March Newsletter

"My lover spoke and said to me, 'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! the winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of the doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." - Song of Solomon 2:10-13

I've always loved this passage of scripture, ever since someone gave me a beautiful coffee cup with one of the verses written on it. So, I looked it up in a devotional booklet and found that it is meant to be symbolic, as most things in the Bible are. I am supposed to be comforted that God is telling me that I am worthy and beautiful and cherished and loved by Him. Personally, I find this passage comforting in the literal sense, because it is promising me that Spring will come. The azaleas are going to bloom this spring. I can count on the fig tree behind the house to come to life again, and I will once again smell the sweet aroma of the Carolina Jessamine along the South Carolina highways. It's reassuring to read this passage, because with the weather lately, I've begun to have my doubts. Surely, Spring WILL come again ... but not soon enough, for me!

	"Early Bird Gets the Worm" ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH 15% off all purchases EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Print out coupon and present at time of purchase. Coupon may be printed multiple times. Discount cannot be combined with any other discount and does not apply to purchases of pinestraw or labor and delivery charges.
Offer Expires: March 31, 2010

	ALL FOUNTAINS 33% OFF Discount does not apply to delivery and installation. COOL WEATHER ANNUALS (pansies, cabbages, etc.) 50% OFF
*Cannot be combined with any other discount.* Offer Expires: March 31, 2010

We heard you....

I promised to get back to you regarding the results of the survey we conducted in January. Thanks for all of the helpful comments. As a result, we made some changes that you'll begin to see right away.

1. NEW SOURCE OF ANNUAL BEDDING PLANTS - We are delighted to announce that we will be able to offer a wide variety of annual bedding plants in 4-pack flats, at the same price as last year: 32 plants for $15.49. From your feedback, you (and we) prefer this format to the more commonly available 6-packs(plants and root systems are too small) or landscaper packs(plants are nice and big, but this makes them too costly). Many growers have stopped using the 4-pack format because they find it unprofitable. We got caught short last year without an adequate supply. But we have found an extremely good supplier who will be providing our annuals this year in 4-pack flats. And, if you have a need for a large quantity of a particular variety or color, just let us know a week in advance, and we will be able to order them for you. So come back to see us for all of your annuals this year! They'll start arriving late March, in time for Easter.

2. SMALLER TREES - A few years ago, everyone was looking for larger trees, so we standardized on a 15-gallon size for shade and ornamental trees. But in today's economy, customers are trying to stretch their dollars a little further. So, we brought in a large number of trees in 7-gallon containers. Generally, depending upon variety, this brings the price of a tree down under $70, if you're willing to wait for it to grow.

3. ORGANIC ALTERNATIVES FOR PLANT CARE - We now carry an extensive line of Espoma organic fertilizers and pest- & disease-control products. Go to espoma.com for more information.

4. MONTHLY PROMOTIONS - We are planning a different promotion for each month, like the ones highlighted in the coupons above. So keep looking at the newsletter and looking in the nursery, too!

Celebrate First Day of

Spring at Wingard's

SATURDAY, MARCH 20TH

CHECK OUT THE FRESH

PLANT MATERIAL

Use your 15% coupon

SIGN UP FOR FIRST ANNUAL

TOMATOMANIA CONTEST

EDIBLES MINI-WORKSHOPS

Vegetable Gardening

10:00 - 10:30 a.m. OR 1:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Growing Fruit Trees & Bushes

10:45 - 11:15 a.m. OR 1:45 - 2:15 p.m.

Herb Gardening

11:30 - 12:00 noon OR 2:30 - 3:00 p.m.

CHECK OUT NEW WHIMSICAL

YARD ART

from Campania

FREE HOT DOGS AND DRINKS

11:00 - 2:00 PM

THE DESIGNER IS "IN"
the Nursery on March 27th

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

Let's FINALLY do something about that area of your garden that needs a professional's touch!

Once again, on March 27, we will offer 45 minute appointments throughout the day at the Nursery with our Landscape Designer, Ruchelle Gee. The service is $75 payable in cash or check to Ruchelle Gee, and at the end you will receive a $25 Wingard's gift certificate valid through June 30th. One of our associates will be available to show you the specific plants that Ruchelle recommends when your consultation is complete. Bring an 8 X 10 printed photograph of the space you would like to improve along with the measurements of the space. Phone or email us now to make an appointment. 803-359-9091.

Or, if you prefer, our Designer will come to your home for a more extended on-site consultation ($200 for initial visit) and more in-depth design at a date convenient for you. We will be happy to assist you in setting up that appointment as well.

