I took these photos of the Hellebores in my front garden before I left for work at the Garden Center. When I got home, they were standing right back up again.  Hellebores are just one of the many plant marvels of nature.

Houseplant Health

     Having trouble sleeping? Do you get headaches or experience nausea when in your home? What about high blood pressure or bad allergies? We have a prescription for you that could help you with all of those troubles  and more. No, we have not started a pharmacy here at Gateway nor do we have any doctors on duty. However, we feel perfectly comfortable prescribing pills in the form of plants! Yes, that is right, we are prescribing you to get a plant, in particular a houseplant, to improve your health. 

• For better sleep, put a houseplant in your bedroom. It will increase the amount of oxygen available which will ease you into a nice sound sleep.

• Cure the common headache or stomach ache with a few plants throughout the house. They will help remove trapped household pollutants that cause such annoyances.

• Stressed out? Put a plant in a clearly visible place in your home. Studies have shown that individuals with plants in their home, have less stress than those without which could lead to a healthier blood pressure.

• Avoid the allergy bug by exposing yourself to plant allergens. 
• Now, this is mainly for the young ones who can build a tolerance to the allergens at an early age. Some of us in the older crowd may not have as much luck but hey, we could use the stress reducer!

     There are so many benefits houseplants can provide so make sure to get yourself a few to start living a healthier life in your home!

Vibrant Visuals @ Gateway

      Trekking through the wind, we were able to get some photographs today of a few of those personalities we discussed yesterday. Enjoy!









-- "Nice and cozy here in the store!"

 "Getting the occasional breeze out here but we're making this place look great!"----------------- 

--"Hopeful Healthy Harvests was a great post but give us a try and get to that greener diet sooner!"

 "Here comes me, and I say it's alright!"----------------------------- "We're living the good life!"

 "It's an evergreen party out here!"----

Sun = :)

     Sunshine brings out the best in things doesn't it? After a cold and wet start this morning, we were blessed with a warm and wonderful afternoon! The trees and shrubs we have are beginning to show their stuff like this Okame is to the left. The witch hazels are displaying their yellow beauty while the forsythia are waiting for their debuts. The pansies may be outmatched when it comes to size but these little guys are really impressive during this dreary time of year. We can't forget about those herbs and vegetables. They may not have the flash that some do but they give us gifts beyond visual pleasure and we must keep them in mind as we start utilizing our green thumbs. Finally, we have those tropical plants inside of our store that are laughing at the cold plants on the outside. They can mock all they want because let's face it, they can. They may be a little needy at times but man are they impressive! Plants are full of personality and sometimes it is overlooked but when the sun is out and the temperature warms up, you'll see. Come on in and meet these characters. We're sure they will make a good first impression!

Hopeful Healthy Harvests

HEALTH UPDATE: Vegetables are good for you!

      We all could use a little bit more green in our diets and a great way to start a season of health is to start with seeds. It is the healthiest route to take because you know exactly where the plants came from. You determine what controls are used and what the plant will be exposed to. It is also the most economical route because you can start many plants from a single packet of seeds if you are patient and careful enough. It seems to be the most rewarding way to grow vegetables as well. You see the process from beginning to end and the fruit of your labor will be enjoyed by you and your peers for the season!
      One of our favorites is kale. Kale is high in iron and loaded with antioxidants. It is a great source of fiber and can help lower bad cholesterol. A simple and delicious way to enjoy kale is by making them into chips! Just tear into pieces, drizzle with olive oil, add some sea salt, and bake them in the oven. It is a great snack, trust us.
      Kale is just one of many options to choose from on our seed racks in the store. We have so many varieties of vegetables, you are bound to find something that will suit your taste. So here is to a healthy spring!

Pruning Party!

     To all of you curious gardeners wondering what to do with roses, our resident rose pruning expert will be putting on a demonstration tomorrow morning at 8:30 am. He will be entertaining you all with his vast knowledge and sharp wit as he covers numerous varieties of roses and how to effectively prune and maintain them. Sandy will also share what his favorite tools are and how to take care of them so they are always effective. Free coffee will be available to help both wake and warm you up! We hope to see you at this pruning party!

The picture above is of a Corona pair of bypass pruners. They are a solid go to choice that stand up to the toughest of conditions. We also offer special ordering of Felco brand tools that some of you garden experts know have exceptional quality and a phenomenal reputation. Let us know if you're interested!

