October - Spring Flowering Bulbs!

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A Tip O' The Hat
Goes To...

Roy Geiger. Roy was the first to submit the correct answer to our September trivia question: To what author has the line, "One bad apple spoils the bunch (or barrel)," been attributed? The correct answer is "Geoffrey Chaucer."

Roy 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, Roy!!

A Thought

from the Garden

"Come said the wind to the leaves one day, Come o're the meadows and we will play.
Put on your dresses
scarlet and gold, For summer is gone and the days grow cold. -"

Author: A Children's Song
of the 1880's

Mark Your Calendar!

Saturday October 13

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Pumpkin Party!

Learn skinning, drilling, planting and carving.

Click here

for the details!

Friday November 16

5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Ladies Night 2012

Ladies Night 2012 At Wedel's

The date and time are set - Friday, November 16 from 5:00 to 8:30 - and the planning is nearly done. Wedel's Ladies Night 2012 is almost here. We try to surprise and delight you every year and we're going to do it again this year. It is a night of fun, food, pampering, learning and doing just for you ladies. The theme this year is "You Sweet Thing!" Hmmm... I wonder what that means. Well, you'll just have to attend to find out. And you won't be disappointed.

Mark your calendars, call some friends, fill up your car, fill up a caravan of cars but don't miss it. It is a festive time of year so let the festivities begin here, at Wedel's, with Ladies Night 2012. We can't wait to see all of your smiling faces on this wonderful evening.

Just for Grins... and

Groans

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

Prof. I.Q. Lowe

Did You Know?

1. Quality dark chocolate contains flavonoids which help reduce the risk of heart disease.

2. More than half the cucumbers grown in the U.S. are made into pickles.

3. Fresh corn on the cob will lose up to 40% of its sugar content after 6 hours of room temperature storage.

4. One bushel of apples will make 20-24 quarts of applesauce.

Mom Tested And Approved

I don't think there can ever be too many apple recipes!

Apple Sauce Spice Cake

1/2 Cup shortening

1 1/2 Cups thick sweetened apple sauce
1 Tsp baking soda
1 Cup sugar
4 eggs, well beaten
1/4 Cup sour milk
2 1/2 Cups flour
1 Tsp cinnamon
1 Tsp allspice
1 Tsp nutmeg
3/4 Tsp salt

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and apple sauce. Beat thoroughly. Sift flour, measure, and sift with baking soda, salt and spices. Add alternately with milk to first mixture. Beat thoroughly. Pour into well oiled loaf pan. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) about 45 minutes.

Mrs. B.F. Edmondson, Mankato, Minn.

Enjoy!

Wedel's News

Volume 5, Number 7 October, 2012

Bulbs Are A Bright Idea

No other types of plants will give the gardener more beauty, or a wider range of variety, color and flowering times than flowering bulbs. They produce flowers of incredible colors from one end of the growing season to the other. Nothing else will reward you with so much pleasure for so little effort...at least in your garden.

Plan ahead

Color and time of bloom are two of the most important elements to consider when planning your bulb and garden planting. It can be very helpful to make a sketch of your garden before planting. Consider which bulbs to plant and where based upon height, sunlight, color and blooming time. Remember, most of the bulbs you plant in fall are hardy and can remain undisturbed for years while most of the bulbs you plant in spring are tender and must be dug up and stored before cold weather sets in.

Soil prep

Good soil preparation is the first step to successful bulb gardening. Make sure the soil is loose and porous. Well-drained soil is a must or else bulbs will rot. The soil should be turned over and organic matter, peat moss or a good bulb nutrient (all natural Espoma Bulb-tone) worked through to encourage root development.

How deep?

The depth of planting for bulbs depends on their size. A good rule of thumb is that the depth should be three times the diameter of the bulb. Small bulbs should be covered with 1-2-in. of soil while large bulbs should be planted 6-8-in. deep.

How far apart?

The spacing of bulbs depends largely on the effect you are trying to achieve. The most effective planting technique is to plant most bulbs in clumps rather than in individual lines. Space bulbs according to color with the softer colors in the front and the more vibrant in the background. Group bulbs according to height and in sequential bloom pattern for a long-lasting show of color.

After planting...

Cover bulbs with soil, water well and mulch with shredded leaves. In the spring, when the first shoots appear, remove the mulch and sprinkle again with bulb food (all natural Espoma Bulb-tone). This encourages the flowering and helps rebuild the bulb for the next year. If the weather is dry, water the bulbs during their growing period. When the flowers begin to fade and before a seed pod forms, cut the flower head...but be careful to leave the foliage to die back naturally.

