Our Spring Catalog is out now! Enjoy this short video showing some of the highlights.

Nothing says “You’re special” like a surprise bouquet of flowers! Keep that special feeling as long as possible with these tips for keeping your blooms fresh and pretty:

1. Put fresh-cut flowers into water right away to keep them from wilting. Use a clean vase or container.
2. Trim away any leaves that will be underwater while in the vase. Submerged leaves rot, causing bacteria build-up and shortening the lifespan of the flowers.
3. Trim the flower stems before putting your flowers in the vase. The stems should be cut at an angle to allow the flowers to take in as much water as possible.
4. Add the plant food provided by the florist to the water in the vase. When you change the water (which you should do every 3-4 days), change the plant food as well (if you don’t have any more plant food, sugar is a good substitute).
5. Don’t display your arrangement in full sun or over a heat sources, as this will cause the flowers to dry out and wilt faster.

Winter is coming…follow these timely tips for preparing your yard and garden for the cold months ahead – and for making spring cleanup easier!

1. Dig up annuals and summer bulbs. If you haven’t done so yet, dig up summer annuals and use them to nourish the compost heap. You should also dig up your summer bulbs and store them in peat moss for the winter.

Continue Reading 8 tips for putting your yard & garden to bed

The Fourth of July is fast approaching – time to fire up the grill and celebrate! For a memorable backyard barbecue, follow these seven fun and easy steps.

Continue Reading Seven Steps To A Perfect Summer Barbecue

“I thought I’d surprise my Dad, the grill chef, by manning the grill for Father’s Day. I had seen him grill for years. And, how hard could it be?

Starting the charcoal posed a bit of a problem. I blew and I blew and I blew, but they would not catch. So, I started adding more lighter fluid.

What I learned is that fire will travel up the stream of lighter fluid.

Swosh! I got a big flash flame, shrieked, and tossed the can of lighter fluid down the driveway like an NFL quarterback.

Dad came out to see what was going on.

I pretended like everything was fine. He pretended like he did not notice my singed eyelashes and the crisp ends of my Farrah Fawcett hairdo wings (of that time) or that the can of lighter fluid was way down the driveway. He also showed me how to use the electric fire starter.

My Dad is no longer alive, but I carry on the family tradition of grilling. Now, I use a chimney starter though, and I have a better hair do.”
-Cyndi

The crops are coming in, and they’re abundant this time of year. Whether you’re harvesting from the backyard, the farmers’ market or the grocery store, there are a number of ways to preserve that bounty, so you can enjoy the best of the season the whole year through. Continue Reading Preserve the Taste of Summer

As a child, I loved helping my mother in the kitchen. But it could be uncomfortable in the summer, when a warm afternoon combined with a hot stove to turn the kitchen into a sauna.

An open window on one side of the kitchen and a screen door on the other created cross-ventilation that allowed mom and me to work and chat in comfort while listening to the birds outside.

My fond memories of this time are probably what led to my wanting to install a screen door leading to the balcony of our first apartment.

Continue Reading Kathy’s Summer Picks

No need to stop at burgers…adventurous grillers are taking barbecuing to the next level—dessert! But you don’t have to be an expert BBQ chef to create succulent fruit desserts on the grill. It takes just a few minutes to grill fruits, and you’ll receive rave reviews for your delicious and unexpected meal toppers.
Continue Reading Grilling Fruit – How to grill fruit on your BBQ