~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tree Planting. It Matters! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~When I was growing up in Hampton in the summertime I used to climb, what I now know, was an American Plane Tree. It was in the back yard of our neighbor, Mrs. Kelly. We kids called it a Sycamore. Late one afternoon after supper and just before dark I was up in the very top of the tree doing what boys do in trees - nothing much. I looked far to the west across the tree tops and there was a very distinct and noticeable green cover on virtually everything from my tree top vantage point. The rich, strong green canopy of so many trees went on and on as far as I could see. Over the years, I've seen a lot of green cover disappear in this town. So I did a little checking. Sure enough, a development summary provided by York County reveals that since 1988, over 6,000 acres of York County's 69,000 acres have been cleared for development. I realize development is inevitable, but I am persuaded that we are not doing all we could and should do to replace the natural greenery that falls under the bulldozers and chainsaws. I am suggesting to you that real, meaningful, seriously green canopies can be established in road medians, parking lots, front yards, storage yards and junk yards. At Busch Gardens, even on the hottest summer days, there is a coolness in the air that only tree canopies can provide. Wouldn't it be nice if you had that same coolness walking across the parking lot to the local grocery store? We all know it could be done. And it probably won't. Take a good look at your own yard and immediate neighborhood. If we commit to replant large growing native trees - Oaks, Maples, Poplars, Locusts and smaller under story trees such as Sourwood, Japanese Snowball, Serviceberry, Redbud and Sweet Bay, we can bring the forest feeling back in just a few years. Let's face it, trees are not an expense, they are an investment. They add shade, comfort, beauty as well as curb appeal. Trees are a selling point! Maybe it's high time we recommit ourselves to replicate what was here before we arrived - the vast canopy, the sea of billowing trees - as seen by a boy growing up and witnessing the world from the top of Mrs. Kelly's Sycamore tree. Ken Matthews ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make Shade Gardens Shine with Colorful Coleus ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Creating a beautiful shade garden can be challenging for gardeners of all skill levels. Shady areas require a different approach - and different plants - than sunny areas. Remember, even if your yard has a lot of shade, it doesn't have to be short on color. For example, vibrant, shade-loving coleus, also known as painted nettle, can help your shade garden shine. Look Beyond Blossoms Coleus foliage runs from small, dainty scallops to large, ruffled and quilted leaves. The texture of coleus gives shade gardens a certain richness and beauty: leaves have dazzling colors, such as lime green, fuchsia or neon purple, with deep shades of chocolate, burgundy or red in boundless patterns and combinations. Balance Water and Light Coleus requires little maintenance. It tolerates wide-ranging soil types or pH, and needs good drainage. When planting coleus in the shade water about half as much as your sunny plants. Consistent moisture is good, soggy conditions can cause roots to rot. Feed for Brilliant Leaves Dramatic, color-saturated coleus foliage depends on proper nutrition. To enhance foliage growth and color, use Dynamite, a complete fertilizer that will last for 9 months. Keep the Focus on Foliage Later in summer, when coleus begins to send up flower stocks, it is time to start pinching the flower off. Pinch right where flower buds appear. This promotes branching and more colorful leaves. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark Your Calendar! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday, June 3 - Sunday, June 5 Perennial Event June is National Perennial Month... and a perfect time to celebrate! Why not celebrate by adding some perennials to your garden? Buy 4 perennials, get 20% off! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Father Day Weekend!
Friday, June 17 - Sunday, June 19 Father's Day Weekend Sale 50% OFF All Azaleas, Fruit Trees, Fruiting Shrubs
Saturday, June 18 11 AM-1 PM Free hot dogs and root beer for all fathers 20% OFF one item of his or your choice Cannot be combined with any other offer
Father's Day Sunday, June 19 20% OFF one item of his or your choice Cannot be combined with any other offer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, June 20 First Day of Summer Also known as the summer solstice, it heralds the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The timing of the summer solstice depends on when the Sun reaches its northernmost point of the equator. This solstice is the day with the most hours of sunlight during the whole year. It is definitely not too late to enhance your summer garden with additional annuals and perennials. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tips for the Garden ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ General * Weed regularly to keep unwanted plants from stealing resources and make sure to get them before they go to seed * Check plants for water daily; watering early in the day is best. If you are able to check water daily, you can plant all summer. Vegetables and Herbs * Fertilize vegetables and herbs with Dr. Earth Tomato, Vegetable and Flower Fertilizer now. * Cut back herbs to keep plants bushy. * Remove flowers from Basil and Cilantro to prolong leaf harvest. Shrubs and Trees * Start deadheading re-blooming roses and feed roses once this month with Dr. Earth Rose and Flower Fertilizer. * After Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Camellias finish flowering, fertilize with Holly-tone. Annuals and Perennials * Water annuals and perennials, deeply not superficially: as often as daily for new plants and potted plants in sunny locations. Ensure the rest get about 1" of water a week. * Deadhead annuals and perennials to encourage re-blooming Lawn * Mow regularly, cutting 1/3 or less of the grass blade. * Make sure your lawn gets about 1" of water a week (or follow conservation guidelines and let your lawn go dormant over the summer). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 for $15 6" Annuals Reg. $5.99 With this coupon or email Expires June 15, 2016. Not valid in conjunction with any other offers, gift certificates, previous purchases, bagged goods or bulk items. Limit one coupon per customer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
