It's Pumpkin Time!

It's that time of year that so many of us look forward to. Next to Christmas, Halloween and the fall harvest season is the most popular time of year, and we want to celebrate it with you!

We offer pumpkins in many shapes and sizes, in addition to other fall décor to help turn any home into a fall harvest paradise. We are the perfect place to shop for all of your Halloween and fall decorating needs. Hurry in while supplies last!

The Hosta (also known as Plantain Lily) is one of the most unique, useful, and colorful shade plants used in the landscape today. This deciduous perennial can add a splash of foliar color and bloom where many other plants cannot survive or perform well. Not only do hostas have attractive foliage, but they also send out long upright plumes of flowers in shades of lavender, pink and white every summer.

Native to northeast Asia, hostas have come a long way in foliage varieties in the last 20 years, thanks to a rabid interest among hybridizers to create and introduce new varieties. Today, hostas can be found in a multitude of color variations to please even the most discriminating gardener's palette.

Most hostas are broken down into three distinct color categories that include shades of blue, green and variegated. Some varieties have puckered leaf surfaces that lend interest to the overall plant, while the variegated forms can be striped with shades of white and gold. There are also varieties that feature a mixture of both blue and green leaf shades on the same leaf.

Hostas range in size from miniature varieties that grow 1 ft. high and wide to large varieties that can grow almost 3 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide. The flowers generally stand above the foliage another 12-18 inches and last 4-8 weeks, depending on the variety.

Although there are a few varieties that can tolerate full sun, most hostas are happiest in a morning sun-afternoon shade or full shade location. They do best in moist, rich, well-draining soil. They only require to be fed once in spring and summer to keep them healthy.

You can also grow hostas indoors, but because they do have an extensive root system, use a larger pot than you would normally use (a 12" pot for a medium-size hosta should do). Make sure to use a good, well-draining potting soil and give them at least a few hours of good sunlight though a window each day. They don't need a lot of sun, since they are normally grown in partial shade, but they do need some.

When hostas go dormant in winter, they completely disappear. The foliage will take on a melting appearance after the first couple of frosts; at that time simply tear the foliage off above the soil. Your hosta will go to sleep and then re-appear the following year when the last frosts of spring are done.

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Saturday, October 18, from 10 AM to Noon, we are having a Pumpkin Party!

A party for kids! FREE snacks, face painting, pumpkin painting, story telling and more...

Friday, October 31 is Halloween!

We dare you to win first, second or third place in our costume contest!

Is it bad to have mushrooms growing in my lawn?

Answer:
Not really, but elves sure like them! Mushrooms are the spore-producing structures of certain kinds of fungi. Most of these fungi are beneficial because they break down organic matter and release nutrients that are necessary for plant growth. In fall, as the weather begins to cool, mushrooms often pop up in lawns, causing people to wonder where they're coming from and how to control them.

Mushrooms produce tiny spores that are easily blown about in the wind. When these spores reach a favorable place, they germinate and grow. They are very common in areas with decomposing roots or underground stumps from cut down trees, fallen leaves or lawn thatch and other organic matter.

Most people want to control lawn mushrooms. Sorry to say, we have yet to find any chemicals that are effective in controlling them. Most mushrooms are harmless to your lawn, even though you might not like the way they look. The best you can do is to remove them with a rake and de-thatch your lawn in the fall. De-thatching removes the fungi's food source. Simply removing the mushrooms may make your lawn look better, but it will not kill the mycellium from which the mushrooms grow.

You should be extremely cautious about eating wild mushrooms, because many cause illness and some are deadly. Never eat a mushroom unless you are absolutely sure it is safe. A reference book is not enough--there are poisonous mushrooms that look very similar to non-poisonous ones. If you wish to pick wild mushrooms, please get training first!

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