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Newsletter 16 – June 18, 2009
Perennial of the Week: Boxwood Al's Pick of the Week: Rocky Mountain Geraniums Three New Recipes Succession Gardening
“It’s not how we think, it’s how we act upon those thoughts that makes us truly worthy of being loved.” - Bob
Perks Instant Beauty With Father’s Day this weekend, Rhythm & Booms next weekend and the Fourth of July the one after that, many of you will be having celebrations in your back yards. If spring has sped by and left you unprepared, we have good news for you. You have People. People who can help you instantly turn your outdoor living space into a beautiful, welcoming oasis. These people are at this great garden center, and they have worked hard to have planters and hanging baskets in all colors and sizes ready just in time for all your festivities. Sometimes gardeners think they have to do everything from scratch.
Not so, it’s okay to let us help.
So come on out today and pick up the blooming containers of your
choice. All you’ll have
to do is say ‘thank you’ when the compliments start coming in. At the beginning of the school year, a young man was reflecting on his chance of being the 8th grade valedictorian. He said his dad was valedictorian, his mom was valedictorian, and his sister was also valedictorian. He paused, leaned back in his chair and said, “Looks like the end of an era!” Joke 1
Now is the time many of you are enjoying the harvest of the early crops
of lettuce, spinach, peas and radishes that you planted in early May.
But did you know that it’s not too late to plant more seeds for
successive crops? Mid June
is the perfect time to start another crop of beets, carrots, cucumbers,
lettuce, scallions, bush snap beans, swiss chard and zucchini.
The warmer soil will help germination, so your plants will come
up more quickly and grow faster. When
you are trying to decide if there’s time for a crop to grow, check the
maturity dates on the back of your seed packages.
Anything that is listed as 70 days or less has plenty of time
left this year. We still have a good selection of garden seed available here
at the farm, so come on out today and pick up what you’re missing.
Mid August you’ll be sooo glad you did. I started early teaching my kids the value of a dollar. From then on, they demanded their allowances in gold. Joke
2
Al’s
Pick of the Week – Rocky Mountain Geraniums If you wish you had more color in your plantings, we have the answer.
The Rocky Mountain series of geraniums is as versatile a plant as
you can find. They do well in partial to full sun and make great fillers
for empty spots and replacements for plants which have stopped blooming.
A few minutes spent adding a few plants can tremendously change
the impact of your beds. Available
in Royal Red, Deep Rose, Violet, Salmon and White, our plants are simply
covered with bloom. Come
out today and see for yourself how good they look. My dad wants me to have all the things he didn’t have when he was a kid. Like all A’s on every report card. Joke
3
PERENNIAL/SHRUB
of the Week – Boxwo What kind of shrub I can plant that the rabbits and deer WON’T eat?
It needs to stay green all year long, be easy to take care of,
and not be prickly or thorny. That’s a question we hear a lot at
America’s Best Flowers. One easy answer is boxwood.
This popular and versatile evergreen shrub forms a dense mat of
neat, small glossy leaves. Boxwood forms soft, mounded shapes if left
alone or can be sheared into a globe, cone, or small hedge.
It can even be formed into topiary in the shape of that dreaded
rabbit. Boxwoods will grow
in both sun and shade and fit well in many types of gardens and
landscapes, from a casual country garden to a more formal setting.
Check out the following links to see examples :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96194280@N00/215970823/ :
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XpNGX-D3BaY/SKYyNTbdTkI/AAAAAAAAAxA/Le7T9yKLS2I/s400/finished-1.jpg or even this one, If you have a lot of time on your hands :
http://z.about.com/d/gonewengland/1/0/7/J/granimals1.jpg You can add evergreen accents to your perennial garden or keep the
critters out of your yard at a special
price because Boxwoods are the shrub of the week at America’s Best
Flowers. My father said I should learn the Ten Commandments But I don’t think I want to because we already have
enough rules in our house. joke 4
Say Goodbye to
Pest Problems It’s that time of year - when bugs start their annual nasty business of
chomping on your beloved plants. The phone calls have begun here at the
garden center, and so many people are confused about what product to use
on what insect. We’re putting together another QUICK
CLASS that will answer all your questions and keep you from losing
your annuals, perennials, rosebushes, trees and shrubs. As my mom used
to say, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ It’s
very costly to replace your plants, so catching the problem immediately
or even before it begins, is what you want to do.
