Skillin's! November!! A Month to Remember!!!

Brunswick 442-8111 Cumberland 829-5619 Falmouth 781-3860

1-800-339-8111 1-800-348-8498 1-800-244-3860

www.skillins.com

Skillin's! November!! A
Month to Remember!!!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

Special Note to our "Suscom" subscribers--please provide us with your NEW email address while we still have time! Just email us your old and new address to skillins@maine.rr.com! Use subject line "New Address".

We do not want to lose you! Thanks if you have already informed us--we have updated many email addresses!

In This Issue

Garden Talks!

More Skillin's!!!

Mark Your Calendar!!

Hello again,

Well we have turned another page on the calendar and we find ourselves facing November. And this November will be one to remember!

First off our nation has just had another election and we should all agree that we are very blessed to live in this republic called the United States of America! So don't forget this fact!

November in Skillin's Country will be a month to remember. Classes and Holiday Open Houses are happening and we talk more about those in our "Mark the Calendar" section below. The finishing of your garden outdoors; yet the beginning of another late fall and then winter season indoors (and you should see the great indoor flowering plants we have right now in our greenhouses). Raking outside; amaryllis growing and flowering inside. Christmas lights burning brightly outside; christmas cactus and cyclamen shining inside. Feeding the birds ("good for them") outside; clean air houseplants ("good for us") inside. We can help you with all of these November activities at Skillin's and more--so don't forget!

Each Saturday at Skillin's Cumberland the Cumberland Farmers Market sets up from 9 AM to Noon. Remember to check out the Cumberland Farmers Market often there will be different themes and events! It is a great time talking with hard working Maine farmers and a gratifying feeling when you can support real Maine agriculture!

This Saturday, November 6 brings the 4th annual Go Green Expo at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. The Go Green Expo is just an unforgettable time. You and your family and friends will discover how easy it is to make your home a green home. Find everything from bus and rail service, to alternative energy, to recycled building materials and consumer products and services. All with sustainable living in mind. And Skillin's is one of many quality and interesting exhibitors!

New this year is a "Go Green Science Fair" featuring exhibits and posters from area school students. There will be a food court, children's activities and wonderful door prizes. Remember to check out the Go Green Expo!

Before we move on too far, I say thanks to our instructors and class goers from this past weekends class called Beds to Rest. This class is a Skillin's Original from our class series that is now over 20 years old. Many notables have taught the class with the original teacher being the late John Skillin. KCB wrote a great post that is the basis for the class now and it is wonderful. Click HERE for some well written and timely information!

Garden Talks!

We have posted some very timely garden tips for you at the Skillin's Garden Log. Here are some high points:

*It will soon be time to Prepare Our Strawberries and Blueberries for Winter. Paul Parent of the Paul Parent Garden Club stops by to tell us to clean our beds from weeds, apply straw around the strawberries and some calcium based lime as well (a great help to discourage weeds). For the blueberries also clean out any weeds and apply some straw or bark mulch or even compost around the base of the plants. Let me tell you my high bush blueberries have just been stunning in their foliage color this fall. Not only do blueberries reliably produce healthy fruit for all of us but the beautiful fall color is a welcome bonus every year. Click HERE for Paul Parent's complete, easy to read and very helpful post!

High Bush Blueberries!

*Raking time is upon us! Now is the time to clean out the leaves from around your perennials and shrubs. Also it is a great time to do any weeding--the more weeds are pulled now the less weeding in the Spring. Later this month when your perennial beds are clean is an ideal time to mulch around the base of your perennials. The goal is to keep the ground frozen and to prevent too much freezing and thawing around roots of your plants. Read HERE for more timely tips about mulching around your perennials.

*I love strawberries and blueberries. Another favorite of mine is raspberries! Now is a great time to prune out older raspberry canes to make room for younger canes that will be more productive. Find out how easy it is to Prune Your Raspberries at our Skillin's Garden Log!

*Didn't I just write that Raking Time is Upon Us? Well that means you will have a bunch of leaves to deal with. Plus this cold weather soon makes those pumpkins we have kind of soft. Leaves and pumpkins can be "recycled" to improve our garden soil. But they need to be chipped and chopped a little before they are of practical use. Read more about Composting Leaves and Pumpkins at our Skillin's Garden Log.

