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Last Month's Newsletter
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And The
Gold Star
Goes To...
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Barb Trenter. Barb was the first to submit the correct answer to our July trivia question: "The oldest sweet tea recipe (ice tea) in print comes from what cookbook? The correct answer is "Housekeeping In Old Virginia." (published in 1879)
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Barb 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, Barb!!
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Have you been thinking about having a garage sale but don't have the right place for it or don't want to do the advertising or don't think many shoppers will come by? Here's your chance to offer your items to a big crowd all at once. Join us on Saturday, August 24, during Wedel's Country Fair, with your own space where there will be 100's of fair-goers all in one place. Spaces in Wedel's parking lot are available for $30 and that includes advertising! Whether you have a little or a lot to sell this is your chance. Send e-mail to wedelsgarden@wedels.com for all of the information and to sign up. |
A ThoughtFrom the Garden
In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.
~Abram L. Urban |
| Did You Know? |  | |
1. The world's tallest grass, which has sometimes grown 130 feet or more, is bamboo.
2. The rose family of plants, in addition to flowers, gives us apples, pears, plums, cherries, almonds, peaches and apricots.
3. The plant life in the oceans make up about 85 percent of all the greenery on the Earth.
4. One ragweed plant can release as many as one billion grains of pollen.
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Mom Tested And ApprovedCherry pie is delicious, right? I wonder what "Miracle Cherry Pie" would taste like. Find out here!
Miracle Cherry Pie
2 cans water-packed pitted red sour cherries, drained - about 2 cups
2 1/2 cups cherry juice and water
2 packages vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
Few drops red food coloring
2 baked 8-inch pie shells, cooled
Combine cherries and 1 cup of the water and cherry juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, combine pudding mix, salt, sugar, lemon juice and remaining 1 1/2 cups liquid. Stir to form a smooth paste. Add to boiling fruit, stirring to blend. Then cook and stir until mixture comes to a full boil.
Remove from heat. Add butter and food coloring. Cool 5 minutes. Pour into pie shells. Let pies stand about 3 hours or until firm.
The General Foods Kitchens Cookbook
Enjoy!
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Come One, Come All
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Wedel's Country Fair 2013 is almost here! It's time to have a look at your garden and get ready to take your winners to Wedel's. Bring your entries in by 6:30 p.m. on August 22 for judging. A $50.00 Wedel's gift card will be awarded to the adult and the kids for the Best of Show entry.There are 20 categories to choose from - everything from "Best Bunch of 5 Carrots" to "Prettiest Garden Flower Arrangement." There's something for everyone and yes, you could win! If you have extra produce, bring it in. Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes will distribute it to the needy in our area. Fresh produce as well as non-perishable items would be greatly appreciated. Donations will be picked up at 4:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24. Click here for all of the details. Oh! There's more fun too. Do you want to get rid of some things you don't need any longer? There will be a Community Garage Sale at Wedel's during the Fair, on Saturday, August 24. Click on the link above for the details.
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Just for Grins...
and  Groans
"If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?"
- Steven Wright
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Volume 6, Number 5 August, 2013
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Hydrangeas:
True Blue or Tickled Pink?
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Our friends at Espoma have some good information concerning the color of your hydrangeas. As I'm sure you know, Wedel's has offered (and used) the excellent organic products from Espoma for many years. If you grow hydrangeas but haven't given Espoma a try, this is your opportunity.
There are very few plants that you, the gardener, can actually choose
the color you want them to be in your garden. Hydrangeas happen to
be one of them. With some simple amendments to your soil, you can
choose between making the blooms blue or pink. And while it doesn't
happen overnight, the magical blooms are well worth the wait!
The most important thing that influences the color of hydrangeas is
soil pH - that's the level of soil acidity. That means you may want to
start with a soil test.
(You can either get a soil test kit from Wedel's or you can bring a sample of your soil to the garden center and we'll test it for you for free.)
In general, more acidity makes hydrangeas turn blue, less acidity (or
more alkaline soil) promotes pink - that is, unless we're talking about white hydrangeas, which alas, are limited to white.
To lower pH and turn hydrangeas blue, we recommend adding Espoma Soil Acidifier to the soil. It's safe, long-lasting, and approved for organic gardening. Use 2 1/2 cups around the plant's drip line every sixty days, until you reach the desired shade of blue.
Prefer pink? Then use Espoma Garden Lime. Sprinkle about 2½ to 5 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. in the Spring or the Fall.
(Here are some more tips to help you add eye-catching beauty to your landscape with hydrangeas.)
* Consider container gardening for hydrangeas as an easier way to control soil pH. Some of the newer varieties of hydrangeas feature huge flowers on compact plants which are ideal for containers.
* Feeding hydrangeas will results in healthier plants with more saturated color. Espoma Holly-tone is an excellent choice for blue hydrangeas since it contains sulfur to lower pH. Espoma Plant-tone is
ideal for feeding pink hydrangeas since it does not contain the additional sulfur.
* Water hydrangeas steadily, especially in the hottest part of the summer to keep them from wilting. Mulch to keep roots cool and conserve moisture. (If you want to make life easier, consider using a RainDrip drip irrigation system.)
* Hydrangea color can be affected by lime leaching out of concrete walkways or patios nearby, making blue a real challenge. Keep this in mind when considering where to plant.
* A word of caution: not all plants like acidic soil. Be careful about what's growing near your hydrangeas. Not sure which plants like acidic soil? (Stop by Wedel's to get a list of acid loving plants.)
