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Last Month's Newsletter
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A Tip of the Hat
Goes To...
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Gladys Hizer! Gladys was the first to submit the correct answer to our November trivia question: "What fruits were crossed to produce the nectarine?" The correct answer is "none." The nectarine is a cultivar of peach. Genetic studies have concluded in fact that nectarines are created due to a recessive gene, whereas a fuzzy peach skin is dominant.
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Gladys won a $15.00 Wedel's gift certificate and you could too! Just be the first to respond with the correct answer to our monthly trivia question.
Congratulations, Gladys!
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| Pretty Garden? | |
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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| A Rare Opportunity | |
Saturday, November 13, provided a rare opportunity for Wedel's visitors to see, up close, and learn about some gorgeous birds known as raptors. Aimee Pico and Darlene Brockman of Lake Milton Raptor Education Center were here with an owl, hawk and a falcon.
Robert Cooley was here with his daughters Makayla and Kaitlyn (shown below) who obviously enjoyed their visit.
It looks as though the birds enjoyed posing with the girls just as much.
The Raptor Center is a non-profit organization that gives a permanent home to non-releasable wild birds of prey. If you would like to schedule a visit by some of these majestic birds or would like to learn more about the Lake Milton Raptor Education Center click on the above link.Thanks to Aimee and Darlene for sharing your knowledge and for bringing some beautiful feathered friends for us to meet!
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December
Shopping
List
Star
Suet
Burlap
Bird seed
Poinsettia
Cloud Cover
Gift Certificate
Christmas tree
Birdbath heater
Christmas tree lights
Repellex Deer Repellent
Dining table centerpiece
Christmas tree ornaments
Wreath to welcome visitors
Christmas presents |
It's Time to Garden...Inside
by Kay Wedel
As the song says, "O the weather outside is frightful but the fire is so delightful..." Many gardeners use winter as a time to read garden books and magazines. Many people use winter as a time to evaluate what worked well this summer and to plan for the following spring. But just because it might be cold on the outside doesn't mean that you can't garden inside your home. Here are a few things you can do inside this winter to keep your green thumb happy and warm.
Amaryllis are easy to grow and are beautiful flowers. Since my grandmother and great aunt already had everything they needed, they always looked forward to receiving one for Christmas. Wedel's has 20 varieties of amaryllis. We can plant one for you at the store using our selection of containers or you can bring in your own. Make sure to pick up a copy of our care sheet on amaryllis, too.
If you would like to plant your own at home here are some directions for success: The base and roots of the bulb should be placed in lukewarm water for 2 or 3 hours. Plant bulbs in a nutritious potting mixture - we recommend Fertilome Ultimate potting mix. Plant the bulb up to its neck in the potting mix, being careful not to damage the roots. (Do not cover the neck of the bulb.) Press the soil down firmly to set the bulb securely in place after planting.
Plant the bulb, or place the potted bulb in a warm place with direct light since heat is necessary for the development of the stems. The ideal temperature is 68 to 70 degrees F. Water sparingly until the stem appears, then, as the bud and leaves appear, gradually water more. At this point, the stem will grow rapidly and flowers will develop after it has reached full growth. Bulbs will flower in 7-10 weeks as a general rule.
Another plant to grow inside this winter is rosemary. I find the scent of rosemary very stimulating and almost invigorating. Most people find that our winters are too cold for rosemary to survive outside, but they can grow well with the right care inside.
The first thing rosemary needs is light. The plant should be placed by a sunny window or near a grow-light. You will find that rosemary might not put on much growth during our winter months but that is normal. As long as the foliage is a healthy green, your rosemary is doing fine.
The other thing rosemary needs is even moisture. Rosemary does not like to be too wet but should not completely dry out between waterings. At the garden center, I check the rosemary even other day for moisture and water when needed. Another thing I will do is mist the foliage about twice a week. When rosemary is outside during the summer, it enjoys a more humid climate than our homes provide. I have found in the past that leaves dropping off of rosemary brought inside for winter occurred when I did not mist the foliage.