Spring Containers:

It's time to start thawing our Winter minds... Spring container gardening will be happening sooner than you know it. With Pansies, Violas, Herbs, Heuchera (just to name a few) at the garden center, ideas are starting to flow. Here are a few containers from last spring to give a bit of inspiration:

This contemporary teal container features white stock in the middle, surrounded by a mixture of Herbs and yellow Pansies. This container not only looks stunning, but it is wonderfully fragrant and all of the herbs can be used in cooking.

Using forsythia branches (or any other wonderful branches) as a centerpiece along with a spike of grass can add excitement to any container. 

This container will be great for later spring. It features white, red, and yellow Pansies. The green foliage with tall white flowers is Tiarella, and the spiller with delicate purple flowers is Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow.'

Colors in bloom

It is very exciting to know that Spring is just around the corner. We are all eager to start adding those little touches of color to our gardens and homes...

...If you made it to the Philadelphia Flower Show this past week I'm sure you had spotted these little English Daisies everywhere you went. Here we have Bellis perennis "Galaxy Rose"

This arrangement would look beautiful on any small table space in your house. It features Muscari in a ruastic chestnut brown ceramic pot with Tillandsia air plants and curly willow branches surrounding it. 

...and of course the classically delicate blooms of yellow Daffodils.

With spring comes Easter. Are any of you starting to get ready like we are? New posts will be featuring stunning felted purses and hand painted Easter eggs.

Ribbit!

What a wonderful day! It's about time we got some weather like this. Sandy just finished setting up some fountains out front and they look great. The video doesn't do them justice so come and check them out in person. We are here till 5:00 all weekend!

Sandy was a little tired afterwards...

Plant Yourself in a Happy Place

New plants, new pots, new statues, new fountains, and new displays. Things they are a-changin' here at Gateway while we head towards the middle of March. We are strengthening our gardening muscles getting in shape for when the real fun starts in a few weeks. If this winter weather, which doesn't seem to want to go away, is getting you down, stop in and check out our beautiful houseplants and pick up some seeds to get your garden juices flowing! Don't fret over the conditions outside, keep it zen like our buddy here.  

Cheers to Better Weather!

     We know you're stuck inside looking at the computer screen on this dreary day so we hope this will cheer you up a bit! The first round of plants are coming in this week accompanied with these tea cup planters which are a great gift idea or could be for your own visual pleasure. We will  all see clearly when the rain is gone!

Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

We know. It's cold, wet, and windy but there are steps to take now to prepare your gardens for a fruitful and less hectic spring. Once you can muster up the courage to step outside in this dreadful weather, we have a few projects you can do to get ready for when the weather improves:

• Plan
• Planning your garden is the best project for times like these. You can stay warm inside and still be productive. Planning can entail anything you would like, whether it is the layout, the plant types, or even the budget. Good planning can prevent headaches later on. 
• Construction
• If you can get your building done now, you will be ready to garden sooner! Whether it is a raised bed or railing planter, get the materials and start building in the garage if you can. It will help ease you into the gardening mindset.
• Clear drainage areas
• Leaves, sticks, and other debris love to gather in the worst spots over the winter months and clog up those areas where rain should drain. Seeds like soil that can be well drained!
• Yard clean up
• Your yard is mad at you for neglecting it all winter long and has made sure to make as big a mess as possible for you to face come spring. Who wants to deal with that then? You can easily avoid that struggle of cleaning and planting at once by doing the clean up now so when the time is right, your beds will be ready to plant!
• Start planting
• There are plants that can stand this inclement weather (ask us what varieties in the comments or give us a call!). They will be available at Gateway and we will be receiving shipments consistently until we are fully stocked for the spring. So check in with us for what we have and what you could have!

Making Amends with Dirt & Soil

     Dirt or soil? Why do we use different terms to describe what visually seems the same? Dirt can fill in space just fine but it lacks the necessary nutrients that support and enhance plant growth. The term soil is used when discussing planting matter that contains the nutrients that dirt lacks (for more info on what specific nutrients plants need, leave us a comment on this blog or stop in!).  Some of you may be lucky enough to have sufficient soil in your yard. For the rest of you, we feel your pain but we have solutions!

     Soil amendments are a major contribution to making your dirt into rich, growth stimulating soil that will make whatever you plant happy.We recommend Bumpercrop and Black Forest, two outstanding products from Coast of Maine. Bumpercrop will elate your vegetables and light flowering plants while Black Forest will pump up your trees and shrubs. We also promote leaf compost, composted manure, and pine soil conditioner that are all nice options to help heal the wounds of poor planting matter.

    **For more information, leave a question in the comments or stop in and see us in person!