January - March Happenings 2012

January 1, 2012                                  Closed – Happy New Year!

January 7                                              Open Saturdays 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

These are our Saturday hours except for the Saturday prior to Valentine’s Day and in the Spring time during April and May

Garden Notes                        Warm Days can make spring bulbs poke out new little shoots that will die back when the next bout of ice and snow head our way.   Add a little extra compost and mulch for protection.

Garden Note                           Forsythia and quince can be cut and brought into the house now for forcing.  The warmth of your rooms will bring some early spring color into our bleak January days.

January 16                                             Martin Luther King Birthday Observance

Garden Note                           Don’t forget your houseplants!  Use a damp cloth or a quick shower in the sink to get the dust off and unclog the leaf pores.  A feeding of liquid plant food will benefit your actively growing plants. On extremely cold nights, remember to close the blinds or curtains between the window and your plants.

February 2                                            Ground Hog Day

February 6                                            Don’t forget to order your Valentine’s Day flowers early this week! 

                                                               Valentine’s Day is on Tuesday this year!

Garden Note                           Stroll the yard and trim back any branches damaged by winter ice, snow

                                                                and wind.

February 12                                          Open Sunday for Valentine’s Day 11:00 am until 3:00 pm

February 14                                          Valentine’s Day

                                                                Floral Shop is open 8:00 am until 6:00 pm

Garden Note                           Push down, firmly back into place, any perennials and bulbs heaved out of the ground by frost.

February 20                                           George Washington Birthday Observance

Garden Note                           In the event of snow, take time to brush or shake the snow off the branches of your evergreens and shrubs – especially when the snows are heavy and wet. Branches are more brittle when the plants are dormant and the weight of the snow may damage or break them.

February 22                                           Ash Wednesday

March 11                                                Daylight Savings Time Begins – SPRING Forward!

Garden Note                           WAIT ON REMOVING WINTER MULCHES from your flowerbeds!  March can be a fickle month and the mulch will continue to protect the plants from our sudden temperature changes. When the active growth begins to appear, remove a little of the mulch over a period of a few days, allowing the plants to get used to the light and temperatures.

IT’S ALWAYS BETTER TO REMOVE MULCH A LITTLE LATER THAN

                                                                TO REMOVE IT TOO EARLY!

March 17                                               St. Patrick’s Day

Garden Note                         Take time to prepare the vegetable garden for planting.  Many of the old timegardeners say to have your potatoes planted the week of St. Patrick’s Day.

Till through the garden if the weather permits – hopefully exposed weeds and seeds will die.  The addition of processed manure, peat moss or compost is

                                                                good additives for building compost humus in the soil.

March 20                                                1^st Day of Spring!  Vernal Equinox

Garden Note                          Plant Pansies! Spring is here and they are able to take our roller coaster            temperatures

Garden Note                                         Late March and early April are good times to transplant trees and shrubs. As soon as the soil is workable, but before the buds have swelled or broken, it is safe to move trees and shrubs

April 1                                                     April Fools’ Day/Palm Sunday

Garden Note                                         Early April is a good time to divide and transplant summer blooming perennials. Make sure to fertilize once new growth appears.

April  8                                                   Easter Sunday.  We are closed to celebrate our

                                                               Risen Lord & Savior – Alleluia!

 April 15                                                Greenhouses are open on Sundays during the Spring

                                                               11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Garden Note                                         Killing Frosts can come as late as the middle of May – remember a few years  ago! Plants such as pansies, dianthus, snapdragons and even petunias can take some of the temperature fluctuations better than others.  Planted containers are much safer if you have to garden.  You can always pull them into the garage or up close to the house if the weather turns too chilly.

LOOK FOR MORE, UPDATED SPRING HAPPENINGS

 FOR 2012 IN MARCH!

Thanks for making your home and garden

“A Parkview Place!”

Part Florist…Part Greenhouse…All Flowers for over 80 Years!