I had planned to write the newsletter today about a new fertilizer product that we are carrying called Bio-Tone Starter Plus, but Kim’s birthday is this week, so a Kim nursery story felt like it would be more fun. Don’t worry, you can still find information and some video links on Bio-Tone Starter Plus below.
When Kim was around Maddy’s age, she would come up to help out at the nursery. She wasn’t as well-versed in plants at that time, but she could definitely tell you where the azaleas were. That was her go-to plant. And it so happened that a customer came in wanting to get a single azalea plant. So, Kim volunteered to show the customer to the azaleas and help her figure out which one that she needed.
They found the azaleas and the customer returned to the check-out counter, but with two azalea bushes in hand. Kim’s mom asked, “Didn’t you just need one plant?” and the customer responded, “Well, this sweet little girl told me that you have to get two plants, one wouldn’t look good all by itself.” Vicki assured the customer that she didn’t need to buy two if she only really needed one, but the lady did take Kim’s advice and went ahead and purchased both. Even from a young age, Kim had making gardens beautiful in her blood.
That azalea story seemed like a perfect fit for this week, not just because it is Kim’s birthday, but also because this Saturday’s seminar is on Classic Shrubs for the Shade, which of course includes azaleas. Come out to learn all about the options you have for shady areas and how to plant classics like azaleas, camellias, and gardenias so that they thrive in your garden. And we promise we’ll make sure you get exactly the number of plants that you need.
P.S. Mark your calendars for our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Saturday, April 16th at 10 am sharp, we’ll give the countdown for the kids to find eggs hidden among the beautiful plants at the nursery. Please note that to accommodate the growing size of the event, we are going to close the entrance/exit on Wheeler Road for the week leading up to Easter. Of course, all of our gates on Parsons will be open for your use. It’s been three years since our last hunt, and we are excited to watch all of the smiling faces fill their baskets with eggs.
P.P.S. To complement our new line of Black Gold organic soils, we are increasing our organic fertilizer selection as well, and Bio-Tone Starter Plus has quickly become one of our favorites. Rather than me telling you about it, here are informational videos from Espoma Organic and Garden Answer that talk about how to use the product. It really is a great starter fertilizer that reduces transplant shock and increases root production. It includes beneficial bacteria which add to soil health and richness, as well as mycorrhizae fungi which colonize the roots of a plant, leading to a sturdy root system that is able to take up nutrients efficiently from the surrounding soil. I’ll talk all about using Bio-Tone Starter Plus at the seminar this Saturday when we talk about how to plant shrubs for shade. Happy Planting!