I hope you stop by the garden center to check out the amaryllis, rosemary, other indoor bulbs and our Christmas displays. But most of all, I hope that you and your loved ones have a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year.
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Just for Grins...
 Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.
Kevin Kerpunk
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A Thought
from the Garden
"Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled."
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Volume 3, Number 9 Dedember, 2010
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Some December
Ideas For You
by George Wedel
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 | George Wedel
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November was very mild, with above normal temperatures which tempted many gardeners into putting off many late autumn projects. Don't put off any longer these important chores; apply Cloud Cover leaf and needle protector to all broadleaf evergreens and any needled evergreens and dogwood trees exposed to strong winter winds that have suffered winter damage in previous years.
Even though the snow is flying today and we did have some rain recently the soil is DRY! Year-to-date our rainfall amounts are 25% below normal. Dry soil conditions usually translate into winter damage to valuable landscape plants. It is a bit unusual to irrigate in December and your neighbors might think you're loco but your valuable plants will thank you. I would recommend getting out the water hose and soak soil well around all evergreens, shrubs and small ornamental trees.
Mulching soil around boxwoods, cotoneasters, azaleas, rhododendrons, peris and mountain laurel shrubs with 2" of cedar bark mulch will help these beauties through a tough Michigan winter. Hill up shredded cedar mulch around all hybrid tea and floribunda roses, hydrangeas, buddleia (butterfly bush) and caryopteris shrubs. The higher and wider the mound of mulch the more likely your plants will survive a cold winter.
Don't forget to spray Repellex Deer and Rabbit repellent on susceptible plants every 4 - 6 weeks. Spray when the temperature is above freezing and no precipitation is in the forecast for 24 hours.
December has arrived and along with it the hustle and bustle of a busy holiday season. Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is upon us along with all that entails. For a lot of us that means shopping for gifts. I'm sure some of the more organized green thumbers out there have their gifts purchased and maybe even wrapped. Others of us, I know, are a bit behind. For those in need of fresh ideas I'd like to suggest ways to help your family discover the simple pleasures of home.
We are getting near to the time of year when the cold tends to make our green thumbs begin to turn blue. A sure cure for that is growing tropical indoor plants. Wedel's has hundreds of varieties - foliage and bloomers. Just because winter weather is here, it doesn't mean your growing skills have to hibernate!
Need some ideas for the young sprout, gardeners-to-be? Here are a few: catnip seeds for your favorite kitty; gardening books for beginners; gardening tool gift kits just for kids; Bio-stack Garden kit that contains zinnia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and bio-degradable pots; make-your-own stepping stone kit; Paint-a-birdhouse kit that includes a birdhouse, paint and brush. And that's just a short list of items for your young ones.
For your adult gardeners: pruning tools like hand pruners, loppers and saws; garden markers; kneeling bench; wireless rain gauge or thermometer; shovel; rake; hoe; soil pH tester; 1 or 2 gallon tank sprayer. It's fun this time of year to get a gift that leads to thoughts of spring!
For the gardener who likes to extend the growing season as much as possible, consider giving them a seedling heat mat or a heated germination station. The heat mat is ideal for up to 4 flats of seedlings and the germination station is a mini greenhouse. Either of these will help your green thumber get a jump start on the 2011 growing season. Other garden gifts that will be well received by any green thumber include: rain barrels, compost bins, wind chimes, a new cultivator, garden spade, garden books or a raised planting bed. These are just a few gift ideas for your green thumb friends.
For your wild bird enthusiast: Bird bath heater, bird bath, window feeder, tube feeder, platform feeder, squirrel baffle, seed, suet, suet cage, oriole or hummingbird nectar, nesting box, seed scoop, roosting pocket. For the birders who has everything, surprise them with a BirdCam or a Wild Bird Identiflyer. There are two models of BirdCams to choose from this year. The Audobon BirdCam: takes digital photos or videos with sound, is easy to use right out of the box, features rugged, weatherproof construction so you can leave it unattended, photographs in high resolution for beautiful photos and videos, features versatile mounting options, connects easily to your computer or television, makes it easy to share through e-mail, print or post online and records data to internal memory (32MB) or an optional memory card.
