Definitely a Mother's Day gift to remember!

Bluemel’s also held its ‘Paint N’ Plant for Mom’ Event last Wednesday, May 9th.  This fun and free event allowed customers to bring their children in to paint and plant a pot to give to mom for Mother’s Day.  All who attended had a blast and it seemed that our employees enjoyed the event as much as the kids!  The children who participated got to explore their creative side and when their project was complete, they were rewarded with a snack!  Because this event was also a huge success, Bluemel’s plans on making this event an annual one as well.  Just a heads-up- if you missed out on this event, Bluemel’s will be hosting a similar event for dad:  ‘Paint N’ Plant for Pops’ the week of Father’s Day on Wednesday, June 13th.   Sign up for this event today!

If you’ve missed both of these events don’t worry… Bluemel’s has many more events scheduled for the 2012 growing season.  Click on the link below to take a look at what we have planned for our customers this year.  As you will see, all of these events are FREE and whether you are 5 years old or 110 years old, live in an apartment or own a 3 acre yard, are a novice gardener or have been a gardener for as long as you can remember, Bluemel’s has a nice mix of programs for everybody!

http://www.bluemels.com/events/

Try pairing black petunias with yellow flowers for a bumble-bee theme, or maybe plant black petunias with orange flowers if you are a Harley Davidson lover!  The possibilities are endless with this truly unique plant.  You have to see them to believe them.  Hurry in because stock is limited.

Bluemel’s currently offers 3 styles:

- Black Velvet (solid black)

- Pinstripe (Black with subtle yellowish-white striping)

- Phantom ( Black with broad yellowish-white striping)

GREENHOUSES

Although the weather is still a little “iffy”, we are starting to see some serious traffic in our greenhouses.  Here is what we have in stock-

ANNUALS- Our Hanging Baskets and ‘Dome-Grown’ potted annuals are out and selling!  Some customers are already starting their gardening projects…just keep an eye on the night temps to determine if your annuals will need protection.  We are also fully stocked with annual flats available in individual 4 packs or full trays of (12) 4 packs.

PERENNIALS- Our ‘Dome Grown’ potted perennials are out and selling fast! Our crop looks amazing this season.  Please note that our supplement orders have been trickling in so we are still adding to our perennial inventory.  If you stop by and are looking for a particular plant and can’t seem to find it, simply ask us- chances are they’re on their way!  It is safe to begin planting hardy perennials now.

HERBS- We have a full selection of herbs and boy do they look great this year!

VEGGIES- Vegetable plants will be available Friday (5/4) and as usual, we will be carrying a wide selection of the popular varieties as well as some of the harder to find ones.

FRUITS- We have some really nice blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, grape & kiwi vine plants available.  We also have some really healthy looking strawberries available in hanging baskets!  More strawberry plants as well as cantaloupe & watermelon are on their way…

ROSE BUSHES-  Our rose bushes have just arrived and we dare you to find a place that has better quality!  These rose bushes are so healthy, most have buds or even blooms on them already.  Act fast if you are in the hunt for a particular variety because we do sell out of certain types fast.  With the favorable temps, we expect to move these rose bushes out faster than normal.

YARD

Our bulk department is fully stocked with soil, mulches, decorative & construction stone as well as always-fresh sod & straw bales- ready for delivery or pick-up 7 days a week.  We are excited to now offer bulk “aged” cow manure to our customers.

STORE

Our retail store is packed with all your gardening necessities such as tools and plant applications.  We also have some pretty cool one-of-a-kind, locally made garden accents as well as birding supplies.  We now offer a new brand of high-quality grass seed too!

POTTERY

Our pottery selection looks absolutely stunning.  In fact, several customers have remarked about what a nice selection we have compared to some of the other places in the area.  Hurry in- this inventory is limited stock!

Happy gardening and see you soon

The Effects of Manure on the Soil

The effects of manure on the soil are beneficial as well. As the soil absorbs manure, nutrients are released. This enriches the soil, which in turn, helps the plants. The most important benefit of using manure in the garden is its ability to condition the soil.

