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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Planning for Spring Bulbs
September 8, 2012 :: 11:00am
Planning for Fall
September 22, 2012 :: 11:00am
Winter Workshops and Open House
Details
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Greetings!
The warm weather is deceiving but don't let it fool you...the seasons are changing! Fall routines have begun starting with children back to school and all related activities. Have you noticed how our evenings become darker sooner and cool down faster? Even some of the trees and shrubs have started to show their fall colours!
Seasons are changing at Dufferin Garden Centre too! Our first shipment of chrysanthemums and asters have arrived. We have fall planters available as well as lots of "fillers" to refresh existing planters. Icicle pansies, ornamental peppers, black-eyed susans, kale and sunflowers are the perfect ingredients to create a container for your front door, porch or walkway.
What are your favourite flowers of this fall season?
 
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Plan Now for an Outstanding Spring-Flowering Garden!
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Scillia Flowers
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With a bit of planning and some strategic planting, your efforts this fall will be rewarded with beautiful colour next spring. Be sure to sign up for our 'Planning for Spring Bulbs' Seminar this Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 11:00am. Check out our selection of unique and unusual bulbs first hand while gathering tips on planning and planting your bulb garden for colour from early spring to May or June. All attendees will receive a coupon for 25% off their bulb purchase (valid Saturday only) Every bulb has its own period of bloom. Snowdrops and crocuses are the first to show colour as the snows melt. Not far behind, comes the narcissi and the first early tulips. In April and May, it's time for grape hyacinths, later-flowering tulips and the impressive fritillaria. Ornamental onions (allium) flower from mid-May right into June. How to Plant in your Garden:
- amend the existing soil with compost and garden loam to provide good drainage - plant in a sunny location (they need 6 hours), remembering that deciduous trees will not have leaves on them in early spring - plant alone or in groupings (eg. 5 or 7) - dig hole 3x the size of the bulb (eg 2" bulb=6" planting depth) - place the bulbs as desired and continue to back fill the hole with soil - use bonemeal now in the planting hole to ensure that they are fertilized as soon as spring growth begins - add chicken manure with your bulbs to keep squirrels away - generally, plant a bulb twice as deep as it is tall - space large bulbs about 5" apart and small bulbs 2-3" apart - after planting, water the area well, this stimulates them to start producing roots - the earlier the roots are formed, the faster the bulb will be able to tolerate cold and frost. Colourful Accents
Whether you garden is large or small (think containers!), it's got room for bulbs somewhere. A good example is a perennial border. In general, these borders don't start blooming until after mid-May. Adding spring-flowering bulbs produces colour earlier in the season, therefore, lengthening the colour display of your border. A little bit of planning and work this fall will be sure to bring smiles as your garden bursts into colour early next spring. Enjoy! Bulb Photo Gallery
Do you know another gardener who might enjoy this article?
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Parkwood Transplanter (5-15-5)
 This combination fertilizer with root stimulator assists newly planted plants to overcome any transplant shock that may occur. An important step when doing any fall planting, container planting and when dividing perennials. - Stimulates growth and increases the size of the plant - Stimulates the growth of roots and stems and encourages flowering - Improves drought and disease resistance Available at the Dufferin Garden Centre :: See COUPON Below (Reg $10.99)
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Pure Hen Manure by Acti-Solr
 Hen manure is the only fertilizer that naturally contains calcium. Acti-Sol fertilizers made from hen manure are 100% natural. The product undergoes rigorous quality control procedures from beginning to end. This product is in a granular form and easy to use by just sprinkling it on your gardens. It is active through the entire growing season because the granules slowly and gradually release the nutrients the plants can then readily absorb them. Hen manure increases the quantity of organic matter in the soil, improves biological activity and water retention. It's great for planting with bulbs as it's been known to keep the squirrels away! Pure Hen Manure is available at the Dufferin Garden Centre.
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Speare Seeds Overseeding Mixture (Bulk)
 - the perfect blend (perennial ryegrass blend) for thickening existing lawns and repairing bare spots of a stressed lawn - customers can scoop as much as they need from our bulk seed bins Speare Seeds are available in bulk bins for your convenience at the Dufferin Garden Centre
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Top 5 New Bulbs for Fall 2012
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Ice Cream Double Tulip
Web Photo
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5. Orange Monarch Snow Crocus (early spring, 4" high, great for naturalizing) 4. Summer Drummer Allium (late spring, 72" high, purple and white, great cut flower, deer resistant, fragrant) 3. Ice Cream Double Late Tulip (late spring blooming, 16" high) 2. Blue Suede Shoes Reblooming Iris (blooms early summer then again late summer, 40" high) 1. Monte Orange Double Early Tulip (early spring, 16" high, cut flower, fragrant) All bulbs mentioned are available at the Dufferin Garden Centre
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Eco-Tip: Keeping Squirrels out of your Bulbs
 It's a question we hear every fall. After spending time to plant some spring-flowering bulbs, squirrels are notorious for digging them back up again. They don't seem to bother daffodils and other narcissi bulbs but find the tulips and crocus particularly tasty! Here are some natural ways to (hopefully) keep them at bay:
Clean up after yourself - bulbs are the most vulnerable immediately after planting when the soil is still soft and worked up. They may be attracted by the bits of papery bulb pieces and other bulb-scented bits. Keep them guessing - after planting, cover the area over your bulbs and beds with 2" of fresh cedar bark mulch. This may be enough to mask the smell of your bulbs Stop the digging - lay wire mesh (1" chicken wire) over the beds and then cover with a layer of soil, compost or mulch. The bulbs will have no problem growing through this next spring. Immediately after planting, lay down old screens in frames until the ground settles and the squirrels move on, then remove them. The screen weighs enough to slow the squirrels down but will still allow for air circulation and rainfall. Don't forget to fertilize - apply Pure Hen Manure by Acti-Sol. This fertilizer is made from hen manure and is 100% natural. It is in a granular form and is easy to use by just sprinkling it on your gardens. Hen manure increases the quantity of organic matter in the soil, improves biological activity and water retention. It has been known to keep the squirrels away! Some say yes, some say no - home remedies including moth-ball flakes may work for some and not for others. Be sure to re-apply during wet weather to keep it effective. It's worth a try! If you can't beat them - If you have a persistent squirrel population, you may want to reduce the temptation for them and modify your plantings to only include daffodils, Allium and Fritillaria. Some choose to actually feed the squirrels with peanuts during the fall and winter. This suggestion is to keep them well-fed, they might actually leave the bulbs alone! What works for you? Contact us through Facebook and Twitter and let us know!
