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Last Month's Newsletter
Visit Us At Our Website
Great information and our weekly ads are there!
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And A Gold Star Goes To...
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Jan Symons. Jan was the first to submit the correct answer to our September Trivia Question: "Vichyssoise--the cold potato and leek soup--was first created in 1917 by Chef Louis Diat. Where?" The correct answer is: "New York City at the Ritz Carlton."
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Jan 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, Jan!!
(ed. note - We would like to ask contest winners to pick up prizes within 90 days to avoid forfeiture.)
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October
Shopping List
Bird seed
Weed Free Zone
Repellex Mole Repellant
Gardening gloves
Fall Lawn Fertilizer
Grass seed
Scotts Starter Fertilizer
Spring blooming bulbs
Espoma Bulb-tone
Wildflower seeds
Espoma Tree Tone
Nest box
Suet feeder
Seed feeder
WindowAlert window decals
Heated bird bath
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A Thought
From the Garden
"O hushed October
morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened
to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above
the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form
and go.
O hushed October
morning mild,
Begin the hours
of this day slow.
Make the day seem
to us less brief.
Hearts not averse
to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf
at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees,
one far away."
- Robert Frost, October
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Store Hours
Monday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Saturday, October 31 Halloween 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closed Sundays
Apply Fertilome Weed Free Zone to lawn weeds.
Feed trees, shrubs, garden plants.
Apply crabgrass preventer to control annual blue grass.
Pinch back fall bloomers like mums and asters.
Plant spring blooming bulbs.
Feed acid loving plants with Holly-tone.
Feed trees with Tree-tone.
Apply Winterizer lawn fertilizer toward the end of the month.
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Manager's
Special!
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For sale, efficient and easy to operate zero-turn lawn mower. Husqvarna RZ5424. Has twin, maintenance-free integrated transmissions, heavy-duty 6" wide front casters and a rugged tube steel frame. Regular Price: $3,299.95 - Sale Price $3,099.95. Purchase now and get a $100.00 Wedel's gift card for free! |
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Mom Tested And ApprovedIt must be time for dessert. This sounds awfully good!
Banana Cream Pie
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Flour
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Milk, Scalded
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Flavoring
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Eggs, Well Beaten
Combine butter, sugar, salt, flour, and eggs. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly. Cook over hot water until thick and smooth. Add flavoring.
Cover bottom of baked pastry shell with thinly sliced bananas. Sprinkle generously with coconut. Cover with cream filling. Cool. Serve with whipped cream.
The Household Searchlight
Enjoy!
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Just for Grins...
and  Groans
Worrying works! 90% of the things I worry about never happen.
N.V.S. Nell
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Volume 8, Number 7 October 2015
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(ed. note - The following is from our friends at Botanical Interests.)
Tomatoes: Late-Season Harvest and Storage Techniques
After weeks of growing tomatoes in your garden, whether you live in a warm or cool climate, you'll have to think about harvesting and storing dozens of plump tomatoes. Below are some tips and
techniques to make the most out of your abundant tomato crop.
Re-direct Plant Energy: First off, pick any tomatoes that are beginning to change color ("blushing"). Blushing tomatoes will ripen nicely on the counter and in taste tests, tasters could not tell the difference between a vine-ripened or counter-ripened tomato. If you are within a few weeks of the first frost, clip off all remaining blossoms. You can also cut the roots on two sides of the plant with a shovel, by plunging a shovel about 8 inches from the stem on each side. This will force the plants to channel all energy into ripening the existing fruits.
Frost Protection: To protect your tomato plants through the first few light frosts, you can cover them at night with a blanket, a frost cloth, or a piece of thick plastic that drapes all the way to the ground. If fully vine-ripened tomatoes are what you are after, and warmer weather is in the forecast, it will be worth the effort. However, if the weather will stay cool from this point on and if your tomatoes are too immature, they may not ripen. If a hard frost, below 28ºF, is
predicted, fruit must be brought indoors or they will be damaged.
Short-term Storage: If frost is imminent, the easiest way to quickly save your tomatoes is to pull up the plants and hang them upside down in a cool, well-ventilated area like a garage or basement.
