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Andy Wedel

All Star Award

 A Gold Star

Goes To...
 A gold medal goes to...

Lela Squire. Lela was the first to submit the correct answer to our April trivia question: "One of the most important drugs known to man is obtained from the dried bark of an evergreen tree native to South America. What is it?" The correct answer is "quinine."  

Lela won a $15.00 Wedel's gift card and you could too! Just be the first to respond with the correct answer to our monthly trivia question.
 
Congratulations, Lela!! 
A Thought
 from the Garden  
November Mosiac

Like saintly vestals,
pale in prayer,
their pure breath
sanctifies the air.

    
 - Julia Caroline Ripley Dorr
 
  
Mark Your Calendar!

May, 2012
Wedel's 66th Anniversary! 
 
Sunday, May 13

Mother's Day

Monday, May 28
Memorial Day 
Just for Grins...and Groans 
  Q: What do you get if you cross a four-leaf clover with poison ivy?
A: A rash of good luck.

-  Spud Shuttleworth

Did You Know?

1. Earthworms are the primary source of food for moles. 

 

2.  One ragweed plant can release as many as one billion grains of pollen.               

3. The plant life in the oceans make up about 85 percent of all the greenery on the Earth.  

4. When a coffee seed is planted, it takes five years to yield consumable fruit.



Mom's Home Cooking
Mom Tested And Approved

Mother's Day is coming so what would be better on her special day than this "Mom Tested and Approved" breakfast or dessert idea?

Cranberry Nut Coffee Cake

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
2 Cups Biscuit Mix
2 Tbl Sugar
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Water
2/3 Cup Whole Cranberry Sauce

10X Sugar Icing

1 Cup 10X Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 Tbl Water

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon. Set aside. Combine biscuit mix, sugar, egg and water. Beat well. Spread in greased 9 x 9 baking pan. Sprinkle with sugar cinnamon nut mixture. Spoon cranberry sauce over top. Bake 20 - 25 minutes. While warm, spread with icing.      
Enjoy!

Wedel's News

Volume 5, Number 2                                                                                   May, 2012    
Hemlock Trees
Threatened By Tiny Insect 
Canadian Hemlock is a versatile plant that has long been used as a specimen plant, in rows as a privacy screen, hedge plant, foundation plant etc. They are shade tolerant and offer one of the few options for screening plants in shaded areas.

Andy Wedel
Evidence of Infestation
Recent reports tell us hemlocks could be in danger (see the May 2, 2012 issue of the Niles Daily Star) due to an invasive tree pest called the "hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) which was introduced into the U.S. from Asia in the 1920s. This pest is commonly occurring and easily managed in the Pacific Northwest however the hemlock species that are predominant in our area, eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadiensis and Carolina hemlock, T. caroliniana, have no tolerance to the effects of the hemlock woolly adelgid feeding. As stated in the May 2 article, " The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) confirmed an infestation of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in Berrien County."

Several pest management strategies have been suggested, some more effective than others. Two of the techniques available to the homeowner are foliar sprays and soil treatments. Foliar sprays achieve a rapid control of an existing population however it is difficult to completely cover the foliage and the residual control is short so plants can become reinfested within a few weeks or months. Foliar sprays work best for small trees and hedges.

Soil treatments provide long residual control and are easy to apply. The key factor related to using a soil drench is timing. The speed at which the plant is protected depends on transpiration by the plant. In other words, if the tree is not actively pulling water out of the soil then the uptake of the insecticide does not occur. Keeping the plant watered during dry spells will aid in the absorption. A product that has a wide range of applications, is easy to use and is very effective is Fertilome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench which is in stock at Wedel's. We would be happy to assist you in determining the best course of action for you to take and will explain the various products available to you.

Your investment can be protected by simply adding an easy task to your landscape maintenance routine. Don't delay developing a defense strategy that will keep your area beautiful for years to come.

Garden Natives 

Ligularia

  

If your landscape has an area of shade or partial shade and you'd like to add a ray of sunshine consider adding ligularias (Rayflower). There are several varieties to choose from and their golden flower spikes or flattened heads of yellow daisy-like flowers shine brightly, drawing attention to what could be an otherwise under- utilized area.

 

Andy Wedel
"The Rocket"

The ligularia is a bold perennial with large leaves that form a rosette pattern and are either round or kidney-shaped and are sometimes toothed. Moisture lovers, they do well at the edges of ponds and streams and require deep, rich, moist soil. They are a great addition in the back of shady beds, along borders, in bogs, or planted at the edge of water gardens.

