|
|
| Quick Links | Register Now
Last Month's Newsletter
Visit Us At Our Website
Great information and our weekly ads are there!
 |
A Tip of the Hat
Goes To...
| |
Alice Davenport! Alice was the first to submit the correct answer to our December trivia question: "Who narrated the original 1966 TV show, 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'?" The correct answer is "Boris Karloff."
| |
Alice 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, Alice!
|
 |
| Let's Garden! | | Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day...one after the other the holidays came and went. St. Valentine's Day is a month and a half away. These are the days when the winter blues can set in especially for those who love to garden. Planning this year's projects is a lot of fun but not nearly as much fun as working with the soil and seeing beautiful plants grow. Well, take heart. Let's garden indoors with houseplants!
 Adding living, green plants to your indoor living areas will add life, cleanse the air and simply give your spirits a lift at a time of year when that can be a challenge. For areas in your house that have a lack of light consider: Sweetheart plant, English Ivy and Grape Ivy. Plants that do well in medium light conditions are: Boston fern (pictured above), Areca palm, Schefflera and Goosefoot (pictured below). If you  are able to supply abundant light Snake plant, Norfolk Island Pine do well as do herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme and Basil.
 If you like more than a wide variety of greens to add color, how about some blooming houseplants? Blooming plants brighten a room and add a touch of spring at a time of year when spring is most welcomed. Here are some ideas that fit the bill: Peace Lily (pictured above), Spider plant,  Jasmine (pictured at right), Anthurium, African violet, Christmas cactus, Rosary vine, Bromeliad, Azalea, Hoya, Crown-of-thorns, Orchid, Strawberry begonia, Kalanchoe, Cyclemen to name only a few.
Wedel's carries all of the houseplants listed here and many more. Stop by. Gardeners need to garden and there is no reason cold, frozen ground should prevent us from enjoying our passion so let's get in the garden even if it is indoors.
|
Protecting Indoor Plants This Winter
|  | |
With windows closed and the heat on, the winter months can be extra hard on indoor foliage. Here's a simple solution:
Place a humidifier near the plants. For a more low-tech approach, put the planters on top of a tray filled with loose-stones or pebbles and water. This way, water slowly evaporates up into the soil structure. And finally, during the winter, get a mist sprayer to moisten the plant's leaves that lose water easier than the soil beneath them.
Stop by Wedel's to see a selection of containers, stone, pebbles and decorative moss. Your plants will thank you!
|
| 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:
|
|  | |
January
Shopping
List
Heated bird bath
Ice scraper
Snow brush
Roof rake
Gloves
Suet
Ice melter
Bird seed
Snow shovel
Gift certificate
Bird feeder
Birdbath heater
Gardening book
Gardening magazine
|
|
Just for Grins...
 A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.
Archie Wimmer
|
A Thought
from the Garden
"I have the opportunityOnce more to right some wrongs,To pray for peace, to plant a tree,And sing more joyful songs!"
William Arthur Ward
|
|
|
Volume 3, Number 10 January, 2011
|
Happy New Year
Green-thumbers!
by George Wedel
|
 | George Wedel
|
Hope "you all" are warm and comfortable, sitting by a crackling fire, reviewing all your 2010 gardening successes and making special note of garden experiments that fizzled. Contemplating and making plans for the upcoming garden season is so very exciting!
Now that we have put up our 2011 calendar, spring seems somewhat closer. Beginning December 22, each day the sun rises in the sky and we begin to enjoy more daylight. So, after a short hiatus from our garden, let's turn our thoughts towards green leaves, flowers and the fruits from our gardens. Stop by Wedel's Garden Center, pick up the January/February issues of these great garden magazines; Chicagoland Gardening, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Country Gardens and Birds and Blooms.
You'll find also a host of garden and landscape books including the Lone Pine series which contains great information for the Midwest and Michigan specifically. We have about 200 titles with more arriving all of the time. Any one will spark your interest and turn your thoughts back to the garden. Contemplating and making plans for the upcoming growing season is so very exciting! This is a great time to tap into the experiences of other gardeners. Talk to some green thumb old timers or read some of the great garden books in Wedel's book department.
