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Andy Wedel

All Star Award

 And The
Gold Star 

Goes To...
  Congratulations!

Rebecca Lassig. Rebecca was the first to submit the correct answer to our January trivia question: "The peach is a member of what scientific classification family?'" The correct answer is "Rosaceae or Rose family."    

Rebecca won a $15.00 Wedel's gift card and you could too! Just be the first to respond with the correct answer to our monthly trivia question.
 
Congratulations, Rebecca!! 
Seed Savers Exchange Preserves Heritage
Seed Savers Exchange
by Karen Anderson

Seed Savers Exchange, founded in 1975, is one of the largest non-governmental seed banks of its kind in North America. Collections contain heirloom and open pollinated varieties. Seed Saver Exchange protects our food supply and cultural heritage by maintaining thousands of varieties of different plant types and is a nonprofit organization.

All of the seeds in its collections can be saved and grown again. Save the seeds, share them with others, replant them again in your garden to allow the seed to adapt to your growing conditions.

Check out the 112 varieties at Wedel's!
A Thought
 from the Garden  
February Snows
    
  "February, when the days of winter seem endless and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of summer." 

-  Shirley Jackson
        
GMO or GE? What's the Difference?
We often hear GMO (genetically modified organism) and GE (genetically engineered) used in relation to the foods we eat and the seeds we buy. Hart's Seeds, one of Wedel's seed suppliers, offers the answer to the question that might help you decide what to buy for your own garden and table. Links are included on its site to make further research easier for you to do. Click here for the details.
Did You Know?

 

1.Some plants bloom at night to attract night-flying pollinators!              

 

2. Bubble gum flavor comes from the mixture of wintergreen, vanilla, and cassia (a type of cinnamon)       

3. In the U.S., more tomatoes are consumed everyday than any other vegetable or fruit.

  

4. Diet soda has yet to be proven as an aid in effective weight loss.        

 


Mom's Home Cooking
Mom Tested And Approved

Would your family like something a little different for a quick, home-made lunch? Here's a tasty one you'll make again and again.

Welsh Rarebit

1 Tablespoon Melted Butter
1 Tablespoon Flour
2 Cup Grated Cheese
3/4 Cup Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard
2 Bouillon Cubes

Combine butter, flour, mustard, milk and bouillon cubes. Cook over hot water until thick. Add cheese and stir over hot water until cheese is melted. Season to taste. Serve immediately on toasted bread.

The Household Searchlight              
Enjoy! 

Wedel's News

Volume 5, Number 11                                                                   February, 2013  
May I See Your Papers?

Guard Frog

The photo of this serious looking fellow was sent to us by Janice Wick from Paw Paw. Janice said, "Last summer, our resident tree frog, made itself at home and stands guard over the Van Buren Master Gardener Monarch Way Station." Wedel's has many tree frog houses to choose from!

Keep sending your curious, funny, interesting, unusual and beautiful photographs to us so we can share them with all of the Wedel's News subscribers. You'll find it's fun to share!  
Mark Your Calendar!

Saturday, February 2, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Hydroponics - Yes, you can have fresh tomatoes
& lettuce year 'round!

with Bob Bond, Wedel's Hydroponic Expert

Saturday, February 2, 11:15 - 12:15 a.m.
Orchids - Reblooming, Repotting & Caring for
Your Orchid Plants
 
with MaryAnne Stora-Jansen, Wedel's Houseplant Expert

Saturday, February 9, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Design Your Outdoor Living Area with Andrew Wedel, Michigan Certified Green Industry Professional and Mary Eckhardt, Licensed Landscape Architect

Saturday, February 9, 11:15 - 12:15 a.m.
Hands-On Tool Care & Maintenance
with Karen Anderson & Don Cavner, Wedel's Tool Pros

Saturday, February 16, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Success or Failure with Seed Starting
with Karen Anderson, Wedel's Seed Pro

Please call 345-1195 and ask a cashier
to sign you up. And remember,
Wedel's seminars are free!  
 
 
Shopping Fun
February Shopping List 
 
Valentine's Day gift 
Garden seeds
Seed starting kit 
Potting soil 
Pots 
Firewood 
Suet 
Ice melter 
Bird seed 
Snow shovel 
Gift certificate 
Bird feeder 
Birdbath heater 
Gardening book 
Gardening magazine

Garden Natives

Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia is a plant genus of over 20 species. Their popularity has caused some to think they are over used however the rich variety within the species offers versatility and utility that shouldn't be overlooked. They offer showy summer color and are perennials so they will return year after year.

 

 

Rudbeckia require relatively low maintenance, naturalize well and respond well to dead heading. You will probably find more butterflies in your gardens where they are planted and they aren't particularly attractive to deer.

