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hours
mon - wed
9:00am - 6:00pm
thu - fri
9:00am - 8:00pm
saturday
9:00am - 6:00pm
sunday10:00am - 6:00pm |
q & a
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Q: Is this a good time to plant trees and shrubs?
A: Yes and no. YES: if you are planting a tree or shrub that is growing in a container, or one that was dug earlier in the season and held 'balled and burlapped, for later planting. These plants will suffer very little root damage during the planting process and will quickly take root into the surrounding soil. Remember to water water well, use a good root stimulant (starter) fertilizer and a long term (slow release) fertilizer.
NO: if you are planning to dig up and transplant something, this is about the worst time of year to do that. Once a plant begins to push out leaves in the spring it is dependent on its entire root system. Digging it at this time will result in much root loss and damage, causing the plant to go into 'shock', often resulting in loss of the plant. Transplanting should be done when the plants are dormant, mid fall to early spring.
When in doubt, call us before you dig! |
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masterbucks
$$$$$$$$$
Since switching over to the 'electronic version' of our MasterBuck savings program last spring, our customers have cashed in 2,104 'bucks' for a total savings of
$10,520!
Are you reaping the benefits of this popular program? |
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photo contest
And the Spring Photo Contest winner is...DAVE KRAJEWSKI!
I have to say, this was by far the best group of photos we've ever received for a photo contest!Please take a moment to view our favorite entries on our website. Thanks again to all who entered. We'll be using more of our favorites in upcoming newsletters, and we'll kick off another photo contest soon. Think fish photos... |
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inspirational
quote
"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."
- Abraham Lincoln
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specials this week:
- Tomato Cages $.99
- 12 pack suet $9.99
- 40lb top soil 4/$10
- 40lb compost 4/$12
- 3cu/ft cedar mulch
5/$22.50
- Summer Staple Pond Fish Food
Buy 1/get 1 Free
Sale ends 6/9/10 |
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bad joke
A farmer was driving along the road with a load of fertilizer.
A little boy, playing in front of his house, saw him and called, "What've you got in your truck?"
"Fertilizer," the farmer replied.
"What are you going to do with it?" asked the little boy.
"Put it on strawberries," answered the farmer.
"You ought to live here," the little boy advised him. "We put sugar and cream on ours."
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| in the news |
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from Scientific AmericanTwo years ago, the world's smallest water lily, a plant known as Nymphaea thermarum, whose pads reach only one centimeter in diameter, disappeared from its only habitat, a few square meters near a hot spring in Mashyuza, Rwanda. Local agriculture had drained the spring of most of its water, and as a result, the water lily became extinct in the wild. Luckily, this rare species has a second chance. Read the whole article here.
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Greetings!
Oh my. It's June? I swear I don't remember May at all. I'm pretty sure that's because I didn't make it back home this year for a springtime visit. I'll be sad about that for a while.
I did have a flashback this weekend while planting annuals in my own yard, though. There is something about the smell of marigolds that always reminds me of working at the Garden Center as a kid. Way back when we had just one little poly greenhouse "filled" with flats of annuals. I don't think anyone could have convinced me at the time that I would one day feel sad that I wasn't there for Memorial Day weekend...
I hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend and got to spend some time with your ponds and gardens. And families and friends, too. Read on for info and inspiration!
~ Erin
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coming events
Seminar Schedule:
Saturday 6/5 10:00 am Gardening With Children
Saturday 6/19 10:00 am Rose Planting & Care
*** Please call to reserve your seat! ***
716-655-0133
Father's Day -- Sunday, June 20 |
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in the pond
Surface Cover Plants
photo by Kathy Conklin
 | Probably the most well known and most sought after plant for the pond is the water lily. Water lilies are divided into two general categories, hardy lilies (will survive the winter) and tropical lilies, which will not.
Hardy varieties are available with white, pink, red, yellow and peach colored flowers. All hardy lilies bloom during the day, closing their flowers each night. Each bloom will open and close for three consecutive days.
Tropical lilies include all of the colors of the hardy varieties, plus a range of blues and purples. Tropicals are available in both day blooming and night blooming varieties. The night bloomers are perfect for those of us who only find time to sit by our pond in the evening. The flowers open around dinner time and remain open until about 10 the next morning.
