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Brunswick 442-8111 Cumberland 829-5619 Falmouth 781-3860
1-800-339-8111 1-800-348-8498 1-800-244-3860
www.skillins.com |
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| Skillin's! Cooler Weather, Garden Better!! |
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| Hello again,
Well now, some major heat waves for Skillin's Country are behind us, Earl has gone around us, let's look ahead to some Cooler Weather that will help us to Garden Better. If hot humid heat holds you back, then some great post Labor Day weather in Skillin's Country should propel you forward!
September is a great time to garden and plant because the ground is warm yet the air temperatures are more moderate. What a perfect time of year to plant new plants or to transplant old friends! September also quite often brings drenching rains and if there is ONE thing we need badly in Skillin's Country right now, it is some good rain every now and again--even after Earl!
Fall is a great time for planting and we have some dramatic sales going on: Perennials on sale for 30% off when you buy 3 or more plants, Shrubs are 30% off and Trees are 50% off. "Oh great" you might be thinking, "sales on worn out stock, why waste my time"! No waste of time folks; this is Skillin's! Fresh material on sale is what we have for you!
Gardening friend Margaret of Away to Garden writes well about these upcoming weeks:
"Peak planting and dividing time is coming up now; make that work include some focus on the addition of fall and winter plants to the landscape. As you begin to wind down and clean up, take notes of what worked and didn't. Mark areas that would have been easier to maintain with a workhorse groundcover in place, for instance, or areas where more bulbs might fit. I have already made a walkabout and identified a few shrubs whose days are numbered; just not enough bang for the buck (well, for the space they take up)."
The cooler weather also means it is a much more pleasant time to prune any "out of shape" material you have. We prune not only to shape our plants now but also to help them produce better growth next year.
Want to learn more about pruning, shaping, and guiding good growth for your shrubs and trees?Then check out our class this Saturday, September 11 called Pruning for a Purpose. Make your outdoor plants take a new shape. Proper pruning helps rejuvenate established plants and start new plants on a great growing path!
Class time is 10 AM . Call Brunswick 442-8111 (1-800-339-8111), Cumberland 829-5619 (1-800-348-8498), or Falmouth 781-3860 (1-800-244-3860) to register. You may also register by emailing us at skillins@maine.rr.com , just specify the date, time, and location!
Speaking of Pruning for a Purpose, Terry Skillin dropped by the Skillin's Garden Log just the other day and wrote this neat post about pruning called the Tools to Prune. Terry is a good writer and storyteller; I recommend checking his post out! He has some great thoughts and recommendations. More pruning questions? Check out our free Pruning for a Purpose class this weekend!
Have a wonderful Labor Day everybody! Skillin's will be closed on Monday Labor Day so we can all enjoy the day but we will be back on Tuesday morning at 8 AM (until 6 PM on Tuesday). |
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Garden Talks!
Some timely garden tips for you:
* Watering, watering, watering is still the #1 Gardening Need. Trees, shrubs and perennials planted in 2010 need deep waterings (think 2 to 3 deep waterings per week) from now until the ground freezes. Evergreens in particular need these waterings to better withstand any burning from upcoming cold winter winds. Deep waterings are best accomplished by using soaker hoses around plants or letting the water run slowly out of the hose for 1 to 2 hours right at the base of your perennials, shrub or tree. Let the water run slowly enough so there is no runoff. A rain of 1" or more in most cases takes care of such watering needs for a few days. I often update watering needs and offer other timely gardening tips at "September Garden Talks 2010" at the Skillin's Garden Log. Let us know if you ever have any watering questions!
* What is the state of your garden? We all have some plants and places we love, we like and we want to improve. KCB of Skillin's Garden Log fame writes about Taking Stock Again. Take a quick read, there is a plethora and preponderance of useful garden advice in this post.
*We have posted loads of easy to follow and truly reliable Fall Gardening Tips at www.skillins.com! Since 1885 we have helped many a gardener, many a generation really Garden Green. This is Fall 2010 and the Time is Now to make your Garden Better than ever! Cooler Weather! Garden Better!!
