Note from the Editor   

"Forsythia is pure joy.  

There is not an ounce, not a glimmer of sadness or even knowledge
 in forsythia.  Pure, undiluted, untouched joy."
-  Anne Morrow Lindbergh  

It's April, early spring, but do you have the sense that things are about to get very busy? The time for relaxing and planning is nearly over. As a matter of fact, there are some chores that you can do now to make late spring a bit easier. If you haven't already, now is a great time to get out into the yard and garden and do some spring cleaning. If you were busy last fall you'll have less to do now but there are always some twigs to pick up, a few leaves to rake and put into your garden, winter damage on some plants to take care of.

As you walk your property look for mole damage. That can happen well after snow covers the ground when the soil hasn't yet frozen. If you see any signs of activity get your Repellex applied. Look for lawn damage caused by snow mold. That can happen more easily if your last mowing of the season wasn't quite short enough. Grab a rake and gently fluff up the grass some. That will get the air moving in the affected areas and might be all you need to do. If you need to put down some grass seed you can do that too.

It is still too early to begin using Scotts 4-Step Program but it certainly isn't too early to buy it. You can save up to $90.00 using a Scotts mail-in rebate form and the rebate will be available through the end of April. I know some people like to get their fertilizer and crabgrass preventer down when the forsythia blossom but that's a rule of thumb that shouldn't be. If you want to use a natural signal to time the application use lilacs. Lilacs and crabgrass begin seasonal growth at similar times so that would be a more accurate signal.

One advantage of waiting to get your crabgrass preventer down is that you will have an effective control later into the growing season. Crabgrass preventer will still control the weed even when the weed is in the 2-leaf stage. Waiting a little is better than having to make a second application of preventer or having to watch crabgrass sprout and grow late in the year when you did so much to prevent it early in the season.

Take a look at your supplies before you come to the garden center. Besides a rebate opportunity for the 4-Step Program, Scotts has rebates available for Roundup, Scotts EZ Seed and Grubex. Now may not be the time to make the applications but now is the time to stock up and save some money!

Have you gotten Wedel's new app yet? If not, give it a try. I think you'll enjoy it and I know you'll get some great deals by tapping on the star icon by the word "Deals." Oh, and the app is free, too. Our Face Book page is being updated frequently and on a regular basis. Stop by there for more deals and information. And, while you're there, give us a "Like."

Have you used our Plant Finder yet? Now is a perfect time to have a look around there. You'll find it by going to our website at www.wedels.com and clicking on "Plant Finder" at the very top of the page. There are hundreds of plants there and each one has all of the information you need to see if you have the right conditions for it to thrive. Besides that it's a fun tool to use when you're planning updating your landscape.

We're adding more inventory items to our online store all of the time. You can order fresh flowers, gift cards and much more right now and there's lots more yet to come.

Ready for another trivia question? Here we go! Who, in 1890,  crossed oxeye field daisy and Japanese daisy to produce perhaps the quintessential chrysanthemum - The Shasta Daisy? 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!

Have a great April and...Go Tigers!!   

'Til next time,

Jim