Your water lilies should be in at least an 8-12" container and should be fertilized using 3-4 aquatic fertilizer tablets every 3-4 weeks during the growing season. You should divide and repot your plants every 2-3 years.
Lilies require lots of sun (6 hours or more) and relatively calm water, so don't place them too close to your waterfall or fountain. |
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I have a confession. Mike sends me care packages from time to time and he always puts in aquatic plant fertilizer for my pond. I never use it. I am horrible at fertilizing. This Spring I promised myself I would actually fertilize my pond plants. And I have done it several times now. Amazingly enough, my lilies and marginals are all huge. So my Dad was right. Whatever. The point is that regular fertilizing really does make a difference and you should probably listen to him, too.
**newsletter only special**
Simply mention that you saw it in our newsletter and we'll give you
10% Off
Any Size Aquatic Fertilizer
*** Offer expires 6/9/10 ***
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tips & tricks
 So......you think you have a leak....
If I had to come up with an average, I'd say that most ponds will lose about an inch of water per week due to evaporation during the summer months. There are, however, many variables that make each situation unique.
Here are some things that will increase water loss:
- dogs, chickens and little boys using it as a drinking fountain
- splashing from waterfalls and fountains
- roots from the surrounding plants reaching into the stream bed or pond and sucking up water
- rocks and liner along the border of the stream and pond settling and allowing water to trickle out
- evaporation, especially on hot, sunny days
- wind increases the rate of evaporation
- transpiration (evaporation through the leaves of plants) increases as the plants grow larger
If you suspect that you are losing more water than you should, call or stop in, we'll explain the best way to go about searching for the leak. Fixing a leak is relatively easy in most cases, finding it can be difficult. |
featured plant
Asiatic Lilies
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 | These lilies are a standout in any garden, and they are surprisingly easy to grow. They can be planted as bulbs in Fall or very early Spring, or any time during the growing season if they are in containers. Plant in a sunny spot that does not get soggy. That's about it.
Lilies can be divided every 3 years or so, and require only a good layer of mulch in the Fall to protect from winter damage. Most varieties begin blooming in June. Deadhead after blooms fade, but leave stems and leaves intact until they yellow (just like with any bulb).
(In case you were wondering...yes,  there is a difference between Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies. Asiatic lilies typically don't have a heavy fragrance and the flowers are a solid color. Oriental lilies are a little fancier, with multi-colored petals and often a very heavy fragrance. Stargazer lilies are the most common variety of Oriental lilies.)
We have many varieties in stock and blooming now!
**newsletter only special**
Simply mention that you saw it in our newsletter and we'll give you 10% Off
any in-stock asiatic lily (OK, Oriental lilies, too)
*** Offer expires 6/11/10 ***
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tips & tricks
reuse and recycle I'm really excited to share these two cool ideas this week. After last week's photo of old wine bottles used to make a border, some great recyclers shared these photos with us. Bob Wilder and Amanda Rundell started creating a stick border with trimmings from their yard. It looks great! They also sent us the fabulous photo of the patio they put together using recycled bricks. Thanks so much for sharing your projects with us, Bob and Amanda! I get so many great ideas from other gardeners. It's fun to see how creative people can be and it often inspires me to try a new project in my own garden. If you have a project you'd like to share, we'd love to hear about it! |
trivia water lilies
- The botanical name, Nympaeceae, is taken from the Greek word nymph
- The water lily is an object used repeatedly in the oil paintings of French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926)
- The American Indians made flour
out of dried roots by pounding them. The flour was then baked into cakes.
- Mashed green roots were used as poultice for swollen limbs; the
roots for problems of the womb, digestive problems, a rinse for mouth sores;
leaves and flowers as cooling compresses
- Victoria amazonica
has a leaf that is up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in diameter, on a stalk 7-8 m
(23-26 ft) in length. The genus name was given in honor of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
- The water lily flower symbolizes purity of heart
- Water lilies are often confused with lotus
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Masterson's Garden Center, Inc. & Aquatic Nursery
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