Dear Gardening friends -

Weather is a fickle thing here in the Midwest.  One day it’s spring and the next we’re back to winter.  At long last though, it seems we’ve finally turned the corner to a beautiful spring. Nothing could be better than seeing the dogwoods bloom, birds chirping and tulips blooming, except a walk through our greenhouses.  They are stuffed to the brim with color.  

Thanks to the loving touch of  Nancy and Chris, our flowers look better this year than ever before.  The annuals are filling out nicely-snug in their beautiful all-natural  baskets basking in the sun filled greenhouses.  Geraniums are popping up with more colors each day.  If you’ve never seen close to 4,500 geraniums blooming together, you’ve got to stop in to see this spectacular sight.  Hundreds of different colors, shapes and sizes all trying to steal the show. (Chris says I love geraniums so much that we need to dedicate a whole greenhouse to them-good idea Chris!)  The smell of Nemesia will pleasantly surprise you as you wonder through this sea of color.  Only Mother Nature can provide this kind of beauty!

We’re growing more perennials this year than ever before. Coneflowers, coreopsis, salvia, perennial geraniums, sedums and the list goes on. Thanks to Julia, we’ve been able to snag some really great varieties of perennials.  She’s just as passionate about perennials as I am about annuals.  Her knowledge of both old and new perennials continues to amazes the staff and our customers.  Julia’s nickname for Sandy’s this season is the "House of Heuchera (Coral Bells)."  I tend to over order on my favorite plants (but, who wouldn’t with these extremely easy and hardy perennials).  As Mother’s Day quickly approaches, I am reminded of the hectic days when my 4 kids were smaller.  Back then, all I really wanted was just a few hours of peace and quiet and time to work in my garden. So, for all those unspoken words of gratitude from your family, treat yourself on this special day to a blooming gift from Sandy’s.

The garden shop is loaded with lots of fun, unique and unusual items.  This year we’re offering Angel Moss basket and window box liners.  I understand that Walt Disney World has started using them exclusively. 

They hold twice as much moisture as the traditional coco liners, thereby, reducing the amount of watering needed.  We’ve also started carrying more organic alternatives for lawn care, insecticides and fungicides. Our new line of Pharm Solutions products are OMRI registered. 

Our staff has pulled together as a team to create a memorable shopping experience when you visit us.  We’ll be glad to answer any question you have no matter how insignificant it might seem. If we don’t have a solution, we’ll direct you to someone who can help. Our job is to make sure you are successful in your gardening endeavors!

Remember, we aren’t just gardening, we’re DECORATING. Enjoy these beautiful days of spring and we’ll see you soon.

Can you get a lemon tree and an orange tree I can grow in my home?

I wish I could. However, the citrus crop has been held up from California and Florida because of citrus canker. The shortage has been going on for at least the last two years. Keep checking the website and the store for news on whether we can get citrus trees in our area.

Do you carry any Heather?

Yes, we carry mexican heather, the annual. Very cute plant for landscape and containers. We've got an extraordinary number of annuals we've grown in our own greenhouses. Come in and see what we have!

I am interested in creating a honey bee garden this year to encourage the honey bee population. Any tips?

We've noticed the bees love caryopteris, sweetspire, and porcelain vine, in particular.  There are many more but these are just a few we noticed they love. To help the honey bees, go to: www.helpthehoneybees.com.

Fertilize tress and shrubs now with Fertilome Tree and Shrub food.  A healthy plant is much less likely to be infected by disease and better able to handle an insect infestation.