Check next week’s newsletter to find out the date and time of
our class. Feel free to
bring a damaged leaf (in a ziploc bag) to show us, and we’ll see if we
can help you. My father should be a minister. Every day he gives me a sermon about something. Joke
5
Mark Your Calendars June
is Perennials on Parade month. Each week we will be
featuring one perennial/shrub at special savings. Watch the newsletter every week to see what we have selected
for you. July
4-5 Independence Celebration –
Stop by our main location in Cottage Grove and receive FREE
Ice Cream and Popcorn to celebrate our amazing country’s
independence. July
11-19 ABF Dollar Days
– This is the first of two opportunities to use your orange ABF
Dollars for up to 50% off the total price of purchase on our entire
stock Did you
know? Only Loyalty
customers receive our newsletters via email.
Only Loyalty customers receive ABF Dollars.
And, best of all, only Loyalty customers receive all our great
mailings throughout the year. If
you know anyone who shops here, but hasn’t signed up as a Loyalty
customer yet, please encourage them to do so.
We thank you and so will they. If you are
receiving double mailings, please email or call us at 222-2269 so we can
reduce the amount of paper coming to your home.
It’s just one small way we are working to save our environment. One time my kids wanted to surprise me with breakfast in bed for Father’s Day. They put a cot in the kitchen. Joke
6
Toot
your horns, clap your hands and stamp your feet! It’s Almost
Father’s Day! Time
to show Dad how much he means to you! How about an old-fashioned BBQ
featuring baked beans, brats, burgers and ice cream cones? Only we’re
adding a few new twists!
Tex-Mex
Baked Beans You can make this special by sprinkling shredded cheddar
cheese and chopped fresh cilantro on top, just before serving. 2 cans (15.5 oz) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies ¾ cup BBQ sauce ¾ cup salsa ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar In a 3 ½ qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients, mix well. Cover; cook on low setting at least 4 hours (I cook for 6
hrs, stirring twice or three times) or until mixture is thoroughly
heated and flavors are blended. You can also do this on the stove top
and cook 30-45 minutes, stirring often. From
Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks June 1999
Brats
with Mango Relish This is a recipe Dad is sure to love, or make Inside-Out
Southwestern Cheeseburgers from a previous news letter (there is
also a really good grilled corn with chili-lime spread recipe). See Bonnie’s
Kitchen Week 26 2006 1 large fresh mango, seeded, peeled, and halved 1 small red onion, cut in ½” slices. 4 cooked, smoked bratwurst 4 buns, split 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, halved ½ t Jamaican jerk seasoning Brush mango and onion with 1 T cooking oil. Grill (medium heat) mango halves, onion and brats about 8
minutes, or until mango and brats are browned and heated through and
onion is crisp-tender, turning once halfway through cooking. Lightly
toast buns for 1-2 minutes. Set aside mango, onion and brats. Lightly brush romaine with cooking oil. Grill 1-2 minutes
until lightly browned and wilted, turning once (I’ve had mixed reviews
on the grilled romaine, some love it, others not-so-much). For relish, chop grilled mango and onion. Combine in bowl
with 1 T cooking oil, the jerk seasoning, and salt and pepper. Serve
brats in buns with relish and romaine.
Makes 4 servings.
Choco-Mint
Waffle Cones 4 giant waffle ice cream cones 1 quart mint or pistachio ice cream 1 12 oz. jar dark chocolate or fudge ice cream topping. Fresh raspberries, blackberries and/or blueberries Fresh mint leaves Place each waffle cone in
a tall cup or glass. Scoop ice cream into cones. Top with ice cream
topping. Add berries to top of cone. Sprinkle with mint leaves. Makes 4
cones Dad
is from the old school, where you keep your money under the mattress – only he kept his in the
underwear drawer. One day I bought my dad an unusual personal safe – A can of spray paint with a false bottom – So he could keep his money in the workshop. Later I asked Mom if he was using it. “Oh yes,” she replied, “he put his money in it the same
day.” “No burglar would ever think to look on the work shelf!” I
gloated. “They won’t have to,” my mom replied, “He keeps the paint can in his underwear drawer.” Joke 7 SEE YOU SOON!!! |
|
May
the Holy Spirit Guide You! God Bless |