SEMI-DWARF FRUIT TREES

We just received a large shipment of exceptionally beautiful semi-dwarf fruit trees. So many more people are getting into growing their own fruit, and with small yards, the standard-size fruit trees can just be too large to manage. Here's the basic differences between the old-fashioned "standard" fruit trees and the newer "semi-dwarf" hybrids.

Semi-dwarf: Medium-sized trees which require a growing area of about 15' diameter. Semi-dwarfs can range in height from 10 to 16' and need annual pruning to keep the height down and the shape balanced. Very productive, this size tree will produce hundreds of fruit per season. Occasionally, trees will take a year off and produce little or no fruit, especially after a season of heavy production. Most fruit trees planted today are semi-dwarf, because they produce a large crop from a tree with manageable size for pruning and harvesting.

Standard:That huge old apple tree in Grandpa's back yard is a standard, the only choice of size before the smaller hybrids were developed. Standards require more space and are a bigger job to prune and harvest. They can grow to 25 - 30', or taller if left unpruned. If you want a "landmark" tree that the kids can climb in and swing from, get a standard. They take many years to reach full size, so it may be the grandkids who do the swinging. Most standard trees begin bearing in 3 to 5 years.

(Excerpted from eartheasy.com)

"FRUIT COCKTAIL" TREES -

We also have in stock semi-dwarf "Fruit Cocktail", "Apple Cocktail", and "Pear Cocktail" trees. These trees are grafted so that more than one variety of fruit grows on the same tree. "Apple Cocktail" contains Gala, Fuji, and Yellow Delicious varieties. "Pear Cocktail" contains Bartlett, Kiefer, and Moonglow varieties. And, "Fruit Cocktail" contains peach, plum, nectarine, and apricot varieties. The nice thing about this is that you don't have to plant two different trees for pollenation purposes.

DWARF PATIO PEACH TREES -

These trees are especially hybridized to fit in a container, so you can walk out the back door and pick a peach right off the tree.

LOOK BOTH WAYS...

When you walk in the nursery, most folks look right, toward the "color" we've placed up front. This year, be sure to

LOOK LEFT, TOO.

We've dressed up the area to the left of our entry with new display benches for shade plants, a covered space for more pottery, picnic tables if you want to take a break, and a brand new sidewalk to make it easy to take your cart into this shady oasis. Shade annuals and perennials will be located in this newly renovated area. Shade shrubs will continue to be housed under the "Shade Pavillion" directly behind the house.

IT'S A GOOD TIME TO:

1. PLANT SHRUBS AND TREES while it's still cool. 2. Prepare your soil for vegetable gardening.

3. Prune roses and crape myrtles if you haven't already done so. (ASAP!)

4. Apply pre-emergent weed preventative to lawn and shrub beds EARLY March.

5. Apply Lime Sulfur Spray to ground to prevent fungus EARLY March; use on soil around fungus-prone plants, such as roses and Indian Hawthorn.

6. Apply an insecticide preventative. We use Bayer Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed, which is applied to the soil and is absorbed through the roots and into the plant. Protects against insect infestation later in the season. Use in LATE March or early April. This is a once a year application.

7. Fertilize shrubs and trees LATE March or early April.

8. Prune evergreen shrubs LATE March or early April.

(Last Month's email gives a detailed explanation about most of these chemical applications. If you've deleted your email, you can find it in the Email Archives on wingardsnursery.com )

ROSES ARE HERE!

Jackson Perkins roses are here, potted and ready for sale, at the same price they have been for 3 years. Please check our website for varieties that we are carrying this year. Go to wingardsnursery.com and click on Products and Services, then Shrubs and Flowers, then Roses. If you missed the rose workshop last year, you can view it on our website, by clicking on Wingard's TV and selecting Roses 101 from the menu. This year's workshop will be held on Saturday, May 1st. See the schedule below for details.

NEW TO THE GIFT SHOPPE

Willow Tree is an intimate, personal line of figurative sculptures representing qualities and sentiments that help us feel close to others, heal wounds, or treasure relationships. The artist, Susan Lordi, Willow Tree Garden Angel

carves each original piece with this thought in mind. Her figures continue to evolve as she identifies emotions so important for us to convey, and renders them in simple, pure gestures. These art forms beautifully express love, closeness, healing, courage, hope... all the emotions of a life well lived.