The fruits will continue to ripen over the next few weeks. (Check the plants daily for ripe fruit. Over-ripe fruit may fall off the vine.) You can also pick individual full-sized green fruits; disinfect fruit with vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or a chlorine solution; wrap tomatoes in newspaper or paper bags; and store them indoors, stacked no more than two deep. Temperatures between 55°-68°F degrees are ideal for storage. Contrary to popular ideas, tomatoes do not ripen faster on a windowsill. Tomatoes ripen the fastest in a warm, dark area. Avoid storing tomatoes in the refrigerator. It's too cold and will adversely affect the flavor.
Dehydrating: Washed whole, pierced cherry tomatoes or slices of large tomatoes can be dried down in six to eight hours in a food dehydrator or the oven at 150°F. Traditionally in Italy, sun-dried
tomatoes are made by hanging plants outside to dry in the sun on hot tile roofs. You can try drying outdoors, too if your outdoor temperatures are at least 85°F. Lay a single layer of sliced tomatoes
or whole pierced cherry tomatoes on a cookie sheet, and protect them from insects with a layer of cheesecloth. It will take two or three days to dry slices down (longer for whole, pierced cherry
tomatoes), and they should be brought in during the night. Fully dried tomatoes will be dry, but pliable. Store in airtight jars.
Freezing: Whole, chopped, stewed, or sauced tomatoes can be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to one year. If you would like to remove tomato skins before freezing drop whole
tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, remove from the boiling water, and plunge them immediately into a bowl of ice water. After at least 30 seconds, remove tomatoes from the ice water
and slip the skins off.
Canning: Tomatoes are typically canned in sterilized glass jars and the water bath method. For safety, always use a research-based recipe and instructions adjusted for your altitude (USDA, canning equipment companies and extension agencies are examples of
resources for research-based instructions and recipes). Tomatoes are a low acid fruit and when canned incorrectly it is possible that they can foster bacteria that causes Botulism, a serious paralytic illness. While any tomato may be canned, 'paste tomatoes' like San Marzano, Speckled Roman, Italian Roma, and Supremo are
meatier and make the best sauce. Think beyond sauce-tomato preserves like jam, chutney, and marmalade which are also delicious, but again use a research-based recipe.
Sharing: During the last weeks of tomato harvest, consider sharing your excess harvest with friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Unlike the notorious giant zucchini, fresh tomatoes make wonderful gifts, especially when delivered in attractive baskets! They'll be so impressed with the flavor of your homegrown tomatoes that they might even be inspired to plant a few themselves next
season.
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Route 66 Tickseed
Coreopsis verticillata
If you have areas in your landscape that get a full day of sun and tend to be dry, then this month's Garden Native is coming to the rescue. Route 66 Tickseed 'Coreopsis verticillata' is a beautiful, two-toned bloom that emerges with a deep red ring around the central eye. That deep red spreads down each petal as if drawn by an artist's paint brush as blossoming continues. 
The large, two-inch blooms hover profusely above dense, lacy-edged, emerald green foliage. Route 66 Tickseed grows quickly and naturally into a symmetrical form giving the appearance that you spent your time carefully sculpting its growth. It will grow to approximately 24 inches tall and wide at maturity. As you can see, great interest is offered by color pattern combined with intricate texture.
Critters such as deer, rabbits etc. find this plant to be unpalatable; however, swarms of butterflies are magically attracted to the daisy-like flowers. This sturdy plant thrives in the face of drought and dry, unimproved soil. It will do well in drought and low-water conditions but will not tolerate standing water.
Route 66 Tickseed is ideal in mass planting, containers, as edging, as a ground cover and wildflower garden. The blooms are ideal for cutting and you will have a great plenty of them over a long re-blooming season. Click here for all of the details about this month's Garden Native.
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Mark Your Calendar
Saturday, October 3 10:30 - 11:15 a.m.
Enjoy a Bold, Beautiful Spring
with Bulbs
Favorite Bulbs, Unusual Bulbs
Critter Resistant Bulbs
Continuous Blooms All Spring
with Kay Wedel
Monday, October 12
Columbus Day
Tuesday, October 13
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Make It & Take It Fall Decor
Porch Pot/Container Garden
Enjoy outside now, take indoors after frost!
No charge for class.
Charge only for products you choose for your design .
with Caleb Whitfield
local farmer/florist
Saturday, October 17
1:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Harvesting Herbs for Winter Use
I grew them now, how do I use them?
Learn how to harvest, preserve and use
these good-for-you plants.
with Dawn Ferrell
Saturday, October 24, 10:30 a.m.
