Fw: Celebrating the Seasons with Kolls

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Celebrating the Seasons with Kolls

Welcome

Welcome to the second edition of the Celebrating the Seasons with Kolls monthly e-newsletter and corresponding Web site. , a celebrated gardening expert, will show you how to use your garden?s bounty throughout your home. Whether you?re entertaining, decorating, or looking for a craft to do with children, has creative ideas and tips. We hope you enjoy Celebrating the Seasons and welcome your feedback.

The holiday season is upon us. It?s a great time of the year to gather with friends and families. And it?s a great time to create traditions or pass one on. In my family, trekking out to a tree farm in search of the perfect pine is a tradition we all anxiously await. Once home we gather to decorate the tree ? OK, I end up decorating the tree ? while Bing Crosby serenades us. The night is topped off with a cookie decorating competition. Young and old alike have a great time playing with the cookie dough and frosting. This holiday season create your own traditions. They?ll keep you warm all winter!

In Search of the Perfect Pine

Even if visiting a tree farm isn?t on your calendar this holiday season you can take steps to ensure that the tree you purchase at the lot is the freshest it can be. There?s nothing worse than spending time and money looking for the ideal precut holiday tree only to discover when you get home that it doesn?t stand quite straight, it?s not really as fresh as you thought (your lovely carpet becomes covered with needles), or it?s too tall for the room! Keep these tips... >>more

Top-10 Most Popular Christmas Trees

1. Balsam fir: The traditional Christmas tree. It is tall and slender with ½-inch-long needles. It lasts a long time and is very aromatic. Great for tight spaces..... >>more

Decorating a Holiday Tree to the Nines

If you dream of displaying a designer Christmas tree this year, read on. There is a method to the madness of decorating a tree. It all comes down to having the right ingredients, the necessary amounts, and the right recipe. Dressing your tree to perfection isn?t brain surgery ? but it helps to have a cheat.... >>more

Kolls Family Cookies

No Christmas is complete without cookies ? lots and lots of cookies. My husband?s family has been sharing these cookies through the generations. They are a thin, iced sugar cookie with a few secret ingredients that make them the best! I make triple batches, bake them, and let the kids invite their friends over for an intense decorating party. We cover the table with... >>more

'Tis the Season to Watch the Pets

It?s easy to get wrapped up in the holiday spirit while forgetting about our four-legged friends. Many plants, decorations, and candy can be deadly to household pets. Protect your pets from the following so they, too, can be merry and... >>more

Send Your Ideas!

Do you have any tips to share? Are there topics you'd like me to address?E-mail me at celebrating_seasons@...

December 2007 E-Newsletter

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We launched this new, monthly Celebrating the Seasons e-newsletter to help inspire the creative gardener. We'll continue to send a new issue every month; or you can Unsubscribe

E-mail your question and I'll choose two to answer in each newsletter.

December Q and A

Question: What's the best way to treat or handle fresh picked holly for a display centerpiece? Does it have to be in water to stay fresh?

Answer: Here are some tips to keep your holly and other greens fresh through the holidays:

Use clean, sharp cutters to cut branches and immediately put cut ends into warm water until ready to use. Before bringing holly or greens indoors, immerse sprigs and cuttings in water overnight to rehydrate. Crush the ends of woody stems to allow the cuttings to take in more water. Hang foliage to dry. Then spray it with an anti-transpirant, such as Wilt-pruf, to help seal in moisture. Note: Do not use anti-transpirants on juniper berries, cedar, or blue spruce. The product can damage the wax coating that gives these plants their distinctive color. Keep wreaths, garlands, and arrangements in a cool location until ready to use. Keep greens away from heat and direct sun. If greens dry out, discard them and replace with fresh cuttings.

Question: How should I care for delicate plants I am storing in the garage for the winter?

