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December

12.18.09 - Reflections
As the 2009 gardening season comes to a close I look back & reflect. After a long snowy winter we were blessed with a beautiful spring planting season. Our guests were so excited to enjoy the nice weather & spend time in their gardens. This year many people planted vegetable & herb gardens for the first time & it was fun to share in their enthusiasm. The summer was cooler than usual which made it more comfortable to spend time in the garden but it delayed the ripening of the vegetables. We were fortunate to have beautiful fields of our delicious sweet corn, tomatoes & cut flowers which everyone enjoyed picking up in the farm market.  September was a beautiful month for planting new landscapes & harvesting our gardens. The gardening season was cut short by a cold & rainy October where we all hibernated indoors. It is hard to believe that winter is here again & after the holidays we’ll begin to plan our gardens for next year.

It is a special privilege to share my love of gardening with you each week.  I hope that I have inspired you to try a new plant or combination of plants in your landscape as well as helped you solve growing problems or concerns.  As 2009 comes to a close we are already working on plans for 2010. I look forward to the opportunity for sharing new plants & gardening techniques with you in the coming year. I think you’ll be excited to get started by attending the Winter Gardening Seminars which are held on Saturday mornings in January & February. I will be sending more information in an email soon.

On behalf of the Graf family & staff I would like to express our appreciation for your friendship & your business. Best Wishes to you and yours for a wonderful holiday of peace, joy & love.

12.4.09 - Plethora of Holiday Plants
Holiday plants are naturally beautiful. They add so much to our homes during the holidays as well as they are always a welcomed gift. I love to decorate with them at the holidays because they are fresh & simply lovely. They look great when I place them in pretty containers for quick & instant decorating in every room.

Poinsettias are the most well known & popular holiday plant. They’re easy to care for & they last a very long time. They can be used to add a little touch of holiday color in a center piece, as an accent on a hall table or to make a statement with a large showy plant in a featured spot in your home or business.  In addition, there are a few other holiday plants I especially enjoy. Amaryllis are so dramatically beautiful with their log stems & showy flowers. Christmas cactus are easy to care for & they have such a fun look. Most people are successful with them for many years to come. English ivy growing in the shape of a wreath is another favorite. They look so pretty when they are embellished with a bird in a nest or a small ribbon running through it. Cyclamen are great because they are colorful & they keep blooming for many months. If you keep them watered regularly it will still look nice on Valentine’s Day.  There are so many choices. I am sure you will find the perfect holiday plant for your home.

12.19.08 - Reflecting on another gardening year!
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the close of another year. As we reflect back over the past year we are reminded of both great successes in our landscapes & gardens as well as a few trials. A rainy cool spring made it difficult to get everything planted however the plants flourished with the extra moisture. Many people planted vegetable gardens for the first time in many years & experienced the joy of producing great tasting vegetables. We were fortunate to have wonderful crops this year as well. Many of you enjoyed the sweet corn, tomatoes, eggplant & others from the Farm Market. I learned that hydrangeas need a lot of fertilizer for them to bloom & then I enjoyed extra blooms in my garden for the rest of the season. Fall is another great time for planting & is always colorful with mums & pumpkins however in an unusual turn of events the snow fell before many of the leaves which made leaf pick up & final garden clean-up a challenge. Every season is different & offers another chance for a beautiful garden or crop. My father, my grandfather, & Great Uncles were vegetable farmers & as soon as they finished the harvest in the fall they looked forward to the first day of plowing & planting the next spring. I didn’t understand this when I was younger but now realize that the opportunity to start over in a new season, to work the soil & to continuously learn new things is what I love most about gardening.

We appreciate your business & your friendship & look forward to another year of gardening with you. My family & the Graf Growers staff join me in wishing you a very Happy Holiday & prosperous New Year!

12.12.08 - Gift Ideas for Gardeners
Although our gardens are hibernating a gardener is passionate about their garden & always appreciates gifts for next season so I thought I would offer a few gift ideas. Often gardeners have the basic tools needed for gardening but would appreciate a good pair of pruners or a special pair of gardening gloves that they might not splurge for. Additionally, a beautiful pot or urn will bring joy for many seasons when they plant it every spring. For a great stocking stuffer consider metal plant labels to identify unusual species. Of course, a gift card from Graf’s can be enjoyed in the spring or any time of year. Every spring many guests bring their gift cards in & always mention how much they enjoy shopping for extra plants or special accessories for their garden.

