How nice is this January? I personally take this as a sign of a great year ahead. What better way to kick off a new year but with "pretend" spring. Feeling the sun on your face just can't be beat.
As much as we would like to believe spring is on the way, I think we all know better than to fool ourselves. That being said, at The Barn, we are already immersed in spring planning. I think you will be so excited for what's in store this year.
2011 was a year of big changes at The Barn. At the end of a remodel everyone just kindof breathes a sigh of relief and it takes a couple months for the benefits to kick in. Believe me, we are enjoying our new facilities! It has been funny to see customers walk in to the new store that haven't been in since the re-model. I think there are going to be a lot of pleasantly surprised faces this spring.
Our early spring calendar is almost complete. Here are some highlights. We are planning to attend the Crystal Lake business expo March 24th and 25th. The last weekend of March is our spring preview weekend, including all the new fairy gardening items. Of course, we can't leave out our pansy sale and the return of our whimsical "Easter Bunny Lettuce Baskets". Our favorite "outside" event of the spring, the MCC Garden Fest is on April 14th. The following weekend is our Annual Impatiens Sale. Sound like fun? Just wait until you hear what is planned for May!!
Before we know it "real" spring will be here and we will be at The Barn waiting for you. And of course, you can visit us anytime Wed-Sat between 10am and 4pm. Our gift shop is open all winter.
Become a friend of ours on facebook at www.facebook.com/thebarnnurserycary
Happy New Year!
Julie
Monday, January 9, 2012
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Plant a Tree!
Trees add value to your property and when planted properly, can reduce your home's heating and cooling costs. Make it a weekend project for the whole family, or take advantage of our delivery and planting services and let our professionals do the dirty work. Worried about watering? We've taken the guess work out of watering your new tree! Purchase a tree from us and we will include a FREE tree watering tool we call a “bubbler”. Simply attach the bubbler to the end of your hose, place it next to the trunk of your new tree, turn the hose on and let it run for about an hour, then turn it off. Its that simple. We still have a great selection of shade and ornamental trees including the ever-popular Autumn Blaze Maple (which grows pretty much anywhere and in any soil conditions). We know deciding which tree to plant with so many to choose from can be a bit overwhelming... so we've narrowed it down for you:
Trees for wet, clayey soil – Swamp White Oak, Weeping Willow, Bald Cypress
Tough trees for parkways – Kentucky Coffeetree, Honeylocust, American Hornbeam
Trees for small yards – Armstrong or State Street Maple, Regal Prince English Oak, Summer Sprite Linden
Shade trees that flower – Catalpa, Ft. McNair Horsechestnut, American Sentry Linden
Majestic trees for large yards – Accolade Elm, Exclamation London Planetree, English Oak, Deborah Maple
If you would like more information (mature size, fall color, you name it) about any of the trees we carry please feel free to give us a call, email us, or check out the Plant Finder page on our website.
The fine print – one tree water bubbler per purchase. All of our trees carry a one year guarantee and many of them a two year guarantee. Please call for pricing.
Heather Moister
Trees for wet, clayey soil – Swamp White Oak, Weeping Willow, Bald Cypress
Tough trees for parkways – Kentucky Coffeetree, Honeylocust, American Hornbeam
Trees for small yards – Armstrong or State Street Maple, Regal Prince English Oak, Summer Sprite Linden
Shade trees that flower – Catalpa, Ft. McNair Horsechestnut, American Sentry Linden
Majestic trees for large yards – Accolade Elm, Exclamation London Planetree, English Oak, Deborah Maple
If you would like more information (mature size, fall color, you name it) about any of the trees we carry please feel free to give us a call, email us, or check out the Plant Finder page on our website.
The fine print – one tree water bubbler per purchase. All of our trees carry a one year guarantee and many of them a two year guarantee. Please call for pricing.
Heather Moister
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Spring Vegetable How To: Broccoli
FAQ: I plant Broccoli every year around Mother's Day and the plants produce yellow flowers, but no heads. What am I doing wrong?
