Hello Garden Center Friends! 

The beauty of spring is upon us and so is Mother’s Day!  Since you may be struggling with what to give your mother or wife I thought I would give a few ideas.  Old-Fashioned is “COOL” again so plants like peonies, roses, hydrangeas, lilacs, and snowball bushes all bring back the nostalgia of by-gone years.  We have a great selection of these plants as well as outstanding hanging baskets, annual planters, and other gift décor items.  Out of Eden is open the usual hours including Mother’s Day from 1-6 pm for your convenience.  If you are really struggling for the perfect gift, why not give a gift card and let her choose something special.

So stop by soon and let us help you with all your gardening and gift needs!

In His Love,

Gary and Julie Bridenbaugh

Knock Out Roses® are the answer for every gardener who loves roses but doesn't want to hassle with their maintenance. They maintain a continuous show of color from mid-spring to fall, with beautiful foliage almost year round. The plants are compact and upright growing with more winter hardiness and shade tolerance. Best of all, they thrive in humid areas where most other roses need spray maintenance.

They can be planted almost anywhere, growing 3-4' tall and equally wide. They can be used as single specimens, as hedges, in mixed plantings or en-masse for sweeps of color; you can even plant them in containers. Unlike traditional roses, they can bloom in moderate shade.

Knock Out Roses® have been bred to be "chemical free" so no pesticides are needed. Naturally resisting rust, mildew, blackspot, Japanese beetles and rose midge, they should perform extremely well in any American garden, tolerating extremes from cold Wisconsin nights to hot Florida days.

There are several varieties and colors of Knock Out Roses®. All of them are easy to grow, and they adapt well to most growing conditions.

Spireas are some of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow in the garden. Once established, they require very little care and reward gardeners with an abundance of showy blooms from early spring through the end of summer. You know that spring has truly arrived once spireas put on their dazzling display of blooms.

There are two distinct kinds of spireas: the bridal wreath type, with clusters of white flowers on arching branches in spring; and the shrubby, mounding, much lower-growing type, which has pink, red or white flowers clustered at the end of upright branches from late spring to fall.

These deciduous plants thrive in full sun locations and also perform well in part shade. The only maintenance needed is a light pruning after their initial bloom cycle is completed, and in early spring before they leaf out to remove any of the previous year's old flowers.

Stop by and see these beautiful shrubs in all of their dazzling color. They're waiting for you to take them home today!

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations we know of were ancient Greek spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods; the ancient Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno. But those were in honor of one particular mother. England's "Mothering Sunday," begun in the 1600's, is closer to what we think of as "Mother's Day." Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.

In 1907, Anna Jarvis started a drive to establish a national Mother's Day. In 1907 she passed out 500 white carnations at her mother's church in West Virginia--one for each mother in the congregation. In 1908, her mother's church held the first Mother's Day service, on May 10th (the second Sunday in May). That same day a special service was held at the Wanamaker Auditorium in Philadelphia, where Anna was from, which could seat no more than a third of the 15,000 people who showed up.

By 1909, churches in 46 states, Canada and Mexico were holding Mother's Day services. In the meantime, Ms. Jarvis had quit her job to campaign full time. She managed to get the World's Sunday School Association to help; they were a big factor in convincing legislators to support the idea. In 1912, West Virginia was the first state to designate an official Mother's Day. By 1914, the campaign had convinced Congress, which passed a joint resolution. President Woodrow Wilson signed the resolution, establishing an official national Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May.

Many countries of the world now have their own Mother's Day at different times of the year, but Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan, and Turkey join the US in celebrating Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May. Britain still celebrates Mothering Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent--but they now call it Mother's Day. By any name, and at any date, it's a special day to honor a special person.

Having trouble thinking of a gift? Why not do something a little different for Mother's Day? Instead of giving her a bouquet of roses, plant her a rose garden! If she already has a rose garden--add to it! If she lives in an apartment, consider a potted rose plant--many roses will do quite well in containers (ask us for suggestions).

Why give one bouquet that will soon fade away, when you can give years of pleasure from living roses instead?

Watermelon is summer to us, but as it is a warm weather crop, seed from late April, when the daytime temps have hit a consistent 70 to 80 degrees and nighttime temperatures are about 70 degrees F. They like moisture and 8 hours of sun a day, so plant your seeds or starters in small hills in your garden, about 2 to 3 to a hill, with hills 5 feet apart. Mulch with hay, or grass clippings, and once the vines begin to grow, add some liquid fertilizer that is nitrogen-intensive until the flowers begin to form.

Cucumbers, a delicious addition to any salad, or simply sliced with some home-grown tomatoes, and drizzled with a high-quality olive oil, have become a common element of the home garden. They take about 50 to 70 days from seed planting to harvest, with the optimal seeding time April through August; the seeds should be sowed one inch in depth. They like well-amended soil, and slow and deep watering. And as soon as the fruit reaches a usable size, pick it and enjoy in your next salad.

Who doesn’t love peppers? Whether you prefer the sweet mild taste of green, red, and yellow bell peppers, or the spiciness of jalapeños, April, May and June are the months you should be seeding for a summer harvest. We advise that if this is your first time growing peppers, you start out with bells. The habanero peppers are extremely hot, with cayenne peppers falling in second place for heat. If you want to be adventurous, make your first hot pepper the jalapeños, as they have quite a bit of bite, without the heat of the habanero.

When growing bell peppers, as they have a very long seed germination, use starters so that you’re enjoying them at your dinner table by late June. Hot weather, full sun, and well-draining, moist soil will guarantee you success. Remember that green bell peppers have twice the vitamin C by weight of citrus, and red bell peppers have three times that of the greens!

The mid-season, heat-loving plants such as summer squash, and cucumbers take 60 to 90 days to produce once planted, making them wonderful “extender” vegetables for a late summer, early fall harvest. They germinate best in warm soil of temps between 65 and 85 degrees, and should be direct-seeded or transplanted in wide rows 6 to 8 inches apart.

To ensure that you always have fresh vegetables on hand, consider storing and freezing part of your harvest. Onions, garlic, potatoes, squash and pumpkins need to be cured first. Simply brush off any dirt, spread the produce out on newspapers in a breezy, warm, dry place, and allow to cure for three or four days. They will then be ready for storing in a cool, dry place for up to several months.

Freeze extra tomatoes by dipping them in boiling water for one minute, peeling them, and then freezing them whole in plastic containers. For most other small fruit, freeze them on a baking sheet, and then store in a plastic bag in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy them.

We’ve given you a good starter list for late spring, mid-summer produce to grow. Now stop reading, run to our garden center, pick up what you’ll need, and join the growing ranks of home-growers!

Should I fertilize shrubs before or after rain?

Answer:
That depends on whether the ground is wet before it rains. Fertilizer should never be applied to dry ground or dry plants. Chemical fertilizers can burn plants when the ground is dry, because the salts that are a by-product of the fertilizer will reach the plant cells before the water can replenish them.

Most organic plant foods need moist soil to break down and allow the beneficial microbes in them to proliferate. If the ground is already moist and you know a measurable amount of rain (at least 1/2") is coming, then apply your fertilizer before. If the ground is dry, allow the rain to replenish the soil with moisture and then apply your fertilizer. After you fertilize, make sure to water the fertilizer in so it percolates into the soil.