Tuesday, August 17, 2010

2011 Seed

Our 2011 Lake Valley Seeds have arrived. It is time to plan/plant your Fall garden. If you have questions come in and let us help.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Roses et al

All of you that came to the nursery this year asking about our roses will be happy to know that we just put in an order for over 200 Jackson & Perkins and Weeks roses. If all goes as scheduled they will be delivered just in time for Mother's Day 2011. We have ordered a good selection with some new introductions as well as the very fragrant old standards.

We are also working on a fruit and shade tree order for 2011. This will be a one time blow out sale towards the end of May. We felt there was a need for some of those tried and true varieties that do well in our area. Another thing you have been asking for that we decided to deliver on. So look for that as well.

The 2011 Lake Valley Seed should be here within the next two weeks for those who are planting a fall garden. Lettuce, Spinach, Beets, Carrots and many others can be planted through mid-September for fall harvest. All of Lake Valley Seed is untreated and there are no GMO's. There is also a USDA Organic line.

Don't forget that we will be closing for the season on September 30th. We will have Pansies, Violas, Snapdragons and Fall Veggies some time in September. Check back here and I will let you know when they land.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Things to do in August

Deadheading is one of those really satisfying chores. When you have finished everything looks neater and flowers more abundantly. The purpose of a flower is to attract pollinating insects and birds so the plant can produce seed. Once flowers start going to seed most plants will stop flowering or not flower as prolifically as before. If you interrupt this cycle by keeping pollinated or seed-bearing blooms removed from your perennials and annuals they will put their energy into producing more flowers instead of seed. Deadheading will also keep invasive species from self-sowing and taking over. Plants that only bloom once such as Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata) and Candytuft (Iberis) should be cut back by half after blooming. Other perennials that bloom continuously over a long period of time like Coreopsis, Scabiosa, Yarrow (Achillea), Coneflowers (Echinacea), Blanket Flower (Gailardia) and many more should be deadheaded by removing spent flowers down to where a new bud has formed or to a spot of active growth. When the deadheads outnumber the flowers shear the whole plant to the foliage and it will soon rebloom. Annuals such as Marigolds, Petunias, and Zinnias should be deadheaded as well. Prune or pinch dead blooms at the base. Towards the end of the season you may want to let desirable plants go to seed and don't forget to leave some seedheads for winter birds to enjoy.

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch. I always talk about the benefits of mulching. A good layer of mulch in your vegetable garden, around your trees and shrubs or in the perennial bed will conserve moisture, keep the sun from beating down directly on those little surface roots, regulate the soil temperature year round, suppress weeds and make the ones that do show up easier to pull. If you use Back to Earth Compost it will slowly break down and add humic acid to the soil.

We will always stock Back to Earth Compost as well as Composted Manure, Top Soil and our great Uni-Gro Potting Soil. We have a good supply of Trees, Shrubs and Perennials and the honest advice to help you be successful in your gardening efforts.