Is that sunshine I see out my window?  Really?

And look at that forecast ...

BRING IT ON, SPRING! 

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MONTH?

Newcomers & New Homeowners Workshop

Saturday, April 5   10:00 am 

If you are new to South Carolina, or if you're just moving into your first home, or just want to learn more about plants, soils, water, fertilizer and other topics that enhance the value of your home, don't miss this workshop. The time is right, Spring is here, so come in for an informative, relaxing hour or two, to make you a successful gardener.  There is a $10 charge per person for the workshop and you will receive a $10 gift certificate to Wingard's.  Call 359-9091 to register or register on-line. 

Southern Landscape Design

Saturday, April 12  10:00 am 

If you're thinking of a project for this spring and could use some ideas for the design, this is the workshop for you. Our in-house landscape designer, Jennifer Weaver, will be conducting this workshop. Jennifer has a bachelors degree in horticulture and nearly 30 years experience in landscape design. She will help you think through your own do-it-yourself design. After hearing her presentation, you may even decide to have Jennifer design it for you! There is a $10 charge per person for the workshop and you will receive a $10 gift certificate to Wingard's.  Call 359-9091 to register or register on-line. 

Kid's Day IX To Benefit Carolina Wildlife Center

Wednesday, April 16  11:00 am - 1:00 pm

During Spring Break, this is a fun day for Kindergarten and Elementary School children, or for anyone that enjoys our abundant wildlife. Come meet the folks from Carolina Wildlife Center and their Ambassadors (animals), whom are being rehabilitated.   We'll have our World Famous Hot Dawg Chef, Ronnie Long, cooking up some of his famous "Ronnie Dawgs," The Lexington County Sheriff's Department and Fire Department will be here with their big equipment and each child will plant and take home a tomato plant. Our friends from Bee Trail Farm will also be here with their bee colonies...don't worry, they are enclosed...to demonstrate the role bees play in our food chain. It's a great day, which is always a big hit!  A donation of $5 per person to benefit Carolina Wildlife Center will be collected upon arrival.  No need to register.

Make A Stepping Stone

Wednesday, April 16  1:00 pm

Stick around after Kid's Day and have your child make a stepping stone for your garden. They will have the opportunity to design and create a concrete stepping stone for your use in the yard. The materials price is $25.00 per stone made.  Call 359-9091 to register or register on-line. 

Coming in May...

Create Your Own Container Garden - Thursday, May 1

Shade Gardening & Hydrangeas - Saturday, May 3

Mamapalooza - Saturday, May 10

Fairy Garden Tea Party - Sunday, May 18

Perennials Workshop - Saturday, May 31

For more details, click here.

NEED DESIGN SERVICES?  WE'VE EXPANDED OUR LANDSCAPE DESIGN SERVICES  

We are now offering several options for landscape design:

1.  In House:  Meet with our designer at Wingard's.  Bring pictures, dimensions, ideas, etc.  Go home with a ready-to-implement rough sketch.  Call 359-9091 for an appointment.

2.  At Your House:  Meet with our designer at your location to discuss areas of your landscape that need attention.  She will leave you with a rough sketch that you can implement right away.  Call 359-9091 for an appointment.

3.  Landscape Design:  Our professional designer will meet with you at your location and discuss your full landscaping needs.  She will provide you with a full landscape plan for your front yard, back yard or both, drawn to scale.  You will be able to can implement  the plan all at once, or in stages.   Call 359-9091 for an appointment.

4.  We'll Plant it For You:  Old South Landscaping will install your plan, using plant material from Wingard's.  Call 513-3360 to discuss your installation needs.  Tell them Wingard's referred you, in order to receive priority scheduling.               

PRODUCE MARKET NEWS

The Produce Market will officially re-open Tuesday, April 8th.  

IN SEASON NOW - South Carolina grown ASPARAGUS!

The season for harvesting asparagus locally is very short.  Only a few weeks left for this tasty veggie.  We sold out, but we'll have more when the produce stand opens on April 8th.  Have you ever tried cooking asparagus standing up (I mean the asparagus, not you!)?  Here is a link on best ways to steam asparagus.

When we re-open on the 8th, we will have a full selection of produce, most of which will come from Florida.  As South Carolina crops come in season, we will switch over to as much South Carolina grown produce as possible. 

Expect fresh fruit and vegetable prices to be higher this year.  The California drought has diminished crops grown there tremendously, and that has shifted demand to Southeastern grown crops, driving up their prices, too.  One example, we sell a lot of limes in the Produce Market, and they are primarily grown in California.  We just found out our cost of limes is going to be four times higher than it was last year!  A good reason to buy your own lime tree, isn't it?  

VISIT OUR NEW AREA

"ADVENTURES IN TROPICAL PARADISE" 

It will be full of Florida tropicals by the weekend... hibiscus, bougainvillea,  mandevilla, dipladena,

 & lots more! 

