KCB is a professional gardener and friend who does wonderful work in the Greater Portland area. KCB is also an accredited Master Gardener by the Cooperative Extension Service and we are proud to tell you that KCB was recently honored as the 2008 Master Gardener of the Year. And we are honored to have KCB as part of our Skillin's Garden Log family. Now on with the show...
Remember when you whined this phrase to your parents as they called ‘time for bed’?
Those with children or even grand children may find it more familiar still. Then, perhaps not, with some of the conveniences that are in the children’s bedrooms of today being sent to bed may be a welcomed treat.
Still we have all heard the pleading of someone not wanting to leave a place or a task that was deemed fun. One more swing, one more bike ride, story. We’ve all heard or asked the question. As did one of my gardens this week.
As I approached the property, I was in awe at the sight of the rich indigo supertunias along with Johnny Jump-ups and the marled blue and white pansies that seemed to dance around a small bed at around the base of the lamppost. Once in the driveway the trio of containers at the front doorway was overflowing with varying hues and shades of purple to lavender whether it be from the Royal Velvet supertunias, the Osteospermum, trailing superbells punctuated with flowering kale. The melding of summer and fall annuals were doing nicely. Not at all bad for the week before Halloween.
The hypnotic spice of sweet alyssum carried me to Zanzibar while the white blossoms powered my nose as I stooped to clean fallen leaves from the still thriving annual bed. The puffs of white were the perfect foil for the magenta tinged purple heads of ornamental cabbage. Rusty shards of oak leaves could not hinder the pugnacious efforts of the blooms.
The beds at the rear of the house were once a sweeping array of the client’s favorite palette where not a yellow, orange, or red bloom does dwell. Indigo, burgundy, purple, and pink with pockets of white are all but gone. In their wake, the once vibrant have morphed to muted mauves, smoky plums and gray greens. Joe Pye towers with a now silvery glow in the fading sun. A rogue bloom emerges from the clumps that remained from the Shasta Daisies cut back two weeks ago. A self-sowed Cosmos emerged like the Phoenix from the stalks I pulled from the ground earlier this month. Roses continue to bloom from buds to numerous to count. Endless Summer Hydrangeas have matured to regal blooms that appear tea stained from time. Foliage is mottled maroon. The hues are gentler, softer offering the perfect back drop for the vibrant deep pink of Summerwine Yarrow that refuses to go by the way the season that bares it’s name.
The air chills while the sight of such perseverance warms my soul. Time is not on my side as I have many gardens to send to bed for their long winter’s nap. Some are ready having given their all for man and nature. Not this one. This one is surely pleading …
A little while longer………….. PULLLEASE??
KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses
October 27, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Garden Talks October 26
Hello again,
I spent some time neatening the yard yesterday and I have a few Garden Talks to say.
I dumped all my beloved vegetable and flower containers yesterday (well all but the Swiss Chard) as the frosts of this past week finally did a number on them. I had a great year with my containers again.
To review, I would definitely recommend Bar Harbor Blend Potting Soil by Coast of Maine as THE soil of choice for containers. It is locally produced and we need to use all the local products we can but good news--it is not expensive AND it is the BEST quality potting soil I have ever used. I highly recommend it. Also I highly recommend aggressively using the Fish and Seaweed fertilizer when you water the containers early on in the season. This gets your plants off to a fast start NATURALLY and strengthens the roots for a good flowering or vegetable season. This is still Maine and still a short season so I don't think you can fertilize your containers too much as long as you do it naturally. Finally, I deposit at least two Plant Tablets by Organica into each container every two months. Once I stop using the Fish and Seawood food (after the first month) the broken down Plant Tablets are giving the roots of the plant all kinds of food and good natural bacteria.
I grew some very nice vegetables this season in my containers. Full sun is needed and I was able to place some on the top of my paved driveway so my fall plantings still stayed warm for awhile. I would make sure your fall containers (use peas, even beans, carrots really try anything) should be planted by seed by the first week of August. The air gets pretty cold in Spetember even when the containers are on the warm pavement.
I still have some very nice Red Sails lettuce and broccoli that I planted (as seedlings, not seeds) on a warm Labor Day afternoon. These plants face southeast and it got pretty warm the first few days so they "flagged" from the heat the first few days but as I said the plants are gorgeous now and I still think I will get some broccoli. Red Sails is a leaf lettuce and I have been cutting that for weeks now. Make a note in your Journal--I highly recommend Red Sails lettuce early this coming year (think April) and also late (think September).
I mowed my lawn short and ground a few leaves (great organic matter for your lawn) in the process. I kept my lawn long this year because I wanted the longer blades of grass to help "shade out" prospective weeds. I think that approach worked well and I will do that again next year. Yesterday I knocked my lawn mower down a notch closer to the ground so I got a shorter cut. I will do this again in another week or ten days to keep the lawn more closely cropped as we draw closer to winter (better air circulation in colder and wetter weather is a good thing) and also to grind a few more leaves into the ground. I used to think that grinding leaves in the lawn was not a good thing; that those leaves would contribute to thatch (thick layerings of built up material that would keep air and water from the ground). But this was before I started to use natural fertilizers on the lawn several years ago. Now all the natural ingredients in natural fertlilizers help break down organic matter like the ground up leaves to improve the cell structure and microbial matter in the soil. Better soil, deeper roots and a naturally greener and stronger lawn.
