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Celebrate spring with the 12 Days of Spring Sale!
Go to www.wedels.com and click on the date button for the daily special. Something different every day! |
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The Gold
Goes To... |
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...Carol Garnaat Our February trivia question was, "What is unique about the patent issued to James Markham in 1932?" Carol was the first to respond with the correct answer: "...it was the first patent issued for a tree (peach)."
Congratulations Carol! We hope you enjoy your $15.00 Wedel's gift certificate. |
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What's New? |
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What's new at Wedel's? Lots! Truly, there is more new at Wedel's for 2010 than there is room to list everything but here are some highlights.
 New among the 31 fruit and nut tree varieties we have are: Saturn Peach, September Wonder Fugi Apple, Sungold Apricot, Bosc Pear and Zestar Apple. Semi-dwarf varieties are: Alberta Peach, Bartlett Pear, Mormon Apricot (Did you know the Mormon Apricot has an edible pit?! For the really fiber conscious!), Italian Plum, Empire Apple, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathon, Sugar Princess Peach and Winesap Apple. Other new nursery items are American Hybrid Chestnut, Hardy Pecans and Paw Paw Michigan.
Two of the new hydrangeas are Invincibelle Spirit and Summer Lace, top picks for the 2010 season. Summer Lace is the newest in the Forever & Ever series of hydrangeas that bloom on old and new wood. Its lacecap blooms are pink in weakly acidic to alkaline soil and blue in strongly  acidic soil. The Invincibelle Spirit's flower emerges a dark, hot pink color and matures to a rich clear pink. A portion of sales from Invincibelle Spirit will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
We are always conscious of the "buy local" philosophy. It is what keeps our local economy running. In our search for local suppliers we found a great Michigan distributor, Blue Thumb Distributing. Blue Thumb provides pond equipment from budget and do-it-yourself supplies up to full scale commercial equipment. Skimmers, water fall boxes and the Mini Canyon pondless system are just a few of their items you'll find at Wedel's.
 Do you have a shady area that simply refuses to grow grass? How would you like to create a lush, vibrant and tranquil shade garden? Take a look at Moss Milkshake! Moss Milkshake is ideal for naturalized areas, Japanese gardens, patios and walkways and rock/water gardens. Just add water, spread, moisten...no mowing, no watering!
These are just highlights, and a few of the highlights at that, of what is new at Wedel's for 2010. Come by soon; come by often. Stop in and ask us, "What's new?" |
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| Mark Your Calendar! |
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Wedel's free
Seminars
Saturday, March 6,
10:30 a.m.
Choosing and
maintaining the right
birdhouse
cashiers to reserve a seat.
As seminars are confirmed, topics and times will be posted here and at:
www.wedels.com
under "News and Events."
March 17 through 20
Home Builders' Assn.
Home Show
March 19, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
March 20, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wedel's 15th Annual
Garden Landscape
Spring Expo
March 26, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Bursting with Blooms
Ladies Night at Wedel's
Benefitting the American Red Cross and Hospitality House of Southwest Michigan
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"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer
in the light, and winter in the shade."
- Charles Dickens |
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March
Shopping
List
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Plant starting supplies e.g. seeds, trays, heat mat, soil
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Grow light
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Bird seed
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Hummingbird feeder
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Gift certificate for spring projects
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Gardening, landscaping, lawn care books
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Bright, cheery floral arrangement to celebrate the first day of spring
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Plant labels, stakes, twist ties |
| Did You Know? |
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1. Spring flowering bulbs need approximately 16 weeks of chilling in order to blossom.
2. People once believed that mushrooms growing in a circle followed the path made by fairies dancing in a ring.
3. Cranberries are one of just 3 major fruits native to North America. Blueberries and Concord grapes are the other two.
4. The rose family of plants, in addition to flowers, gives us apples, pears, plums, cherries, almonds, peaches and apricots. |
| Pretty Garden? |
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If you have a garden, a feeding station or bird pictures that you are proud of, send them to us. We'll share your pictures with our readers. Send pictures to:
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Just for Grins... 
