We believe the more you
know, the better your garden will grow and to help you continue to develop your
gardening skills, we’re offering five classes this spring. All of our classes
are free, but we do ask that you sign up in advance for each class. Sign up is
easy. Call us at 303-772-3454 or sign up while you’re in the store.
The first
class is Saturday, February 27th at 11:00 am. In this class, you’ll
learn about growing and harvesting garlic from local organic farmer, Greg Vonn.
Greg co-owns Purple Door Farm in Hygiene, where they focus on organic gardening
techniques for growing garlic and vegetables.
At 1:00 pm, on Saturday the 27th,
Don Eversoll will present his techniques for growing healthy heirloom tomatoes
and vegetables.
Saturday, March 5th at 1:00 pm, Michael Morris will
lead a discussion on getting the most from your garden this season.
Saturday
March 12th at 11:00 am, Don Ireland will explore creating a healthy
habitat for birds and pollinators right in your own back yard.
At 1:00 pm on
Saturday March 12th, Kim Jackson will discuss how to select, plant
and care for annuals in your garden.
www.theflowerbin.net
www.theflowerbin.net
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Growing seeds under lights
If
you've tried starting seeds before and been disappointed because the plants
looked tall and leggy, most likely there wasn't enough light for your
seedlings.
Light is essential for seedlings to grow and develop properly and
even the best natural light can leave your young plants with thin, weak stems
and pale leaves. Supplementing the natural
light in your home doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some of the
different grow light options available to you. Incandescent bulbs usually come
in low wattage (60-90) and tend to emit more heat than light. They will cover
an area of approximately 2 feet, just about one standard seed starting tray.
A
better choice would be one of these CFL’s. Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL)
will fit a standard socket, just like your incandescent bulb, but they run
cooler, so they can be closer to your seedlings and they tend to be brighter,
and less expensive to run than incandescent bulbs.
A 23 Watt CFL is equal to a 100 watt incandescent
bulb. A 55 watt CFL is equivalent to 230 watt incandescent. These
CFLs are full spectrum bulbs. This means they produce light similar to natural
daylight.
Fluorescent lighting is another option. Fluorescent grow bulbs come
in two sizes, T12 and T5. T12 bulbs are the familiar “shop light” bulbs. They
are available in full spectrum and work great for growing sturdy seedlings. T5
bulbs are smaller, run cooler and with this system, you may choose between a
vegetation bulb and a flowering bulb, depending on what you are growing.
You
can buy single T5 bulbs or T5 fixtures which can hold up to 8 bulbs.
This Jump
Start system is an easy way to add light for your seedlings. Each 2' or 4' Jump
Start system comes complete with a stand, a fixture and T5 bulb. A 2' fixture will cover one standard seed
starting tray.
A 4' fixture will accommodate two standard seed starting trays. Once
your seeds have germinated, they need a lot of light in order to grow properly.
Supplementing your natural light with full spectrum grow lights will help you
produce a healthy crop of seedlings ready to go into your garden.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Colorful Plants for Valentine's Day
Valentine's
Day is the perfect opportunity to delight that special someone in your life
with more than cut flowers and candy. A live houseplant is a very personalized gift and will
remind them of you long after Valentine's Day is over. Some plants to consider
for Valentine's Day include African violets, azaleas, bromeliads, cyclamen,
cineraria and kalanchoe. Most of these plants will do well in
bright, indirect light.
African violet plants like a spot that has bright,
indirect light. They prefer to be watered from the bottom, but will do okay if you water them carefully from the top.
Azalea plants do best
in a slightly cooler spot, so once Valentine's Day is over, place them in a
cool (about 65°) bright spot.
For a more tropical look, choose one of the
bromeliads. Bromeliads are low-maintenance plants related to pineapples. They
don’t need much water and are fairly easy to grow.
Cineraria plants are
available in red and purple colors.
Cyclamen will tolerate lower light and
cooler temperatures and like to be kept moist.
Kalanchoe will do well in the
low humidity of most houses this time of year. They like to dry out a little
between watering. Place them in a bright room, out of direct sunlight.
With a
little care and some fertilizer, these houseplants will bloom for many weeks
after Valentine's Day.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Plant ideas for Fairy Gardens
Whether
you're making a fairy garden or a terrarium, you can create some amazing
miniature indoor gardens. Almost any plant will work in your garden, though
some are more suited for small gardens than others. As with any garden, your plants will do better if they have similar light and water requirements.
Serrisa is a flowering plant that will do
well in medium to high light situations. Looks great on this mini trellis!
Matty's Silver Tree is easy to grow,
especially in medium light.
Jack's Bronze Dutch Clover unique foliage will do
okay in low light to medium light.
Lemon Scented Cypress Trees needs bright
light, but no direct sun.
Tiny Limey Ficus perfect for terrariums and fairy
gardens.
Ferns do well in miniature gardens. They mostly like bright indirect
light.
Mini African Violets are a great way to add color to your garden.
You
can use virtually any plant in your indoor garden. Some may require more
pruning and maintenance to keep them small. Your other
choice is to replace plants once they have outgrown your miniature garden.
Choose a good potting soil and include some charcoal
to help keep the container fresh. Add some bridges, houses, people and
accessories of your choice and you really do have a unique indoor garden you
can enjoy year round.
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