Want a great plant that yields nutrituous fruit and gives great colored foliage in the fall? Blueberries! The foliage in my blueberries is gorgeous right now. Beautiful! Blueberries are my favorite fruit and I really appreciate the orangy red foliage right now!
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
October 26, 2008
I spent some time neatening the yard yesterday and I have a few Garden Talks to say.
I dumped all my beloved vegetable and flower containers yesterday (well all but the Swiss Chard) as the frosts of this past week finally did a number on them. I had a great year with my containers again.
To review, I would definitely recommend Bar Harbor Blend Potting Soil by Coast of Maine as THE soil of choice for containers. It is locally produced and we need to use all the local products we can but good news--it is not expensive AND it is the BEST quality potting soil I have ever used. I highly recommend it. Also I highly recommend aggressively using the Fish and Seaweed fertilizer when you water the containers early on in the season. This gets your plants off to a fast start NATURALLY and strengthens the roots for a good flowering or vegetable season. This is still Maine and still a short season so I don't think you can fertilize your containers too much as long as you do it naturally. Finally, I deposit at least two Plant Tablets by Organica into each container every two months. Once I stop using the Fish and Seawood food (after the first month) the broken down Plant Tablets are giving the roots of the plant all kinds of food and good natural bacteria.
I grew some very nice vegetables this season in my containers. Full sun is needed and I was able to place some on the top of my paved driveway so my fall plantings still stayed warm for awhile. I would make sure your fall containers (use peas, even beans, carrots really try anything) should be planted by seed by the first week of August. The air gets pretty cold in Spetember even when the containers are on the warm pavement.
I still have some very nice Red Sails lettuce and broccoli that I planted (as seedlings, not seeds) on a warm Labor Day afternoon. These plants face southeast and it got pretty warm the first few days so they "flagged" from the heat the first few days but as I said the plants are gorgeous now and I still think I will get some broccoli. Red Sails is a leaf lettuce and I have been cutting that for weeks now. Make a note in your Journal--I highly recommend Red Sails lettuce early this coming year (think April) and also late (think September).
I mowed my lawn short and ground a few leaves (great organic matter for your lawn) in the process. I kept my lawn long this year because I wanted the longer blades of grass to help "shade out" prospective weeds. I think that approach worked well and I will do that again next year. Yesterday I knocked my lawn mower down a notch closer to the ground so I got a shorter cut. I will do this again in another week or ten days to keep the lawn more closely cropped as we draw closer to winter (better air circulation in colder and wetter weather is a good thing) and also to grind a few more leaves into the ground. I used to think that grinding leaves in the lawn was not a good thing; that those leaves would contribute to thatch (thick layerings of built up material that would keep air and water from the ground). But this was before I started to use natural fertilizers on the lawn several years ago. Now all the natural ingredients in natural fertlilizers help break down organic matter like the ground up leaves to improve the cell structure and microbial matter in the soil. Better soil, deeper roots and a naturally greener and stronger lawn.
Want a great plant that yields nutrituous fruit and gives great colored foliage in the fall? Blueberries! The foliage in my blueberries is gorgeous right now. Beautiful! Blueberries are my favorite fruit and I really appreciate the orangy red foliage right now!
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
October 26, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Begonias
Hello again,
Barbara Gardener checks in with the following note:
"I've never seen a begonia with leaves like these. Probably very common. I'm sure you have since I bought 6 at Skillins. The others all had the dark green that I am used to.
I'm starting to fill this shady area in with ground cover. Ajuga and the mysterious blue."
I'm starting to fill this shady area in with ground cover. Ajuga and the mysterious blue."
Barbara, great to hear from you. These appear to be Proven Winner Nonstop Begonias that are just bright and gorgeous. We feature several colors with this type of leaf pattern in the Spring.
I have used similar plants with almost the same leaf BUT with a deep maroon color for a shade container the last couple of years. Really nice!
Begonias are a solid choice for shady spots or partial shade spots. An old time plant that just does a great job. Watch the ajuga and the mysterious blue (Barbara did we decide those were forget me nots? I forgot!) for invasiveness but maybe that is okay with you in that spot.
Thanks,
Mike Skillin
Good News About Good Shepherd!
Hello again,
Great news!
This past Saturday October 18, Skillin's Greenhouses and our loyal customers raised a total of $1043.56 for the Good Shepherd Food Bank.
Check out http://www.gsfb.org/ to get an idea of all the great organizations that the Good Shepherd Food Bank provides food for. There is plenty to worry about these days. But for many people around us decent food is not an option as folks scramble for clothes and fuel.
Let’s help the Good Shepherd Food Bank keep over 600 Maine food banks supplied—do you realize that just a $25 contribution feeds a family of 3 for two weeks? What a truly efficient way to help a family save more for fuel and clothes by helping the Good Shepherd Food Bank provide food! OR that because all the great relationships in the food distribution industry that Good Shepherd has cultivated that a $1.00 donation means $12.50 in real food to the hungry in Maine!
So thank you Skillin's Staff and Customers for helping to bring over $13,000 in real food to fellow Mainers in need. That is just awesome!
There is more that we can all do. It is our intent this Christmas Holiday season to donate a generous portion of each retail sale of Skillin's Christmas trees, wreaths, roping and poinsettias to the Good Shepherd Food Bank. This should mean even more in donations to an incredible cause for so many fellow Mainers.
