Spring Cleaning Well Yes it is winter still

I have been on a cleaning and organizing frenzy. It all started with a small little box and has escalated from there.  The fridge here at the garden center is sparkly new, my socks in the sock drawer are all organized, box of ribbon and all the Christmas items – neatly wrapped up & stored in their respective boxes.  My desk was briefly clean for 24 hours. I am working on keeping it clean each week, will work down from there to by the day!

Now on to tackle the greenhouse and get it scrubbed and sanitized. That starts next week.  Everything gets cleared out of the house and the cleaning begins.  We have to have it cleaned because in about 4 short weeks we start our biological program.  Whereas, insects will do the job of those chemicals I dread.  We are going to make nature work for us instead of us against nature.  It is labor intensive but so worth it in the end!

So what are your resolutions?

Miniature Gardens are F U N!!

Yes, we are jumping on the Miniature Garden Craze and creating lots of buzz around this fun not so new but new-to-us ………  I hope you will join in on the fun and attend our next Mini Garden Class.  The class is free to attend and you can purchase your supplies here.  I will teach you the basics of miniature garden.  Scale, accessories, choosing the right plants for the right space, and just having some fun with it.

Miniature Garden

Saturday, December 17th, at 10 am here at Natural Art Garden Center.  We will host a Miniature Garden Class.  There are a couple of spots left in the class as there is a limit to the number so each person gets individual attention!

Eight Best Gifts for Your Favorite Gardener

1. Miniature Gardening Kit – filled with delightful miniature accessories and plants plus locally made items!

2. Plant tags – mark their favorite plants permanently so they will always know what they have.

3. Rain Barrel Kit to make their own rain barrel and conserve water!

4. Felco Pruners & Saw – you will never replace them in your lifetime. Worth the investment. Don’t forget the leather holster. Keeps them on your hip and not in your flower beds.

5. Leafgro Compost Scoop. What more could you do for the plants than to spread compost around your flower and veggie beds.

6. Gardening Books – one can never have too many books on gardening. I am sure we have hundreds of them and we use them for reference all the time.

7. West Coast Gardening Gloves. They are made out of a recycled plastic bottle. Great for dirty work in the garden. Variety of colors and sizes!

8. Treegators ™ – keep the trees watered. Two different sizes that will work with all trees and puts either 14 or 20 gallons of water on at one time!

Small Business Saturday

I have been inspired to update our blog per my friend, Jay Williams, who owns Emerald City Gardens in Seattle, Washington.  It is a great little place to find the perfect plant and gift. So, if you ever find yourself  in Seattle, this is a must see place.  Tell them we sent you there. He will laugh and treat you like royalty.

And speaking of royalty, don’t you think it is about time to shop at places where you do feel like royalty. Where they know you by name or remember that your kid had a soccer game last week.  When you ask if they can order you a special something, you don’t feel like you are asking for permission to have a sitdown with the Pope.

So, American Express last year came up with Small Business Saturday to help out the small businesses that actually fuel this economy!  Did you know that almost 80% of the jobs today are through small businesses.  Spend $10 locally, $6.80 stays in our local economy, spend the same at a box,, only $4.30 stays here whereas spending it online does absolutely nothing for our local economy.

There is a project we support that costs us nothing to do so but it does remind all of us to think about where we shop and how we as individuals can have a POSITIVE impact on our local economies.  The 3/50 project (see link here) is simple:

Pick 3 Locally Owned Businesses Per Month

Spend $50 between the three of them in that Month

Thus saving our local economy.  Think about it.  Need a gift for a friend’s birthday or want something for yourself? There are so many shops around here where you can get a great gift not only here at Natural Art but some really awesome stores like King Street Art Works or People’s Drug Store in Strasburg (did you know that Ruth Dryer has pottery at People’s Drug? We have bought many of her pieces for gifts – or that KSAW has jewelry and Christmas Ornaments)  How about Woodstock – got a foodie in your life, you must go to The Market and get some of their pies and bulk food.  Yummy treats.  Locally Made. What more do you want.  These are just a few of the places that we shop.

I hope you will think about shopping more locally the next time you need something.  I know if each of us talked about this to our friends and family, we really can make a BIG difference!

~Lynne. 

Miniature Gardening is for all ages

Miniature Garden by Abbey

This is Abbey and her miniature garden she made all by herself.  The adults had to show restraint and let her do it on her own.  She waited patiently while I talked about mini gardens and how to create them. Had to learn about scale, how to make a path and real patio, how to get the soil just right, placement of accessories, and so much more. When I finally stopped talking, Abbey got right to work. First she picked out what accessories she wanted, then she put in her house and pond.  Had to build up the area around the pond so she added sand by the spoonful, then the rocks. She added the bird bath and planted the hen and chick.  Next she decided she did want a path after all, she wanted it to be the real thing.  So, we had to add the sand and make the edging just right. We recycled an old plant sign for the edging.  She then added the patio mix and placed the rocks.  She used the purple Rainbow Mix rocks.  She misted it and was ready to go.  She added the back the house and viola – all done!  She did a super job!