HGTV COMES TO WINGARD'S

Many of you watch HGTV home improvement shows.  This Spring the network will be touting beautiful collections of mixed annuals.  See it on TV... come and get it at Wingard's.  We are the only retailer in the Midlands that will  be carrying the new HGTV line of flowering annuals this year. 

TRUCKS ARRIVING DAILY... IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN LATELY, COME CHECK OUT THE NEW PLANT MATERIAL  

We have lots of new plants from Florida, California, and other warm climates.  But material we get from north of here has been delayed due to the severe winter.  The plants just aren't ready to be shipped yet.  So expect to wait on some things, and if we don't have  something in stock, remember that you can always add your name to our "wish list" in the gazebo.  We'll try our best to call you when it comes in.              

BE PATIENT, CITRUS TREES ARE COMING!

The weather has just been too cold to bring in a supply of Florida Citrus Trees ... lemons, limes, oranges. But they should be available this month.  We'll let you know as soon as they arrive!

ZEN IS IN!

Just received new shipment of statuary, fountains, birdbaths and benches ... including items to create own Zen Garden.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SPECIAL ROSE...

WE STOCK THEM ONLY ONCE A YEAR...

NOW IS THE TIME...   

Ketchup & Mustard is a popular new Floribunda

Plant your rose garden now!  We are proud to offer the largest selection of roses in the Midlands.  Hybrid tea, floribunda, grandiflora and climbing roses arrived in February and are flushing out with new growth. The list of varieties we have available is on our website.  We have some new varieties and many old favorites.  Click here for a list of what's available.  Shop early, 'cause when a variety is gone, it will be next year before we get more in!

VEGETABLE GARDENS LOVE RICH DIRT

We have lots of options to enrich your soil:

1.  Wingard's Vegetable Garden Mix - sold in bulk by the front end loader scoop - contains ground pine bark, sand, gypsum, lime, mushroom compost, peat moss, Espoma Garden Tone

2.  Garden Tone organic fertilizer by Espoma

3.  Mushroom Compost

4.  Stout Ollie - Fish compost, plant material, and cow manure

5.  Black Cow - composted cow manure

 TWO COMMON PROBLEMS FOR TREES  

1.  Fire Blight on Fruit Trees  - Fire Blight is a fungus that attacks pear and apple trees.  It cannot be cured once the tree is infected, so your best bet is prevention.  Trees are most susceptible when they start to bloom.  Spray the blossoms of your apple and pear trees with Fertilome Fire Blight Spray, which we have in stock. This spray  is a fungicide only and will not affect the bees. Click here for an article from the Clemson Extension on Fire Blight.       

2.  Wood Borers in Japanese Cherry Trees and Dogwoods - Okame, Kwanzan and Yoshino Ornamental Cherry Trees, as well as Dogwoods, are susceptible to wood bores because of the soft core of their trunks.  By the time you see the damage it is usually too late to save the tree.  As a preventative, we recommend spraying the trunks of these trees with Fertilome Triple Action Plus and also treating the tree with Fertilome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench, which will help to protect the tree for the next 12 months.

• Plant summer vegetables.
• Apply pre-emergent to your lawn if you haven't done so yet in order to prevent summer weeds.  This is Step 1 in Wingard's DIY Lawn Care Program.
• WAIT to fertilize your lawn until total green-up, which is normally around the second week of May.  A good rule of thumb is to fertilize after the second mowing.  This is Step 2 in DIY Lawn Care.
• Aerate your lawn if thatch is thick and heavy.
• Fertilize trees and shrubs.
• Apply 12-month systemic insecticide to trees and shrubs prone to insect problems.  We recommend Fertilome Tree & Shrub Systemic Insect Drench.
• Prune non-blooming shrubs if needed and cut back winter-damaged limbs.
• WAIT to prune spring-blooming trees and shrubs until after they bloom.
• Clean up dead foliage of perennials and apply fresh mulch.
• Plant trees and shrubs now before hot weather sets in.
• ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF SPRING!

DO-IT-YOURSELF LAWN CARE

Step 1:  If you haven't done this yet, you can still apply Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper.  This product prevents weeds from coming up.  It will also stop Crabgrass from germinating and destroys the weed during the first five weeks of its growth.  For more thorough weed control, spray specific weeds with fertilome Weed-Free Zone 10-14 days later.

Step 2: DO NOT DO THIS STEP UNTIL AFTER YOU MOW YOUR LAWN TWICE.... PROBABLY EARLY- TO MID-MAY.  This step involves fertilizing and weed control.  The product you will use depends on the type of grass you have, so just ask a Wingard's employee for our DIY Lawn Care Guide.

I had surgery last week, and one of the recovery prescriptions is to do a lot of walking.  So I walk laps around my house.  This has given me the opportunity to watch my landscape rejuvenate as the weather warms up.  Here are pictures of some of my favorites:

My Camellias are at their peak

Sango Kaku Japanese Maple - love the bright green new leaves against the red bark of the stems

Forest Pansy Redbud

Daffodils still blooming

There's Always Something Blooming at Wingards!  

From My Grandmother's Garden to Yours,