The answer is pretty simple – you're planting them too late. Broccoli is a cool season crop you can plant as soon as you can work the soil. I would recommend planting broccoli as starter plants for spring crops, starting with more mature plants will ensure they produce heads before the heat of summer. In early August, you can sow seeds directly into the garden for a fall harvest. The seeds will germinate while the temperature is still warm, and heads will develop as the temperature cools. Even after the central head has been removed, the plants will continue to produce side heads well after frost. If you don't get to planting your broccoli until the early part of May, do not dispare, improved varieties are available that are more heat tolerant ('Green Comet' for example). But be sure to harvest as soon as the central head is 5-6” so the plant doesn't go to flower before you get to enjoy.
- Heather Moister
The answer is pretty simple – you're planting them too late. Broccoli is a cool season crop you can plant as soon as you can work the soil. I would recommend planting broccoli as starter plants for spring crops, starting with more mature plants will ensure they produce heads before the heat of summer. In early August, you can sow seeds directly into the garden for a fall harvest. The seeds will germinate while the temperature is still warm, and heads will develop as the temperature cools. Even after the central head has been removed, the plants will continue to produce side heads well after frost. If you don't get to planting your broccoli until the early part of May, do not dispare, improved varieties are available that are more heat tolerant ('Green Comet' for example). But be sure to harvest as soon as the central head is 5-6” so the plant doesn't go to flower before you get to enjoy.
- Heather Moister
Monday, November 15, 2010
WATER your evergreens!!!
A message to anyone who planted an evergreen this year... it needs WATER!!! This includes Arborvitae, Spruce, Pine, Boxwood, Holly, Juniper, Inkberry, etc. Bright sunlight and wind can dry out the leaves/needles of evergreens. In the spring and summer months, rain and your diligent watering replenished that moisture loss. In winter, the ground is frozen so the plant cannot replace the moisture that is lost to sun and cold winter winds. If an evergreen doesn't get enough water in the fall to get it thru the winter, the result is winter burn (brown tips of branches especially on the side of the plant that gets the most sun and wind) or death of the plant. Because this has been an exceptionally dry fall, we would highly recommend these two things: First - water all newly planted evergreens twice per week until the first week of December, and if we get a winter warm up in February or March water them again. Second – spray your evergreens (even existing ones) with Wilt Pruf. Wilt Pruf is a natural product derived from the resin in pine trees. It works by creating a waxy film on the leaf that holds in moisture. As a side note - it also prevents salt spray damage if you have evergreens planted near a sidewalk or street where salt is used. If your evergreen tree has dropped needles from the inside of the plant – do not be alarmed! This is annual needle loss and is perfectly normal.
Heather Moister
Heather Moister
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Bulbs are here!
Fall bulb season has arrived!
We are so excited about some of the varieties we have in stock this year we just had to share. If you would like to order fall bulbs call (847)658-3883.
• Globemaster Giant Allium – HUGE purple balls on top of 32” stems, these ornamental onions are SO COOL! We have had so many requests for them that we doubled our order this year! But they go fast, so call to reserve yours today. Just $8.99 per plant.
• Rabbits and deer can be a big nuisance in the garden, but we have a whole collection of bulbs that are animal resistant including Hyacinth, Daffodils, Alliums, and this beauty. Fritillaria Rubra Maxima is a gorgeous fiery red standing 36 inches tall and it REPELS deer and rabbits. They don’t like the smell of it. Just $9.99 per plant.
• Anemone blanda is AWESOME because…
1. They “naturalize.” What does that mean? They come back reliably year after year and reproduce to create new little bulbs each year.
2. Cute, short, early season bloomer similar to a crocus, but with a much longer bloom time.
3. Pretty, lacey foliage that sticks around for a while. It doesn’t die back right away.
• Scilla siberica is a tiny, naturalizing bulb with blue early spring blooms. They are a popular bulb to plant among perennials because the come up, bloom, and are done before many perennials even begin to emerge. But they can also be planted in your lawn! Simply poke holes in the lawn (in patches), fill each hole with a Scilla bulb, and in spring your yard will look like a beautiful meadow. They will be done blooming right about the time the turf grass is tall enough to mow. '
We are so excited about some of the varieties we have in stock this year we just had to share. If you would like to order fall bulbs call (847)658-3883.