*The Time is Now to plant Fall Bulbs that will bloom and bloom next Spring. Terry Skillin always tells us that the first step toward gardening for next Spring is the planting of fall bulbs this fall. Smart guy he is! Come see why we still have the best selection of fall bulbs in southern Maine (or should I say Skillin's Country!!) And we still do have a great selection. The ground is getting cooler and fall bulbs love to nestle in that cooler ground--the cooler ground gets their natural "timers" running and counting down toward Spring.

*Meanwhile summer flowering bulbs like dahlias, begonias and gladiolas need to be stored indoors for the winter so they can be used to give even MORE flowers next year. Read all about how best to store these bulbs at Storing Winter Bulbs--It's Time!!

Time to Store Me for Next Year!

*One great way to garden indoors this winter is to Force Bulbs like daffodils, crocus, hyacinth and even tulips into flower. A flowering bulb like these plants is a welcome sight on a mid winter day with the snow and cold wind outside! Check out this easy to follow post called Forcing Bulbs for Winter Color to set some plants up for that bright look indoors!

Potted Daffodils

*We do recommend all natural Wilt Pruf as a spray for broad leafed evergreens such as rhododendrons and azaleas to help prevent leaf wilting and curling in the winter and early Spring. Wilt Pruf is best applied in November on a nice warm day. Wilt Pruf essentially clogs the open pores of a plant's leaves and this reduces transpiration or moisture loss through the plant's leaves. This coating also helps protect the cells of the leaf against burning wind (much like lip balm protects us). If we get a particularly warm day or two in late February or early March it may be smart to reapply Wilt Pruf then. It also often helps to wrap your tender plants such as hollies, roses as well as evergreens in high wind locations. We burlap for wrapping and also some easy to use Shrub Covers.

*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!

More Skillin's!!

ANYTIME you want MORE frequent and timely garden tips, just check out our Skillin's Garden Log found at www.skillins.com! Garden and life articles of all types can be found here:

Skillin's Garden Log!

We also"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.

Mark Your Calendar!!!

Our FREE classes are held Saturdays at 10 AM (unless otherwise stated).

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!!

NOVEMBER

6-Holiday Fun Class (10 AM Wreaths, 1 PM Kissing Balls)

Let's have some fun! At 10 AM we will show you how to make balsam wreaths. At 1 PM it will be balsam kissing balls. There is a $15 fee for each class but you will have something fun to bring home!

Special Note: Both classes are sold out in Cumberland and Falmouth; there are encore classes in Cumberland and Falmouth for wreath making on November 10 at 5 PM. There are still openings in Brunswick on November 6.

Can't attend the Holiday Fun Class or want to see on your own time how to make great holiday wreaths? Check out these short videos produced at Skillin's Cumberland. Wendi of Skillin's Cumberland is just super and she shows us all how to make our own wreaths, garlands and door swags. Wendi is truly timeless and thanks to the miracles of video we can all attest to her talents. And she is a great teacher!

13-Holiday Arrangements Class (10 AM and 1 PM)

Get hands on experience. We will show you how to make boxwood trees for the holidays! There is a $20.00 fee for this class. Special encore class at Falmouth on November 14 @ 1 PM.

Special note: Both 11/13 classes are sold out at 10 AM in Cumberland and Falmouth.

Also Every Saturday: The Cumberland Farmers Market returns for the second year to our Skillin's Cumberland location at 201 Gray Road in Cumberland (04021 for you Mapquest types!) We love the Cumberland Farmers market!

Events run from 9 AM to Noon each Saturday!

And one more note: Skillin's Holiday Open House is Saturday and Sunday November 20 and 21 in Brunswick, Cumberland and Falmouth. More details soon!!

Save 30% All Silk Stems--brand new and beautiful. Great for fall decorating! Shrub Guard shrub protectors *Shrub Cover shrub protectors
Offer good for Saturday November 6 2010 and Sunday November 7 2010 in honor of our 11/06 Wreaths and Kissing Ball classes. No need to present coupon. Sales for in stock merchandise only; very few other restrictions may apply!