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Feature Plant :: Mum's The Word
 The fall flowering chrysanthemums are a wonder accent in the garden with colours of pinks, purples, reds, ambers and gold. These are sometimes considered annuals in our zone 5 gardens but with extra winter mulch protect...you might get lucky.
They prefer full sunlight and regular waterings but a well-drained site. They will continue blooming until well after the first frost and appreciate a monthly fertilizing
Design Tip: Try mixing them in a planter with an ornamental grass, flower kale and coral bells and place it on your front porch
Check out our fall plants in our Photo Gallery
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Gardening 101 :: Growing Your Own Garlic
 As we are harvesting our vegggie gardens this time of year, we are not always thinking of planting again. Garlic is a wonderful crop that is easily grown...it doesn't take up a lot of space and is a great companion plant to many other crops and shrubs. The taste of a homegrown garlic bulb is sweeter than what you find in the stores and is reported to assist people with blood pressure and cholesterol issues.
There are two popular types of garlic:
Softneck: the green plant dies down with flexible stems that are easily braided
Hardneck: has a stiff stem in the middle that becomes a cluster of bulbs that dries stiff so braiding is not possible
Location:
- find a location that is in full sun with well drained soil
- make sure the spot will be easily accessible next summer for harvest
- garlic makes a great companion plant for fruit trees, roses, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower as it is known to repel aphids and other pests
Planting:
- garlic bulbs are available for planting in the fall with the other tulip and daffodils (purchase early, as they sell out fast!!)
- planting is done in the fall so that the roots have a chance to develop, before the ground freezes
- break the bulb apart into cloves, the larger ones will grow into a good sized bulb by mid-summer the following year
- plant garlic in rows, 4-6" apart in loose soil wiht lots of compost and organic matter
- bury the tips about 2" deep
- cover the cloves with loose soil and a layer of mulch
Harvest / Storing:
- next summer, the bulbs are ready when most of the bottom leaves have turned brown but the upper shoots are still green
- keep garlic bulbs in a cool spot with good air circulation (no fridge or plastic bags)
Garlic Bulbs available at Dufferin Garden Centre
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Cedar's Corner
 Gosh, can it be that time already? My fur coat is starting to thicken up as I feel the evenings getting cooler. With the changing of the season, comes lots of questions about gardening, pests and bulbs. We are here to answer all of your questions. Have you been calling? Because the phone has been very busy lately!
I look forward to seeing all of the my friends this Saturday for the Bulb Seminar. Be sure to check out our next seminar on Saturday, September 22, 2012 for Fall Maintenance. It's getting close to the time where we think about putting the garden to bed. In our free seminar, tips will be discussed on fall lawn programs, pruning advice and how to plan ahead to spring.
As part of your fall maintenance, take a look at the plants that are about to come inside...do you have the space ready for them inside? Do they need re-potting? Now is the time to do it! Look at your herbs and harvest any that you want for drying and pot up the tender ones such as rosemary to overwinter inside (personally, I'm hoping the cat grass is coming home with me for the winter!).
Before you bring you plants inside, be sure to spray them with Safer's Insecticidal Soap or Trounce. This will eliminate any pests that have made their homes on the leaves (be sure to spray on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. By giving your plants an overall spraying, you will avoid bringing any pests indoors.
I know it's a bit early to think about winter, however, our winter workshops have been posted and people are starting to sign up! Visit our website for details and call or drop in to register.
Our online registration is open for our fall seminars and I'm right here, sitting beside the phone to answer your calls!
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Name That Bloom!
Can you name these Summer Plants? These are plants you could see around the Dufferin Garden Centre (or our website - Hint, hint!). If you have not won in the last two 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 $5.00 gift card from the Dufferin Garden Centre. The answers will be published our next newsletter.  Answers to August 10, 2012 :: Name That Bloom
Bloom 1: Green Envy Coneflower (Echinacea)
Bloom 2: Rozanne Cranesbill (Geranium)
Bloom 3: Limelight Hydrangea
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Enjoy the Colours of Fall at the Dufferin Garden Centre
Telephone: 519-941-5081
250 'C' Line, Orangeville
Dufferin Garden Centre
www.dufferingarden.ca |
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$ 1.00
OFF
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Parkwood Transplanter
Combination Fertilizer, Reg $10.99
(One time use only, one coupon per person, some restrictions apply)
| | Offer Valid: September 7, 2012 - October 31, 2012 Dufferin Garden Centre - Garden Matters |
Save
$10.00
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$ 10.00 OFF
Purchase of $ 50.00 or more
(total before taxes, one time use only, some restrictions
apply, not applicable on sale merchandise, bulk orders,
deliveries or landscape design)
| | Offer Valid: September 7, 2012 - October 31, 2012 Dufferin Garden Centre - Garden Matters |
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