For instance, mixing manure with sandy soils helps to retain moisture levels. Adding manure to compacted soil helps loosen the soil. Manure produces increased soil carbon, which is an important source of energy that makes nutrients available to plants. Other benefits of manure include reduced runoff and leaching of nitrates in the soil.

Using Composted Manure as Mulch

Did you know that using composted manure as mulch is also beneficial? Because manure is considered a slow-release plant fertilizer, it provides small amounts of nutrients over an extended period. This makes it an acceptable form of mulch for plants. However, make certain it is not fresh manure. Fresh manure is too strong for plants, as it contains excessive amounts of nitrogen, which can burn the plants. In addition, some manure fertilizer consists of urine as well, which is also high in nitrogen. Too much nitrogen on plants can be detrimental for them.

The benefits of manure as plant fertilizer and the effects of manure on the soil makes its use in the garden worth consideration.

Bluemel’s bulk and bagged cow manure compost is aged so it does not give off a foul odor or burn the root systems of plants.

Stop in and pick some up today or have us deliver!

I think that all gardeners whether novice or expert, take great pride in their gardens.  If you were to ask each one individually I’d bet that nearly all who love gardening would say that growing a garden is like raising children.  Just think about it… plants are indeed a lot like children.  You start them out when they are young, and nurture them all the way up until they are thriving and producing beautiful flowers or fruit.  The bottom line is that it’s very fulfilling to watch your children, as well as your plants, grow up to do great things.  There is something very special that takes place when you are able to sit back and enjoy a beautiful garden that you took the time and effort to create.  If you’ve never gardened before, you will not grasp this concept until you dig in and get your hands dirty!

Recently I was discussing planting beds with a customer that I had seen at our store several times.   During our conversation, I had made a comment about how much we care about our plants.  I went on to say nonchalantly that “Since we grow most of our own plants…”  I was stopped dead in my tracks.  “Wait a minute”, the customer replied.  “What do you mean that Bluemel’s grows most of their own plants?”  I was shocked.  I began thinking to myself “How in the world does this customer, who shops here regularly, not know that we plant and grow most of our own plant stock?”  I also thought it was very ironic and slightly amusing that both of us were astonished at the remarks that were made to each other that led to this instant confusion.  Then it hit me.  I realized that we have become so accustomed to growing our own plant material that we had taken for granted that our customers- especially our regular customers, knew this fact.  As manager of our garden center, I am sure you can imagine the embarrassment that set in when I realized the complete failure on our part to properly communicate this to our customer base.

Right then and there I decided that we needed to take swift action.  I told myself “there is no-way any customer is going to leave our store without knowing who grew the plants they had just purchased.”  After all, we should be- and are, very proud to offer our customers plants that we grew ourselves.  We have found that growing our own plants gives us a deeper understanding of how each plant performs, as well as what each plant’s maintenance needs are.  In essence, the knowledge we gain from growing our own plants gives us much more confidence in our offerings which in turn naturally leads to our customers being confident in their plant purchases.  I cannot begin to tell you how many of our customers have told us how well our annuals and perennials perform in their garden in comparison to most of our competitors.  And we directly attribute this to the total dedication and delicate care that we give to each plant!

As I had mentioned before, we grow most of our own annuals and perennials.  When I say that, I mean about 85% of it.  The reason why we don’t grow 100% of our plants is because we simply do not have the space in our greenhouses to accommodate the growing process for that quantity.  The other 15% or so of annual and perennial plant stock that we offer comes from very dependable and reputable resources.  We choose professional growers who share our philosophy for quality and we have established very solid relationships with these suppliers over the years.

Back to our dilemma of properly communicating that we grow our own plants to our customers.  As I had mentioned, we are going to be preaching this to our customers until we lose our voices, but we came to thinking- how cool would it be to come up with a slogan or logo that identifies the plants that we grow?  Hence, the ‘Dome Grown’ insignia was born.  If you haven’t noticed, this logo has begun to pop up like daffodils in some of our signage, our pots, advertisements, and of course our website.  Look for this ‘Dome Grown’ stamp to start showing up even more this season and into the next.

So, when you see this logo, know that it stands for quality, integrity, and pride… after all, these ‘Dome Grown’ plants are our children!

