Written by Alex | August 27, 2015 | 2015 NewslettersNewsletter Tags: flowers, Gardening, jokes, recipies, stories
Now is The Time for Fall Mums
Newsletter 28 – Thursday, August 27, 2015
Current Hours
Cottage Grove location open
Mon-Fri 9-7
Sat and Sun 9-5
Edgerton location open
Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30
Sat 8:30-5:00
Sun 9-4
Get Your Mums Now!
Now is the time to get your mums for fall. Currently blooming are yellow, maroon, purple, pink, white, orange, burgundy, scarlet, bronze, and even tricolor mums! Theyre large, beautiful, and ready to make your home look spiffy again. Get an even better deal when you get 3 or more!
Take Good Care of your Mum
If you want your mum to be happy and beautiful, its important to take good care of her. Make sure she has a nice home, visit her regularly, and make sure shes well watered. Of course were talking about the plant, but this applies to caring for your mother, too. By the way, have you called her lately? Anyway, after you call your mom, come on out a pick up a mum. Good care is important, so here are a few tips.
First off, mums need full sun for those vibrant, gorgeous blooms! Keep them evenly moist; not too wet, and definitely not too dry. If they stay in the pot, check regularly for watering needs, but you dont have to water nearly as often if they are planted in the ground. When you get your mums, theyre already blooming and still feeding from a shot of slow-release fertilizer they received when we plant them, so theres no need to fertilize. As blooms begin to lose their luster, they can be safely cut off, and doing so will bolster the plant’s remaining blooms.
What do you call four bull fighters in quicksand?
Quatro sinko.
Buy One Fireworks Grass – Get One Free
This week, buy one Fireworks Fountain Grass in a jumbo pot and get another one free! These annual grasses have colorful foliage which give the perfect splash of color to any landscape or fall container. The color of the grass varies with sun exposure; more sun makes the foliage darker.
This offer is good through Sept 2nd and is valid at both locations. Excludes #10 or #12 fountain grasses. Good while supplies last.
Pansies and More
If anyone ever calls you a pansy, take it as a complement! 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.
We have pansies, cabbage, kale, snap dragons and swiss chard in #3 pots, cabbage in #8, ornamental pepper plants in jumbo pots, and fountain grasses in #10 and #12 pots. You can mix n match them with mums or asters for an endless number of unique combinations. Theyll add instant color to your landscape that will last well into the fall.
How do crazy people go through the forest?
They take the psycho path.
Late Summer and Fall Disease Control
Last week, we had some cooler days and our first taste of fall. Though it doesnt necessarily mean cool weather is here to stay, it does serve as a reminder that the end of summer is near. This time of year, its good to continue monitoring and do a little late summer and fall clean up for disease control.
If you noticed any plants that had problems with disease over the summer, its helpful to clean up the surrounding area. That means getting rid of any leaf-litter, dead plant material, and weeds, as these all can potentially harbor disease. This also goes for mulch in the affected area, which should be replaced with fresh mulch. Be sure to dispose of the infected material, but refrain from putting it on your compost pile to avoid risking contamination. Most home compost piles dont reach the temperature required to kill pathogens.
If you catch it early, we recommend spraying with Bonide Fung-onil or Bonide Copper Fungicide, which are both very effective preventative sprays that cover a wide range of plant diseases including mildew, black spot, rust, and early blight. Fung-onil is more rapidly effective, while copper fungicide takes up to two weeks to set in. But copper fungicide is better for organic gardening. They both can’t reverse the damage already done, but they can prevent further spread.
We have Bonide Fug-onil available in spray or concentrate and Bonide Copper Fungicide available in a spray.
Art in the Garden Vendor Info

At our annual Art in the Garden event, we bring together talented, local artists to sell their art, crafts, and wares. If youre an artist looking to share your art, please consider participating as a vendor and click here for information.
New Website, Tell Us What You Think
We are currently in the process of redoing our website in order to make it more helpful and user-friendly. Wed like to get your feedback as we continue to tweak it. Please check it out at www.americasbestflowers.com/new, and let us know the good and the bad, by emailing Ed at ed@americasbestflowers.com. You can also check it out on your smartphone!
