NOW ARRIVED!

Spring bulbs are ready, and we have them! Check with us for your favorites: tulips, daffodils, paperwhites, ranunculus, bearded iris…and others. Come in now for the best selection, before they're picked over. (And before you leave, check with one of our nursery professionals for planting and care instructions. We're happy to help.

These plants will produce a profusion of brightly colored blooms, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden. They are perfect for beds, borders, and containers. But wherever you plant them, keep them deadheaded to ensure more blooms. And if you are treating them as perennials, cut them back heavily before spring growth begins to keep them compact and ready to start another round of flowering.

Type: perennial often grown as annual
Blooms: nearly year round
Height: 2-3 feet
Exposure: full sun
Water: moderate

The popularity of crotons in both indoor and outdoor plantings is increasing at a phenomenal rate. Native to tropical areas of Malaysia and southern Asia, these easy- growing plants have bright-colored foliage, often with many colors in one leaf. The uniqueness of these plants is their colorful glossy foliage in varying shapes and sizes.

Crotons are small shrubs which can reach a height of 2-6 feet. Some crotons can even be used as hedges or specimen plants. They also grow well in containers. The 6"-12" leaves are leathery and start out green, gradually changing color as the plant matures. They come in many shapes and a rainbow of colors including reds, pinks, yellows, rust, orange and even some purples, to name just a few.

Crotons are grown primarily for their brightly colored foliage. For this reason they need a fairly high amount of light to maintain their vibrant colors. Crotons prefer high humidity, full sun and moist, humus-rich but well-drained soil with a generous supply of organic material; we recommend Fox Farm Potting Soil.

Crotons require only a moderate amount of watering on a regular basis. Keep them moist but not excessively wet. To maintain good growth, feed crotons regularly throughout the year with a water-soluble fertilizer, such as Eleanor's VF-11. We stock a great selection of crotons just waiting to find a place in your home or garden. Stop by today to see what all the fuss is about!

Autumn is a good time to prepare your lawn for the year ahead, and the best time to tackle any long-term improvements. Tasks such as raking out lawn debris, eradicating moss, feeding, and aerating will improve the quality of your lawn greatly if carried out on a yearly basis.

Under some conditions, grass clippings and debris can form a thick "thatch" on the surface of your lawn. This affects growth of the grass and should be removed with a lawn rake. Raking also removes moss.

If grass growth is poor, aerate the lawn. You can do this by pushing the prongs of a fork about 15 cm (6 in) into the ground. Brush a soil improver into the holes made by the fork. Use sand or a mixture of fine soil and sand if the ground is poorly drained. Alternatively, use peat, a peat-substitute or very fine, well-rotted compost if the ground is sandy. Reseed as necessary with Winter Rye Seed; fall is an excellent time for reseeding.

If your lawn is in poor condition and needs reviving, apply an autumn lawn feed, such as Super Turf Builder. It is essential that you use one formulated for autumn use, as spring and summer feeds will contain too much nitrogen. If the grass contains a lot of moss, apply a moss killer. Use one recommended for autumn use; the mixture known as lawn sand, sometimes used to kill moss, contains too much nitrogen.

You can (and should) tidy an uneven edge whenever it's necessary, but doing a full job of it in autumn will relieve the pressure at busier times of the year. Hold a half-moon edger against a board held in position with your feet.

Well, we've rounded the (seasonal) corner at Labor Day and now we're gearing up for Fall. And bulb planting season, so:

This Week's Question: According to its word parts, what does ranunculus mean? (Not the common name, like "buttercup.") Tie Breaker: how can that name be considered appropriate?

This Week's Prize: Dutch Master narcissus bulbs (package of 32)

Voles are small, mouse-like rodents that are commonly called meadow or field mice, but with shorter tails, a stocky build and small eyes that distinguish them from true mice. Moles are slightly larger with longer tails. Both can inhabit garden areas but prefer a subterranean life in the soil.

Moles are usually harmless except for annoying tunnels that can create air pockets around some plants, which can lead them to dry out faster. Moles feed on insects, grubs and earthworms and rarely consume plant materials.

The difference between them is that voles can wreak havoc in the home landscape, attacking young plants in early spring when they are emerging from the soil. Voles clip off the young plants and dig up the seeds; they can also consume flower bulbs and vegetable crops, leaving significant damage. Vole damage can be costliest during the winter when a shortage of preferable foods forces them to eat the inner green bark layer of trees and shrubs. The gnawing required to reach this layer can severely damage or kill many young trees, shrubs and landscape plantings.

Voles can also scar lawns by constructing runways and clipping grass very close to the roots. Though the damage done is not usually permanent, it may detract from the appearance of a well-kept garden, just as mole tunnels may. Voles also tunnel below ground and feed on the roots of trees and shrubs.

Voles have been known to travel via tunnels developed by moles to gain access to flower bulbs and other plant roots. Damage of this type is often mistakenly blamed on moles. Voles don't always cause significant property damage--but it only takes a few voles to damage a highly valued tree or flower bed and to warrant control.

There are a number of approaches one can use against both voles and moles that are both preventative and controlling. If early in the season, consider using a repellant, such as Bonide Shotgun Mole & Gopher Repellant. Existing animals can be controlled by trapping or using toxic baits.

Simple mouse traps set together within the runway, with the triggers facing away from each other, can be very effective and no bait is needed. The use of a bait containing zinc phosphide can also be very effective, especially during the fall and spring seasons. For moles, we also recommend using a grub control product, such as Triacide by Spectracide, to remove one of the mole's major food attractions.

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