Thanks,
Mike Skillin
Great news!
This past Saturday October 18, Skillin's Greenhouses and our loyal customers raised a total of $1043.56 for the Good Shepherd Food Bank.
Check out http://www.gsfb.org/ to get an idea of all the great organizations that the Good Shepherd Food Bank provides food for. There is plenty to worry about these days. But for many people around us decent food is not an option as folks scramble for clothes and fuel.
Let’s help the Good Shepherd Food Bank keep over 600 Maine food banks supplied—do you realize that just a $25 contribution feeds a family of 3 for two weeks? What a truly efficient way to help a family save more for fuel and clothes by helping the Good Shepherd Food Bank provide food! OR that because all the great relationships in the food distribution industry that Good Shepherd has cultivated that a $1.00 donation means $12.50 in real food to the hungry in Maine!
So thank you Skillin's Staff and Customers for helping to bring over $13,000 in real food to fellow Mainers in need. That is just awesome!
There is more that we can all do. It is our intent this Christmas Holiday season to donate a generous portion of each retail sale of Skillin's Christmas trees, wreaths, roping and poinsettias to the Good Shepherd Food Bank. This should mean even more in donations to an incredible cause for so many fellow Mainers.
Thanks,
Mike Skillin
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Ode To Alliums!
Good friend Kathleen Carr Bailey of Finishing Touches is quoted extensively in this very recent article in the Maine Sunday Telegram about alliums and how to plant them for great spring color!
Alliums are a very reliable and relatively inexpensive spring flowering bulb and can be purchased right here at Skillin's!
When most gardeners think of fall-planted bulbs, they picture the early bloomers such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocuses.
But alliums, or ornamental onions, can be planted now until the end of October, and provide blooms in late spring or summer.
"Alliums are just a little surprise – or sometimes a big surprise – in the garden," said Kathleen Carr Bailey of Portland, who runs a gardening company called Finishing Touches and recently taught a class in planting bulbs at Skillins Greenhouse in Falmouth.
Alliums are onions. The ornamental varieties have a more pronounced blossom than the chives, garlic or garden onions – all alliums, by the way – that you grow for food, but they all are related.
The ornamental types would be edible, but they are not grown for their taste and would be a lot costlier than the typical garden onions.
Carr Bailey likes to mix alliums with other plants in the garden, having the blossoms peek up over perennials like shasta daisies and baptisia.
"It is just great when you see these little purple lollipops hovering on top of those plants, in groups of three or five," she said.
Using companion plantings has the advantage of hiding the allium foliage, which can sometimes start to turn brown even before the blossom emerges, Carr Bailey said.
Alliums have a lot of variety to them – in size, shape of blossom and color.
The standard allium is a purple ball on top of a stalk, and the purple can range from lilac to a deep, dark purple. But the blossoms can be white, pink, red and yellow as well.
Some alliums can grow to 3 or 4 feet tall with globes that are 14 inches in diameter, while other low growers have bulbs that are less than an inch in diameter.
This summer, Nancy planted allium schubertii right by our back door. This plant was about 18 inches tall, and had an airy blossom with long tendrils that looked a bit like a communications satellite with antennae going out in every direction.
Carr Bailey especially likes the large alliums, which she says can look like a low palm tree in the garden and make a strong statement.
With the smaller alliums, Carr Bailey likes to run a lot of them along walkways and along the edge of a garden border. She says the small ones can spread over a large area if left unchecked, so you want to keep an eye on them.
Alliums should be planted in sunny locations in rich, well-drained soil. As a general rule, you plant alliums three times as deep as the bulb is wide.
Many bulb packages will say how far apart to plant the bulbs, but Carr Bailey likes to plant them more closely. She says it doesn't seem to affect their growth, and she likes the effect of having a mass of blossoms together.
Being onions, alliums do emit a strong onion odor. That means deer and rodents will not eat them, and the odor will help keep deer away, Carr Bailey believes.
Because the alliums bloom so much later than the other bulbs, you can plant them in the same areas and have a succession of plantings over the course of the summer.
The alliums also make good cut flowers, looking great in a vase with other seasonal blossoms.
This article was written by Tom Atwell of the Blethen Maine Newspapers and appeared in the Maine Sunday Telegram on October 12, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Mark Your Calendar for October and November!
Following is a listing of our classes and events for October and November 2008 here at Skillin’s!
Our FREE classes will be held Saturdays at 9 AM and 1 PM (unless otherwise stated).
Call Brunswick 442-8111 (1-800-339-8111), Cumberland 829-5619 (1-800-348-8498), or Falmouth 781-3860 (1-800-244-3860) to register. You may also register by emailing us at info@skillins.com, just specify the date, time, and location! These classes can sell out fast so sign up today!
October
18th Skillin’s Kids and Family Day (9 AM & 1 PM)
Join us for great kids activities like pumpkin carving and kid gardening activities. We will help the kids while you shop as 10% of all proceeds from Oct 18 will be given to the Good Shepherd Food Bank-No one should go hungry in Maine. Check out http://www.gsfb.org/ to get an idea of all the great organizations that the Good Shepherd Food Bank provides food for. Pumpkins, bulbs, candles, houseplants and more are all here at Skillin’s!