The Identiflyer is an audio bird song dictionary! It is easy to use and an ideal gift for beginners AND experts of all ages. The Identiflyer comes with two song cards, YardBirds Series One and YardBirds Series Two. Many additional cards are also available.
How about a new bird feeding station outside the window by the easy chair? A shepherd's hook and a new feeder and you are in business. Enjoy the activity at the feeder and heated bird bath from sun up to sun down. You'll hear the cheep cheep of the cardinal first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening.
These are just a few and, hopefully, helpful gift ideas available here at the garden center. Wedel's is a Christmas wonderland of gift and decorating ideas and everyone here is ready and excited about helping you find that perfect present for the green thumber in your life.
This Christmas give gifts that will bring your family and friends back to nature, close to home. And since we are speaking of Christmas, I'd like to wish each of you a very blessed, safe and merry Christmas.
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Q. Why has my bird feeder been slow this fall?A. Bird feeding has been a little slow this fall since we have had such warm weather. Fall is a time of plenty, from a food perspective, until we get snow cover. Many of the birds that don't travel that far south have lingered longer than normal. This will change all of a sudden with a blast of cold air from the northwest and one morning we will awake to a piece of arctic air and it will be WINTER and feeders will be very busy. Don't wait until the snow flies before making sure your feeding station is in good working order. Birds are setting up their winter territories and establishing the location of food sources within that territory. I already have a mixed flock of Chickadees, titmice, White Breasted and Red Breasted Nuthatch visiting my yard and I'll see them more frequently as winter arrives. As a side note make sure you put fresh food in a feeder once a week so that means, until the weather gets cold, you probably shouldn't fill your feeder to the top. Suet is an exception unless it is not rendered; it is still far too warm for raw suet - save that for the severe cold of January and February.Should I feed year round? Sure, if you enjoy seeing birds in your yard. As long as you keep your feeder clean you can do no harm. Matter of fact, get some cover on the ground for year round birding. If you enjoy birds in your yard, try planting some natural cover; shrubs like wild plums, high bush cranberry are really beneficial to songbirds; escape cover, food and nesting cover. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's book Landscaping for Wildlife would be of great help in planning next spring's planting season. Don't forget winter water for your birds. Birds need a drink, too. And a quick splash, even in sub freezing weather, lets them stay clean and distributes the protective oils on their feathers. An extension cord and an inexpensive  heated bath keep an open water supply and will bring in birds that will never visit your feeders. I see Bluebirds all winter long at my bath. As a reminder be sure to disinfect your bath periodically to avoid spreading disease. Q. A few years ago there was talk about finding a very large woodpecker that was thought to be extinct. What happened?A. The bird you are referring to is the Ivory Billed Woodpecker. Unconfirmed sightings took place in Arkansas and Cornell Lab of Ornithology leads the search efforts. When announcing the ending of the search Ron Rohrbaugh, director of the Lab's Ivory-billed Woodpecker Research Project said, "The preliminary conclusion we've come up with at this point is that it's unlikely that there are  recoverable populations of ivory-billed woodpeckers in those places that have received significant search efforts over the past five years." The announcement was made about a year ago. In an interview Rorhbaugh was asked if the bird could still be out there and he responded, "I do think it's possible, we haven't searched every place. It would be impossible to put together teams to search all of the ivory-billed woodpecker's historic range. We've done the best we could." While there is some compelling evidence that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker continues to take to the sky sadly the evidence just doesn't rise to the standard of scientific proof.
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No...
Thank you!
|  | We've heard a number of wonderful comments from attendees of Ladies' Night Out - Christmas Open House which was held last month. It's always nice to know that our efforts to provide fun, entertainment, chances to be creative and an all around good time are successful and appreciated but the "thanks" should go to you ladies who took part. As usual, because of your generosity, you are the stars of the evening.