Does your landscape need a facelift? Winter is for planning. No time like the present to plan a spring do-it-yourself landscape remodeling project. Make an appointment with one of our Master Gardeners/
Michigan Certified Nurserymen; Justin, Jason or Sherri for landscaping ideas. Bring some photos or drawings showing your garden areas, buildings and what is growing nearby and we will help you develop a beautiful outdoor living area that you will enjoy and be proud of for years to come. We enjoy answering your questions and offering some ideas!
Garden seeds begin to arrive in January. What a pleasure it is to see all of those seed packets showing pictures of colorful flower blossoms, ripe fruit and vegetables. Wedel's super selection includes seeds from Olds, Rene', Burpee, Ferry Morse, Botanical Interest, Livingston, Hart and Weeks. Watch for your February copy of Wedel's News where we will tell you much more about our seed selections which will include all of the old standards plus many new, unusual and exotic choices.
Take a stroll through gardens and landscape areas each week this winter to observe rodent and deer activity. Even if repellents were applied this autumn, deer and rabbits will develop a tolerance to most any repellent, bait or live trap. I recommend alternating products for more success in repelling pesky deer, mice, rabbits, shrews etc. Wedel's sells: Repellex spray and powder shake-on repellents, live traps and other assorted products to deter a whole assortment of four-legged pests. Take the necessary steps now to protect your landscape before these critters destroy your valuable plants!
Whenever you get tired of winter, feeling the winter blahs or coming down with a touch of cabin fever, stop into Wedel's and get an infusion of the gardening bug. The sights, sounds and smells of your favorite outdoor endeavors are all here! Spring is on its way and it arrives here first, at Wedels!!
|
| |
Q. Can I feed birds in an apartment?
A. Living in an apartment or condominium can present excellent opportunities for attracting and enjoying wild birds. Even without offering anything to attract them specifically, you may be surprised at the variety of birds in your area. Many an apartment dweller has had birds nest on ledges or patios. Others see ducks at near-by ponds, or they may be able to spot birds just outside their windows or in natural areas next to their building.
Feeders and baths can be successful even at the top of high rise buildings. If you want to actively attract birds, a little bit of preparation and resourcefulness is all it takes to get started. Putting the feeder and/or bath in a location that will let you see the birds is a primary consideration. Try to keep everything you'll need for filling and cleaning within easy reach. With some imagination, you can increase the number of species that you might attract. Keeping your feeding area free of seed spillage and bird droppings will require a few minutes of time, and will be much appreciated by the neighbors beneath you. Seed catcher trays can be mounted directly to the bottom of many feeders. We also carry screen trays which can be positioned below feeders to make clean up simple.
Another solution for keeping the feeder area clean is to offer sunflower hearts as the shell has already been removed. Suet is a beef-fat product that appeals to many insect eating birds. Suet can be a great no-mess, low maintenance way to attract birds such as chickadees, tufted titmice, nuthatches and woodpeckers.
When choosing feeders or baths you'll find many designs well suited for a deck or balcony. Feeders can be hung from a hanger, wrought iron deck bracket, or mounted directly on a window.
As long as you're bringing birds to your apartment by all means offer them a drink, or perhaps a place to splash around. They will most likely take you up on your offer. Concrete baths generally are not an option unless you are on the ground floor. Smaller and lighter options in baths include hanging and (for the ultimate in space conservation) deck mounted baths.
Hummingbirds are virtually fearless. Nectar feeders that are kept clean and well supplied can be used anywhere. One of the tricks in getting hummingbirds to notice your feeder is to use the color red. Red flowers in boxes or hanging baskets will get their attention, and - for those without green thumbs - so will red cloth or red artificial flowers.
Once you have everything in place, settle back with your binoculars and a field guide. The fun is about to begin.
Q. Birds are kicking much of the seed out of my feeder. Why?
A. Birds are moving the seed they don't prefer or can't eat out of the way to get to the seed they do like. Inexpensive mixes contain "filler" to reduce the amount of expensive seed in each bag. Two of the most common "fillers" are milo and oats, unfortunately most birds can't eat these seeds. This is the stuff birds must "shovel" out of the way to get to the black oil sunflower seeds, the favorite food of almost all seed eating birds. ["Shoveling" is when you see birds sweeping their beaks back and forth throwing seed out of the feeder.]