When I bought some fruit trees the nursery owner gave me some insects to help with pollination. They were free bees. Ted Dibble | |
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| Volume 2, Number 12 March, 2010 |
"For Behold,
the Winter is Past..."
by George Wedel |
 Hello and merry spring to all of our green thumb friends! It seems so long ago we were all putting our gardens to sleep for the winter. Now, to cure their cabin fever, most green-thumbers can hardly wait to dig into the new garden season. On our calendar, spring arrives on Saturday, March 20, but that doesn't mean we can't get a jump on the season. What a blessing it is that God allows us all to participate in the wonderful event of spring. For gardeners, spring spells a new beginning, a fresh start; the first warm breeze, new life coming to long dormant branches, a warm rain, the greening of new grass, the first blooms of spring, fragrant newly turned soil and our snowbird friends and neighbors arriving daily from the south. Within our souls there stirs a renewed urge to enjoy the great outdoors, our gardens once again and participate with God in His continuing act of creation.
As I experience these wonderful sensations, I am reminded that God always keeps His promises. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and a harvest. From God's Word in the Song of Solomon it is written, "For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning the vines and the voice of the turtle dove has been heard in the land." Song of Solomon 2:11&12.
I am grateful for God's promise of spring. Barren, desolate days and dormant branches soon will be behind us; green grass and the flowers and the fruits of the vine are before us. What a wonderful hope and joy we are blessed with. I hope God blesses each of you, our green thumb friends, with a great gardening season, an abundant harvest of flowers and vegetables and with many sunny, enjoyable hours in your gardens.
Where do we begin this year? With so many early spring garden and landscape project possibilities we should sort out the immediate from those that can wait. The first item on my to-do list this spring will be the necessity to finish any dormant pruning of trees and shrubs. Prune out all cracked branches on shade and ornamental trees. Where branches have been torn off the main stem, smooth the wound with a sharp knife then apply Tanglefoot pruning wound paint. Delay pruning any wind burned evergreen foliage, both needled and broadleaf, until May. Examine deciduous flowering shrubs closely for winter dieback. Prune back all damaged branches to green, live wood.
Folks with backyard fruit trees will want to begin their dormant spray program soon. Fruit tree insects and disease will become active soon and will continue to be whenever temperatures are above forty degrees.
Most lawns would benefit from a light raking now to fluff up the matted grass. Raking now will also help dry out turf and stop further snow mold damage. Bare or thin turf areas should be seeded after raking. Grass seed sown soon will get off to a better start than seed planted in warmer weather. Any lawns that were not fertilized last November should be fertilized at half rate with Scotts Lawn Pro Lawn Food as soon as possible to encourage early spring green up. A reminder; wait to apply lawn crabgrass controls until late April.Crabgrass seeds won't germinate until early May. The combination of early crabgrass control application and a rainy spring will shorten the control period.
Green thumbers will want to mark their calendars for Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20, for Wedel's annual Spring Garden and Landscape Expo. All gardeners and plant enthusiasts will be treated to the wonderful sights and fragrances of spring while strolling through our greenhouse gardens. A multitude of free seminars and door prizes along with the opportunity to chat with our product vendors and staff will ensure that there will certainly be something for everyone of every age. We seem to have more new products than usual in every department this year. Be sure to come by, see what's new and feel the bite of the spring fever bug. |
 Q. As spring approaches I want to put out my bird bath. Would it hurt birds if I add some salt to keep it from freezing?
A. In a word - yes. Many of the birds we see in our yards could be killed by ingesting even a little salt. Birds are so sensitive to salt that even soft water should never be used in a bath. We tend to think of salt as safe since it is spread on roads all winter long. One of the impacts of this practice is in fact bird deaths. Salt is toxic to garden birds. Their bodies are unable to process it and it affects their nervous systems as well.
Dehydration in cold weather is a major cause of bird deaths, far more than starvation. Birds not only have some difficulty remaining hydrated due to their small body size and relatively high body temperature but they need to bathe all year to maintain their feathers. Water melted by salt is therefore attractive to birds. Birds become thirsty and dehydrated when they ingest salty water, which makes them drink more, exacerbating the problem. In a relatively short time kidney damage occurs.
Although most dangerous when ingested, salty water is not good for birds externally, either. Salt damages their feathers, which means they are not in good condition during the cold spring weather and for breeding season. The process of preening means birds take even more salt into their bodies.
Salt is bad for birds - so no salt in your bird bath, no softened water in your bird bath and use calcium chloride not sodium chloride on your sidewalk and driveway. Both your plants and birds will benefit.
 Q. Now that spring is coming should I keep feeding birds and if I continue how do I keep starlings and Grackles away?
A. Sure you should feed birds at any time of the year, at least any time you enjoy watching them. If you feed to help birds, spring and summer is the time of year that feeders are most beneficial for birds. The things they eat have been picked over all fall and winter; this is the time of year that the food supply is lowest. It also coincides with nesting season when birds' energy requirements are the highest. Birds are sharing their time between finding their own food, building nests and feeding babies. Feeders make life easier for birds this time of year.
