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In This Issue:
- The Gardening Season Has Arrived!
- Matt Hanna Joins Avant Staff
- Eager to plant?
- Stone Work: A Dying Art?
- Garden To-Do’s
- Did you know?
- New for 2010!
- Find us on Facebook!
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The Gardening Season Has Arrived!
Spring at last! Tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are in bloom, trees are flowering and some early vegetables are almost here. With the warm days we’ve seen this season many of us are anxious to get in the garden and enjoy the good weather.
Wondering if we will still see spring frost?
In May, there's still a 50-percent chance of frost in southern Wisconsin, with average last frost dates in our area around May 3 - 9. If frost is predicted, be prepared to cover tender plants. You can use cloth, newspaper, straw or evergreen boughs for protection. This will trap the soil heat around the plants and prevent them from freezing.
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Matt Hanna Joins Avant Staff
Matt Hanna recently joined Avant Gardening's staff as a Design Assistant and brings a variety of landscape experience to our team. He graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Landscape Architecture and has done maintenance in the Madison area, nursery and plant care in the Fox Valley, and landscape design/implementation in the Northern Milwaukee area. We are excited to have him on board! Meet the staff here!
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Eager to plant?
You can add early color and interest to your landscape with cold-tolerant blooming annuals. Consider planting cool season favorites like calendula, pansy, sweet alyssum, and viola. Combat spring fever by planting early vegetables and herbs. Cold-tolerant edibles include lettuce, spinach, chives broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage and kohlrabi. These hardy annuals will do better if planted out early and benefit from cool and moist conditions. Replace them in June with a new batch of annual flowers and vegetables that can take the heat. Want to learn more about vegetable gardening? Click here for ideas!
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Stone Work: A Dying Art?
Our industry suffers from inertia when it comes to trends. Feed us a product and we will use it, over and over again. Let’s take concrete block and concrete pavers for example. These products are overused and often out of place. They are made alluring in magazines which feature glossy professional photographs of outdoor living spaces, all accented with night lighting, a glass of wine and a fire place. But does concrete really fit the landscape? But is it the right product for the location? Just today I saw a beautiful old 1930’s stone house, with incongruous, modern precast concrete pavers and wall block in the landscaping. Is stone work becoming a dying art? Read more...
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Garden To-Do’s
As tulip, daffodil, and other spring flowering bulbs fade, deadhead flowers to keep beds looking their best. Just be sure to wait until after the foliage has turned yellow before cutting them back.
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Did you know?
Now is an excellent time for transplanting and dividing mid-to-late blooming perennials. It is an easy and inexpensive way to fill in bare areas and relocate plants that have outgrown their boundaries. A few plants that benefit from being divided in spring include bee balm, artemesia, hosta, lady’s mantle, and cone flower. To ensure plants will successfully re-establish, wait until new growth is 2 to 4 inches tall. If possible, divide perennials before a rain so that they can benefit from cool temperatures and moisture. Regular watering will help the plants recover from dividing and replanting. Need help with a project? Contact us to discuss your ideas!
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New for 2010!
Bulk Material Delivery - Shredded bark, compost, topsoil & more
Prune/Replace Snow Damaged Plants
Edible Garden Design
Mention this and receive 15% OFF! Call today! 608.838.2054
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Find us on Facebook!
See pictures of what's blooming in our garden! Learn tips, tricks and more!
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Pass it on
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