Millet, although loved by ground feeding birds like juncos, is not a favorite of chickadees, titmice or cardinals. They may well knock it out of the way to get to sunflower seeds as well.
There is a threefold approach to reduce the waste. First feed a type of seed that birds will eat, like black oil sunflower, hulled sunflower, peanuts or almonds. Second, you can feed a mix of seeds that birds find tasty, such as the Dr. Geis Mix. The seed that does fall to the ground (especially the millet) will be eaten by the doves, juncos and sparrows.
One last thing, there are mixes on the market that contain safflower. While safflower is an edible seed for some birds (cardinals for instance) other birds (blue jays) have to kick it out of the way to get to the black oilers. Safflower's big advantage is that squirrels won't eat it, but it works only when it is the only seed in the feeder. Avoiding mixes with safflower will reduce shoveling at the feeder.
Q. I 'm going on vacation this winter, and my feeders will be emptied before I get back. Does this hurt the birds?
A. This is a good question since none of us want to do any harm to the birds that live in our yards. Dr. Geis did research when he was with the Fish and Wildlife Service and found that most birds get only a limited amount of their food from any one source. Since birds are extremely mobile, they are able to find other food if any single food source becomes depleted. If you live in a neighborhood six out of every ten homes have a bird feeder so the birds will likely eat at your neighbors. So go ahead and enjoy your vacation. Fill your feeders when you get back, no harm will come to your feathered neighbors..
|
|
Store Hours
Monday - Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Friday
9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Wedel's now stocks Rain Bird
irrigation system replacement parts.
To Do In January
Set out roosting pockets in trees or shrubs.
Have mower blades sharpened.
Have mower tuned up.
Begin planning this 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. |
|
| Mark Your Calendar! |  | Kalamazoo Wedding Affair
Saturday, January 8
Rose Street Market
11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
For information on free admission
click here!
Wedel's Spring Expo 2011
Friday and Saturday
March 18 and 19
We are busily working to develop seminars, programs, events etc. for spring.
(Yes, spring really is on the way!)
We'll keep you posted here so you will have plenty of time to "Mark Your Calendar!"
|
| Did You Know? |  | |
1. A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
2. The world's smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand, weighing less than a penny.
3. At 188 decibels, the whistle of the blue whale is the loudest sound produced by any animal.
4. The vocabulary of the average person consists of 5,000 to 6,000 words.
5. The word "listen" contains the same letters as the word "silent." |
|
|
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!
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!
|
|
Note from the Editor
Happy New Year, everyone! A brand new year is upon us and the possibilities are limited only by our imaginations. With all of the projects, planning, parties, shopping, get-togethers and on, and on that began taking up time just before Thanksgiving and continued through Christmas and New Year's day I'm sure little time was left for thoughts of gardening. That's what January is for; relaxing and drooling over the seed catalogs that have already begun to arrive in our mailboxes.
Seeds for the 2011 growing season will begin to arrive at the garden center very soon! I've mentioned here in years past what a thrill it is seeing all the images of flowers and vegetables that are signs spring is sure to come. (By the way, I have it on good authority, spring will be here before you know it.) We did our winter inventory this week and the next big event here at Wedel's is Spring Expo 2011 so when you stop by you'll soon see preparations for that are underway. Spring Expo will be on March 18 and 19 this year. We'll keep you updated but mark your calendar in the meantime so you'll be sure to take advantage of all of the freebies, ideas, seminars and what's new for the new year.
So, now is the time to grab a cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa, find a comfortable spot and begin penciling in some ideas for your 2011 landscaping projects. As always, we're here to help, too; come by anytime to chat about your plans and to get some expert advice about how to realize your landscaping dreams. Keep an eye on the thermometer. If we have a day or two in the 40s, reapply some Cloud Cover to your tender plants to help them through the harsh and drying winds. I know it's early but I'd bet I'm not the only one to begin glancing in the areas where I've seen snowdrops, winter aconite and early crocus. One of these days, when I'm not really expecting it, there they'll be! It is that time of year when thoughts turn to spring.
Ready for another trivia question? Here we go: What city is home of the world's largest registered Holstein dairy herd? 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!
|
|
|
