~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PROTECTING OUR POLLINATORS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Every garden requires pollinators, and bees are among the finest. Without them there would be limited flowers and far fewer fruits and vegetables. Did you know that about 30% of the food we eat depends on the pollination of bees? Although there are many bees that are great pollinators, like carpenter, mining, sweat and cellophane bees, some of the most well know and easily identified bees are the honey and bumble bee. Both of these bees live in social colonies and are cavity nesters. Because these bees are active all summer long, they require a constant supply of floral nectar close to their hive. Some of the biggest threats to the continued and healthy existence of these two bees are habitat loss, which causes inadequate nesting and scarce food supplies, and pesticide drift. Bring more bees to your garden by planting a variety of native flowers that will bloom throughout the entire summer. Keep the bees in your garden by eliminating chemical use, especially while plants are in flower. Be kind to bees in your garden by providing a safe place for shelter and to lay their eggs. Make sure that there is an available water source for your bees. A birdbath works just fine. SPRING NATIVE PLANTS THAT ATTRACT BEES Apple Malus Aster Aster Blackberry & Raspberry Rubis Blueberries Vaccinium Purple coneflower Echinacea Redbud Cercis Rhododendron Rhododendron Sage Salvia Stonecrop Sedum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PLANTS ARE VITAL TO OUR HEALTH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plants play a bigger role in the health of the world around us more than you may think. While we all appreciate their beauty, we often overlook just how hard-working they are in the overall ecological scheme. Plants, especially trees, are the oldest, cheapest, and most efficient air purifiers on Earth. Acting as dust mops, plants catch and absorb CO2 emissions from manufacturing, autos, power generating plants, etc. This is the same CO2 that traps the sun's energy and is turning the earth into a greenhouse. In addition to this valuable filtering process, plants transform CO2 into the oxygen that all living things require- the only natural manufacturing source of oxygen on earth. Without plants, human life would not be possible! Plant and Save Plants help us conserve valuable resources and energy by reducing heating and cooling demands. They shelter our homes from the bitter winds of winter and the blistering rays of summer. Deciduous plants drop their leaves in winter, letting warm sunshine into our homes. Trees are the most obvious form of buffer against the elements(three trees in the right spot in your yard can cut air conditioning needs 10-50%), but properly selected and placed shrubs, vines, water features, and natural landforms provide the same sheltering effect. All run-off water ends up in either the Chesapeake Bay or our reservoirs. Plants (especially grass and strong rooted trees and shrubs) reduce soil erosion, a major cause of water pollution. While it doesn't seem that soil erosion alone would be much of a problem, it actually pollutes our waterways with fertilizers, pesticides, and sediment. Trees and shrubs slow erosion because their extensive root systems help hold the soil in place. Planting dense, healthy grass slows and filters run-off and traps soil allowing fresh, filtered water back to our reservoirs and the Bay. Improved water quality means healthier fish and wildlife, and this, in turn, provides for a healthier you. How can you help? Using good judgment and common sense, plan and plant your yard with more of nature's gifts-trees and shrubs. Stop by during our Earth Day Celebration Friday-Sunday, April 22-24. The first 100 customers will receive a one gallon Azalea, Forsythia, or Beautyberry (one per family). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EASY WAYS YOU CAN HELP IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Plant a tree or shrub! * Recycle grower pots. Bring them to us and we will reuse or recycle them. * Compost your leaves, grass clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps. Use them to enrich your garden soil. * Conserve water in your house by turning off the water while brushing your teeth. * Carry cloth bags for carrying things in and recycle your plastic bags. * Eat food from locally grown sources. * Plant a vegetable garden. * Install a bird feeder. * Plant flowers to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds as pollinators. * Host a cleanup for local bodies of water and their shores. * Join an environmental group such as Virginia Master Naturalist [http://vmnpeninsula.weebly.com/] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark Your Calendar! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday-Sunday, April 8-10 Welcome Spring Celebration Enjoy "everything spring" at the garden center this weekend! Beautiful hanging baskets, blooming color, new tree and shrub introductions, treat yourself to a new piece of pottery, or get advice from our Garden Associates with your tree and shrub selection and the products you'll need for successful gardening! