Kids in School … Quick, to the Garden!
Newsletter 29 – Thursday, September 1, 2016
Hours
Cottage Grove location open
Mon-Fri 9-7
Sat & Sun 9-5
Edgerton location open
Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30
Sat 8:30-5:00
Sun 9-4
Lady’s Story – Chapter 7
Well, that didn’t last long!
My eye had healed and I was feeling healthy and sassy again. We were back to playing ball in the backyard. As usual, my mom did the throwing and I did the catching or chasing of said ball. We were having so much fun and then I took a shortcut to get the ball.
You know the shortcut your mom always tells you NOT to take.
And it happened! I hurt my eye again! Yep, same eye! So off we went to see Dr. Sara again. After some eye to eye contact with her I went home with more medicine.
So, I’m back to wearing that THING again!
Now what? Does this mean I won’t be able to play ball anymore?
I’m so sad…
~Lady
Poor Lady! What a dilemma she has! Will she be able to safely play ball in the backyard ever again?
Stay tuned for Chapter 8 to find out.
“A dog can’t think that much about what he’s doing, he just does what feels right.”
Barbara Kingsolver (author, Animal Dreams)
Mums, Asters, Pansies…
Mums, asters and pansies so love cool weather! We grow our mums and asters outside (to make them hardier) in deep pots resulting in large plants with incredible bud count.
Our fields are overflowing with 4,000 early, mid and late blooming mums in more than 30 shades of white, yellow, gold, bronze, red, burgundy, lavender, purple and tri-color.
Our blue and pink asters will mix nicely with any of the mum colors.
Pansies are bright, colorful, and can tough out the cold while other flowers just shrivel up. They are classic beauties and just one of the many fall favorites that are cold-tolerant. (Cold-tolerant meaning they can survive to a temperature as low as 20 degrees or so.)
And More…
We also have cabbage, kale, snapdragons and Swiss chard in small pots; ornamental pepper plants in jumbo pots and fountain grass in large and premium patio pots. You can mix-n-match them with mums and asters for an endless number of unique combinations.
The evenings are starting to get a little cooler, so now is the perfect time to pick up a few-of-these and a few-of-those. And before you know it, you’ve added brilliant color to your landscape that will last well into the fall.
Q: Why did the chicken cross the playground?
A: To get to the other slide!
The Flavor of Fall Gardening
From now until September 15 is a great time to plant cool season vegetable crops. Fall gardens are easy to grow, and it’s a delightful time to work in the garden – there are fewer bugs and it’s not so hot. To get you started we have kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, and spinach plants, as well as a variety of seeds for fall planting.
Because they mature in progressively cooler temperatures, fall crops have a wonderful flavor…much better than spring crops.
Cool fall weather actually holds the crops for you right in the garden so you can enjoy your harvest well into October. Fall garden care is similar to spring gardening, except you don’t have to water as much. All you do is dig in a little compost at planting time. If you don’t have a compost pile available, we have it in ready-to-use bags.
Q: What did the green grape say to the purple grape?
A: “Breathe, stupid!”
Perennial SALE
Now that the hot weather has finally passed it’s the perfect time to get in your perennial beds and give them a fresh look. We have some very nice plants ready for the job.
All remaining perennials, in 4-5” square pots, are on sale. Buy 2 and get 1 free (of equal or lesser value). At these prices you can’t go wrong.
There are still lots to choose from! Some that remain include a few varieties of dianthus, geranium, catmint, orange poppy, hops, primrose, anemone, astilbe, columbine, fern, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and goatsbeard. We also have ‘Blue Glow’ Globe Thistle, ‘Klaus Jelitto’ Stokes Aster, ‘Mar’s Midget’ Crimson Scabiosa, ‘Shauna Ann Rose’ Verbena, and ‘Virginia’ Culver’s Root.
There’s more where that came from, so come and choose from a great selection. Our hard working perennial team has cared for them all summer to keep them looking great!
50% OFF SALE
All 10 and 12” annual flowering hanging baskets are 50% off. We have beautiful mandevilla, dragonwing begonias and portulaca (moss rose), just to name a few. (This offer excludes mum baskets, houseplants, succulents, foliage or any 8” hanging baskets.)
All water plants are 50% off. We have Rain Lily, Variegated Sweet Flag, Blue Spiral Rush or Canna Lily (orange, yellow or pink), available. Hurry out to take advantage of our limited supply.
All Jam & Jelly Plants are 50% off. We have Goji Berry, Fredonia (Black), Seedless Concord (Blue), and Reliance (Red) grape available. Plant now for years of enjoyment.
All remaining fruit trees are 50% off. Can’t you just taste all the fresh fruit you’ll have in year’s to come.
