From the Owner's Laptop

Things to do in the fall.

2006-09-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Fall is approaching rapidly and I'm sure many people think that it's time to hang up the gardening tools, but, there are still a good three months left to do gardening. And, there is plenty to do in the fall. First of all you will have to invest in some mosquito repellent.
For your Fall gardening pleasure:

Deadhead: cut off all the old flowers that are looking ugly by now. Except for coneflowers. Finches love the coneflower and will sit on them to eat the seeds.

Tie up plants that are droopy - make them look better by keeping them tidy.

Plant color. There are many plants that you can plant for fall color. Pansies are my favorite.

Move/transplant trees and shrubs. The fall is the best time to move around those shrubs that no longer look right in the spot they were planted.

Re-edge your beds. Cut a new edge around your flower and shrub beds. This will give them a fresh new look for fall.

Remove old plants. If you have annuals or perennials that are starting to look old and worn out, dig them up and plant some new plants.

Plant a tree. Fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Plant a tree this fall. If you don't have room on your property ask a neighbor if you can plant a tree in their yard so you can enjoy it with them. Ask your church, school, work, or any other place you go on a regular basis if you can plant a tree there. Trees aren't that expensive, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing you made the world (your world) a better place.

Rake leaves. Of course, once the leaves start falling you will have the fun of raking.

Schedule time for your garden. Turn the TV off (except when the Eagles are playing) and go outside. Learn how to enjoy the outdoors.

Spring Is Almost Over

2006-05-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

This Spring was so busy I hardly had time to eat, not to mention make any entries here. Unfortunately, even though I didn't eat a lot I still didn't lose any weight.

We sold more annuals, perennials, and hanging baskets than ever before. I have had a chance to check out some competition in the past week and I'm finding out why our sales were up. I would be ashamed to have plants on display that some nurseries I visited had. There is much truth in 'you get what you pay for'. Let's say you have $500 to spend on your garden this year. Does it really make a big difference in the end whether you paid $3, or $5 for a plant? By the middle of the summer the healthier plant will look so much better that you will wish you had spent a little more for the better plants. Don't be cheap when it comes to your garden or landscape.

Proper watering is so important from here on. We have a Watering Guide in the TREES section on the web site. People are coming in with problems and almost all of them are from not watering properly. It's rather simple - do it right.

Just Around the Corner

2006-03-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

Nicer weather is just around the corner. We had a taste of warm weather the past few days, but things are getting back to normal. We have been getting deliveries of mulches and soils, and will begin getting trees and shrubs the end of this week. Now begins the task of finding employees for the season. I'm hoping that this year I will be able to hire someone and keep them here year-round.
Last week I had to fly to Tampa to see my father who is in the hospital there. He's doing a little better this week, but, at 83 he's having a hard time healing from various ailments. Among other things - it seems he has develpoed pneumonia while in the hospital. It's "wait-and-see" now.

March Madness

2006-03-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

It's March already! This is a very hectic month for me. After relaxing a bit for a few weeks I now have to get back into daily routines. Along with the daily routines I have to do hiring, manage deliveries, begin growing the inventory to levels that will sustain customer needs, put the growing greenhouse back into operation, etc., ect., etc. Sometimes I catch myself standing back and becoming a little overwhelmed with the thought of the mountain of work ahead, but, then, the sooner you start taking steps - the sooner you'll start climbing the mountain. Once I convince myself that the work is worth doing I eagerly accept the challenge.
The ponds will be showing life soon, bulbs are showing and will soon be blooming, early-flowering spring shrubs are starting to show color, and nature begins to wake up from the long winter rest. March is a wonderful month to get outdoors.

New Year - New Ideas

2006-01-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to a nursery trade show. There were hundreds of nurseries from around the country there with the newest products, along with hundreds of other vendors with products related to gardening. Although there wasn't a lot of new products there was a lot of new ideas. I went with the intention of stealing ideas from others in my trade, and that is just what I did. Hopefully the ideas translate into a better garden center here.
There were a few new trees, shrubs, and perennials. I try not to jump into things too quickly. It's better for me to wait and see if the product really performs the way they claim - or not. There have been many products through the years that have made wonderful claims about what the plant was supposed to do. Most of it is "hype".
There have been plants, though, that do perform well. The trailing petunias are probably the best example. The first year they came out I was skeptical - until I saw them perform. Now, I am convinced they are worth a premium price because they are fantastic performers. In fact, if you haven't tried them yet, you must try them this year. If you have been using them in your plantings, try new ways of using them.
This year we will have more varieties of trees and shrubs than we have ever had before. I am excited about the selection we have ordered. There are some shrubs that have been hard to find in the past few years. I am dealing with new, larger growers this year and am able to find some very nice material.