 

 

 

 

Use Rudbeckia in mass plantings, throughout your garden for a vibrant splash of color (from yellow to bronze to mahogany), as borders, in a wildflower meadow and in containers as well. Click here to see the various varieties that will be available at Wedel's!

Look Sharp
Feel Sharp
Be Sharp
Did you know that you can have your blades sharpened at Wedels?!

Take a look at these prices! 
  • Pruners - $4.00
  • Loppers - $4.00
  • Lawn mower blades - $5.00 (sorry, no reel mowers)
  • Mulching mower - $5.00 
  • Hedge shears - $4.00
  • Larger items - $5.00

(We don't sharpen chain saw blades.)  

 
Just for Grins... and Groans 
 
I wrote a novel about a fellow who had a small garden. It didn't have much of a plot.

Gib Longless  

 
 
Store Hours  
Monday - Thursday
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Friday
9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 - 6:00 p.m.
 

To Do In February  

Celebrate Valentine's Day!     

Attend Saturday Seminars at Wedel's.
Set out roosting pockets in trees or shrubs.
Have mower blades sharpened.
Have mower tuned up.
Begin planting cold season vegetable and flower seeds.


School Fund Raising
Time Is Here

Let Wedel's help raise money for your class projects! For details, call Terrie Schwartz at 269-345-1195 or send email to her at [email protected].     
wkzo
Saturday Mornings

Birdwatch 8:07 a.m.
with host Roger Taylor answering all of your birding questions
Call in at 382-4280 or 877-382-4280.
 
Watch for Over the Garden Fence to return in the spring! 
Over the Garden Fence 9:07 a.m.
with host Andy Wedel answering all of your landscape and gardening questions
Call in at 382-4280 or 877-382-4280.

Visit our web site at www.wedels.com for archives of previous Birdwatch and
Over the Garden Fence programs!
 

  Note from the Editor   

   

 

Happy February and Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Valentine's Day will be here in a little less than 2 weeks and, rather than wait until the last minute, why not give us a call now to order your gift of a bright and cheery floral arrangement to be delivered to your special someone? If you'd prefer to pick it up and deliver it yourself, you can still order it ahead of time so it will be ready for you at your convenience. Ordering ahead of time will eliminate the possibility of forgetting until the last minute and having the twinge of panic set in. The ladies in Wedel's Floral Department will make sure everything will go smoothly and that makes everyone happy!

 

We've recently had some spring-like days and some icy, stormy winter-like days and it looks like that will be our weather pattern for a while. Spring is anxious to get here and winter is reluctant to leave. One of spring's first stops is always Wedel's Garden Center and one of spring's earliest events is Wedel's Spring Expo. Can you believe it?! It's getting close and everyone at Wedel's is gearing up. New displays are going up every day, plants are waking up in the annuals and perennials greenhouse and, behind the scenes, vendor presenters are being confirmed, bringing with them the tried-and-true and the brand new just for you.

 

While we're talking about preparing, it isn't too early to be thinking about Wedel's Country Fair contest. I've mentioned that I thoroughly enjoy going to the Branch County Fair in August and something I enjoy most about the fair is looking at all of the 4-H projects. It is easy to see that the 4-H'ers are very good at planning and preparing and that they get to work early on their projects. They are good examples. With over a dozen categories of fruits, flowers and vegetables to enter and prizes awarded in each category now is the time to be planning to enter the Country Fair contest at Wedel's. There is no reason you can't be a winner!

 

On cue, we're here to help you with your Country Fair project. All packet and bulk flower and vegetable seeds are on sale right now. If you subscribe to the Kalamazoo Gazette you'll see that in this week's ad. If you don't subscribe to the Gazette, click here to see a copy of the ad. You'll find seeds and seed starting supplies are on sale so now is a great time to get started whether for the Country Fair contest or just for your backyard garden. This is the time of year when the very best selection of seeds is available and they're on sale too!

 

It's that time of year... It doesn't matter that we've had a very blustery few days recently, I'm beginning to keep my eye out for snowdrops, winter aconite, early crocus and the first tiny spikes from our tulip bulbs. Silly? Maybe. But in an effort to be prepared and planning early, it's what I do. And one of these days my preparation will pay off and I'll be rewarded with some of the first exciting signs of spring. It may not be a blue ribbon but I'll thoroughly enjoy it none the less! Let us know what pops up in your yard!

 

Ready for another trivia question? Here we go! What product was introduced in 1953 as a shortcut for homemakers making Welsh rarebit.  The first reader to respond with the correct answer will win a $15.00 Wedel's gift certificate. The gift certificate must be picked up here at the garden center and remember, you are eligible to win once every 90 days. Good luck and have fun!  

 

 

'Til next time,

Jim 

  
 [email protected]

By reading the scriptures I am so renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me. The sky seems to be a pure, a cooler blue, the trees a deeper green. The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet.
Thomas Merton