The second part of your question is far more complicated. Because even nuisance birds are impacted by food being at its shortest supply of the year, they are attracted to feeders as well. There are some things you can do, though.
Discontinue any corn in the yard. European Starlings and Grackles are VERY attracted to corn, after all they spend their winters gleaning corn from stubble fields. Matter of fact their numbers have been trending downward since more and more farmers have switched to fall plowing. In Europe where fall plowing caught on earlier than here the decline is significant. Avoid corn in any mix you choose and don't put out corn for squirrels as the "black birds" return.
 If these birds continue to be a problem, fill your feeders with safflower. This will get rid of the "black birds" but it will also cost you some of the birds you want to feed. If they've discovered your suet, get yourself an upside down suet feeder. Woodpeckers and the other woodland birds can hang upside down and eat - the "black birds" not so much.
Don't forget to check the progress of hummingbirds at: http://www.hummingbirds.net/ |
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by Judy Sherwood
"Tips and Tricks for African Violets," "You Can Grow Gorgeous Orchids," "Exploring the Mysterious World of Carnivorous Plants" and "Herbal Teas for Therapeutic Value" are just a few of the seminars which will be offered for your information and enjoyment at the Wedel's Garden Center Spring Expo March 19 and 20.
Indoor houseplants naturally clean the air you breathe through their natural recycling of air around them, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Pollutants in the air are absorbed through microscopic openings in the leaves. In the 1980s a NASA study concluded houseplants not only make your indoor environment more attractive, they also help purify the air. Anthuriums, various dracaenas, ferns, golden pothos, orchids, palms, peace lilies, philodendrons, sanservieras, scheffleras and zz plants are just a few of these clean air plants available at Wedel's. The staff in the floral department will be happy to assist you with finding the right plant for you.
If you are looking for a blooming plant to add to your houseplant collection, orchids and African violets make a colorful addition. Orchids, as well as helping purify the air, are a fascinating houseplant. There are many varieties and we can help you choose one suitable for your growing conditions. African violets are a favorite blooming houseplant and are easy to grow. Good, bright light and regular feeding will keep them happy.
Are you ready for an exotic dimension to your houseplants? Carnivorous plants may be just what you need. Venus fly traps, sundews and pitcher plants are unusual and beautiful. Don't worry, these plants won't eat humans!
Soon we will be planting herbs in our gardens for summer enjoyment. With a lot of light, they can be enjoyed indoors too. It's a great pleasure to snip a few stems to toss in your pan to enhance the flavor of your favorite dishes.
A floral workshop will be offered on Friday, March 19, during Expo. Sue Smith and Trish Keller, professional floral designers, will help you make your own beautiful flower arrangement in this hands-on workshop. A $20 fee will include all the flowers and the container you will need for this project. Call the store for more information (269-345-1195) and to sign up for any of the Expo seminars. | |
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Our store hours are:
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday - Thursday.
9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Friday.
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday.
9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Friday, March 19
and
Friday, March 26
Wedel's now stocks Rain Bird
irrigation system replacement parts.
To Do In March
Attend Wedel's Spring Expo on Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20.
Attend Ladies Night Out & Spring Garden Gala on Friday, March 26, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Make sure bird bath heaters are in good working order.
Have mower blades sharpened.
Have mower tuned up.
We're looking for Info!
What seminars would YOU like to see Wedel's offer? Now, and any time, is the time to let us know what you'd be interested in. Drop us a line at: wedelsgarden@wedels.comand let us know what topics we should cover in a Wedel's Seminar. |
| Head Start
Extends
Growing Season
 If you've thought about starting seeds indoors to get a jump on the season but weren't sure what to do or when to do it, we can help. With a few simple and basic steps you can extend the growing season and even enjoy multiple harvests.
Besides your seeds, you will need three things: soil, water and light. Those are the minimums. Be sure to use a good seeding soil such as Fertilome's Seedling and Cutting Starter Mix. Garden soil is too heavy and doesn't offer adequate drainage. Your seeds will perform best with eight hours of sunlight per day. Seedlings need a lot of light and without sufficient light they will become leggy. If you can't supply that, consider using a grow light about a foot above the plants and plan to keep it on about 14 hours a day. Grow lights work very well but don't supply the same intensity as natural sunlight.