There is plenty to worry about these days. But for many people around us decent food is not an option as folks scramble for clothes and fuel. Let’s help the Good Shepherd Food Bank keep over 600 Maine food banks supplied—do you realize that just a $25 contribution feeds a family of 3 for two weeks? What a truly efficient way to help a family save more for fuel and clothes by helping the Good Shepherd Food Bank provide food?
25th Beds to Rest (9 AM & 1 PM)
Getting a good winters rest makes the Spring look brighter. Let us share with you how to get your perennials, roses and shrubs tucked away for winter.
November
1st Holiday Fun (9 AM & 1 PM)
It is never too early to start. Learn how to make your own gorgeous holiday wreath. There is a $15 fee for this class! You get to bring home the beautiful wreath you make!
8th Holiday Arrangements (9 AM & 1 PM)
Get hands on experience. We will show you how to make boxwood trees for the holidays! There is a $20.00 fee for this class. Special encore class at Falmouth on November 10 @ 5 PM.
15th and 16th Skillin’s Annual Christmas Open House
Demonstrations, great ideas, refreshments, door prizes and loads and loads of great holiday merchandise and more! Good deals abound so come check us out! More details soon about this event!
22nd Deck Your Halls (9 AM & 1 PM)
If trimming your tree, decorating your fireplace mantle or hall have you scratching your head, let the experts at Skillin’s show you the tricks of the trade, Plus don’t know how to make a bow, we will devote time to show you how.
Four Part Landscape Design Series (Falmouth Oct 28, Nov 5, 12, 19 10 AM) (Brunswick Oct 29, Nov 6, 13, 20 9 AM)
What a great chance to get a jump start on plotting how to landscape your home the right way! This class always sells out quickly in the winter so we are bringing you some new dates to choose from. Class fee is $40—you will have a great landscape plan at the finish!
If your group of 10 people or more would like to book any of our classes for a time and day that best suits you please call for scheduling and reservations.
Mark Your Calendar!!!
Every Tuesday is Mature Gardeners Day at Skillin’s! Those customers who qualify will receive 10% off all regularly priced items. (Sale items and volume restrictions do not usually apply and some other restrictions may apply).
Every Friday brings Flower Power Happy Hour where we offer fresh cut flower stems and bunches at 30% off their regular prices. The Happy Hour lasts from 4 PM until we close!! Every Friday!
We hope to see you soon right here at Skillin’s!
Mike Skillin
Our FREE classes will be held Saturdays at 9 AM and 1 PM (unless otherwise stated).
Call Brunswick 442-8111 (1-800-339-8111), Cumberland 829-5619 (1-800-348-8498), or Falmouth 781-3860 (1-800-244-3860) to register. You may also register by emailing us at info@skillins.com, just specify the date, time, and location! These classes can sell out fast so sign up today!
October
18th Skillin’s Kids and Family Day (9 AM & 1 PM)
Join us for great kids activities like pumpkin carving and kid gardening activities. We will help the kids while you shop as 10% of all proceeds from Oct 18 will be given to the Good Shepherd Food Bank-No one should go hungry in Maine. Check out http://www.gsfb.org/ to get an idea of all the great organizations that the Good Shepherd Food Bank provides food for. Pumpkins, bulbs, candles, houseplants and more are all here at Skillin’s!
There is plenty to worry about these days. But for many people around us decent food is not an option as folks scramble for clothes and fuel. Let’s help the Good Shepherd Food Bank keep over 600 Maine food banks supplied—do you realize that just a $25 contribution feeds a family of 3 for two weeks? What a truly efficient way to help a family save more for fuel and clothes by helping the Good Shepherd Food Bank provide food?
25th Beds to Rest (9 AM & 1 PM)
Getting a good winters rest makes the Spring look brighter. Let us share with you how to get your perennials, roses and shrubs tucked away for winter.
November
1st Holiday Fun (9 AM & 1 PM)
It is never too early to start. Learn how to make your own gorgeous holiday wreath. There is a $15 fee for this class! You get to bring home the beautiful wreath you make!
8th Holiday Arrangements (9 AM & 1 PM)
Get hands on experience. We will show you how to make boxwood trees for the holidays! There is a $20.00 fee for this class. Special encore class at Falmouth on November 10 @ 5 PM.
15th and 16th Skillin’s Annual Christmas Open House
Demonstrations, great ideas, refreshments, door prizes and loads and loads of great holiday merchandise and more! Good deals abound so come check us out! More details soon about this event!
22nd Deck Your Halls (9 AM & 1 PM)
If trimming your tree, decorating your fireplace mantle or hall have you scratching your head, let the experts at Skillin’s show you the tricks of the trade, Plus don’t know how to make a bow, we will devote time to show you how.
Four Part Landscape Design Series (Falmouth Oct 28, Nov 5, 12, 19 10 AM) (Brunswick Oct 29, Nov 6, 13, 20 9 AM)
What a great chance to get a jump start on plotting how to landscape your home the right way! This class always sells out quickly in the winter so we are bringing you some new dates to choose from. Class fee is $40—you will have a great landscape plan at the finish!
If your group of 10 people or more would like to book any of our classes for a time and day that best suits you please call for scheduling and reservations.
Mark Your Calendar!!!
Every Tuesday is Mature Gardeners Day at Skillin’s! Those customers who qualify will receive 10% off all regularly priced items. (Sale items and volume restrictions do not usually apply and some other restrictions may apply).
