~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 2015 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Grass Could Be Greener... Through a designer's eye, a beautiful lawn is the make or break of a landscape. It is the glue that holds it all together. Easy to say as achieving the perfect lawn seems to be a never ending process. Fescue lawn lovers are ecstatic with their lawns... until the heat and humidity hit in July and August. Overnight it seems the weeds have taken over and the temps have turned our lush green grass into a wheat field. So we start dumping water on it to revive it. We apply chemicals to get rid of the weeds. It's a tug of war for those trying to go organic. And it can be a chunk of time and money. The desire for a weed free beautiful fescue lawn can be challenging. But it doesn't have to. Following a simple plan and being diligent about it can save you time, money and your sanity. And August is the month to start planning and doing. *Test your soil for pH imbalance and adjust as needed *Control broadleaf weeds and perennial grass *Kill the lawn if needed *Till and grade if needed *Add soil conditioner if needed For a comprehensive list of the what, when, where and how to's, visit our website atkenmatthewsgardencenter.com [http://www.kenmatthewsgardencenter.com/garden-reference-tools/]. As for me and my desire to have a beautiful, weed free lawn?Well...I've enjoyed a few good books this summer and my gardens sure do look stunning! Best of all...I feel good about it. Heather Klose, Designer
Tent Sale Saturday - Sunday, August 1 - 9 Bargain Buster Prices on a Smorgasbord of Stuff! Up to 70% OFF
Dog Days of Summer Event Saturday, August 8 10 AM to 2 PM The Animal Aid Society & Peninsula Pet Pantry will be here with dogs that need loving homes. Bring your dog and enjoy tasty dog treats, walks in the 'park', and doggie games. Leashes and up to date vaccinations required! PLUS, 20% off one item of your pet's choice. May not be combined with other promotions/sales Excludes bagged/bulk goods
Water Garden Sale Friday-Sunday, August 14-16 50% off all pond fish & plants 20% off pond chemicals & pumps
Lawn Care Class Saturday, August 29 10:00 AM Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners Register by email to ex199@vt.edu or by calling 757.890.4940. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Check This Out!
WHY MAG-I-CAL AND NOT LIME? MAG-I-CAL may be the missing ingredient in your lawn care program. MAG-I-CAL contains soluble calcium combined with organic acid and nematodes which are pelletized to make it easy to spread. MAG-I-CAL: *Rapidly raises soil pH in weeks. Lime takes 6 months! *Provides Calcium which is essential for healthy lawns *Releases "tied-up" nutrients in the soil to boost lawn color *Improves soil texture and aids in water uptake. *"Wakes-up" beneficial micro-organisms Inhibits moss growth *One bag of MAG-I-CAL (5,000 sq ft coverage) is equal to 5-40lb bags of lime! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank You to Everyone Who Voted! Ken Matthews Garden Center is the 2015 Coastal Virginia [http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/Best-Of/index.php/name/Ken-Matthews-Garden-Center/listing/37396/] Magazine [http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/Best-Of/index.php/name/Ken-Matthews-Garden-Center/listing/37396/] Overall Silver Winner Best Landscaping Company and Peninsula Gold Winner Best Garden Center as well as Peninsula Bronze Winner Best Garden/Patio/Outdoor Accessories Store! Our landscape and retail team of talented people have years of experience and we greatly appreciate your recognition of their many talents! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tips for the Garden: For many gardeners the month of August begins the downhill slide into off season. Warm climate gardeners have a second chance, but some don't have a second wind after summer's heat. Your garden is hardier than you think and there are plenty of gardening tasks for August that will keep your flower and vegetable gardens going longer, as well as opportunities to get a head start on next year's garden plans. *Pick herbs for fresh use and for drying. Harvesting will keep them growing longer. *Check that your mulch hasn't decomposed and add more as needed. *Keep deadheading and pinching back flowers. *Start saving seeds and taking cuttings. *Remove any diseased foliage now, so it doesn't get lost in the fall leaves. *Trim and feed hanging baskets and annual plants to prolong their beauty. *Take pictures of your garden and container combinations you'd like to repeat. *Begin dividing perennials. *Plant trees, shrubs and perennials now, so they can take root, and keep them well watered. *Begin planting for the fall/winter vegetable garden. Then sit back and enjoy all you've accomplished!
