Newsletter 19 – July 9, 2009

Wow Dollar Days are Here     Jokes and Mississippi Mud Pie   Perennial of the Week Achillea    Japanese Beetle Control

Angelonia – Summer Snapdragons

You’ll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

America’s Best Dollar Days!

It’s time to use your “Stash of Cash.”  Dig those orange ABF Dollars out of your drawers and handbags, and come out Saturday, July 11 through Sunday, July 19 to redeem them on ANY of our merchandise for up to 50% off your total purchase.  These dollars don’t expire, so if you have some from previous years, bring them, too.

Have you had your eyes on an Alberta Spruce topiary, a Japanese Maple or a crabapple tree?  Perhaps you’ve coveted the Weeping Hemlocks or our large Wisterias?  It’s also a super time to choose that perfect piece of stoneware pottery for your entryway or a hand-tuned Corinthian Bells wind chime for up to 50% off, using your pocketful of ABF dollars.

Regardless of what you might want to choose, make sure not to miss this event!

You were born an original.  Don’t die a copy.

Joke 1

Buy One Get One Free Offer Expanded

All summer annuals in flats, five inch pots, and hanging baskets are now included in our Buy One Get One offer.  What a great time to fill your patio and garden areas with brilliant color.  Come out today for the best selection.  And yes, you can combine this offer with your orange dollars for even greater savings.

We Have a Winner!

Kathy S. who lives on the east side of Madison won the Earthen Spillway Fountain in last week’s drawing.  And was she ever excited about it.  When we called to tell her, she told us that she had never won anything before in her life.  We are so happy for her and hope she enjoys the wonderful sounds of trickling water in her garden for years to come.

For those who signed up but didn’t win, Dollar Days is a great time to come out and choose something for yourself that you really want, like a fountain.  Bring your orange dollars and pick the one you like, or a birdbath, or a shepherds’ hook, or whatever you’ve had your eye on.  You can use ABF dollars for up to half your purchase, so it’s a great way to write your own sale. 

The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

Joke 2

Al’s Pick of the Week – Angelonia – Summer Snapdragons

If you’re looking for an annual plant that blooms all season, is heat and drought tolerant, and requires minimal maintenance, we suggest Angelonia.

The beautiful stalks of flower make fabulous cut flowers, and the plants will keep on producing more every time they are cut.  Angelonia make great landscape plants, creating a sea of color wherever you put them.  Other benefits of this plant include its deer resistance and fragrant foliage.

A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital.

When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was,

A nurse said, “No change yet”

Joke 3

PERENNIAL of the Week – Achillea

Yarrow is an often overlooked sunny perennial.  Hardy in almost any spot, all varieties of yarrow provide long-lasting color.    A fast grower, yarrow makes a great ground cover for hard-to-mow areas, like a ditch, or around culverts or mailboxes. Available in several colors, yarrow is the perfect cut flower, the more you cut, the more blooms you will have.  Combine the special perennial of the week savings with your orange dollars for the best deal around!

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like

clearing the drive before it has stopped snowing..

Joke 4

The Japanese Beetles are Here!

Last week we started seeing the shiny green Japanese Beetles.  To keep your plants looking good, do not delay treatment.  For your roses and ornamental plants, we recommend Bayer All-in-One Rose and Flower Care, available in concentrate and granules, or Bayer Insect, Disease and Mite Control.  For your fruits and veggies, use Bayer Multi-Insect Killer or Eight by Bonide.  If you prefer an organic method, try Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew which contains Spinosad.

Other methods of control include Bayer Complete Insect Killer, which can be sprayed on your lawn by simply attaching your garden hose to the bottle.  Or for a green approach, we suggest using Milky Spore granules.  One bag covers 7,000 square feet and when applied spring, summer and fall for two consecutive years is guaranteed to work for 10 years.  Japanese beetle traps use a pheromone bait to lure beetles to the trap.  For best results, place them at the edge of your property, far away from any plants you are trying to protect.

Camping is nature’s way of promoting the motel business.

Joke 5

Mark Your Calendars

July 11-19         Dollar Days Time to use your ABF orange bucks

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.

Wisdom is NEVER putting it in a fruit salad.

Joke 6

Bonnie’s Kitchen

Everyone seems to love ice cream pies, and they are so easy to make. Here’s two you might enjoy.

Cherries Jubilee Ice Cream Pie

Serves 8.

Simple and ready in 2-5 hours

1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened

1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

1 chocolate cookie crumb crust

8 chocolate covered cherries

Whipped cream

Add chopped maraschino cherries to ice cream and mix thoroughly. Pour ice cream mixture into the pie shell. Freeze until firm. Before serving, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate covered cherries.

For extra chocolaty flavor, add ¾ cup of chocolate chunk pieces or chocolate chips.

Mississippi Mud Pie

This is really good and rich and will definitely be a hit!

1 Oreo cookie pie crust

2 pints coffee ice cream, softened

1/3 c chocolate fudge topping

1 c whipped cream

¼ c slivered almonds, toasted

Spoon softened ice cream into chilled crust.  Drizzle topping over ice cream then return pie to freezer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, decorate with whipped cream and sprinkle with almonds.

8 servings

It was a stifling hot day and a man fainted in the middle of a busy intersection.

Traffic quickly piled up in all directions, so a woman rushed to help him.

When she knelt down to loosen his collar, a man emerged from the crowd,

pushed her aside, and said, “It’s all right honey, I’ve had a course in first aid.”

The woman stood up and watched as he took the ill man’s pulse

and prepared to administer artificial respiration.

At this point, she tapped him on the shoulder and said,

“When you get to the part about calling a doctor, I’m already here.”

Joke 7

SEE YOU SOON!!!