Storing bulbs

Spring flowering bulbs do not have to be dug and stored in most Hardiness Zones. To store summer flowering bulbs, dig the bulbs when the foliage has withered or turned brown by a light frost. Air dry in a well-ventilated area for a week. Then remove all soil from the bulbs. Bulbs must be dried before storing or they will rot. Dust the bulbs with a fungicide and store in dry peat moss or wood shavings in a brown paper bag, open crate, netted bag or even old pantyhose. Store at 50-55-degrees in a dry location until time to replant.

October Shopping List

Bird seed
Weed Free Zone
Repellex Mole Repellant
Gardening gloves
Scotts Fall Lawn Fertilizer
Grass seed
Scotts Starter Fertilizer
Spring blooming bulbs
Espoma Bulb-tone
Wildflower seeds
Espoma Tree Tone
Nest box
Suet feeder
Seed feeder
WindowAlert window decals
Heated bird bath

Garden Natives

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

The common buttonbush is often used for erosion control along shorelines and river and stream banks. It forms dense stands and its swollen plant base stabilizes the plant.

Showy flowers and fruit make common buttonbush a popular choice for use in native plant gardens, shrub borders, and along pond shores and water gardens. The persistent fruits give the plant some winter interest. Common buttonbush blooms in June through September and sets fruit in September and October.

Wildlife: Waterfowl and shorebirds consume the seeds of common buttonbush. White-tailed deer browse foliage in the northeastern United States. Wood ducks use the plant's structure for protection of brooding nests. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds are attracted to common buttonbush for its nectar. Bees use it to produce honey.

Click here for more information and photos of the buttonbush, available at Wedel's.

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.)

Store Hours

Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

To Do In October

Feed your trees.
Get your spring-flowering bulbs.
Plant and fertilize your spring-flowering bulbs.
Make lawn improvements and repairs.
Plant grass seed by mid-month.
Apply Scotts Winterizer at month's end.
Make first application of Repellex
    Deer and Rabbit Repellent.
Protect your lawn with Repellex Mole, Vole
    and Gopher Repellent.
Apply George's Mix to perennial beds.
Clean up vegetable garden and lawns. Discard debris.
Apply insecticide drench to trees and shrubs.
Transplant trees and shrubs.
Decorate your home for fall.

October
by Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--

For the grapes' sake along the wall.

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

Happy October! Fall is here after a very summery summer. I've often said that my ideal weather would be 4 average seasons with maybe a little out-of-season weather here and there as a bit of spice. This past summer was anything but average and I'm very glad the more moderate temperatures of fall are here.

Our neighbor's tree, which is always the first to begin changing color, is now tipped with glowing orange and yellow. Day-by-day the days are getting shorter. Nature is getting sleepy and a long winter's nap is swiftly approaching. This is my favorite time of year. Have you noticed how everything is slowing down a little?

The Tigers are the AL Central champs so those boys of summer will play on for who knows how long. Nature is slowing but baseball is heating up. It sort of makes for a balanced transition. Of course, not everyone is a baseball fan but there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to resist the urge to slow down. Green thumbers are as busy now as they are in the spring, taking care of all of the gardening projects that will make next spring's workload lighter.

Have you been by the garden center lately? Bulbs, bulbs and more bulbs. If you want 'em, we got 'em and this is the month to get them planted for a spectacular display in the spring. As it is always true, we have the old standbys that have become your favorites as well as some beautiful new varieties for you to use as focal points in your new year's landscaping. Come by soon to see the thousands of bulbs we have to offer but don't wait TOO long. Gardeners who have planted bulbs in the past are shopping daily for more specimens to add to their gardens. The selection is great - for now.

Ladies! Did you see the calendar? Wedel's Ladies Night 2012 is just a few short weeks away. Each successive Ladies Night has been better than the previous and this year will be no exception. This event, although it is fairly new, has become a tradition for many who take the opportunity to have an evening of fun and excitement with family and friends. It's never too late to start a tradition and it's always too early to end one. Make plans to be here. It's YOUR night. You owe it to yourself!

Ready for another trivia question? What was the convenience food that Joel Cheek developed? The first reader to respond with the correct answer will win a $15.00 Wedel's gift card. The gift card 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

jimdavenport@wedels.com

"Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
Thomas Alva Edison