Every Friday brings Flower Power Happy Hour where we offer fresh cut flower stems and bunches at 30% off their regular prices. The Happy Hour lasts from 4 PM until we close!! Every Friday!
We hope to see you soon right here at Skillin’s!
Mike Skillin
Garden Talks October 13
We love your Gardening Questions at the Garden Log! If you have any gardening questions, just email us at skillins@maine.rr.com and we will respond!
Another question about wintering roses, this time from customer RS:
"I want to know how to best protect some rose bushes I purchased this spring from you. I planted them at the end of my deck, so they are a bit exposed to wind and other elements. One is a climber and the others are bushes. Should I wrap them in burlap or something to protect them for the winter ? I have had lots of roses when I lived in NJ but these are first I have planted here in Maine and I want to make sure I treat them right !"
Our answer:
"Roses in Maine should be well protected in the winter time. The best protection you can give is a good heavy mulching or covering of the base of your rose bushes. I would do this in late November when the ground has started to freeze up. The key is to bury the base or grafted area of your rose bush in at least 3 or 4 inches of top soil or compost. Then I finish off the cover with some cut fir boughs or straw to keep the cover in place.
It makes sense to try and wrap at least the bottom couple of feet of your climber in burlap. This will reduce the amount of stem that is killed off by the winter. So you may want to prune down to that point and wrap the rest of your climber. Do this pruning or wrapping in late November or even December so as not to spur any new growth from your plant.
The non climbers really do not have to be pruned until late winter or early Spring when you do your uncovering. It is crucial in late March or early April to sweep away all the cover around the base of your roses and prune out any growth that is dead or dying.
It has been dry the last couple of weeks. I would recommend giving your roses regular waterings a couple of times per week from now until the ground freezes.
If you have time we will for sure be covering winter rose bush care in our Beds to Rest class on Saturday the 25th of October at either 9 AM or 1 PM at any Skillin’s location. Let us know if you would like us to sign you up—the time and the location is all we need! The class is free of charge but full of great gardening advice!"
Another question about wintering roses, this time from customer RS:
"I want to know how to best protect some rose bushes I purchased this spring from you. I planted them at the end of my deck, so they are a bit exposed to wind and other elements. One is a climber and the others are bushes. Should I wrap them in burlap or something to protect them for the winter ? I have had lots of roses when I lived in NJ but these are first I have planted here in Maine and I want to make sure I treat them right !"
Our answer:
"Roses in Maine should be well protected in the winter time. The best protection you can give is a good heavy mulching or covering of the base of your rose bushes. I would do this in late November when the ground has started to freeze up. The key is to bury the base or grafted area of your rose bush in at least 3 or 4 inches of top soil or compost. Then I finish off the cover with some cut fir boughs or straw to keep the cover in place.
It makes sense to try and wrap at least the bottom couple of feet of your climber in burlap. This will reduce the amount of stem that is killed off by the winter. So you may want to prune down to that point and wrap the rest of your climber. Do this pruning or wrapping in late November or even December so as not to spur any new growth from your plant.
The non climbers really do not have to be pruned until late winter or early Spring when you do your uncovering. It is crucial in late March or early April to sweep away all the cover around the base of your roses and prune out any growth that is dead or dying.
It has been dry the last couple of weeks. I would recommend giving your roses regular waterings a couple of times per week from now until the ground freezes.
If you have time we will for sure be covering winter rose bush care in our Beds to Rest class on Saturday the 25th of October at either 9 AM or 1 PM at any Skillin’s location. Let us know if you would like us to sign you up—the time and the location is all we need! The class is free of charge but full of great gardening advice!"
Friday, October 10, 2008
Bird Seed Prices Going Down!
Hello again,
It is time for some good news! And here it is!
Much of our Lyric Bird Food Prices are coming down in one of our most daring moves yet. For over the past years, bird food prices have spiked upward and upward because sunflower has become a prime ingredient in zero trans fat diets in place of corn,etc. , etc,. etc. blah blah blah blah blah.
At Skillin's we have decided enough is enough!
We have picked our most popular foods and brought the prices down:
Lyric Chickadee 4 lb reg $8.99 NOW $5.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
Lyric Supremem Mix 4.5 lb reg $8.99 NOW $5.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
Lyric Delite 5 lb reg $12.99 NOW $9.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
Lyric Nyjer 3 lb reg $7.99 NOW $4.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
Lyric Sunflower Kernels 5 lb reg $12.99 NOW $9.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
All these foods contain top quality sunflower and sunflower is the most important food you can use to attract the widest variety of birds to your feeder. Don't be fooled by the big store bird mixes; they contain very little sunflower--this makes them a waste of your money and a waste of the bird's time. Off they will go to another yard!
Take advantage of these great savings while supplies last.
We will be bringing more savings your way and we will be telling you about them at Skillin's Garden Log; so check out Skillin's Garden Log often at http://www.skillins.com/!!!!
Thanks,
Mike Skillin
It is time for some good news! And here it is!
Much of our Lyric Bird Food Prices are coming down in one of our most daring moves yet. For over the past years, bird food prices have spiked upward and upward because sunflower has become a prime ingredient in zero trans fat diets in place of corn,etc. , etc,. etc. blah blah blah blah blah.
At Skillin's we have decided enough is enough!