A husband and wife were driving through Louisiana.
As they approached Natchitoches, they started arguing about the pronunciation of the town. They argued back and forth then they stopped for lunch.
At the counter, the husband asked the waitress, “Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would you please pronounce where we are very slowly?”
She leaned over the counter and said, “Burrr-gerrr Kiiing.”
Daily Freshness!
Our fingerling eggplant, sweet peppers, chili peppers, cherry tomatoes and Hungarian hot peppers are fresh and delish! Stop by and pick some up for the week!
Q: What starts with E, ends with E, and has only 1 letter in it?
A: Envelope
Mark Your Calendars For…
Our 7th Annual Art in the Garden event! It’s right around the greenhouse corner.
Over 25 talented Wisconsin artists will be at our greenhouse displaying their unique creations. Some of the items available include: jewelry, ceramics, greeting cards, weavings, carved gourds, purses, textiles, photography, and much more!
Come on out for our 7th Annual Art in the Garden event on Saturday, September 10, from 9-3.
It’s a great opportunity to get a jump start on your holiday shopping!
Bob: “Holy cow, I just fell off a 50 ft ladder!”
Jim: “Oh my gosh, are you okay?”
Bob: “Yeah, it’s a good thing I fell off the first step.”
Art in the Garden – Vendor Information
Our annual Art in the Garden event (Sat, Sept. 10, 2016, 9-3) is a great way to display your handmade or semi-handmade items and get some exposure! Display and sell your crafts, and you’ll have the opportunity to chat with folks about your fine or funky works of art. We welcome a variety of mediums and styles to make this event really special!
Won’t you please plan to join us! If you’d like to know more about becoming a vendor, click here.
Q: How do trees access the internet?
A: They log in.
2016 Flea Market Schedule and Information
| Sept 17 | Saturday | Flea Market 9am – 3pm – Rain or Shine |
| Oct 15 | Saturday | Flea Market (Indoors) 9am – 3pm – Rain or Shine |
Do you have clutter taking over your home? Taking over your life?! We have the perfect way for you to unload some of your “extra items” and make a profit too! Bring any collectibles, decorations, furniture, tools, knick-knacks, paddy whacks, whatever! For vendor information and also our short list of restricted items please check out our Flea Market Vendor Information.
Q: What is the tallest building in the entire world?
A: The library, because it has so many stories.
Upcoming Events
| Sat, Sep 10 | Art in the Garden Craft Fair 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Talented artists display and sell their unique items. |
| Sat, Sep 17 | Flea Market 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Rain or Shine |
| Sat, Sep 17 | Rose Winterization Class 9:30am – 10:30am |
| Sat, Sep 17 – Sun, Oct 16 | Scarecrow Days Bring family and friends out to build one-of-a-kind scarecrow(s). Sept 17th-Oct 16th, M-F 10-4:30/ Sat-Sun 10-4 |
| Sat, Sep 17 | Learn how to Create a Spring Bulb Garden 11:00 am – 12:00 pm |
| Sat, Sep 24 | It’s For the Birds 10:00 am – 11:00 am Bird Feeder Seminar presented by Prince Corp. |
Our Kitchen
My landlady Opal is the best. She’s kind, considerate, thoughtful, and she shares the food she makes! Usually she shares desserts, but we also get food like bran muffins, potato salad, beets, rhubarb sauce and the rhubarb coffee cake I shared earlier this season. She recently shared with us a jar of refrigerator bread & butter pickles that were sooo tasty. I don’t usually care for sweet pickles, but I sure liked these! I liked them enough to get the recipe and I plan on making them soon. No canning required, so it’s quick and easy enough that I’ll actually make it. I have a plethora of “Diva” cucumbers right now that I’m sure will be divine for this.
These pickles don’t take long to make, yet they’ll last for months in the fridge. They would be great for a last minute dish to bring to a picnic or potluck. Opal tweaked this recipe by peeling the cucumbers and using 2 tsp of celery seed instead of 1 tsp. It’s also worth noting that smaller cucumbers are preferred so their seeds aren’t too big.
Opal’s Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles
- 6 C sliced cucumber (peeled if you prefer)
- 1 C sliced onion
- 1 C sliced green pepper
- ¼ C canning salt
Brine
- 1 C white vinegar
- 2 C sugar
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 2 tsp celery seed
Directions
- Mix cucumber, onion, green pepper and salt. Let stand 2 hours.
- Rinse out some of the salt or drain well.
- In a medium pot, bring brine ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 10 minutes.
- While brine is hot, add to cucumber mixture and let stand overnight. Refrigerate the next day.