Answer: Storing tender plants in an attached garage or shed can be dicey, but here's what has worked for me, and I live in a cold climate. If plants are in pots, set them on top of a couple layers of cardboard. Wrap containers with a layer or two of bubble wrap, but leave the tops open. Place the containers as close to a house wall as possible. Keep an eye on them. If you see any new growth too early, it means the pot is too warm; remove some of the bubble wrap or move to an outside wall or an unheated shed or garage.

To ensure our messages go straight to your inbox, add celebrating_seasons@... to your address book or safe list.If you can't read this newsletter, copy this URL and paste it into your browser: http://www.ngagardenshop.com/campaigns/show/4274

Contact NGA:1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403802-863-5251

[Guest guest]

Celebrating the Seasons with Kolls

Sunblock vs. Sunscreen, Do You Know the Difference?

Fun in the sun, that's what summer is about! But too much sun is not safe. Did you know that a fair-skinned person burns within 20 minutes? As you head out to play, be sure to lotion up and protect your skin from the sun's harmful UV rays ... more >>

Vidalia Georgia Lollypops

"So, what is it about Vidalias that makes them so sweet? Southeast Georgia's mild climate, the area's sandy ..."more >>

Mulch Madness

If the summer's heat and humidity has got you down, imagine what it's doing to your garden plants! One way to help plants beat the heat is by protecting soil with a thick layer of organic mulch, such as bark chips and pine straw ... more >>

Send Your Ideas!

Do you have any tips to share? Are there topics you'd like me to address?E-mail me at celebrating_seasons@...

July 2008 E-Newsletter

View newsletter online

Gabby Gardeners

Question: Most of the asparagus in my three-year-old bed didn't come up this year. I only harvested three spears! What's the problem?

says: A major loss like that may be due to a late spring frost. Hopefully, if the damage wasn't too bad the crowns will recover and the plant will be back. Asparagus, unlike most vegetables, is a perennial plant so it's critical to select its home wisely. Highest yields come from medium-textured sandy loam soils. Asparagus roots can grow six feet deep; high water tables will drown roots and kill the plant.

With annual applications, it can take three years or more for corn gluten to reach its full effect. Since you missed the window of opportunity to use corn gluten this year, you'll have to use other methods. Dig out the crabgrass and replace it with sod or seed. Keep the lawn lush and healthy to crowd out sprouting seeds. Then mark your calendar for next year so you can start your corn gluten applications at the proper time.

Question: I'm a new gardener and would like to know more about fertilizers. Can you explain the numbers on the bag to help me choose the best one?

says: Plants need 16 nutrient elements to grow. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are three nutrients plants need in relatively large quantities. Unfortunately these elements are not always readily available in soil. That's why fertilizers usually contain these elements, listed as N-P-K. The N stands for nitrogen, the P for phosphorus, and the K for potassium.

What does each nutrient do? In addition to other roles, nitrogen helps plant foliage to grow strong. Phosphorous helps roots and flowers grow and develop. Potassium (potash) assists plants in forming starches and proteins, thus promoting plant hardiness, disease resistance, and a tolerance to drought and cold.

These numbers tell you the total weight (amount) of each of the elements that is contained in each bag. The first number tells you the percentage of nitrogen present, the second the percentage of phosphorus, and the third is the percentage of potassium. The three numbers represent the weighted total of each element per bag. For example, a 100-pound bag of 30-10-10 fertilizer has a ratio of 3:1:1; where 30 percent of the 100 pound bag (30 pounds) is nitrogen, 10 percent (10 pounds) is phosphorus, and 10 percent (10 pounds) is potassium. The additional 50 pounds are filler ingredients often used to help you apply the product. These various element combinations help create the optimal blend for each purpose. Typically for most garden vegetables and flowers, a well-balanced fertilizer with equal amounts of N, P, and K, such as 10-10-10, is all you need. Specific plants, such as grass, will appreciate more nitrogen in the spring.

To ensure our messages go straight to your inbox, add celebrating_seasons@... to your address book or safe list.If you can't read this newsletter, copy this URL and paste it into your browser: http://www.ngagardenshop.com/campaigns/show/4644

Contact NGA:1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403802-863-5251