Slow Sales Lead to Big Discounts

2005-12-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well, as in any type of retail store, if sales are slow it's usually time to start discounting things to stimulate more sales. This season has been slower than anticipated so we are discounting a lot of items.
Although the weather can get pretty depressing at times I try not to think about it. After all, there's nothing I can do about changing the weather - only my attitude.
Next week the kids will be out of school for awhile. It always seems like a nice idea to have them home, but then, after a few days it seems like a nice idea for them to go back to school.

A fresh wreath on the front of a car

2005-12-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

Today I met a very sweet lady who bought a fresh balsam wreath to tie on the grill on the front of her car. She told me she has done it every year since high school because of some bet that the girls had with the boys then. I wanted to get more details but didn't want to be rude and press for more info. But, I did ask her how long the wreaths last on the front of her car. I was very surprised when she told me they lasted pretty much the whole month of December. Although the latter information was worth knowing, I wish now that I had been bold enough to ask her about the incident that started a tradition like hers.
If you have an odd tradition that you do for Christmas I would love to hear about it and how it got started. Just respond to this post.

My response to a very nice email.

2005-11-30T15:15:00.000-08:00

The email to me read:

Information -

Every year during Advent, we generally see a sign reading, "Merry Xmas!" Some Christians have been offended by the word Xmas. They say the letter X should not be substituted for Christ as though it were a modern insult to our Lord.

However, it really isn't Xmas has ancient origins. The letter X in Greek--the original language of the New Testament--is the first letter of the word Xristos, which translated into English is the word Christ.

So X is simply an abbreviation for the word Christ. And the letters mas are an abbreviation for the word mass. Therefore, Xmas really means Christ mas or Christ worship.

Have a good day, xxxx

My response:

Dear xxxx,
Thanks for the info.
Because of the present debate over religious freedom in this country, and the constant effort by atheists to ban any reference to God in public, I would think that most people don't see the "X" the same way you do. In English "X" which is read "ex" means to delete or cross out. I am puzzled why we as English people would want to use an archaic symbol that very few people understand. Since we are an English-speaking nation I would prefer to keep "Christ" in Christmas. That way I give no comfort to the enemy.
Regards, Daryl

Christmas Trees

2005-11-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

The Christmas trees have arrived. We should have most of them up this weekend, now that we have the drill machine back in operation. Buy a tree early and put it in water in a garage or back porch for a few days so it saturates water before taking it inside to decorate.
There is still plenty of time to plant trees and shrubs. You can plant until the ground is frozen.

Looking Good at the Garden Center

2005-11-22T00:32:00.000-08:00

It's getting closer to Christmas and things are starting to look that way. Callan has been up on ladders putting up lights, stars, and various decorations. The weather today is not the greatest, but, since we are closed, I guess it doesn't really matter. We open back up on Friday.
I've been having fun with the Poinsettias. There are some dyes that I found that are safe for them. Now we sell blue Poinsettias! You have to see them.
Christmas (not "x"mas) trees are due in tomorrow. They were just cut this past Sunday, so they will be as fresh as they can be unless you go to the tree farm and cut them yourself. We also sell artificial Christmas trees this year. They are a good deal, too! It really bothers me when I see signs that have "x" instead of Christ. Maybe I'm making too much of it, but it seems to me that He is what Christmas is supposed to be about.

Poinsettias are looking good.

2005-10-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Poinsettias that I grow always annoy me. They are not the easiest plant to grow to make look good at a specific time of year. But, I like a good challenge. What is annoying about it is the fact that I only get one shot at the crop once a year. If there are mistakes I have to wait a whole year to try again. I rest in the fact that many people will have a better Christmas because of the plants I grow.
The Christmas tree farm where we buy our trees just sent a letter warning us about the condition of the trees this year. Because of the drought they are not as saturated as they should be. There are ways to correct this. Buy early, and get them saturated before taking them inside.

TGIF

2005-10-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

Today was fun. We chopped up firewood. I'll sleep well tonight. I'm not sure what Ginger did the whole time we were working, but the way she is sleeping now it would seem as though she did some chopping, too. Maybe she was busy chasing rabbits and I didn't notice.
Callan wore a hat today for the first time this fall.
If you haven't been to the center lately you should come in and see the new airblown inflatable - it's the best I've ever seen. I guarantee you will love it.