BONSAI GURU SHOPS AT WINGARD'S

Wm. Valavanis

William Valavanis, internationally known bonsai artist, educator, and scholar, paid us a visit this weekend. He purchased around 150 azalea plants to use in making bonsai trees. Check out his website, internationalbonsai.com . I never realized how stunning the art of bonsai can be. One tip he shared with us is to give them plenty of water. We have several juniper bonsai here for sale. And, if you'd like to try your hand at making an azalea bonsai, we have plenty of plants for you to choose from!

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & EVENTS

Spring Kickoff, Edibles Mini-Workshops (30 min. each)

Join us for an event filled day to include complimentary hot dogs and beverages, and workshops on: vegetables and other edibles such as fruits, citrus and herbs, and sign up for our first annual "Tomatomania." Learn how to grow your on edibles from members of the Wingard's team, who have years of experience.

Saturday, March 20
Vegetable Gardening 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.

Growing Fruit Trees & Bushes 10:45 a.m. or 1:45 p.m.

Herb Gardening 11:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m.

Newcomer's Workshop

If you're new to the South Carolina Midlands or just new to gardening, join us for a free, relaxing evening to learn the who, what, when, where, why's and how of growing plants in our area. Complimentary beverages and hors d'oeuvres (hope you didn't notice the misspelling last month) will be served.

Friday, March 26, 06:30 PM

The Designer is "In" Again (Landscape Design Day) - Back by popular demand, our landscape designer, Ruchelle Gee, will be in the nursery on March 27th for the day. Make an appointment for a 45 minute consultation. Bring printed pictures of an area you want to improve. Cost is $75, and you will receive a sketch, a plant list and a $25 gift certificate in return. Saturday, March 27, by appointment (call 359-9091)

Kid's Day

Looking for a fun educational experience for the kid's during this spring break week? Bring them to Wingard's for our annual fundraiser for Carolina Wildlife Care. They'll learn about wildlife in our area and its rehabilitation, and enjoy the live animals. In addition, they'll get to plant their own tomato plant and sign up for our Tomatomania tomato-growing contest. Several $25 prizes will be awarded to the winners at the end of the summer. New this year ... Karen Petta and her crew from The Studio, an art "place to create" in Lexington, will have an art project available for the kids if they choose to participate. Enjoy complimentary hotdogs and refreshments. Cost is $5 per child, with the proceeds going to Carolina Wildlife Care. Cost of art project will be additional. More details to come.

Wednesday, April 07, 11:00 AM Space is limited. Call for reservations 359-9091. Or, send an email with # of children and # of adults.

Earth Day

Join us on Saturday morning to enjoy workshops on organic soils, constructing your own rain barrel and more.

Saturday, April 17, 10:00 AM

Container Gardening

This Friday evening workshop will allow you to create your own horticultural masterpiece to adorn your home for the summer! Bring your own container or purchase one from us, and learn from the Wingard's team on how to mix and match your plants for that burst of color that will delight you, friends and neighbors.

Friday, April 23, 06:30 PM

Rose Workshop

Who doesn't enjoy roses...whether you want to learn more or become a rosarian, this workshop will help you do both.

Saturday , May 01, 10:00 AM

Mama-Palooza Day

The Saturday before Mother's Day is always an exciting day at Wingard's. This year, stop in and pickout a beautiful rose, camellia or other gift for Mom while you enjoy complimentary appetizers prepared by The Happy Butcher (www.happybutcher.com), of Lexington, on their new line of Primo Grills and Smokers. The fun starts at 11:00, so stop by.

Saturday, May 08, 11:00 AM

Daylily & Perennials Workshop & Tour

Stop in Wingard's to learn more about daylilies and perennials, then take a free tour of Secluded Gardens, an American Hemerocallis Certified Daylily garden, which adjoins the nursery.

Saturday, June 05, 10:00 AM

Midlands Master Gardeners

CALLING ALL MASTER GARDENERS

Wingard's Nursery & Garden Center will donate 5% of your purchase to the Midlands Master Gardeners Association each time you shop with us. You will need to show your Master Gardeners' ID at the time of purchase.

If you all are as ready for Spring as I am, I think we're going to have a very busy March. We're pleased to have a experienced staff on board. They've been working very hard to get ready for this season. They have a wealth of knowledge about designing, growing and maintaining beautiful gardens, and they want to share their experience with you. So, never hesitate to ask your questions. We don't all know all the answers, but there's a good chance one of us will. And, if not, we've got the resources to find out. We're looking forward to seeing you soon!

There's always something blooming at Wingards!

From My Grandmother's Garden to Yours,

Delores Wingard Steinhauser