Fertilize Your Vegetables

I love growing vegetables and herbs. There is just something so satisfying  about going out your back door and harvesting something that you've cared for for so long. Enjoying the fruits of your labor, to me, is so much more rewarding than buying the package at the grocery store. Now, don't get me wrong. I know we are not all farmers and we don't all have farms so, of  course, grocery store selections are necessary. However, supplementing that grocery list with items you can grow yourself is not only rewarding to one's self esteem, but it could save you money too!

In order to get the most bang for your buck out of your incredible edibles, you should devise a consistent fertilizing program. It doesn't have to be anything too technical but a regular feeding schedule will help give you higher yields with more flavor.

A new organic fertilizer we brought in this year is Happy Frog Tomato & Vegetable 7-4-5. It is designed for use on all veggies, fruits, and berries. The ratios between the N-P-K levels will feed the plants efficiently gaining abundant quality fruit! There is also calcium added to help with the prevention of blossom end rot and strengthens the plant to make it more disease resistant. You can use it in new container plants, new in ground plantings, as well as established plants. It comes in an eye catching package that has great application instructions on the back.

You can't miss this product line. It's right up front when you walk in our store and the colors will jump right out at you!

Nandina Obsession

Looking for a unique and compact plant to put in that partially shady spot in your lawn?  Nandina Obsession is a wonderful choice because it adds color, a unique shape, and fits into a tight space. The foliage starts out a deep red which turn into a tinge of green. It is technically an evergreen, however, with this past extreme winter, many did drop their foliage. It stays compact so you could use it in a container and it's also a good choice in a mass planting or slope. They can grow to be about 4' x 4' and can do so moderately fast. Nothing too special about the planting procedure for this special plant.



We brought in a large quantity of these fashionable specimens for you to take home! Last year, however, they were so popular, they sold out in no time at all. So, don't wait too long! Stop by to check these out and see if they could have a home in your yard!

Berries for your Pots

Hello again. I went into hibernation there for a little while. Believe me, I wasn't on vacation leaving you high and dry with no remorse. I wanted to write, I really did. There is just only so much time in a day! However, there is no excuse really to deprive the readers of the crucial updates regarding what we've been bringing in and what's been going on in the gardening world. So, now that I've made up, here goes another update on a hot new plant!

We all love blueberries. They're good in a pie, on a cake, with some whipped cream, or my favorite way, freshly picked off the bush!

They're tasty, yes, but they can be a bit picky and they have, historically, needed a good amount of space...until now! Now you can enjoy tasty blueberries in a nice compact space like a pot on your patio! It is no longer necessary to have a large blueberry patch to enjoy the scrumptious blueberries or raspberries.

The BrazelBerries brand has done a lot of work to bring you just the right sized berry plant for your containers. The plants stay compact and display beautiful foliage while providing delicious blueberries and raspberries. They can also be planted in your garden beds as well to provide you with a colorful edible landscape.

Stop in to see these wonderfully resourceful plants!

Pruning Tips from Sandy

1. General Tips for Pruning
1. Think before you cut – you can’t put it back!
2. Pruning time of flowering shrubs is dependant on their bloom cycle.  Pruning at the wrong time of year/cycle will mean the loss of flowers, not necessarily the loss of the plant.
3. Severe pruning of evergreens, depending on the species, may mean the loss of the plant, know your evergreens before you prune and be careful how much evergreen foliage you remove.
4. You may wish to save some perennial and summer blooming shrub spent bloom/seed pods/berries for winter interest and wildlife habitat/food.
5. Prune summer to fall blooming shrubs and small trees in winter without foliage on them allows you to see the internal structure of the plant enabling you to make proper pruning selections.
6. ALWAYS cut with the blade toward the main stem or bud to allow for closer cuts.
7. ALWAYS use the correct tool for the job – hand pruners, shears, loppers, pruning saw.
8. Saw a safety cut under branches over 1 inch to avoid bark stripping.
9. Single buds get a 45 degree cut ¼ inch above the bud; Double buds a straight cut ¼ inch above the buds.

-General Pruning of Shrubs

1. Generally prune flowering shrubs right after they are done blooming.
2. NEVER prune a spring blooming shrub in the fall.
3. NEVER prune a fall blooming plant in the summer.
4. Don’t use shears on broad leaf evergreens. You must live with the clipped leaves for another whole year!
5. Most shrubs need to be to have 3-year old wood removed to make room for new vigorous shoots.
6. Prune to correct and shape or to control size. Shear for shape…if you must.

Spring	Fall	Not Recommended
Panicle Hydrangeas	Perennial Bed Cleanup	Mop Head Hydrangeas
Roses	Small Trees	Azaleas
Most Spirea except early summer bloomers	Most Spirea except early summer bloomers	Rhododendrons
Boxwood and Yew	Boxwood and Yew	“some” Camellias
Junipers	Junipers	Blue Berry Bushes
Berry Vines	Crape Myrtle	Quince and fruit trees
Caryopteris	Evergreens	Magnolias
Butterfly Bush		Dogwood
Forsythia (Late)		Spruce/Fir
Crape Myrtle

 -Pruning of Trees

1. Fall-winter is a great time for tree pruning because you can see structure for general shaping.
2. Weeping maples and weeping cherries need thinning.
3. Less bleeding occurs because the sap is not running.

-Pruning of Perennials

1. Most bushy perennials can be removed to the ground in fall.
2. Remember to think about your winter interest – seed pods.
3. Clear the way for spring bulbs.
4. Bearded Iris – Remove dead foliage to the ground.

Perennial	Prune Yes/No	Reason
Daylilies	Yes	Saves mess in spring
Cone Flower	No	Birds
Black Eyed Susan	No	Birds
Tall Sedums	No	Snow Catchers
Catmint	Yes	Neat Appearance
Coral Bells	Yes	Remove frosted leaves
Columbine	Yes	Neat Appearance
Hellebores	No	Evergreen Leaves
Lavender	Yes	Only in early October and in late April
Tree Peony	Yes	Only to New Bud
Peony herbaceous	Yes	Neat Appearance
Ferns/non—evergreen groundcovers	Yes	Neat Appearance