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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...

signposts of spring

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. The sandhill crane’s raspy call or the melodious song...

coax some early spring bounty

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. So how can you add the color and fragrance of flowers to your home without breaking the bank?...

how long until spring!

We’ve experienced some lovely weather this month and the warming temperatures will definitely be a trend as we move into March. We hope that you have a chance to get outside and enjoy those beautiful days. And even though, these steps into early spring will be...

lion? or lamb?

What exactly determines the difference between lamb and lion weather? Temperature? Precipitation? Clear skies? I’ve never been sure. I’ve checked all 6 of my favorite weather apps and forecasts range from 30 degrees and sunny to 24 degrees with a 30% chance of snow....

let the growing begin

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. Water whenever the soil surface is dry to the touch and feed them every other week...

be our valentine

Valentine’s Day, as well as the more inclusive Palentine’s and Galentine’s days, are this weekend and everyone at the Bruce Company wishes you and everyone you love a great day! Have you wondered why red roses are the go-to flower for Valentine’s Day giving? Or why...
gardening in winter

gardening in winter

written by Lisa Briggs
Gardening projects in this season don’t have to be large and they don’t need to be complicated. Simpler is better as far as we’re concerned.

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rock around the christmas tree

rock around the christmas tree

written by Lisa Briggs
Before I started working at a garden center, late autumn could be a bit depressing. When colder mornings and cloudier skies are combined with leaves falling and perennials withering, I felt more than a twinge of sadness.

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light up the darkness

light up the darkness

written by Lisa Briggs
Now that Daylight Savings Time has had us all resetting our clocks, the shortening of each day as we head toward the Winter Solstice becomes more and more apparent. The term winter solstice marks the day when the earth’s axis tips us, and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, the farthest from the sun, so that the sun appears at its lowest and weakest point in the sky.

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light the winter gloom

light the winter gloom

written by Lisa Briggs
I love the bustle of the winter holidays. If I regret taking on extra projects, the sight of family faces around the table at Thanksgiving makes all of the work worthwhile.

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fall for autumn clean-up

fall for autumn clean-up

written by Lisa Briggs
The crisp, white frost that we’ve seen on our lawns a couple of times is a sure sign that the planting season is waning. If you have the energy, you don’t have to put away your wheelbarrow, rakes and shovels yet. There are lots of important tasks to accomplish in the garden before we’re done for the year.

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hola la nina

hola la nina

written by Lisa Briggs
Wow. We’re more than halfway through October and though some outlying locations have seen low temps close to freezing, we haven’t experienced a killing frost in any of the in-town areas!

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to LED or not to LED

to LED or not to LED

written by Lisa Briggs
It’s a perfect time to add some tree lighting to this weekend’s chore list and hang your Christmas lights! These beautiful, late fall days are perfect for getting a jump on outdoor holiday decorating.

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time to take a breath

time to take a breath

written by Lisa Briggs
At long last. It’s time to take a deep breath because a lot of the physical work, and often frenetic pace of the growing season is winding down.

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