Click here to see the winners!
That’s right! It’s back! In the past we have had Photo Contests of pets, children and nature. People from all over the area not only submitted photos but many of you voted on them as well. This was such a fun contest that we are repeating it this year.
1st Place will receive a $100 Rock Pile Gift Card!
2nd Place will receive a $50 Rock Pile Gift Card!
3rd Place will receive a $25 Rock Pile Gift Card!
Our theme is Backyard Nature Happenings. This can include your kids & pets enjoying the backyard, photos of your prize vegetable garden, beautifully blooming flowers and all kinds of backyard visitors (butterflies, birds, squirrels, deer and more). Whatever you choose to be the subject of your photo, be sure it’s enjoying the outdoors. Entries must be submitted by May 15, 2010. Bring in a hard copy photo to The Rock Pile. Photo must be at least 4″ by 6″. Photos must be labeled on the back with name, address, phone number and e-mail. Limit of 3 entries per person. Photos may be in color or black and white, but color works best for this contest. Vote for your favorites! Voting will take place May 15 through May 25. One vote per person. Winners will be announced June 1, 2010 and be featured in our e-mail newsletter.
This year’s first issue of The Stone Tablet is on it’s way. Depending on the city you live in, you should receive it in The Town Money Saver the first or third week of April. We are now smack-dab in the center of the book, in FULL COLOR!
Watch for an awesome mulch coupon!
Check out some of the contents here.
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April 1st… Easter plants
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Ever wonder how easy it can be to grow potatoes and onions? This is the seminar for you! Homegrown potatoes taste so much better than store-bought, and they’re simple to grow!
We will fry up some potatoes to give you an idea of the different flavors, textures, and highlights. Plus – the smell is amazing!
Saturday, April 24 at 1 pm
Pre-Register and Receive a Special Offer at the Seminar!
Just in time for Easter!
Hyacinths ~ Daffodils ~ Mixed Bulb Garden
Pansies and Violas!
A rep from Dr. Earth will walk us through the exciting world of gardening with organic nutrients.
Saturday, May 29 10 am
Pre-Register and Receive a Special Offer at the Seminar!
Mark your calendars now for a crash course on Grass Seed!
Learn all the do’s and don’ts of Grass Seed; from prep work to choosing the correct blend for your yard to fertilizing…
Saturday, April 24 10 am
Pre-Register and Receive a Special Offer at the Seminar!
Join our birding experts Jamie Haas & Brian See at the Avon Lake Public Library this Tuesday. Learn about different types of birds, what they eat, and how to attract them to your feeding stations. This is a great opportunity to ask all of those bird questions you have just been dying to know answers to . The Avon Lake Garden Club will be there but this seminar is free and open to the public. So bring your friends and neighbors and join us for an interesting and fun evening with other Bird Lovers like you.
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When: Tuesday March 23 @ 7pm!
Where: Avon Lake Public Library -32649 Electric Blvd.
Think spring. What do you think of? I think of warmer weather, rain and all kinds of plants beginning to push through the ground. And since this will be happening soon, there is one precaution you should take before it’s too late for your plants. Use plant supports. Spring staking is always easier and better for your garden plants. Some plants can stand on their own. Others need a helping hand in the form of a stake… sometimes two.. Regardless of the reason for staking, you will easily obtain a healthy neat and tidy garden when using staking methods that are appropriate for your plants. Here are some tips and tricks to staking plants correctly. Follow them and enjoy a beautiful garden all summer long.
1) Do your plants need staking?
If your plant is top heavy, or moves around in the wind or the flowers/fruit lie on the ground, your plant needs staking. For perennials, try to remember from last year. Taller plants like delphiniums and hollyhocks are a must to stake. Strong winds and a hard rain will cause them to flop over and they do not bounce back later on. If you are planting vegetables, there is one veggie that will absolutely need to be staked… the tomato plant. Using a tomato cage will not only help support the plant but also keep the tomatoes out of the dirt.
2) When should you stake plants?
For perennials, stake your plants as early as possible, when they first begin to appear and the dangers of late frosts have passed. Top heavy flowers from bulbs should be staked at planting to avoid the risk of piercing any part of the underground portion of the bulb and damaging it. For tomatoes, let them have a head start of about 8 inches before you stake them. Be careful not to damage the root system when placing the stake.
3) Select the proper stakes for your plants.
Materials such as branches, bamboo, plastic stakes or metal rings (like Link-ups & tomato cages) work well for ease. Good old fashioned wooden stakes will work too but they should be sturdy straight stakes free from splinters. The size of the stake should fit your plant. Not too long, short or thick. The stake should be at least 1 foot higher than the plant before it is set into the ground.
4) Where should you place the stake?
Use a hammer to drive the stake into the ground OUTSIDE the drip line of the plant. Placing the stake inside the drip line will damage the roots.(The drip line is the imaginary circle on the ground that corresponds to the leaf canopy). Drive the stake into the soil so it is slightly lower than the height of the plant.
5) Tie off your plant.