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Mark Your Calendar
The following Saturday seminars are FREE, unless noted. Space is limited! Call Wedel's cashier at 345-1195 to sign up.
Seminar attendees will receive a 10% off Wedel's shopping spree coupon and will be entered into a drawing for an item to beautify your outdoor living area!
Saturday, August 3, 10:00
Too Many Herbs? No Such Thing!
with Dawn Ferrell
Saturday, August 3, 11:15 Rock Painting Class with Shari NielsenClass & supplies $5 - $15; for ages 10 & up.
August 23 & 24
Wedel's Country Fair! Bring in your veggies, fruits & flowers to win! Saturday, August 24
Wedel's Community Garage Sale Areas in Wedel's parking lot will be rented for $30. (Includes advertising) email wedelsgarden@wedels.comfor more information and to sign up.
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Red Sunset Maple
Acer rubrum "Red Sunset"  Part of what is so nice about living in a place where we can experience all of the seasons of the year is being on the lookout for signs of the upcoming season. If you enjoy being a season detective you'll enjoy this month's garden native, the red sunset maple, Acer rubrum "Red Sunset." Tiny red flowers begin appearing in dense clusters on the Red Sunset early in March to early in April.
 The red flowers remain for a month or more before pale green leaves begin to emerge in a beautiful contrast to the red flowers, stems and buds. The maple's leaves are shiny green on the topside and a paler green on the underside. Fall color is a brilliant red to orange that seems to make the tree glow.  Red sunset maples have reddish stems and twigs which provide colorful winter interest once the foliage has fallen. It is truly a beautiful tree in every season of the year. Best planted in full sun, this month's native is drought tolerant once they have been established and do well in moist or even wet soil. Pruning should be done in fall or early winter when the tree is dormant.  Red sunset maples are highly ornamental spring, summer, fall or winter. For more information about ornamental features, landscape attributes and plant characteristics click here! |
The Bulbs Are Coming...
The Bulbs Are Coming!
Spring flowering bulbs are coming once again to Wedel's Garden Center. The estimated time is around Labor Day so now is the time to begin planning your beds. We're still in the middle of summer but, just for a few minutes, think about next spring.
After a long winter (and they all seem to be long) what is one of the most exciting sights in your landscape? That's right! Seeing the tiny green spikes of your spring bulbs poking through the soil and snow confirms that, yes, spring is on its way in and winter is on its way out.
As always, Wedel's will have a wonderful selection of tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, crocus and many more spring flowering bulbs; absolutely, the best selection in the area. We will keep you posted and let you know when this year's inventory arrives. It might take a little longer than usual because of all of the moisture. It will take a bit longer to clean and dry the bulbs but they will be here. Yes, the bulbs are coming!
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Store Hours
Monday - Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
To Do In August
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Apply Fertilome Weed Free Zone to lawn weeds.
Make sure your hummingbird feeders are filled with fresh nectar.
Apply Scotts Lawn Fungus Control.
Have a pH test done on lawn and garden soils.
Feed trees, shrubs, garden plants.
Feed roses.
Apply crabgrass preventer to control annual blue grass.
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Look SharpFeel Sharp
Be Sharp
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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.)
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August Shopping List
Fertilome Weed Free Zone
Grass seed
Starter fertilizer
Scotts Lawn Fungus Control
Repellex Mole Repellant
Suet
Bird seed
Gift certificate
Bird feeder
Rain gauge
Daconil or Broad Spectrum Fungus Control
Grass Magic Organic Lawn Food
Tree Wound Sealer
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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.
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!
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Note from the Editor
August means a lot of things and among those is fair time! The Branch County Fair will take place next week and, as I've mentioned before, that's my fair. (I don't know why but it is no longer called the Branch County 4-H Fair. None the less, 4-H is a huge part of the fair and one of the primary reasons to have a fair.) I grew up with the Branch County 4-H Fair and, by visiting that fair, I can, in a way, revisit my younger days. The bottom line is it is fun and it is rewarding to see the results of the hard work the kids have done preparing their projects. Plus, it's a time to see old friends and to eat some good fair food.
August means it is time for Wedel's Country Fair too! That fair is becoming a tradition too. Lots of fun for everyone of every age and an opportunity to win great prizes. It's fun to participate, it's fun to win, it's fun and rewarding to see the results of the work gardeners have done growing fruits, vegetables and flowers. It is perfectly fine, of course, if you don't want to enter the contests but do come by and see everything else we have in store for you. Wedel's Country Fair is guaranteed to be a fun time for the whole family.
We have something new occurring during the fair this year; Wedel's Community Garage Sale. That event will take place on Saturday the 24th and you are invited to participate. Visit the fair on Friday to have a good time, look at all of the contest entries, see what's new at Wedel's, have some good food and, on Saturday, fill your garage sale space with items you no longer need or want and offer them for sale to all of the other fair visitors. If you have anything left after the sale and you don't want to take it home, Kalamazoo Gospel Mission will be here with a truck making it easy for you to make a donation. Reclaiming space at your home couldn't be easier! Send e-mail to wedelsgarden@wedels.com for more information and to reserve your garage sale space.
It's August. It's summer. Plan on spending a day or two at Wedel's Country Fair. Make it a family event and you'll have something to look forward to doing next year and beyond.
Ready for another trivia question? It's August! We need an August kind of question, right? Who invented the popsicle? 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
jimdavenport@wedels.com
Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning. ~ Lydia M. Child
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