Cooler Weather! Garden Better!! |
*The whole point of good natural lawn care is to make your lawn the aggressor not weeds. Click Skillin's Lawn Care Program for an easy to do, sensible lawn care program by Skillin's! We will show YOU how to maintain a good quality lawn--safe for kids and pets and without a huge investment of time or dollars!
and Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club just wrote an excellent post about this topic that we feature at the Skillin's Garden Log. Paul has a great Sunday morning garden radio show and he is a darned good writer to boot! *Good gardening friend and Skillin's associate David K posts a terrific garden blog called A Garden in Maine. I highly recommend you check his blog frequently as David is a wonderful local Maine home gardener who is exploring new garden techniques all the time, grows a great variety of plants in his home garden AND he loves to pass on what he learns!
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Mark Your Calendar!!
Our FREE classes will be held Saturdays at 10 AM (unless otherwise stated). Click HERE for our entire list of classes!
Call Brunswick 442-8111 (1-800-339-8111), Cumberland 829-5619 (1-800-348-8498), or Falmouth 781-3860 (1-800-244-3860) to register. You may also register by emailing us at skillins@maine.rr.com, just specify the date, time, and location! These classes can sell out fast so sign up today!Class participants receive a special Skillin's 10% off coupon! Class goers who attend 6 classes in this series receive a $60 Skillin's Gift Certificate upon completion of this series!!
Here are our great classes in
SEPTEMBER
Four Part Landscape Design Series (Brunswick Sept 7,14,21,28 10 AM) (Falmouth Sept 8,15,22, 29 10 AM) (Brunswick IS sold out, some vacancy in Falmouth for this class)
What a great chance to get a jump start on plotting how to landscape your home the right way! Class fee is $40 to cover materials-this is a "hands on do it yourself" class to create a landscape design; fun will be had; homework will be required!
18-Thriving Houseplants!
Okay the plants on your porch and patio are now back inside with you. Don't want to bungle your jungle? Let us show you how a great variety of plants can thrive indoors. We'll help you Plant for the Planet by giving all class goers a free 4" potted plant of your choice.
25-Composting Class
Let us give you "the poop" on making your garden soil richer in a highly natural way. Wise gardeners know the key to good gardening is the soil and the key to good soil is....COMPOST!
Fall is just an excellent time to spread compost on vegetable gardens, annual beds and around your perennials to improve your soil. After you clean out your vegetable and annual plants and have pulled the last of this season's weeds take the time to lay out a good couple of inches of good natural compost on top of your soil. Over the remaining fall and early in the Spring this compost will break down nice and slowly and give your soil a new and improved texture and cell structure. Your worms and other beneficial organisms will love it, your plants roots will love it and next year your plants are sure to show you their appreciation!
One compost we most often recommend is called Quoddy Blend by Coast of Maine Organics. Quoddy Blend is made from composted crab, lobster and aspen bark. The crab and lobster shells are a rich source of calcium and chitin, the aspen bark a source of tannins and lignins. It's a blend that's perfect for your vegetable garden, especially for your tomatoes! The calcium content is beneficial for lilacs and roses too.
OCTOBER
2-Bulb Planning and Planting
Fall is the time to plant bulbs for Spring color. We have the best selection of flowering bulbs in Maine as well as easy to use supplies! Remember that tu-lips are better than none and that one of the first steps toward Spring is the planting of bulbs in the fall!
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Skillin's is Out There!!!
ANYTIME you want more frequent and timely garden tips, just check out our Skillin's Garden Log found at www.skillins.com!
Skillin's Garden Log! |
Also follow Skillin's at www.twitter.com/skillins. We "tweet" all types of quick Skillin's news and announcements. Chances are when something goes on sale, or we get excited about a particular plant or flower, we "tweet" about it first! Also we send out frequent short and sweet audios and videos right here from Skillin's--and pictures of our colorful flowering plants as well! We send out Twitter "tweets" all the time so check out www.twitter.com/skillins often!
Also Skillin's has just started a Facebook page! Become a "Skillins" fan and drop us a line if you are one of the 100 million people registered at Facebook.
Skillin Mum Field on You Tube!
 | Skillin's Host with the Most, Jumpin' Joe Kubetz recently tracked Jeff Skillin down in our "Mum Field" in Falmouth where we grow about 10,000 mums to flourish in your garden every fall! Check out this short but very neat video! You can find this video and much more at Skillin's Facebook Page!
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| Save 30% |
For Your Pruning Needs:
*All Tools-pruners, loppers, rakes, even shovels! | | Offer good for Saturday September 11 2010 and Sunday September 12 2010 in honor of our 9/11 Pruning for a Purpose Class! No need to present coupon. Sales for in stock merchandise only; very few other restrictions may apply! |
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