We have picked our most popular foods and brought the prices down:
Lyric Chickadee 4 lb reg $8.99 NOW $5.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
Lyric Supremem Mix 4.5 lb reg $8.99 NOW $5.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
Lyric Delite 5 lb reg $12.99 NOW $9.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
Lyric Nyjer 3 lb reg $7.99 NOW $4.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
Lyric Sunflower Kernels 5 lb reg $12.99 NOW $9.99 SAVE $3.00 per bag
All these foods contain top quality sunflower and sunflower is the most important food you can use to attract the widest variety of birds to your feeder. Don't be fooled by the big store bird mixes; they contain very little sunflower--this makes them a waste of your money and a waste of the bird's time. Off they will go to another yard!
Take advantage of these great savings while supplies last.
We will be bringing more savings your way and we will be telling you about them at Skillin's Garden Log; so check out Skillin's Garden Log often at http://www.skillins.com/!!!!
Thanks,
Mike Skillin
Garden Talks October 10
We love your Gardening Questions at the Garden Log! If you have any gardening questions, just email us at skillins@maine.rr.com and we will respond!
Customer AR has the following question about wintering over her rose bushes:
"A couple of years ago we purchased a climbing yellow rose from you folks when they were on sale in the fall. We wondered how it would do over the first winter and I am happy to say that it did just fine. We hilled up about six inches or so with loam after the ground froze. Did not cut it back last year since it had just started to grow. Now, it is almost up to the second story window and we don't know what to do this winter. Should we prune it way back or what would you recommend? Hope that we can keep it over well for another winter. I think it liked our winter last year with all of the snow for mulch."
Our answer: Your winterization should go much the same. Hilling up that six inches of material after the ground froze is just the trick!
Most pruning should be done in late winter or early Spring when you go to clear the cover that you hilled up. You may need to do much of that pruning late this year just before you hill up the material if you need clearance for that cover. Otherwise iIf you can get the covering of material on top of the base of the rose without much pruning then wait on the pruning until late winter or early Spring. In all cases any growth pruned should be growth that is dead or dying. It is fine and even preferable to prune any dead or dying growth at any time.
And yes the more snow we get in the early part of the winter the better for our roses!
Customer ND has a question about overwintering different shrubs and perennials:
"I have planted bee balm, lavendar, butterfly bushes, forsythias, a small lilac tree, and some small schrubs. Also a red twig dogwood tree. What do I have to do to these small plants before winter.
I am so glad that you are available to answer our questions. I am a newcomer to gardening."
Our answer: "The most important thing you can do for these plants is to water them well once or twice a week between now and when the ground freezes up. The plants will use this moisture that builds in the soil to get off to a better start this coming year. Also, combine those helpful waterings with a nice feeding with a quality organic fertilizer like Plant Tone by Espoma or Plant Booster Plus by Organica.
The bee balm, lavender, and butterfly bushes should all have a good quantity (several inches at least) of mulch or cover around the base of each plant once the ground freezes. The purpose is to keep the ground frozen and the roots in place. The bee balm is not a woody plant so that could get back back to a few inches and then completely covered.
I would not prune any of the other plants this year unless there is some dead or dying growth that needs to get cut away."
Customer AR has the following question about wintering over her rose bushes:
"A couple of years ago we purchased a climbing yellow rose from you folks when they were on sale in the fall. We wondered how it would do over the first winter and I am happy to say that it did just fine. We hilled up about six inches or so with loam after the ground froze. Did not cut it back last year since it had just started to grow. Now, it is almost up to the second story window and we don't know what to do this winter. Should we prune it way back or what would you recommend? Hope that we can keep it over well for another winter. I think it liked our winter last year with all of the snow for mulch."
Our answer: Your winterization should go much the same. Hilling up that six inches of material after the ground froze is just the trick!
Most pruning should be done in late winter or early Spring when you go to clear the cover that you hilled up. You may need to do much of that pruning late this year just before you hill up the material if you need clearance for that cover. Otherwise iIf you can get the covering of material on top of the base of the rose without much pruning then wait on the pruning until late winter or early Spring. In all cases any growth pruned should be growth that is dead or dying. It is fine and even preferable to prune any dead or dying growth at any time.
And yes the more snow we get in the early part of the winter the better for our roses!
Customer ND has a question about overwintering different shrubs and perennials:
"I have planted bee balm, lavendar, butterfly bushes, forsythias, a small lilac tree, and some small schrubs. Also a red twig dogwood tree. What do I have to do to these small plants before winter.
I am so glad that you are available to answer our questions. I am a newcomer to gardening."
Our answer: "The most important thing you can do for these plants is to water them well once or twice a week between now and when the ground freezes up. The plants will use this moisture that builds in the soil to get off to a better start this coming year. Also, combine those helpful waterings with a nice feeding with a quality organic fertilizer like Plant Tone by Espoma or Plant Booster Plus by Organica.
The bee balm, lavender, and butterfly bushes should all have a good quantity (several inches at least) of mulch or cover around the base of each plant once the ground freezes. The purpose is to keep the ground frozen and the roots in place. The bee balm is not a woody plant so that could get back back to a few inches and then completely covered.
I would not prune any of the other plants this year unless there is some dead or dying growth that needs to get cut away."
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Dappled Willows--a Great Idea!