Happy Gardening

-John Lewandowski, Garden Center Manager

Add some color now!  Our cold crop annuals & veggies should be arriving mid to late week.  These are the plants that are arriving:

• Pansies
• Snapdragons
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower

These crops are referred to as “cold crops” because they tolerate cold temperatures- In fact, they can handle the frost! These are truly some tough plants you won’t have to worry about with our up and down temperatures.

We know some of you are dying to get in your garden…we are dying to see you!  Stop in later this week and pick up some plants and do some gardening this weekend.

See you soon

Whether you’re a first-time gardener or preparing your flower beds like you’ve done for years, here are some helpful hints to make sure you’re ready to plant when your flower and vegetable plants arrive!

Location is key!

While those of you with long-standing gardens or flower beds may not be able to move them, new gardeners will want to think about where they are going to plant. Here are some beginner tips:

• Be near a water source. This will be helpful in the long, dry days of summer when rainfall isn’t enough.
• Make sure your location is convenient. A spot near your home will help you remember to harvest your crops and tend to the garden or flower bed.
• Choose the right plants. Sun requirements vary from plant to plant; some do best in full sun while other plants prefer at least some shade during the day. Choose plants for your location based on their sun or shade needs.
• Mulch early to save time and water. Once you’re done planting, apply 1-2 inches of mulch to retain moisture in the soil and prevent weeds from taking over. Don’t use freshly ground wood mulch, as that will tie up the nutrients as it decomposes.
• Consider rejuvenating your soil by amending organic compost to your planting bed.  Doing this will be particularly crucial if it hasn’t been done in a few seasons.  All planting beds become depleted of nutrients over time especially if  you use synthetic fertilizers.
• Get a soil test! While it might not be the first thing you think of, a soil test can be very valuable in determining whether your location is suitable for plant growth plus it may save you frustration and confusion later in the season if you begin to notice plant problems.

Check out the following article   http://www.jsonline.com/features/homeandgarden/hglguide/147232985.html

So you’ve picked your location…now what? Here are some  important things to keep in mind:

Draw out a plan!

• Pick a size that works for you. Some gardeners can be overwhelmed by a huge garden, so start small! Learn what works for you and increase the size of your garden or flower beds as the years go by.
• Start easy and advance. The only thing you might wind up with if you plant the most finicky vegetables or flowers your first time out is a headache. Remember, it’s okay to start with easy-to-grow plants and slowly start working your way to the more challenging ones over time.
• Plant what you need. Especially where vegetables are concerned, you don’t have to grow enough to fill a grocery store produce section. Figure out what your family needs and start there.
• Learn about your plants. Most cool-season crops (lettuce, spinach, radishes) can easily be started from seeds, while warm-season crops (tomatoes and peppers) take longer to mature, so transplants might be a better option. Do your research.
• Draw it out and keep records. For some gardeners, drawing the layout of their garden or flower bed can help determine the best design to capitalize on colors or give you a better handle on how much space is available for each crop. Once you’ve planted, you may want to keep track of important information in a garden diary (planting dates, disease problems and how you handled them, quality and quantity of harvest) to help you improve your gardens in the future.

Get your tools!

Here are just a few “must-have’s” for every gardener!

• Hoses
• Sprinklers
• Garden tools
• Seeds and transplants
• Fertilizer
• Staking materials
• Mulch
• Protection from wildlife

Of course, Bluemel’s Garden & Landscape Center carries all the tools you will need to have a successful gardening season.  Plus, we are always on hand if you have questions or concerns.  Know that we will be with you every step of the way!

Happy Gardening

Monday – Friday  7:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday 7:00am – 4:00pm, and Sunday 8:00am – 3:00pm  (Please note that we will be closed Easter Sunday)

As always, we will be extending our hours a second time as we approach planting season.  This change usually begins the first week of  May but who knows?…. If the warm weather hits us sooner, we may even extend our hours in April!