A little different idea to consider for a new homeowner is to purchase a landscape consultation with Graf’s landscape designer Tom Kriska. Tom will meet with them for 1 hour to walk around the landscape, make suggestions, answer questions, & help them get started on a new landscape or revitalizing an existing landscape. The cost is $75 & it is always appreciated.

Gardeners love plants so why not bring gardening indoors with a tabletop garden of assorted blooming & green plants or a new houseplant. Additionally, consider an Amaryllis kit or paperwhite garden that they can watch grow & bloom. We have kits & gardens made up & ready to go or you can select plants & we’ll help put them together according to your wishes.

The last few years I have received various tools & accessories for my garden for Christmas & have enjoyed using them & thinking of my sister who gave them to me. Stop in & let us help you find the perfect gift for the gardeners & new homeowners on your list.

12.14.07- Joy & Peace to you & yours this holiday season!
On behalf of the Graf Family & staff of Graf Growers I extend our heartfelt appreciation for your business & your friendship during the past year!

I started writing this blog about 6 months ago offering gardening tips, introducing new plant varieties & sharing a little bit about my garden. It has been fun to share each week & I hope you have enjoyed it as well. As we look ahead to 2008 I would encourage you to consider attending one of our upcoming winter seminars. It is a great way to kick off the gardening season, meet other gardeners, & learn more! (It’s even more fun when you bring a friend!) Click for more information & a printable registration form.

12.14.07 - Here are a few of my favorite gardening gift ideas...
Finding a gift for a gardener is often difficult because they usually have the usual tools & supplies. I have listed a few gift ideas for gardeners or new homeowners that you might consider:
*Consider giving them a beautiful pot or urn & a gift card for plants to fill it in the spring or a bag of potting soil!
*Perhaps they would enjoy an indoor garden to brighten up the winter with an assortment of blooming & green plants arranged in a basket like a miniature garden.
*Statues of dogs & cats, birdbaths, & other decorative accessories are a favorite of many to add a decorative touch to the garden.
*Registration to attend Graf’s Winter Gardening Seminars on Saturday mornings is a great way for a new homeowner to get started or a seasoned gardener to learn more & meet other gardeners!
* Mud gloves, pruners & other handy gadgets make great stocking stuffers!
Graf’s Gift Cards - so the gardeners on your list can go crazy in the spring buying all their favorite plants & fun accessories! This is always a gift worth waiting for!

12.7.07 - Keep your poinsettias beautiful with these helpful tips...
I’m sure you’ll want to keep your Poinsettia plants looking their best so here is a few tips to help guide you. Poinsettias like bright to moderate light however, it is best if they have 2-3 hours of bright light per day. Avoid draft spots or heat sources like a fireplace or registers & most importantly keep the soil moist evenly moist with regular watering when the soil feels dry to the touch. Be sure to drain the saucer which may require you to cut a slit in the foil so that it will drain well. It is best to water the plant 2 – 3 times slowly in a 5 minute period so the soil can absorb the water instead of flushing through it.

12.1.07 - Watch out for Wintry Weather...
The weather forecast is for wintry weather to arrive in the next few days so today is your last chance for awhile to rake up any remaining leaves & finish up gardening chores. If you live near a wooded area or have problems with deer grazing you may want to treat with a repellant to keep them from destroying ornamentals. Spray susceptible plants with “Liquid Fence” or if you prefer not to spray you can use “Plant Protec” which is a plastic tube filled with a highly concentrated form of garlic oil that you hang on desirable plants to repel deer & rabbits. We have received good feedback on both products.

Add a little drama to your holiday decorations with an easy to grow Phalaenopsis Orchid. They are easy to grow in bright to moderate light, with regular watering blooms will last a long time. Blend them with cyclamen & ivy or use them separately in a festive pot.  They look especially pretty on a silver tray with a few glass ornaments or other trinkets.