The Kalamazoo Gospel Mission left with a completely loaded van of non-perishable food, diapers and clothing. Two cases of packaged underwear and socks were donated to the Forgotten Man Jail Ministry. You've seen those huge collection boxes used for Toys for Tots, right? Two and a half of them were filled by you. Beyond all of that monetary donations were given to each of these charities.
We've tried to make Ladies' Night Out a memorable occasion for you and we want you to know that you never fail to make it a memorable one for us. We, along with vendor/exhibitors and attendees are already looking forward to spring and the next Ladies' Night Out. We'll be sure to keep you posted on the details as they develop. Once more, thank you!
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Store Hours
9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday
Wedel's now stocks Rain Bird
irrigation system replacement parts.
To Do In December
Set out roosting pockets in trees or shrubs.
Have mower blades sharpened.
Have mower tuned up.
Store garden chemicals where they won't freeze.
Begin planning next year's garden.
Use houseplants to keep your winter months green.
School Fund Raising Time Is Here Let Wedel's help raise money for your class projects! For details, call Terrie Schwartz at 269-345-1195 or send email to her at wedelsgarden@wedels.com. |
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| Mark Your Calendar! |  | The Twelve Days of Christmas
Began Wednesday, December 1.
Check our website every day for that day's special.
Monday, December 20
5:45 p.m.
Make your own fresh Christmas centerpiece
and enjoy some scrumptious food!
Cost, $45.00. Call or stop by to sign up.
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| Did You Know? |  | |
1. The first Christmas stamp was released in Canada in 1898.
2. The Twelve Days of Christmas refers to the twelve days between the Christmas Day (December 25) and the Feast of Epiphany (January 6).
3. It's from the yule log that Christmas also came to be known as 'Yuletide'.
4. The Christmas candy cane, shaped as a shepherds' crook, represents the humble shepherds who were first to worship the new-born Christ.
5. In 1851, Mark Carr hauled two sleds loaded with trees from the Catskills to the streets of New York and opened
the first retail tree lot in the U.S. |
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Saturday Mornings
Birdwatch 8:07 a.m.
with host Roger Taylor answering all of your birding questions
Call in at 382-4280 or 877-382-4280.
Watch for a brand new season of "Over the Garden Fence"
beginning in March, 2011!
Over the Garden Fence 9:07 a.m. with host Andy Wedel answering all of your landscape and gardening questions
Call in at 382-4280 or 877-382-4280.
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
Magic is one of those words that has many connotations which range from benevolent to sinister and in the best sense magic is defined as that which possesses distinctive qualities that produce unaccountable effects. In other words, the Christmas spirit can be said to be magical. It takes a bit of effort, at other times of the year, to recognize the magic in everyday life (it's there) but during the Christmas season only the iciest of hearts are immune to its effects.
A couple of days ago a lady shopping at the garden center was thrilled to learn that we were making fresh wreaths and garland in our annuals and perennials greenhouse. Families are arriving to pick out the perfect Christmas trees for their homes. Wedel's is working with some churches who are selling poinsettias and wreaths for their fund raisers to earn money for charitable works. Members of the Wedel staff are decorating businesses and homes for Christmas. People are wishing each other, "Merry Christmas!" The magic, the spirit is here!
If you would, notice the spirit of Christmas isn't apparent until it is shared. The lady who needed a wreath for her front door to welcome visitors, the families choosing a tree, the churches which are allowing us to be a small part of their efforts, and so on, are sharing with us and we with them. The Christmas spirit is about people; the wreaths, trees, lights, gifts, music and good wishes are tools we use to express that spirit. If the Christmas spirit has eluded you so far this year, stop by. We'll share. If it hasn't eluded you, stop by. There is no such thing as too much. If someone you know could use a lift bring him in. We have a special price on ice melter for the heart: it's free...all year (and it works like magic).
I hope this is your best and most blessed Christmas ever!
Ready for another trivia question? Here we go: Who narrated the original 1966 TV show "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"? 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!
'Til next time, in the new year!
jimdavenport@wedels.comThe joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing others' loads and
supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.-- W. C. Jones
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