Hello again,
Rose of Raymond checks in:
"Hello Mike, When you need some quality material for the Garden Log I thought you could write a little about these fabulous Dappled Willows. They love those problem wet areas and will live in shade or full sun. The fun thing about them is that the foliage turns pink in the spring and they appear to be blooming pink flowers. They are the first shrubs to get their leaves in the spring and the last shrubs to lose them in the fall. When they do lose their leaves they have beautiful red stems like the red twig dogwoods that seem to glow in the snow. They are the fastest growing shrubs I have ever planted. They are beautiful as a hedge or beautiful standing alone. I think this is just a great idea for customers planning for next spring. Mike, I saw your bank commercial - very cool - who is that guy playing you?"
This great advice from Rose. Our seasons vary so much here in Maine and I really believe that the best plant material for our yards should vary right along with the seasons! The dappled willow is a classic example (and I can assure you Rose is a classic as well!) of variation through the season. From pink in the Spring through lush green in the summer to the beautiful red stems in winter, this plant is just awesome!
The commercial Rose is writing about is a new series of commercials being shown by our good friends at Norway Savings Bank. Several Maine businesses including Skillin's are featured and yes I am the Skillin's guy this time around. Talk about taking chances!
Rose, thanks very much! Any friend of ours who has some plants recommendations and plant pictures they would like to send please send them to us at info@skillins.com and we would be glad to post them at the Skillin's Garden Log!
Special Thanks to Rose of Raymond,
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
Ocotber 7, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Garden Thoughts October 6
Fall to an avid gardener with grass and dirt stained knees and dirty hands can be difficult to adjust to. However, fall is a great time of year to actually improve your garden. One of the first steps you should take is to apply lime to your lawn and gardens. Generally at the end of the growing season the production effort leaves a garden with a pH of 5.5 to 6.0, so we advise adding lime at a rate of about 5 pound per 100 square feet to eventually raise the pH to about 6.5 to 7.0. This higher pH level will allow your plants to receive a wider range of nutrients. Generally, we should only lime our areas one time per year. Also your garden may well not need lime every year. If you have limed for 2 to 3 consecutive years pick up a simple pH tester at Skillin's. Check out that pH. If your soil registers at about 6.5 to 7.0, do not apply lime that year.
The lime I recommend is Mira Cal by Jonathan Green—it is a calcium based lime that is better than most limes for at least two reasons: 1) Calcium is an excellent organic additive to your soil. It benefits your plants tremendously by helping to “keep free” the flow of beneficial nutrients to your plants roots. 2) Magnesium based lime can actually aid weeds as magnesium adds a natural soil compactor. Many of the plants we prefer don’t like growing in compact soils but unfavorable weeds like plantain, dandelions, crabgrass and ajuga don’t mind compact soils a bit!
It is vital to thoroughly CLEAN your yard of dead and dying plant material in the fall. Growth that “has passed on” serves as a great home for insects and disease spores. However, just don't admire those newly cleaned wide open spaces in your garden. Get to work! Fall is a great time for soil preparation! Get some Plant Booster Plus by Organica or Plant Tone by Espoma worked into the soil. As I often write, these fertilizers are the best and most long-term way to bring needed nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to your soil.
Then lay some compost as a top dressing in those open spaces and around your plants. If you have no compost, my favorite bagged compost for this job is Fundy Mix by Coast of Maine. (Check this link for Skillin’s own Crystal Rose Kovalick tell about her experience with Coast of Maine Fundy Blend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqliZQhEOGo.
Fundy Blend is an excellent product to lay around plant material as great organic matter.
For VERY wide open spaces that is a future home to more plants, actually work some of your own compost material OR Composted Manure by Jolly Gardener or Quoddy Blend by Coast of Maine into the soil. We also sell some terrific compost blends in bulk that we can load into a truck or trailer for you.
The folks at People, Places and Plants magazine (produced right here in Maine) check in this issue with some great gardening tips that deserve special mention. Their web site can be found at www.ppplants.com:
"Plant spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, crocuses and daffodils. Bulbs planted anytime in October, or early November in southern parts of the state, should produce bright blooms next spring. Try some crocuses next to a south-facing foundation for late winter blossoms in March. " Just another reminder that now is a super time to purchase and plant Spring bulbs--one of the first steps to Spring gardening! And Skillin's has the best selection and quality of bulbs anywhere!
"Cut back perennials and compost the foliage. Rake all leaves from the lawn and compost those as well. Leaves left on the lawn through the winter are the leading cause of winter kill." It is vital to thoroughly CLEAN your yard in the fall. Material lying on the ground in and around the garden will become great hiding places and incubators for next year's insects and diseases. Fallen leaves and branches should be picked up and composted.
"Planting of deciduous trees and shrubs should be at its peak. Evergreens are best planted a month earlier." We have some great fall prices on our nursery trees and shrubs and perennials. So much of our plant material has arrived in just the last few weeks—we are not offering old stuff from the Spring.
"Store your harvest properly. Potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbage and celery should be kept in a humid atmosphere at about 35-40 degrees. Squash and pumpkins should be stored in a dry area at 40-60 degrees. Onions and dry beans should be kept at 33 degrees in a dry area." Good storage habits make great tasting natural food. If your garden harvest is depleted many communities still are having active Farmer's Markets; check with your local town hall for info about your town!
