Cottage Grove – open Mon-Fri 9-8, Sat and Sun 9-6.

Edgerton – open Mon-Fri 8:30-6, Sat 8:30-6, Sun 9-4.

"So … cool …"
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I am one really, really cool dog!   Please, before you take this the wrong way, let me explain.

Last week my mom and dad had been teasing me with clues about a big surprise for me.  Wow, they weren’t just a kidding! I gotta tell you about this!

On the deck the other day I couldn’t figure out what the heck my mom was doing.  She poured water into a flat thingy and then slowly rubbed it with her hands.  Then she called me over.  I sniffed it, looked at it and then looked up at my mom quizzically. 

‘Okay, so now what?’ 

We just stared at one another for a while, and then my mom laid down next to this thing.

‘Oh, this should be good.’  I thought to myself.  

Then my mom said my name and patted this thing with her hand.  I was a little hesitant, but, well, I’d go to the moon for my mom, so, I bravely stepped forward.

It felt kinda weird, but in a good way, ya know what I mean? It was soft and cool and then, well, I got it!  I did the usual pre-lay down circle and slowly lowered myself to blissful coolness. And that, my friends, is where I stayed for the rest of the very warm afternoon. 

And there’s more!  I not only have the cooling mat on the deck under the shade of the lilac tree, but I have one in the house too!   

Some people may say I’m spoiled, but my take on it is that I’m really, really loved!  

~Lucy

Thanks to everyone that entered our ‘guess Lucy’s surprise’ contest on Facebook!  The correct answer is a cooling mat.  Christina guessed correctly and is the winner of our $25 America’s Best Flowers gift card.    

~Till next time,
Shirley

Hey Dad, bring the family out to America’s Best Flowers this weekend and the Schoep’s ice cream is on us!

This is a reprint of an article written by Ilene Isenberg in 2010. 
Ilene, our former perennial manager, passed away in December, 2011

Bright yellow petals and dark brown cone-shaped centers make Rudbeckia (rood-BECK-ee-ah) a perennial that’s hard to miss. These tough and versatile sun-loving plants are native to meadows in much of the country and flourish in like conditions – well-drained, mostly dry and not too good soil. These "Black-Eyed Susans" will even tolerate partial shade and brighten the back of a bed or border.

Of special interest is "Goldsturm" a variety noted for its stunning three inch flowers of deep gold and three month-long bloom time. This variety has so impressed gardeners that it was named Plant of the Year in 1999 by the Perennial Plant Association.

You need this plant in your landscape! Make a mass planting to attract birds and butterflies. Combine it with Russian sage and asters, sedums and grasses for a swath of color into autumn. And the best part is that Goldsturm is 20% off its regular price at America’s Best Flowers. Run, don’t walk, to add this abundant bloomer to your life.

Water Hyacinth

We just received a shipment of fresh water hyacinth and water lettuce. These valuable additions to your pond oxygenate the water and they also provide spawning ground and hiding places for tenants of your pond (aka fish and frogs).  Stop on out and pick up a few for the health and beauty of your pond!

Our beautiful ready-to-go summer container gardens are just waiting to make your deck, patio and yard pop with color!  Stop in and pick up a few and BAM your decorating is done!

America’s Best Flowers
2014 Flea Market Schedule and Information

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to turn your garage and basement clutter into cold hard cash! 

For participation we require a non-refundable registration fee of $25.00.  After you have your space set up on the morning of the flea market, America’s Best Flowers will present you with a $20.00 America’s Best Flowers gift card. 

Each vendor will be allowed two parking spaces, which equals one booth, to display their wares.  More vendor space is available for an additional $10.00 for each parking space.  Additional space must be requested at the time of the initial registration.  Each vendor is limited to only one $20.00 America’s Best Flowers gift card regardless of the number of parking spaces (booths).  The flea market will be located in our huge blacktop parking lot.  Rain or shine!

[Read the Full Details Here [Updated]]

America’s Best Flowers wants to help you succeed in your gardening efforts. If you have gardening questions send an email to our Operations Manager, Al Lunde, at abflunde@yahoo.com. Al will get back to you promptly. Let America’s Best Flowers be your go-to greenhouse for answers.