 Keep your seedlings moist, not wet and be sure to not let them dry out. It is best to water from below using a tray meant for that purpose such as Planters' Pride Greenhouse Kit, Burpee Seed Planting Ultimate Growing System, Germination Station (which is heated) as well as others which are in stock at Wedel's. While we're speaking of heat, you can use a standard tray system and supplement it with a Seedling Heating Mat. What you are doing is simulating a regular growing season and warmth is an essential part of that season.
You might have read that seeds can be in limited supply this year. One of the reasons for that is more people have decided to have a home garden and many who have had home gardens have decided to expand them. Why? The health benefits of fresh produce have been documented and there is nothing like the taste of good, fresh fruits and vegetables. Have you ever eaten a tomato still warm from the sunshine? If you have, you're a believer; if not try to imagine what a treat that is.
If you've decided to get a head start on your garden this year, you're in good company. If this is your first time, don't worry. It isn't difficult to do. Wedel's has everything you need whether starting three or four plants or a whole garden's worth including the knowledge and advice that will help to ensure your success with a practical and enjoyable project. | |
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A Request To You
We have a display board near the front of the store, at Wedel's, where we like to place photos of your landscaping. That area is looking a little sparse this time of year so, if you have pictures of your bird feeding station or winter landscape and wouldn't mind sharing them, we would like to display them! Send them to us at wedelsgarden@wedels.com along with a description and you'll have a place on our Wall of Fame. | |
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| $5.00
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off any item priced at $5.00 or more! |
| Offer Good Through: Saturday, March 13, 2010. Coupon is necessary to receive this offer. |
Saturday Mornings
Birdwatch 8:07
with host Roger Taylor answering all of your birding questions
Call in at 382-4280 or 800-742-6590.
Put on a pot of coffee. "Over the Garden Fence"
returns 2 weeks from tomorrow on March 20! Over the Garden Fence 9:07
with host Andy Wedel answering all of your landscape and gardening questions
Call in at 382-4280 or 800-742-6590.
Visit our web site at www.wedels.com for archives of previous Birdwatch and Over the Garden Fence programs! |
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Note from the Editor
"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" - Robin Williams It's March and time for a party. There are several opportunities to party coming up; party like gardeners like to party. Wedel's Spring Expo is a huge garden party. We have been preparing for several weeks and the pace is noticeably picking up. Just 2 weeks away! There will be seminars (30 of them - all free), displays, vendors to chat with, free samples, door prizes, good food, specials (lots of specials), and just plain fun.
At the same time as Wedel's Spring Expo is the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo Home Show. If that is on your spring to-do list you'll find Wedel's well represented there. Keep an eye on all of the landscaping. You're bound to see our name everywhere.
AND...that's not all. One of the favorite events at Wedel's is Ladies Night and Ladies Night Out - Bursting with Blooms will be on Friday evening, March 26, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. There is a link under "Mark Your Calendar!" above that will take you to information for that event. Just like at Wedel's, there's always something new for Ladies Night. Kalamazoo Hospital Hospitality House and the Red Cross of Greater Kalamazoo are our beneficiaries for this spring's Ladies Night so get your tickets, have a great time and know that you are helping two great, local organizations.
March. Winter is loosening its hold and spring is timidly making an entrance. Today, for example. The sun is shining, snow is melting and we're seeing more and more lawn. A few days like today and the next snow storm, which is sure to come, won't seem so...definite. So defiant. So permanent. Spring will get a little bolder each day, not pushy, but bolder while winter tries to be pushy with wet, heavy snow, freezing temperatures and gray skies. Winter's show, in March, is a weak attempt to claim the month as its own. Already there are snowdrops and crocus and hyacinths beginning to appear. When flowers begin blooming in our yards who can take winter too seriously?
With next month's newsletter we be begin our third year of publishing Wedel's News. It doesn't seem possible! Our subscriber list has grown tremendously and continues to grow each month. If you think someone you know would enjoy Wedel's News and would find it to be a valuable resource, pass a copy along to them and invite them to subscribe. I hope you continue to stay in touch too! Keep the suggestions, ideas and comments coming our way. Or, just write to say, "hi." You're the reason we're here and it's always fun to hear from you.
Ready for another trivia question? This one makes me hungry for a bowl of cereal! What is considered to be the world's largest herb? The first reader to respond with the correct answer will win a $15.00 Wedel's gift certificate. The gift certificate must be picked up here at the garden center and remember, you are eligible to win once every 90 days. Good luck and have fun!
"Springtime is the land awakening.
The March winds are the morning yawn."
- Lewis Grizzard, Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You | |
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