Garden Centre and Gift Shop

GARDEN CENTRE
and GIFT SHOP
HOURS

Open 7 days a week from
APRIL 1 - OCTOBER 11
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

SUNDAYS & HOLIDAYS
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(closed Easter Sunday)

Tel: 905-722-5849
1-800-598-0041

Serving light refreshments daily
10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
May - September

Gardening in the Winter [pdf]

• Resist cutting the grass until the end of May. Cutting too early (and too short) jeopardizes strong root growth. For the first cut, raise the mower blades to three inches.
• Fertilize in May, June and September using a spreader. Bags are usually marked with the proper application times. And remember, numbers on fertilizers stand for:
  1. nitrogen (green growth)
  2. phosphorus (strong root growth)
  3. potassium (general lawn well-being)
• Water the grass only in the morning - before sunrise - and give it a thorough soaking. A simple way to test when you have watered enough is to put an empty 5 oz. can on the grass within sprinkler range. When the can is full, your lawn has received two inches of water, which is a good soaking. Avoid frequent, light watering as this increases the chance for disease and fungus.
• Keep an eye out for infestations of Crabgrass and act quickly to remove it -- do not let it go to seed. A strong root-base will help to prevent weed grasses like Quack and Crabgrass from flourishing. The growth of broad leafed weeds such as Creeping Charley, Clover and Dandelion is also minimized. With only a few weeds present, you can easily remove them manually.

Having a medium maintenance lawn does not imply that your lawn has to be an eyesore. Quite the contrary. In fact, your lawn will probably still be green when others have dried up. Also, with a good grass blend, you can step up your maintenance program at any time to improve the look of your lawn.

• From July to August set mower blades to leave the grass at roughly 2 to 2 1/2 inches. Longer blade length allows the plant to devote more of its energy to root growth. A strong healthy root base helps the lawn withstand weeds, pests and drought. Height keeps the roots shaded and helps protect them from drought. Do this and you can reduce watering frequency to as little as every 10 days, depending on type of soil, weather and the amount of shade.

March-April 2010

Gardening in the Early Spring [pdf]
Overseed now for a healthy lawn this summer [pdf]
Answers to your questions about fertilizer [pdf]

May-June 2010

Gardening in the Spring [pdf]
The Magic of Mulches [pdf]
Trees: nature's air cleaners [pdf]
Starting plants from seed [pdf]

July-August 2010

Gardening in the Summer [pdf]

Common Name
Azalea
Black-Eyed Susan
Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Weed
Egyptian Star Flower
Ironweed
Joe-Pye Weed
Lantana
French Marigold
New England Aster
Purple Coneflower
Swamp Milkweed
Blazing Star
Vervain
Zinnia

Scientific Name
Rhododendron spp.
Rudbeckia hirta
Buddleia davidii
Asclepias tuberosa
Pentas lanceolata
Veronia baldwinii
Eupatorium purpureum
Lantana camara
Tagetes patula
Aster novae-angliae
Echinacea purpurea
Asclepias incarnata
Liatris spp.
Verbena spp.
Zinnia elegans

September-October 2010

Gardening in the Autumn [pdf]

Events at Blue Willow Garden & Design Centre:

Sunday, September 19
Monarch Tag & Release Day at Blue Willow
from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Come out and enjoy the magic.

November-December 2010

Gardening in the Early Winter [pdf]

FEEDING BIRDS ALL-YEAR LONG

In addition to having plants in your garden that naturally produce food for the birds, you can provide bird feeders so a constant supply of seed and nuts is available. Furthermore, you can view different species at closer range. Invest in a good field guide to help you identify these visitors. There are many styles of bird feeders from which to choose in wood or plastic. Some are for hanging and some can be pole mounted.

If you have squirrels in your area, you will want to select a feeder whose seed opening automatically clamps shut as soon as the weight of a squirrel or chipmunk lands on the feeding tray. Or mount your feeder on top of a sturdy pole just far enough away from trees or the house that the squirrel can't jump onto it. You can grease the pole itself or attach a squirrel baffle to prevent the pests from reaching the top. Squirrels are ingenious and great high flyers so you might find it easier to feed them on the ground with peanuts still in the shell.

There are large and small feeders depending on how often you're willing to refill the seed and what kind of bird you wish to attract. Bigger birds like Blue Jays and Cardinals simply won't land on a small feeder. Tubular feeders come with small perches and large or tiny seed openings from which the seed is dispensed. Sunflower seed and wild birdseed mixtures can be used in the former type while Niger seed fills the latter tube.

There's a third type of tubular feeder called an "Upside Down Feeder" that's for Goldfinches only. They are the only bird that will land on a perch and flip upside down to feed from the small opening directly below.

Birdseed: Sunflower seed is available in two forms-striped and black. Striped will attract all birds while black is the particular favorite of Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Chickadees.

Suet cakes are an important food source to many birds in winter especially Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and Nuthatches. You can purchase a suet cage that fits a suet cake perfectly if you don't already have one built onto your feeder.

Feed the birds all year, not just in winter, so you can enjoy the beauty of summer visitors too. And don't worry too much about birdseed falling on the ground unless it germinates. Mourning Doves and Juncos love to clean up the leftovers on the ground.