Week 26 (9/21/2006)

“Sit quietly and listen to the sounds of autumn.”

This Saturday, September 23 the fall equinox heralds the arrival of fall, a favorite time of the year for many people.  Crisp air, bright sun, cool nights, fall harvest and color, color, color describe America’s Best Flowers this time of year.  We are so fortunate to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city, so we can see, hear and feel the changes of the season.

We invite you to celebrate the season with us.  This Saturday, September 23, begins our “Build Your Own Scarecrow” event.  America’s Best has the perfect setting for you to bring the whole family and enjoy creating one-of-a-kind scarecrows.  Between 10 – 4 every day through Sunday, October 1, we will have staff on hand to help.  We start with a kit, available for a small fee, which contains the wooden frame, straw, burlap, face and twine to hold it all together.  Clothing for your scarecrows can be brought with you, or purchased from us at garage sale prices.  Cider and treats are available both weekends.

“Did you hear about the guy who stayed up all night to find out where the sun went?  Then it dawned on him…”

It’s time to vote for your favorite scarecrow!!  Area elementary schools have brought in scarecrows for our “SCARECROWS IN THE GARDEN CONTEST”.  Voting is done with canned goods which will be donated to the Atwood Community Food Pantry. Be sure to bring plenty.   Entries will be on display from September 21 – October 22.  The winning class will receive a Pizza Party, and each participating school will receive a $50 gift certificate from America’s Best Flowers for beautification of their school.

“We could learn a lot from crayons:  some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors…but they all exist very nicely in the same box.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

How to Winterize Roses – Quick Class by our own Sharon Stickford.  Saturday, October 21^st 10AM.

Create a Holiday Porch Pot – Saturdays, November 11 & 18 from 10 – 3 and Sundays, November 12 & 19 from 1 – 4.  Design unique Holiday Porch Pots to decorate entryways, decks, and porches.

Holiday Open House Saturday, November 18^th and Sunday, November 19^th.  Get a free photo with Santa with a food or monetary donation. These donations go to the Second Harvest Food Pantry.

FREE COOKIES AND HOT COCOA December weekends

“Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine!’”

DETOUR INFORMATION

The bridge over the interstate at Cottage Grove Road is now scheduled for completion sometime in December.  Getting here can be just as easy as it always has been, as long as you know where to turn. The following are alternative routes you can use to easily reach us.

 If you are coming from north of Cottage Grove Road, you can go east on Milwaukee Street to Sprecher Rd. Go south (right) on Sprecher to Cottage Grove Rd. and turn left, go about one mile to Vilas Hope Road.  We are on the right, about a quarter mile from the corner.

If you are starting out south of Cottage Grove Road, you can go out Buckeye Road to Sprecher Rd. Turn north (left) on Sprecher, go to Cottage Grove Road, and turn right, go about one mile to Vilas Hope Road.  We are on the right, about a quarter mile from the corner.

Another alternate route for those coming from the south or west, is to take the Beltline (Hwy 12/18) east to County AB (which is about one mile past I90).  Turn North (left), stay on AB until it intersects with Vilas Hope Road.  You will go up a hill, past a cemetery, through a four-way stop, and around a bend. Turn north (right) on Vilas Hope Road.  We are up about two miles on the left.

Whichever way you choose, we promise the trip will be worth your time.  America’s Best is filled with ideas to help you decorate for fall.  “Building Your Own Scarecrow” is a wonderful opportunity to get the entire family involved in your outdoor fall decorating.  Our mums are bursting into bloom just in time to brighten your planting areas and pots.  Pansies in shades of yellow, blue, orange, burgundy and white are ready to fill your outdoor living areas with their sunny faces.  Our ornamental peppers, cabbage and kale offer the promise of color well into early winter.  Don’t forget our great selection of seasonal decorations.  From Happy Hanging Ghosts and Spooky Pirates to straw bales and pumpkins, we can help you create a fun fall atmosphere.

