Garden Center Blog

vegging out

It seems as though the pace of setting up for spring is faster every year, but this season is especially frenzied. The yo-yo temperatures had all of us itching to start gardening in March, even though those chilly nights held back a lot of our plant deliveries and...

we’re digging the season

May is many a gardener’s favorite month, and this year even more so! The seesaw spring had spring flowers developing in fits and starts, but the warm temps late last week pushed many plants hard, all at once. My drive into work each morning is a little reminiscent of...

the rhythms of spring

All of April’s severe weather added up to a pretty wet month. The month’s total precipitation totaled 7 ¼-inches! Average is 3 ¾. With the exception of a small corner of northwest Wisconsin, the state is no longer showing any drought conditions. All of the gardens...

better late than never

Gardeners are not the kind of folks who enjoy being cooped up in the house all winter. When the weather finally breaks, and plants begin to emerge from dormancy, it’s understandable that we are eager to greet every new shoot and admire every swelling bud. But, we can...

spring wake-up call

This spring’s really warm days gave us a taste of the summer to come, but the unseasonably high temps should moderate for the next few days to something more seasonal. I’ve always maintained that gardeners are the most optimistic folks on earth and, no matter what the...

brief but brilliant

Every spring, gardeners hold their collective breath as we wait for the first green shoots pushing through the warming soil. To be a perennial gardener in this climate requires great faith in your choices. It seems miraculous that fragile perennial plants and very...

seeds of success

There are great reasons to grow your vegetables from seed because you have are so many more choices when you’re buying seeds. Let’s start with taste and depth of selection. Ordinarily, the Garden Center has 50 or so varieties of tomato seedlings on order. If you look...

lettuce beware!

My whiskers twich when you’re not watching- My ears flick like weather vanes. My eyes grow round and rounder, I hippety-hop along the rows. Sometimes I nibble cabbage. Sometimes I nap amid the squash. When the sun shines, my coat turns to rust. But when the moon...

you had us at pansies

Happy Vernal Equinox! And last Friday was everything I was hoping for the first day of spring. Despite that blizzard, the month of March, thus far, has felt fairly mild and if you look at Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, known...

plant a butterfly buffet

Learn About Butterflies Day was March 14th and it always reminds me that the battle between strength and fragility is not illustrated more clearly than by a butterfly. About 130 of these brightly colored beauties can be spotted during the spring and summer in...
why plant a butterfly garden?

why plant a butterfly garden?

written by Lisa Briggs
Gardeners value butterflies for their usefulness as pollinators, as well as for their beauty. You can attract them to your yard by planting shrubs and perennials that serve their needs.

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bring the spring inside

bring the spring inside

written by Lisa Briggs
A beautiful vase of flowers is a perfect remedy for chasing away the late winter blues when all we really want is to see is the light of spring at the end of winter’s tunnel.

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now you see spring-now you don’t

now you see spring-now you don’t

written by Lisa Briggs
As winter recedes, each sign of spring seems more symbolic than the last. And this year’s teasing tone has made all of us more than a little crazy. Personally, I’m longing for thunderstorms instead of snow showers.

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if life hands you dirt, plant seeds!

if life hands you dirt, plant seeds!

written by Lisa Briggs
It’s a bit early, but if you’ve already started some seeds, those baby seedlings may be growing like Jack’s beanstalks. Be sure that you check them every day and observe their progress.

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will you be our valentine?

will you be our valentine?

written by Lisa Briggs
Have you wondered why red roses are the go-to flower for Valentine’s Day giving? Or why white calla lilies are in so many traditional bridal bouquets? The answers to these questions lie in the language of flowers.

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more than a gramma’s flower

more than a gramma’s flower

written by Lisa Briggs
Even though it’s barely started, you may find yourself getting a bit sick of winter. The damp, gray days contribute to cases of cabin fever and longing for the sight of some swelling buds.

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