 

Andy Wedel
"Desdemona" 

Little Rocket Rayflower (Ligularia "Little Rocket") blooms mid to late summer, The Rocket Rayflower (Ligularia "The Rocket") blooms late spring to mid-summer, Britt Marie Crawford Rayflower (Ligularia dentata "Britt Marie Crawford") and Desdemona Rayflower (Ligularia dentata "Desdemona") bloom late summer to early fall, Othello Rayflower (Ligularia dentata "Othello") blooms mid-summer to early fall.


Click here for more information and photos of this garden native that is big, bold, beautiful and is sure to create an impact with its decorative foliage and striking floral display!


 
 
Store Hours  
Monday - Saturday
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Memorial Day 
Monday, May 28 
8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 

 

To Do In May         

Apply Scotts Step 1 if not already done.
Check garden and lawn watering equipment.
Apply garden weed preventer.
Begin rose and fruit tree spray program.
Repair bare spots in lawn.        
Look Sharp
Feel Sharp
Be Sharp
Did you know that you can have your blades sharpened at Wedels?!

Take a look at these prices! 
  • Pruners - $4.00
  • Loppers - $4.00
  • Lawn mower blades - $5.00 (sorry, no reel mowers)
  • Mulching mower - $5.00 
  • Hedge shears - $4.00
  • Larger items - $5.00

(We don't sharpen chain saw blades.)  

 
 
Fun Shopping
May Shopping List

Lawn and garden fungicide
Annuals
Edging
Wood/rock mulch
Rain gauge
Garden stakes and cages
Garden seeds
Repellex Mole and Gopher Repellent 
EZ Seed grass seed
Lawn spreader 
Suet 
Gift certificate 
Ortho Home Defense Max
Hummingbird feeder
Hummingbird nectar 

Andy Wedel

wkzo
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.
  
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   

   

May 1st, May Day, has a long tradition of being celebrated in a variety of ways in a number of countries and cultures. When I was very young my Mom and I celebrated it by making May baskets that I surreptitiously left on neighbors' porches. I don't know how surreptitious a 4 or 5 year old can be but I did my best to not get caught and succeeded. At least the neighbors let me think I did.

 


We made the baskets out of wallpaper samples or remnants that we glued together with wheat paste. We put some popcorn in the basket and added tulips, wrapped in wax paper, from my Mom's garden. Simple excitement; making baskets, filling them, taking them to the neighbors, being sneaky and making someone happy. "The best things in life are free" and the simplest pleasures are the best pleasures.

Another celebration in May is Mother's Day. What are your plans? How about surprising her with a delicious homemade treat? Take a look at this month's "Mom Tested and Approved" recipe above. It's an easy one and so tasty it will probably find a place in her recipe box. What can we do to make gift buying easy for you? Well, the possibilities are almost endless! If Mom's a gardener there are all sorts of tools to choose from that will make her gardening tasks fun and easy. How about a centerpiece or vase of cut flowers for the dinner table? While you're here, take a walk through the Annuals and Perennials greenhouse. Simply amazing! Surely there is something there that will put a smile on her face.

Take time to wander outside and have a look at everything coming to life out there. Maybe she would enjoy a Mother's Day rose bush or how about something from our nursery? Make it a Mother's Day tradition to give a new garden plant to her every year. I used to buy an African violet for my Mom each year as a wedding anniversary present. Traditions are fun, appreciated and eliminate the "What should I get this year?" stress. In other words, keep it simple.

If your Mom isn't the gardener in the family we have all kinds of indoor and outdoor decorative items too. One of the lines we're especially proud to be able to offer is Bovano handcrafted pieces that are truly pieces of heirloom quality art. Have a look here to see what they are all about and then come by and see, in person, how beautiful they are. Whatever you do, make sure she knows how special she is and do it simply.

Take time, this month, to think of and remember all of our brave men and women in the armed forces, past and present, who put their lives on the line for us and for these United States of America. If you see someone in uniform let them know how appreciated they are and how grateful we are for all that they do. It's something simple to do but it will mean the world to them.

Ready for another trivia question? Where did the pineapple plant originate? No, not the haircut, the herbaceous perennial! (Am I showing my age?)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,

Jim 


 [email protected]

"The garden reconciles human art and wild nature, hard work and deep pleasure, spiritual practice and the material world. It is a magical place because it is not divided." 
- Thomas Moore in The Re-enchantment of Everyday Life