 “A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s word processor.  She told him she was writing a story.  ‘What’s it about?’ he asked.  ‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘I can’t read.’”

Fall Equinox Facts

The Fall Equinox signifies the start of shorter days and longer nights in the Northern Hemisphere.  In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite takes place.

On this day the sun is located right over the equator causing both day and night to be equal, with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.

The astrological sign Libra also begins on the Fall Equinox.  Libra’s symbol is a scale – representing the balance of light and dark.

The Autumn Equinox is celebrated by some as a holiday, celebrating balance, and the harvest season.

“Happiness comes through doors you didn’t even know you left open.”

Question Corner

If you have gardening questions you would like answered in this newsletter, please e-mail them to ed@americasbestflowers.com  To insure it reaches me, please put “Question for Newsletter” in the subject line.

“When I plant in the fall, do I still need to fertilize?”

You didn’t say what you are planting, so I will cover the basics.  When planting trees, shrubs and perennials in the fall, use a fertilizer specially formulated for newly planted plants.  We suggest Root ‘n Grow.  This type of fertilizer is higher in P(Phosphorus) and K(Potassium), which stimulate early strong growing roots. 

The most commonly planted item in the fall is spring-flowering bulbs. For the most bloom, it is essential that your bulbs have the necessary nutrients.  We suggest using Bulb-Tone, which is a special formulation designed to provide everything necessary to maximum the flowering of your bulbs.

“I’m confused.  Can you tell me how much I need to water fall-planted trees?”

When planting container-grown trees in the fall, it is important to thoroughly soak the root ball and surrounding soil immediately after planting.  Do it again tomorrow and again in two days.  After that, water thoroughly every 4-5 days for the next 2 – 3 weeks.  After this initial period, you can stretch out the time between watering to 7 – 10 days.  Always check the soil moisture in both the root ball and surrounding soil before you water.   

“Should I stake my newly planted trees?”

Research has shown us that natural movement of a tree trunk by the wind actually stimulates root growth and increases trunk diameter more quickly than in trees that are staked.  However, there are times when staking may be needed.  If your site is extremely windy, if you are planting bare root trees, or if your container trees are very large, it is a good idea to stake them during their first year.  Be sure ties around the trunk are adjusted as needed during that time to keep them from getting too tight.

“Three retirees were playing golf one fine day.  One remarked to the other, ‘Windy, isn’t it?’  ‘No,’ the second man replied, ‘It’s Thursday.’  The third man chimed in, ‘So am I, Let’s go get a beer!’”

Bonnie’s Kitchen

Here’s a fun and easy cookout menu for those warm days of autumn!

Corn with Chili Lime Spread

Chili Lime Spread (below)

6 ears corn with husks

Prepare Chili Lime Spread and heat grill.  Remove large outer husks from each ear of corn; turn back inner husks, and remove silk. Spread each ear with about 2 teaspoons of the spread; reserve remaining spread. Pull husks over ears; tie with fine wire to secure.

Grill corn uncovered 3” from medium heat for 20-30 minutes, turning frequently, until tender.  Serve with remaining spread.

Chili Lime Spread

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 t grated lime peel

3 T lime juice

1 to 2 t ground red chilies

Mix all ingredients.

Inside-Out Southwestern Cheeseburgers

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

2T finely chopped onion

2T drained, canned, diced, green chilies

8 slices Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers 2X1x1/4 inch (about 4 oz)

4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted

1/4 c taco sauce or salsa

Heat grill. Mix beef, onion and chilies. Shape mixture into 8 thin patties. Top each of 4 patties with 2 slices cheese.  Place remaining beef patties on top; pinch edges to seal securely.

Grill 4-5" from medium heat, covered,  for 14-16 minutes, turning once, until burgers are slightly firm when pressed in center.  Serve on Kaiser Rolls with taco sauce.

4 servings

“The cop got out of his car and the kid, who was stopped for speeding, rolled down his window.  ‘I’ve been waiting for you all day,’ the cop said.  The kid replied, ‘Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could.’”