Greetings!
Happy July to all of you! Hope you had a wonderful Independence Day! It certainly has been a busy month since I wrote our last newsletter. Our big event, Pink Night, a fundraiser for breast cancer, raised almost $8000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Piper Breast Center at Abbott Northwestern and the Susan G Komen 3-Day. Thank you to all who attended. Also, a BIG THANK YOU to the more than 25 local businesses who contributed to Pink Night. Click to read more about the evening and its contributors. The GRO Member Party on the Patio is coming up on July 22nd. There will be great sales & specials just for GRO Members, Yummy food and refreshments, wine & beer, live music, door prizes and more! Want to know more about it? Visit our website for more information.
Not a GRO Member? Sign-up today! It's FREE! See any Otten Bros. or Flower Farm Employee for more details on all the benefits of becoming an Otten Bros. GRO Member today! |
And the Winner is...
Drum roll please! This is the moment you have all been waiting for. The Winner of The Otten Bros. Pretty Pots contest is...
First, a big thank you to our Pretty Pots Judges: Suzette Nordstrom of Monrovia Growers and Heather McKay of Campania International; sponsors of the Otten Bros. Pretty Pots Contest. Our judges wanted to make a few comments regarding the contest. "We were overwhelmed by the quality of the entries. It really was a tough choice. So tough, in fact, we named honorable mentions in 2 of the 3 categories. We also greatly enjoyed the human interest stories behind some of the pots. Thank you to all who entered - it was fun to judge and we look forward to doing this again next year!"
Our category winners each will receive a $100 Otten Bros. gift card.
Sunny Category Winner | Winner of the Sunny Category is photo #10 in our Pretty Pots Album on our Facebook page, Kimberly Swanson. The judges' comments on her pot were...Great use of tropicals and annuals, brave colors and texture. Perfect 'thriller, filler, spiller' approach to planting. It all contrasted perfectly with her pot. Honorable Mention in the Sunny Category goes to photo #2 - Jane Horn (sorry, no prize, just your name in lights). The judges loved that your pots solved a problem-area in your yard. They also loved the contrast in colors and the fact that nothing was really blooming in the pot and you still had great color.
Shade Category Winner | Winner of the Shade Category is photo #6, Deanna Counsell. The judges thought it had great texture and liked the use of white to brighten up your combination. The colors were playful and it just looked beautiful. Honorable Mention in the Shade Category goes to photo #41 Penny Eckert (sorry, no prize, just 15 seconds of fame). Judges comments...You made your pot 'art in the garden'. It was simple, beautiful and whimsical.
Edible Category Winner | Winner of the Edible Category photo #19, Tina Pramann. It made the judges hungry just thinking about your basket. What a great use of space! It was so useful, a cutting and kitchen garden in one basket.
The Grand Prize Winner of $500 in Monrovia plants, $400 in Campania Pottery & a $100 Otten Bros. Gift Card, chosen from our category winners, is Kimberly Swanson's sunny 'tropical' pot! The judges said her entry 'just had it all! CONGRATULATIONS Kimberly!!
Thank you to all who entered. If you need a little inspiration for your containers make sure to check out our Facebook page and browse through all the entries. Start planning your entries for next year so you can be Otten Bros. Pretty Pots Winner! |
Welcome to Cori Johnson!
 Cori is the newest member of the Otten Bros. Landscape Department family.
Cori is a native of Aberdeen, South Dakota and has lived in the Twin Cities since 1997. Originally, she moved to the metro area to attend the Brown Institute for radio & television broadcasting. After graduation, she worked in the engineering department at WCCO Television for 4 years. "Something was missing," says Cori. As she thought back to her childhood and spending time on my grandparent's farm, it all became clear. "My grandparents love and appreciation for the land and their enormous garden became my inspiration. Those early life experiences have inspired me and have translated into my career as Landscape Designer," according to Cori.
Her degree is in Landscape Design & Construction from Hennepin Technical College. She has been designing residential landscapes since 2003. What does she consider the best part of her job? "Helping her clients create unique outdoor living spaces where they can enjoy entertaining and spending time with the people who matter most in their lives; their family and friends."
Welcome Cori - we are excited to have you as part of the Otten Bros. Family! Check out Cori's welcome video on Youtube! |
July Gardening To-Do-List
 Continue maintaining your gardens. Weeding, watering, and fertilizing are tops on the list to keep your garden and your yard in tiptop shape. -Deadhead annuals and perennials. Removing the fading blooms and seed heads will encourage more flowering. -Remove the brown foliage from your spring bulbs. -If your spring flowering bulbs didn't perform well this spring. Dig them up after the foliage has died back, divide and replant. -Continue watering young trees and shrubs weekly.
-If your plants are looking a bit worse for wear due to storms or not enough water while on vacation at the cabin, stop into Otten Bros. We continue to stock fresh shipments of perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees all summer long. We will have what you need to revitalize your yard.
If you have any questions about your lawn or garden - please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to help you! 952-473-5425 or email us! |
Places to GO...Things to SEE
 GRO Members Party on the Patio!
Thursday, July 22nd 4-7pm - Come and Go Style Party. Click here to let us know if you will be attending!
The University of MN Master Gardeners of Wright Co. will be on hand at the Wright Co. fair this year to answer all your gardening questions. You will find them in the Crops building on the Wright Co. Fair Grounds in Howard Lake. There will be free presentations on a wide variety of gardening topics as well!
Wednesday, Aug. 4th 1-8pm & Thursday - Sunday, Aug. 5th-8th 11-8pm
Meet Molly in the Garden
Join Otten Bros. Designer Molly Jaffray & the Otten Bros. Garden Center staff for a great new seminar series that focuses on creating beautiful gardens and landscapes while promoting the greener side of gardening. Click here for more information. Thursday, July 15th - 6:00pm
The Birds and the Bees
Thursday, July 22nd - 10:30am and 6:00pm
No Free Lunch (for rabbits & deer)
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