We look forward to helping you with all of your gardening and landscaping needs

As we all know, Wisconsin weather can be very unpredictable especially when we are transitioning from winter into spring.  One week it’s 80 degrees, and then the following week it’s in the 40’s.  Sometimes there can even be drastic temperature swings within 24 hours.  These drastic swings can drive a gardener crazy.   Even though our long winter tends to get us pent up and itching to go the minute it feels like summer outside, we recommend you use caution when deciding to “dig in” so that you avoid the frustration and stress of protecting your new plantings when the weather swings for the worse, but more importantly- to avoid wasting time and money.

Planting Annuals

Annuals (zone 6 and up) are favored for their long-bloom period and wide color selection.  Just popping a couple of annuals into a perennial bed can give the bed a new look as well as provide constant color as your perennials cycle through their various bloom periods.  Some gardeners love annuals so much that they completely do without perennials.  Although doing this may cost more money every season, the payoff can be well-worth it.  Choosing only annuals allows for different dynamic color schemes every year.  Annuals give your landscape beautiful color beginning in spring all the way up until fall.  The one important factor to consider when deciding to plant your annuals is the potential for FROST.  With exception to cold-tolerant annuals and veggies such as cabbage, broccoli, pansies, petunias, and a few others, annuals and vegetables are significantly tender or more “fleshy” than perennial plants.  Frost is the one weather factor than can completely destroy your annual bed or vegetable garden.  We have found that most annuals and veggies start to ‘freak-out’ if they are exposed to temperatures below 55 degrees for a lengthy period of time.  Usually they will snap out of it- just as long as they haven’t been exposed to frost.

Although some gardeners ‘roll the dice’ and plant their annuals in early spring (end of April – beginning of May), usually most choose Memorial Day weekend as the starting point to safely plant annuals and veggies.  Again, frost is the key and even though by Memorial Weekend frost conditions are usually out of the forecast- it is not uncommon for a surprise frost to hit our area.  If this should occur, simply cover your annuals and veggies with a blanket or burlap.  We highly recommend that you always use caution.  Whenever in doubt, cover em’ up!  Even if there is a remote threat of frost, it would be in your wallet’s and your plant’s best interest if they were covered.

If you are an impatient gardener, early spring may be a great time to do your container gardening projects.  Plants that are potted up can be maneuvered into the garage whenever there is a threat of frost.  If the container is too heavy to move, simply place a blanket or burlap over it.

Planting Perennials

 Perennials (zone 5 and under) are favored for their longevity.  Perennials are plants that keep on giving from season to season.  We recommend that when selecting perennials try to keep 3 factors in mind:  Light Requirement (sun or shade), Size (height & width), and Bloom Period.  Choosing perennials with various bloom times will give your perennial bed continual color through-out the season.  Perennials can be planted anytime during the season but we recommend doing majority of your perennial gardening in early spring or early fall while using summer to replace or pop-in plants in the bare spots of your planting bed.  Planting early or late in the season will protect you from having to constantly water your new plantings during the hot summer months- especially when we experience drought spells.

Because perennials are significantly hardier than annuals, frost isn’t that much of a factor when it comes to choosing the right time to plant perennials.  We do recommend that you treat your perennials as an annual if the perennial is very young and has a weak or small root system.  Like any new plantings, undesirable temperatures may cause the plant to ‘freak out’, but for the most part, perennials are tough enough to handle the frost and will eventually snap out of it.

As much as we would love to sell you a tomato plant or a geranium in April, we also want our customers to have success in the garden.  Success starts by planting when your annuals, veggies and perennials have the best chance to produce strong root systems, solid growth, and gorgeous blooms or fruit.  We hope you now have the confidence and knowledge to determine the safe time to start your gardening.

Happy gardening !

We will be fully stocked on all of our soils (brown, blended, & garden) as well as our mulches (shredded hardwood, white cedar, red, brown, and gold enviro) by next week (week of March 19th), but most products are already in stock.

We have also started delivering bulk products as well.  Call or stop in to place your order for fast & friendly service!

We apologize in advance if things seem in disarray when you visit- we are crazy-busy getting ready to officially open our store on Monday, April 2nd.

As always, our main office is open 8am to 3pm, Monday through Friday.  Call us to set up a lawn or landscape appointment today!

Thanks for your business and we look forward to helping you with all of your gardening and landscaping needs.