Use covered wire or coated plant ties and attach them loosely ensuring they do not cut into the bark or stem of the plant. Be sure to secure the tie to the stake and not the plant. The tie material should begin at the stake, make a figure 8 and be tied securely to the stake with a knot or twist. You can also use green twine that will blend into your garden and will not damage or cut into the plant. Plants with top heavy flowers such as gladiolus and dahlias should be tied all the way to the top of the flower.
The vigorous growth of many herbaceous perennials and climbers often need a helping hand to prevent them from flopping onto neighboring plants or over the edges of lawn and paths. Putting plant supports in place early means that even the most obvious one can be hidden by the foliage in just a few weeks. After all, looking at a few bare stakes for a short period of time is a lot simpler than having your plants reach full bloom and have the task of trying to tie plants that are too tall running the risk of breaking or bending the tops and trying to fit a full grown plant into a stake.
Have you been looking for a simple, no-hassle way to feed your birds that doesn’t leave you broke? Seed cylinders and bells don’t appeal to some people because they seem like they are more for decoration than functional use. Well, if you’ve always wondered if Bird Seed Cylinders could make your life easier, now’s the time to give them a try.
Started on a kitchen counter in 1996, Mr.Bird is now one of the largest seed block and bird seed gift manufacturers in the nation. So, if you’re in the market for a long lasting feeder that minimizes seed that falls to the ground, give Mr. Bird’s Seed Cylinders a try…you won’t be disappointed.
Pecan Feast 18 oz. ~ $4.99; Pecan Feast 32 oz. ~ $7.49; Woodpecker Feast 32 oz. ~ $7.49; Super Sunflower Feast with Perch 14 oz. ~ $5.49; Wild Bird Feast 16 oz. ~ $4.59; Wild Bird Feast 28 oz. ~ $7..29
Seedling Care & Nurturing
Phew! Your seedling is emerging from the soil. But now comes the worry of over-nurturing your newborn plant while waiting for the outdoor weather to catch up with your dreams.
Be sure to thin your seedlings as needed. Plants do not like to be crowded because they need all the sun and nutrients they can get. You may want to leave a few extras for a while as the mortality rate of seedlings can be high.
Let there be light, and plenty of it! As soon as seedling emerge they seek light, so offer as much direct sunlight as possible. Placing your plants by a window with southern exposure will help. This may still not be enough light, seeing as there can be a lack of sun in the spring. Consider an artificial glow light and place the seedlings under it on cloudy days and at night.
Water your seedlings every couple of days. Do not soak the soil each day. Overly wet soil encourages the development of damping off disease. Let the soil dry out a little on the top, then water thoroughly. Watering from the bottom is preferred. That’s why it is important to get a container with holes in the bottom.
“Feed me, Seymore”… but not too much. Your seed starter soil comes with a balanced formula of nutrient that seedlings need. But after several days you can add a little liquid fertilizer to the water. Be sure not to give it the full strength. Want to grow more beans & peas? Use a soil inoculant like Burpee Booster which will increase crop yields and improve plant growth. Available at The Rock Pile for only $2.49!
Look for the warning signs. If the roots of the seedling begin to come out the bottom of the pot/tray, it is time to either transplant your seedlings to a larger pot or plant them outdoors, weather permitting. Most plants do not like to be root bound.
There can be a danger of having “leggy” plants. This means that their main stem or stalk grows tall and thin and can hardly support the leaf structure. It is caused by insufficient sunlight and a sheltered environment. Indoors, plants do not experience the effect of wind, and do not need to develop structure to defend against it. Most seedlings do not even experience a slight breeze. When transplanted outdoors, “leggy” plants can be damaged or broken by the wind. But there is good news, you can get them used to these conditions by hand-fanning your seedlings a few times a day. You can even lightly brush the tops of the plants, brushing back and forth in varying directions. You may notice the plants seem to slow down for a period. What they are really doing is building a stronger stem or stalk.
Don’t leave the birds homeless one more year…
We all know birds need to eat and drink to survive. But quite often we forget about their shelter. Not all birds create their own homes. Some birds like woodpeckers and chickadees excavate cavities in tree trunks for nesting and roosting. Many other species such as wrens, bluebirds, titmice, and some ducks and owls, nest in cavities that other birds have made. Nest boxes offer these birds a place to raise their young, especially where natural cavaties are at a premium. ABout 80 species of birds nest in cavities and are candidates for using a nest box. Remember that the kinds of birds you’ll attract are affected by where you live and what the surrounding habitat is like.
Our sales associates can guide you in finding the right nesting box for your yard and offer information about nest box placement and how to avoid predators. Don’t forget the nesting material! If you put up a nest box, please be a responsible landlord. Nest boxes should be maintained on a regular basis. Unmonitored nest boxes can easily become home to House Sparrows or Starlings, that aggressively compete with native birds, destroying eggs and chicks and sometimes vulnerable adult birds.
Spring is the prefect time of year to put up nesting boxes. Having a bird-friendly yard has never been more important – nearly 80 percent of wildlife habitat in the United States is in private hands, and an average of 2.1 million acres each year are converted to residential use. This leaves less forested areas that contain rotting wood for nesting cavities. Support our wildlife, cohabitate with the birds this year.
