| BE FUNKY THIS FALL by Kelly Heath, Retail Manager |
 The end of the summer season here at the garden centre always brings mixed emotions. As the manic pace slows down and the temperatures begin to drop we feel both happy for all the our successes as a team and sad to see the greenhouses standing quiet and empty. It has been a good growing season this year and we are grateful as our lives and livelihood depend upon the weather much like farming. But with the end of summer begins the wonders of fall and all the beautiful shades of oranges, yellows and reds that fall plants bring to the greenhouse, the nursery and our gardens. We've filled the garden centre with all things Fall this month; glorious mums, kale, ornamental grasses, millet, burning bushes, hydrangeas and more. I guess it's really not an ending but rather the beginning of a new season!
Looking to jazz up your fall planters? The ornamental grass, mums and kale are a great start but if you want to stand out from the neighbours then drop in and check out some of the funky new fall accents that I just brought in.
Lotus Pods, Apples/Pumpkins, Curly Ting, Vine Balls and my favourite Coco Curly all add a designer look to your planters.
FALL LAWN CARE
Summer vacations are coming to a close, how did your lawn survive? Fall is an important time for your lawn. It is your last chance before winter to build up it's strength and deal with any pest problems.
Here are a few recommendations:
1. DETHATCH
A good hard raking of your lawn in fall to loosen any dead grass or thatch buildup is an important step in building a healthy lawn. It also helps to loosen up the soil before over seeding.
2. OVERSEEDING
While night time temperatures are still above 15C and traditionally there is more rain fall, now is an excellent time to overseed your lawn. The thicker the lawn, the less space for weeds to grow. Just be sure to keep the seed moist during the germination period. Overseed with a mix that has lots of fescue in it. Fescue grasses have deep roots so therefore are less susceptible to drought and grub damage. Always seed fescue mixes at a heavier application rate.
Hard to grow areas? Dry, Sandy, Shady? I always recommend our Eco-Mix which is a blend of 4 different fescue grasses. No fail grass!
2. FERTILIZE
Many of us are all gung ho in the spring to get out high nitrogen fertilizer on and start greening things up. Well fall is an even more important a time to feed your lawn to develop good strong roots and help it get through winter. Something with a good first and last number like our Fafard 19-0-11 is an excellent choice for fall. Having no phosphorus in your fertilizer is an enviromentally friendly choice for homeowners living on or close to lakes and rivers as phophorus promotes algae growth in our waterways.
3. DEEP WATERING
In order to promote deep roots make sure you soak your lawn deeply once a week. Water for at least 20 minutes with a sprinkler once a week rather than standing out with a hose end sprayer every night for 5 minutes. Short spurts of watering builds a shallowand weaker root system.
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| FEATURED ADVERTISER |
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Come and see the amazing patio Elizabeth built in our new Glass Display Greenhouse.
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| FEATURED ADVERTISER |
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Come and see the amazing creation the Bruce has on display in our new Glass Display House
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