• Globemaster Giant Allium – HUGE purple balls on top of 32” stems, these ornamental onions are SO COOL! We have had so many requests for them that we doubled our order this year! But they go fast, so call to reserve yours today. Just $8.99 per plant.
• Rabbits and deer can be a big nuisance in the garden, but we have a whole collection of bulbs that are animal resistant including Hyacinth, Daffodils, Alliums, and this beauty. Fritillaria Rubra Maxima is a gorgeous fiery red standing 36 inches tall and it REPELS deer and rabbits. They don’t like the smell of it. Just $9.99 per plant.
• Anemone blanda is AWESOME because…
1. They “naturalize.” What does that mean? They come back reliably year after year and reproduce to create new little bulbs each year.
2. Cute, short, early season bloomer similar to a crocus, but with a much longer bloom time.
3. Pretty, lacey foliage that sticks around for a while. It doesn’t die back right away.
• Scilla siberica is a tiny, naturalizing bulb with blue early spring blooms. They are a popular bulb to plant among perennials because the come up, bloom, and are done before many perennials even begin to emerge. But they can also be planted in your lawn! Simply poke holes in the lawn (in patches), fill each hole with a Scilla bulb, and in spring your yard will look like a beautiful meadow. They will be done blooming right about the time the turf grass is tall enough to mow. '
Thursday, July 1, 2010
CC on Hummingbirds
My turn…
I got interested in hummingbirds about 10 years ago when I spotted a pure white (albino) hummer in my yard. Of course, I had to “Google” it and found out that although rare, they do exist. I started investing in hummingbird feeders and planting their favorite flowering plants (they LOVE Black & Blue Salvia). I would get a Trumpet vine for them but the vines get pretty big and I have nowhere to put one. I have learned a lot from the little guys including:
• Get feeders that are easy to clean. In hot weather, they should be cleaned and re-filled every 4-5 days. We sell nectar here but sugar water works too.
• Watch for them at dawn and dusk – the most active feeding times. They will feed throughout the day as well.
• I bought a ‘mister’ that sprays a very light water mist which they enjoy.
• Although we only get one species in this part of the country (the Ruby Throated) they have different personalities – we even name them (Tiny Dancer is my favorite, she will “dance” in front of our porch screens (fly up, down, and in zigzag and cross patterns looking in at us.)
• They are very territorial – it’s a good idea to have feeders and plants on opposite sides of the house to avoid conflicts. It is fun to watch the competition among them as they chase each other away from food sources.
• Try not to use pesticides near their feeding areas – not only are hummers fragile, they eat the small insects.
So, get started and I promise you will be hooked! We have everything you need here at the Garden Center.
Thanks for listening!
CC Geist
Landscape office manager
I got interested in hummingbirds about 10 years ago when I spotted a pure white (albino) hummer in my yard. Of course, I had to “Google” it and found out that although rare, they do exist. I started investing in hummingbird feeders and planting their favorite flowering plants (they LOVE Black & Blue Salvia). I would get a Trumpet vine for them but the vines get pretty big and I have nowhere to put one. I have learned a lot from the little guys including:
• Get feeders that are easy to clean. In hot weather, they should be cleaned and re-filled every 4-5 days. We sell nectar here but sugar water works too.
• Watch for them at dawn and dusk – the most active feeding times. They will feed throughout the day as well.
• I bought a ‘mister’ that sprays a very light water mist which they enjoy.
• Although we only get one species in this part of the country (the Ruby Throated) they have different personalities – we even name them (Tiny Dancer is my favorite, she will “dance” in front of our porch screens (fly up, down, and in zigzag and cross patterns looking in at us.)
• They are very territorial – it’s a good idea to have feeders and plants on opposite sides of the house to avoid conflicts. It is fun to watch the competition among them as they chase each other away from food sources.
• Try not to use pesticides near their feeding areas – not only are hummers fragile, they eat the small insects.
So, get started and I promise you will be hooked! We have everything you need here at the Garden Center.
Thanks for listening!
CC Geist
Landscape office manager
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