Big Fun with Miniature Gardening
Seminar & Workshop
Learn which plants are most durable for
miniature gardens, how to structure the gardens and what containers work best - all in the first 30 minutes of the seminar. Then, create your own with expert help to take home and enjoy or give as a gift!
with Rosemary Kuivenhoven
Saturday, October 31
Halloween
Wedel's Hours - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Friday, November 8
10:00 a.m. - Noon
Meet & Greet Birds of Prey
See live birds and their handlers
from Lake Milton Raptor Education Center.
Experience being eye-to-eye with an eagle,
owl, hawk, and falcon!
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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 - $5.00
- Loppers - $5.00
- Lawn mower blades - $6.00 (sorry, no reel mowers)
- Mulching mower blades - $6.00
- Hedge shears - $5.00
- Electric and cordless hedge shears - $10.00
- Hoes, shovels and trowels - $3.00
- Larger items - we will quote a price
(We don't sharpen chain saw blades.)
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Did You Know?
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1. Oranges, lemons, watermelons, and tomatoes are berries.
2. An olive tree on the Greek island of Crete has been proven to be 2,000 years old.
3. The word onion is derived from the Latin 'unio' which means 'large pearl.
4. Approximately 200 species of raspberries exist.
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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
"October inherits summer's hand-me-downs: the last of the ironweed, its purple silken tatters
turning brown, and the tiny starry white asters tumbling untidily on the ground like children
rolling with laughter; stiff, drying black-eyed Susans whose dark eyes gleamed from July's roadsides; coneflowers with deep yellow petals surrounding brown pincushion centers from which
bumblebees still are sipping honey.
The assignment of yellow is taken up now by thin-leafed wild sunflowers and artichokes."
- Rachel Peden
What a beautiful fall this has been, so far, and it appears it is becoming even more fall-like as we leave September and move into October. Nights are noticeably cooler and a local weather forecaster said there is the chance we will have nighttime temperatures in the 30s next week! Cooler temperatures are to be expected this time of year but I'd just as soon not need to scrape frost from the windshield anytime soon.
Have you had a chance to come by the garden center to have a look at all of the spring blooming bulbs? Every time I walk by that area I see shoppers deciding just what will be perfect for their flower beds. There are lots of factors to consider such as: color, height, size, blooming time, fragrance etc. All of that is the fun part! We're here to help you with the technical part: planting depth, moisture, fertilizer, light requirements, soil amendments etc. The selection is still great. See YOU soon?
Take a look at the "Mark Your Calendar" above. We have lots coming up and even more than what is listed there. We'll bring you up to date as the details of more seminars/workshops are finalized but there is a lot to choose from already. There are at least two opportunities for you to express yourself creatively - Make It and Take It Fall Decor and Big Fun with Miniature Gardening. And, while we are talking about bulbs, Kay's seminar about spring flowering bulbs will be invaluable and very interesting.
Are you an herb grower? Have you been considering growing herbs but not sure you'd use all that you would grow? There's a seminar for that! Dawn will be here with lots of information about harvesting and preserving herbs. There might even be samples of some recipes to help you find new uses for your herbs.
Always popular is the Meet and Greet Birds of Prey presentation. Opportunity is certainly rare to be so close to those beautiful creatures. They are all impressive at a distance but they are stunning up close. The people at Lake Milton Raptor Education Center do wonderful work and are always thrilled when we show our appreciation by attending one of their public events. Be sure to bring your camera!
Did you notice? Halloween is on this month's calendar. A spooky time... And the spookiness has already begun! At our house, anyway. We finally got an early start on something and put in our first 3 bags of Halloween candy before the prices go up. It is yet to be determined if that was a good plan because one of those bags has disappeared and I'm afraid there is a real danger concerning the other two. This isn't the first time that has happened. Spooky!
There's lots going on but always remember, you don't need a seminar, workshop, sale or any event to stop by Wedel's. Come on in and chat with us about how your landscapes and gardens are doing this year. Or, if you have some troubles with your lawn or if you've found something that is working particularly well in your lawn let us know. Of course your questions are always welcomed.
Ready for another trivia question? Here we go! "What ethnic food did Jeno Paulucci make available in supermarkets nationwide for the very first time in 1947?" The first reader to respond with the correct answer will win a $15.00 Wedel's gift card. The gift card 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
"She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last."
- Willa Cather
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