Holiday Workshops

Handmade Wreath

November 29, Tuesday, 6 pm, Wreath Making Workshop.  Make your own wreath.  Greens and ribbon provided. You can bring your own greens & decorations.  Bring gloves & handsnips. RSVP to email or 540-436-3130. Free refreshments. $25.

 

Mini Garden made by Danielle

December 3rd   HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE. 

 Join us for Miniature Gardening & Hot Cider!  Come for miniature gardening class plus fabulous deals on those holiday gifts.

Enjoy FREE refreshments and treats.

December 3, Saturday, 10 am, Miniature Garden Workshop.  Make your own miniature garden. All supplies available. You can bring your own accessories.  Bring gloves & your imagination. RSVP.  Supplies Fee.

December 6, Tuesday, 6 pm, Holiday Centerpiece OR Kissing Ball Workshop.  Make your very own holiday centerpiece with fresh greens & candle. Or you can make a kissing ball. Learn about the traditions of the kissing ball and make your very own to hang for the holidays to kiss your favorite person. Supplies included (you can bring your own). Bring gloves & handsnips. RSVP. 540-436-3130. Free refreshments. $25.

December 10, Saturday, 10 am, Wreath Making Workshop.  Make your own wreath.  Greens and ribbon provided. You can bring your own greens & decorations.  Bring gloves & handsnips. RSVP.  F

ree refreshments. $25.

Holiday Centerpieces

Miniature Gardens

We are hosting a Miniature Gardening Class on November 12th at 10 am. FREE to all but must RSVP. Learn how to make your own Miniature Garden. Choosing plants, accessories, containers, soil, and care. All attendees receive special coupons good for making your own.

Dining in Miniature Style

Same miniature garden with different accessories.

Happy Fall

The weather has been delightful and we are gearing up for our fall season because

FALL IS FOR PLANTING!

So many people come in and think that the only time to plant is in the spring. I would like to offer up Fall as a great time to plant.  We plant almost year round for most plants.  The biggest advantage to fall is not chasing the garden hose around.  Right now the nights are cooler and they will not dry out as fast which is great for getting plants established.

Important to plant properly and remember to water when needed.  If you have any questions, please call us at 540-436-3130 OR visit our website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laboring Away Labor Day

Are you taking it easy today or laboring away the day with chores you haven’t been able to get to because you are so busy doing so many other things.

Well, today we decided to let our employees spend time with their families and enjoy the precious time together.  So, we will be closed today, Monday, September 5th, 2011 in honor of Labor Day.

What is on your agenda for the day?  We have come in and checked on the greenhouse and nursery yard to water and see what needs attention.  Since it rained all night, we don’t have any watering to do outside.  All the mums, pansies, dianthus were dragged inside kicking and screaming (to keep their flowers pretty) last evening inside the greenhouse.  Then we will get some chores done around the house this afternoon.  I spent hours cleaning and picking up yesterday.  So, here is to a productive or relaxing day. Enjoy!

~Lynne.

When something just isn’t right….

Almost everyone I know has killed a plant.  Maybe it was because of too much water or we got too busy and forgot to water.  Could be the neighbor’s dog thought it was a fire hydrant.  There are a number of reasons why plants do not survive.  But the main reason goes back to watering.  I cannot stress enough that you have to water and water right.  Even if we get rain, it might not be enough.  Think of it this way, when it is pouring rain and you are near a grove of trees, where do you go for cover?  Yep, the grove of trees will provide enough shelter to not get too wet.  So, all that water pouring out of the sky is not getting to their root zones.  This is a great lesson in how to water, roots want water not leaves.  Yes, you can foliar fertilize (spray fertilize on the leaves of plants early in the morning) but that still does not provide enough water for survival.  We do not want just survival, we want thrival (yep new word to thrive enough further – just made it up!)

I am a firm believer that the hardest job here at the garden center is the water person.  It is repetitive and sometimes even we, the experts, miss one of the 8,239 plants that live here and it struggles for a bit.  We are all not perfect and that is okay.  We do strive to make our plants look at their best and that is through constant monitoring, watering properly, examining problems and executing solutions.

I always state that plants do not die overnight, it is a long drawn out process.  They will hold on to the bitter end.  They will not go quietly into that good night.  They want us to care for them and feed and water them.  So, if you haven’t checked your plants in a while, please do so, they will love you more for it!  And if you ever have a question or need help, please call, send a smoke signal, email, whatever it takes to find out the solution!