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, April 9 10-11 AM Container Garden Workshop Container gardens add interest and personality to your porch and landscape. By choosing a combination of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and bulbs, you can enjoy colorful container gardens throughout the seasons. We'll provide a demonstration of several container planting "recipe". Free soil for containers you create here. 15% Off containers and plants purchased that day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, April 16 10 AM - 4:30 PM My Time Women's Show [http://tihr.dailypress.com/mytimeshow/showfair/] Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton Escape, Indulge, and Explore the show by stopping by the Ken Matthews Garden Center Booth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday-Sunday, April 22-24 Earth Day Celebration In celebration of Earth Day, we'll give a free one gallon Azalea, Forsythia, or Beautyberry to the first 100 families coming through the door (One per Family). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, April 30 10 AM Garden to Table Seminar and Tasting Learn about what edibles to plant and harvest for this season. Join us for a Garden to Table style recipe sampling - the second of four Garden to Table sessions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, May 7 10 AM Fairy Garden Workshop Explore ways to create your own magical miniature garden, complete with pint-sized accessories, diminutive plants, and quaint fairy figures that will attract Thumbelina herself! Workshop fee of $25 includes a container, soil and 3 miniature plants. Registered participants will receive a 20% discount on all miniature gardening items purchased during the workshop. All ages are welcome! Register by calling 757.898.7799 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Girls Night Out Tuesday, July 19 5-8 PM If you are a vendor and would be interested in participating in our Girls Night Out, please email me at sandy@kenmatthewsgardencenter.com or call 757.898.7799. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Community Announcements ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, April 16 YMCA Victory 10k Run/Walk at Yorktown Waterfront Second Annual 10K Run/Walk 830 AM 1 Mile Family Fun Run/Walk 8 AM See the website for details: http://www.peninsulaymca.org/news/victory-at-yorktown-10k/Â [http://www.peninsulaymca.org/news/victory-at-yorktown-10k/] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, April 23 10AM - 3PM 5th Annual Authentic French Market Sponsor: Sister Cities Yorktown Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown Celebrate in Yorktown the spirit of the regular Saturday market in Port Vendres France, Yorktown's Sister City. Fresh-baked bread, pastries, chocolates, soaps, French wine and more will be available for purchase. This is a free event. Visit the Ken Matthews Garden Center booth which will be loaded with fresh herbs! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tips for the Garden ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Color is everywhere this month! April bloomers include Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Dogwoods, Redbuds and Magnolias as well as Camellia, Daphne, Forsythia, Pussywillow, Weigela and Spirea. * If you have a pond, begin feeding your fish Chengro Spring & Fall Fish Food when water temperatures are above 50 degrees. * Start seeds indoor for warm season vegetables and flowers if you haven't yet. Plant seeds in the vegetable garden toward the end of the month. Begin transplanting warm season seedlings outdoors, at the end of April when the soil has warmed and night temperatures stay above 50 degrees F. * Mix organic matter and fertilizer into your vegetable garden. We recommend Bumper Crop Organic Compost and 100% organic Dr. Earth Tomato Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer. * Water Deeply - your veggie garden will need about an inch of water a week. * Refresh mulch in planting beds as soon as soil has warmed up. * Fertilize trees and shrubs with a slow release fertilizer. Use Holly Tone or Fertilome Tree & Shrub Fertilizer. * Fertilize perennials with Dr. Earth Life All Purpose Fertilizer when you see 2-3" of new growth. * Fertilize spring bulbs with Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Fertilizer as they finish blooming and allow the foliage to remain until it begins to turn yellow. * Plant summer blooming bulbs now. We can help you choose a beautiful assortment. * Feed houseplants with a good quality indoor plant food such as Bonide Liquid Plant Food 10-10-10 Fertilizer. * Test lawn soil pH and apply Mag-I-Cal if needed. April is a great time to get your lawn into shape. Pick-up a copy of our brochure, "Lawn Care Recommendations [http://www.kenmatthewsgardencenter.com/garden-reference-tools/lawn-care-recommendations/]". If you need personal help, please see a garden associate for assistance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ $5 OFF A $35 or More Purchase with this email or coupon Expires April 30, 2016. Not valid in conjunction with any other offers, gift certificates, previous purchases, bagged goods or bulk items. Limit one coupon per customer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