The lettuce and broccoli I planted in the ground on Labor Day is just gorgeous right now. I just cut a bunch of lettuce and made a nice fresh salad out of it—yummy! I have some beautiful Swiss Chard growing right now in a container and I think I am going to plant a late fall crop of Swiss Chard and possibly broccoli and lettuce in a container. Got an Earth Box that you used this summer for summer vegetables? Put the Earth Box to work and plant some cold tolerant vegetable seeds in it like the plants I just mentioned (lettuce, broccoli, and also spinach and swiss chard and carrots among others!)
"Your Christmas cactus should rest in a cool, dim room with little water. Bring it back out Nov. 15 for holiday bloom." We will have some young Christmas cactus available in November; these plants can grow to be quite old! (Just like Terry Skillin).
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
October 6, 2008
The lime I recommend is Mira Cal by Jonathan Green—it is a calcium based lime that is better than most limes for at least two reasons: 1) Calcium is an excellent organic additive to your soil. It benefits your plants tremendously by helping to “keep free” the flow of beneficial nutrients to your plants roots. 2) Magnesium based lime can actually aid weeds as magnesium adds a natural soil compactor. Many of the plants we prefer don’t like growing in compact soils but unfavorable weeds like plantain, dandelions, crabgrass and ajuga don’t mind compact soils a bit!
It is vital to thoroughly CLEAN your yard of dead and dying plant material in the fall. Growth that “has passed on” serves as a great home for insects and disease spores. However, just don't admire those newly cleaned wide open spaces in your garden. Get to work! Fall is a great time for soil preparation! Get some Plant Booster Plus by Organica or Plant Tone by Espoma worked into the soil. As I often write, these fertilizers are the best and most long-term way to bring needed nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to your soil.
Then lay some compost as a top dressing in those open spaces and around your plants. If you have no compost, my favorite bagged compost for this job is Fundy Mix by Coast of Maine. (Check this link for Skillin’s own Crystal Rose Kovalick tell about her experience with Coast of Maine Fundy Blend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqliZQhEOGo.
Fundy Blend is an excellent product to lay around plant material as great organic matter.
For VERY wide open spaces that is a future home to more plants, actually work some of your own compost material OR Composted Manure by Jolly Gardener or Quoddy Blend by Coast of Maine into the soil. We also sell some terrific compost blends in bulk that we can load into a truck or trailer for you.
The folks at People, Places and Plants magazine (produced right here in Maine) check in this issue with some great gardening tips that deserve special mention. Their web site can be found at www.ppplants.com:
"Plant spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, crocuses and daffodils. Bulbs planted anytime in October, or early November in southern parts of the state, should produce bright blooms next spring. Try some crocuses next to a south-facing foundation for late winter blossoms in March. " Just another reminder that now is a super time to purchase and plant Spring bulbs--one of the first steps to Spring gardening! And Skillin's has the best selection and quality of bulbs anywhere!
"Cut back perennials and compost the foliage. Rake all leaves from the lawn and compost those as well. Leaves left on the lawn through the winter are the leading cause of winter kill." It is vital to thoroughly CLEAN your yard in the fall. Material lying on the ground in and around the garden will become great hiding places and incubators for next year's insects and diseases. Fallen leaves and branches should be picked up and composted.
"Planting of deciduous trees and shrubs should be at its peak. Evergreens are best planted a month earlier." We have some great fall prices on our nursery trees and shrubs and perennials. So much of our plant material has arrived in just the last few weeks—we are not offering old stuff from the Spring.
"Store your harvest properly. Potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbage and celery should be kept in a humid atmosphere at about 35-40 degrees. Squash and pumpkins should be stored in a dry area at 40-60 degrees. Onions and dry beans should be kept at 33 degrees in a dry area." Good storage habits make great tasting natural food. If your garden harvest is depleted many communities still are having active Farmer's Markets; check with your local town hall for info about your town!
The lettuce and broccoli I planted in the ground on Labor Day is just gorgeous right now. I just cut a bunch of lettuce and made a nice fresh salad out of it—yummy! I have some beautiful Swiss Chard growing right now in a container and I think I am going to plant a late fall crop of Swiss Chard and possibly broccoli and lettuce in a container. Got an Earth Box that you used this summer for summer vegetables? Put the Earth Box to work and plant some cold tolerant vegetable seeds in it like the plants I just mentioned (lettuce, broccoli, and also spinach and swiss chard and carrots among others!)
"Your Christmas cactus should rest in a cool, dim room with little water. Bring it back out Nov. 15 for holiday bloom." We will have some young Christmas cactus available in November; these plants can grow to be quite old! (Just like Terry Skillin).
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
October 6, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Limelight Hydrangea
Hello again,
Rose of Raymond checks in with a gorgeous picture of her lovely limelight hydrangea. Here is what she says!:
This is my Limelight Hydrangea and it's my new favorite! (Rose has some gorgeous gardens so for this to be her favorite is impressive indeed!)
I have six or seven varieties of hydrangea and I think this one out shines them all. It blooms a greenish color for a very long time and then turns a lovely shade of pink.
I can't believe the size of the flowers! It's October and my Pee Gee has turned brown but my limelight is still beautiful.... Tim (our nursery manager) went a little crazy buying them this year so maybe this will help sell some! Just kidding, don't mention I said that to Tim! (Everyone) should buy one of these they really are impressive!
Thank you Rose of Raymond!
We have limelight hydrangeas in easy to handle 5 gallon pots right now! They normally sell for $59 but right now they are on sale for $41--that's a big savings!
Thanks,
Mike Skillin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)