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WORKSHOPS & EVENTS
Art in the Garden
Friday, Oct. 8
7:00 - 11:00 p.m.
featuring
"The Return"
Beatles Tribute Band
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KEEP UP TO DATE BETWEEN NEWSLETTERS WITH
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WE RECOMMEND:
Ruchelle Gee for Landscape Design
Old South for Installation
Focal Point for Water Features
PS Designs for Hardscapes
Call us for a referral
803-359-9091
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There has been a tree growing at the water's edge of our lake lot for years. It looks like a mimosa tree, but it has bright orange flowers. I always wondered what it was. It never got very big, having to restart its growth cycle after every cold winter. I am in Key West on vacation right now writing this newsletter, and guess what? My orange flowering "mimosa" trees are everywhere. I found
Royal Poinciana Tree | out that they are actually Royal Poinciana trees and are hardy to zone 10, which means they shouldn't make it through our cold winters (we are zone 7b-8a). I was reading about these trees and found a source that said they "may do well in warm micro-climates in zone 9 and other warmer areas where bodies of water or ocean mitigate cold nights." And that's exactly what happened -- a perfect example of how you can grow "out of zone" plants when you have the right "micro-climate" conditions. I'm not sure how this tree got to our lake property. My guess is that someone else on the lake has one of these trees and a seed pod made its way to our shore and took root. Has anyone seen one around the lake?
Unfortunately, my son was cleaning up the shoreline and thought the tree was a weed. He killed my tree. I couldn't complain because he was actually doing something helpful, unprompted. That's quite a feat for a seventeen year old. So, before I leave Key West my mission is to find a Royal Poinciana tree and bring it home and try to make it live by the lake. I'll let you know next year if it worked! |
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THE FRUITS (AND VEGGIES) OF YOUR LABOR
 Don't miss our TOMATOMANIA CONTEST this month. Bring in your largest tomato by the end of July, and we'll measure it. The top three tomatoes with the largest circumference win. Gift certificates for adult winners and cash prizes for children. Tomato plants must have been purchased at Wingard's. We have three entries already. For pictures of all the entries, go to wingardsnursery.com and click on the "Photo Gallery," then scroll down to "Tomatomaina" and look at the photos...who knows maybe you or your child or grandchild will be there.
IS YOUR HARVEST OVERWHELMING?
DONATE THE OVERFLOW
If you are like me, the amount of vegetables and fruit ripening at the same time can be overwhelming, and I don't have time to can or freeze them. When you find yourself with too many vegetables or fruits, you can donate them to Lexington Interfaith Community Services licssc.org. Two locations: 216 Harmon Street in Lexington M-F 9:00 am - 6:00 pm and Sat 10:00 am - 1:00 pm or 270 West Second Street in Swansea Tues. & Thurs. 9:00 am - 3:00 pm and Wed. 9:00 am - 12:00 noon.
PLANT A FALL VEGETABLE GARDEN
It will be time to start seeds for fall gardens soon. You can plant almost all of the same veggies you started in the spring. To find out what you can crops you can grow and harvest in the Fall, read the Clemson Extension "Planning a Garden" guide. We have seed packets available, but if you don't want to start from seed, we will be bringing in a fresh crop of vegetable bedding plants in August. |
CAN'T TAKE YOUR PLANTS ON VACATION?
Well of course not! So here are some suggestions for keeping them watered while you are away:
1. Move containers to the yard where the lawn sprinklers will hit them. Put sun containers in the shade so they won't dry out as quickly.
2. Use "plant nannies". The ones we sell have terra cotta stakes which are placed into the dirt. Then a bottle of water sits on top. The water slowly leaches into the soil as it is needed. We carry the full line from the Plant Nanny Company.
 3. 3. Run "spaghetti" lines off your irrigation system into your containers, so when the lawn gets watered, so do your pots.
4. If you don't have irrigation in an area, run a soaker hose to it and put a timer where the hose connects to the spigot.
5. A customer once told me that she puts her house plants in the bath tub with a few inches of water when she leaves town for a week or more. (I would only do this for plants that dry out quickly or ones that like to be wet. Many houseplants do not do well with soggy wet roots.)
5. Hire the kid next door to water, but be sure to give specific written instructions and ask his/her parents to follow up.
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Water, water, water - If you accidentally let a plant dry out, whether it's in a container or in the ground, it can be difficult to rehydrate it. Dry roots are like a hard, dry sponge. The water just runs right off. So you might see water coming out the bottom of a pot, but the roots are still bone dry. You have to add moisture slowly, over a period of time. Two suggestions: Empty the ice cubes from your fridge onto the base of the plant. They will melt slowly and the roots will gradually be able to again absorb the water. Or, if it's a container, sit it in your bird bath with plenty of water for it to soak up from the bottom over time.
Avoid chemical burn by spraying insecticides and fungicides early in the morning between 6:00 and 8:00 am or after 7:00 pm. Do not spray in the heat of the day. It is important that the chemical dries on the leaves before it gets too hot. And, we don't recommend using oil-based products in the summer at all because they clog the pores causing leaf scorch.
When annuals and perennials begin to look stressed, cut them back, give them plenty of water and a shot of fertilizer, and they'll come out again just as pretty as when you first bought them. A one-time application of a slow-release granular fertilizer will get you through the rest of season. Just ask for our "Bedding Plant" food when you come in.
We are closed on Sundays from Father's Day through Labor Day.
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JUST MARKED DOWN OUR
ANNUALS, PERENNIALS & HANGING BASKETS
25 - 50% OFF
ALL ROSES (except Knockouts) - BUY ONE GET ONE FREE
EVERGREEN TOPIARIES - 50% OFF
SELECT 1 GALLON AZALEAS - Reg. $5.99 Sale $3.00
MAJESTIC BEAUTY INDIAN HAWTHORNE
BIG SAGO & WINDMILL PALMS
BUTTERFLY JAPANESE MAPLES
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THE RETURN of The Beatles
ART IN THE GARDEN V
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 7:00 PM
A CUSTOMER APPRECIATION EVENT
AND FUNDRAISER TO SUPPORT
LEXINGTON INTERFAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES
 FEATURING A RETURN APPEARANCE OFTHE WORLD RENOWNED BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND
THE RETURN
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 COMING SOON
New 2010 Lake Murray Ornament
This year's ornament will focus on Lake Murray's significance as a bombing range during World War II, featuring the B25 Bomber, Bomb Island and Doolittle's Raiders. This will be the third in our exclusive series of ornaments focusing on the beauty, the culture and the history of Lake Murray. The 2008 inaugural ornament featured the Towers at the dam, and the 2009 ornament highlighted the flight of the purple martins.
All three ornaments available beginning September 1
Art in the Garden V
Featuring Beatles tribute band, The Return
Friday, October 8, 7:00 PM
Look for Fall Workshops to be announced in the August Newsletter and on-line at wingardsnursery.com |
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There's always something blooming at Wingards! And this month it is crape myrtles. As you drive around and see all of the stunning specimens in our area, pick your favorite tree. If you can, stop and break off a flower and bring it in. We'll probably be able to identify the variety for you. Whether you purchase now or wait until Fall, at least you'll know the name of the one that is most striking to you. Enjoy your summer, stay cool, and water, water, water!
From My Grandmother's Garden to Yours,
Delores Wingard Steinhauser
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Hours: Mon - Sat 8:30 - 6:00
Closed on Sundays
