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Greetings!
Summer is indeed upon us! This July sunshine is a welcome sight after an interesting spring of mixed weather and cooler temperatures. Our gardens are very lush after such great growing conditions. It's now time to enjoy the colours and benefits our gardens have to offer.
What's your vision of the perfect summer evening? Is it sitting listening to the birds in a comfy chair with a good book? Or visiting with friends over tidbits of food and a grilled dinner? Or flipping burgers watching the children play in the pool? There is nothing more inviting that an outdoor room; a cozy, inviting space that makes you want to sit and enjoy your environment.
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A Vacation at Home in Your Garden!
Summertime...it's time to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family, to fire up the barbecue or lounge in the garden. With the talk of higher fuel prices and the ever-increasing cost of food, how does that affect your summer plans? Let's look to our gardens and develop a space that provides comfort and style for as long as our seasons will allow! Nothing is more inviting than an outdoor room. It can become a cozy inviting space that makes you want to sit and enjoy your environment.
A wonderful retreat can be created regardless of space or budget. Some thoughtful planning and creative thinking will pay off in the long run. Start with a space and begin to bring in the elements and touches that will make everyone want to spend time there. Define how you want to use the space. This determines the location, the size and style. The elements of your favourite interior spaces can be incorporated into the outside, thanks largely to a wide selection of new products designed for outdoor entertaining.
Do you know another gardener who might enjoy this article?
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Concrete Water Fountains by Henri Studio
The trickle of water is a sound often found in an outdoor garden room. It can be described as a 'white noise', blocking out offending sounds such as traffic. This soothing sound gives your space a sense of serenity.
Henri Studio is the world leader in original handcrafted cast stone products. They have unique fountains and statuary in one of a kind designs emphasizing form and function. Each piece is an art form in itself with lavish sculptural features, opulent coloration and detail.
Dufferin Garden Centre has a wide selection of Henri Studio concrete water fountains. Such a feature is perfect for intimate areas that don't always have the room for a pond or waterfall.
Regular Prices $ 299.99 to $ 769.99 (see coupon below)
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Cedar Arbours, Benches and other Products
Dufferin Garden Centre carries a wide selection of cedar items for your garden rooms; from benches, arbours, planter boxes to trellises.
Cedar products are ideal for both outdoor and indoor use. Cedar is a fine grained wood that is durable and resistant to rotting and insects. Because cedar is so care free, it can be left natural or be painted or stained to match your décor.
Visit the Dufferin Garden Centre today to see the wide selection of cedar products.
Rustic Charm Gift Shop |
 DeCoir Brush Entrance Mats This is the perfect décor item to welcome guests to your outdoor garden room. The mats are constructed from elegant natural fibres with durable vinyl backing. These are mats will not skid or curl and have several different fade resistant designs. An important feature so your guest knows they will not wear out their welcome!
The brush style surface removes dirt and moisture from shoes and feet. When it comes to cleaning the mats, just a simple shaking or quick vacuuming will get your mat looking like new.
This product and many more garden room accessories available at the Dufferin Garden Centre.
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Coneflower Family (Echinacea)
 This popular perennial can be found in almost every garden. It is highly prized for the extended bloom (July to September) of large brightly-coloured daisies. These make a stunning display in the border, great for cutting and butterflies find them irresistible. Plants are tolerant are a wide range of soil conditions and will withstand drought conditions, once established. The popularity of coneflowers is on the rise, largely due to the number of new varieties introduced over the last few years. The colours now extend beyond the pale pinks and whites of the originals and can now be found in yellows, oranges to deep magenta's. Don't forget about the new double flowers with a central pom-pom of rose pink, surrounded by a circle of daisy petals. Some great new selections are: Coconut Lime (double flowers of lime green), Kim's Knee High - shown (dwarf coneflower 18"), Merlot (bright rose magenta petals), Razzmatazz (double flowers of rose pink), Sundown (burnt-orange petals). The special Hope Coneflower was selected as a Plant For The Cure. A donation is made for each plant sold to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, to help further the search for a cure for breast cancer. This sports very large, fragrant blooms with soft-pink petals surrounding a big rusty-orange central cone. Visit the Dufferin Garden Centre today to see a wide selection of these Blooms of Summer. Blooms of Summer Photo Gallery |
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Garden Tip ~ Red Lily Beetle 
(also known as the Scarlet Lily Beetle, Lily Leaf Beetle or Asiatic Lily Beetle)
Origins: The red lily leaf beetle is an insect native to mainland Europe and Asia but not the British Isles. It was found in Montreal (QC) in 1945 and since then has been reported throughout Ontario where lilies are grown.
Description: The adult beetle overwinters in the soil or plant debris. In the early spring, the adults emerge to mate and lay their eggs. The newly hatched larvae feed on the underside of leaves while mature larvae feed on the upper surface of the leaves. The larvae cause most of the damage and spend 2-3 weeks stripping the foliage, then the flower buds before dropping to the soil to pupate. After 2-3 weeks, the adult beetles emerge to start eating again. This process occurs from early spring to mid summer.
Host Plants: The Red Lily Leaf Beetle is a pest of the Lily species (Lilium), Lily of the Valley (Convallaria), Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum) as well as the Fritillary (Fritillaria). The removal of the leaves deprives the plant of food production, which severely weakens it and may prevent flowering the following year, or in severe cases, kill the plant.
Treatment: Hand-picking should be the first level of control if possible. Constant vigilance and quick removal and disposal of beetles, eggs and larvae can control an infestation a small number of plants.
Neem Oil will repel beetles and kill young larvae. It is best applied every 5 to 7 days after the eggs hatch. Mix 1 capful (5ml) of Grotek Life Neem Shine (concentrate) and half capful of Grotek Neem Aid in 1 litre of warm water. Shake well before using. 100% Organic Neem Oil derived from the Neem tree native to South East Asia and India.
For more information and your supply of Neem Oil, visit the Dufferin Garden Centre. |
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Name That Bloom!
Can you name these summer bloomers? These are flowers you would see outside in your gardens and containers this time of year. If you have not won in the last three months, please send your answers via email, we will accept either Common or Latin names! The first three entries with the correct answers will receive a $5.00 gift card from the Dufferin Garden Centre. The answers will be published in next month's newsletter.
Our June Blooms
1. Annual Dahlia
2. Ornamental Onion (Allium)
3. Leopards Bane (Doronicum)
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