Please specify in your email if you are viewing it on a computer or smartphone. Thanks!
Did you hear about the shampoo shortage in Jamaica?
It was dread-full.
Ask Irene: Cutting Back Lilies
Q: We have a large rock garden full of oriental lilies, as well as some daylilies. All of these have stopped blooming. My husband would like to know when he can cut the flower stalks down. I know we always let our other perennial flower stems die down on their own. My husband usually cuts the lilies down. I think he does it sometime in September. However, this year he is anxious to cut it down as soon as he can. I was always told to leave perennials alone after they stopped blooming so that the bulbs would get stronger for next year. I was also told that if you cut the stems too soon that this wouldn’t happen. Thanks for the advice.
A: Flower stalks on daylilies can be cut back as soon as they are done blooming, even when the stem is still green. Leave the foliage to feed the roots, preferably until they go dormant in the fall. If they are floppy and unruly, you can trim back green leaves by a third to a half if he is just dying to tidy things up.
You are right that oriental lilies should go dormant before getting cut down. When the stem is brown and dried out, you know the leaves have done their job nourishing the bulb to prepare for next season — maybe even making bulblets to produce more flower stalks in seasons to come. You can cut the stem back by a third after the blooms are done, much as you would if cutting the flowers for a bouquet. That should tidy things up a bit. Then cut down the rest later in fall when it dries out. Cutting the stalk down to the ground when it is still green can severely compromise next year’s performance, or kill the bulb entirely. Don’t do that!
Happy gardening,
~Irene
We want you to be successful in your gardening efforts. Please send any questions you have to Irene, at abfirene@gmail.com. Shell give you solid advice from years of gardening experience.
Upcoming Events
Sat, Sep 12 | Art in the Garden Craft Fair 9am-3pm Talented artists display and sell their unique items. |
Sat, Sep 19 | Flea Market 9am-3pm Rain or Shine |
Sat, Sep 19 – Sun, Oct 18 | Scarecrow Days Mon-Fri 10am-4pm |
Sat, Oct 17 | Flea Market 9am-3pm Rain or Shine |
Sat, Oct 17 – Sun, Nov 15 | Miniature Garden Container Workshop 10am-3pm Every Weekend FREE soil and assistance. Create a beautiful miniature garden in our greenhouse. Customers may bring in their own EMPTY containers, but all accessories must be purchased from Americas Best Flowers. |
Sat, Nov 21 – Sun, Nov 22 | Holiday Porch Pot Workshop 9am-3pm Create a festive porch pot for the holiday season. Customers may bring in their own EMPTY containers, but all accessories must be purchased from Americas Best Flowers. Pre-Registration Appreciated. |
A small grocery store had just installed some new juice machines, and everybody who worked there was excited about who would be chosen to run them. One employee in particular, a grocery bagger, was determined to get the job. He went to the manager and made his case, telling his boss how excited he was about the new juicers, and how badly he wanted to be the one chosen to run them. His boss turned him down.
"But why?" protested the hapless young man.
"Son," replied his boss, "Everybody knows that baggers can’t be juicers."
Our Kitchen
Here is a quick and easy recipe to take to one of the end of summer parties that will be happening soon. It is another favorite recipe from Margarets family cookbook. It contains Beau Monde seasoning. See Bevs Kitchen for June 25, 2015 for more information on this yummy blend. Enjoy!
Moms Chipped Beef Dip
- 1 C sour cream
- 1 C Mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
- 10-12 slices dried beef (or chipped beef), chopped small
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1½ t Beau Monde seasoning
- 1½ t dried dill, or 1½ T fresh
Directions
Mix all together. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight to blend flavors.
Serve on small cocktail bread slices or your favorite cracker. Also good as a dip for vegetables.

Edward Knapton says Keep on Smiling!
Sec – Treasurer Berry Hill Farms, Inc.
DBA Americas Best Flowers Garden Center
4311 Vilas Hope Road
Cottage Grove, WI 53527
608-222-2269 Fax 608-222-1234 Cell 608-698-5627