Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

Gardeners for the Cure- Cary, NC

Every 74 seconds, a life is lost to breast cancer. And at Garden Supply Co., that's a statistic that we just can't live with. If we all join together, we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by this deadly disease. That's why we are asking for your help.  Join our Gardeners for the Cure Team and Race for the Cure with us on June 9th. As a member of this team, we are each playing a part in helping Susan G. Komen for the Cure® end breast cancer forever.

If you've already joined our team, we thank you. If not, now is a great time to sign up to make an impact in our community and help eradicate breast cancer forever. And as our heartfelt thanks to you for joining with us, everyone who registers for the team will receive our special Gardeners for the Cure Team tee-shirt, as well as a 12% discount card good on ALL your Garden Supply Co. purchases for the remainder of 2012. Not only that, you'll have the chance to win even more!

$50 Gift Card

Would you like to win a $50 Garden Supply Co. gift card? Join the team, then ask 20 of your friends, family, and co-workers for a $20 donation to your personal fundraising goal.  Just click on the link below, it's that easy.  (By the way, Belk's is giving a $25 gift card to all team members who raise at least $320 to boot.)

Of course, Deb has a bigger prize in mind for the top fundraiser of our team...last year Sandy Morgan won two round-trip tickets anywhere in the U.S..  What will it be this year?

Race for the Cure

The 2012 Komen NC Triangle Race for the Cure® will be held Saturday, June 9 at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, even in the event of inclement weather. The Race is a 5k (3.1 miles). They also offer a 1 mile walk.

For more race information, please click here.  And for a full race day schedule click here.

Also know that you can join our team and sleep-in for the cure, too.

Together, we are fueling the best science, boldest community and biggest impact in the fight against breast cancer. And we will not stop until this disease is gone forever. That’s our promise. Won't you join us?

Gardener's for the Cure

The Komen Race for the Cure is just around the corner, and we at Garden Supply Company are ready to help in the battle against breast cancer. To that aim, we have launched our Gardener's for the Cure team for the second year, and we hope that you will join us in the fight.

This year is the 15th annual Komen NC Triangle Race and we have taken the 15th Anniversary Challenge to raise even more money to support our community and end Breast Cancer forever.  Last year, our team raised over $12,000 and this year we are asking you to really stretch to meet our goal.  With challenge comes rewards...

When you join our team, you will receive our much loved t-shirt (in a different color, of course!  Survivors will get one in pink), and an exclusive invitation to join us at our team party in the garden in October.

Make the additional $25.00 donation to allow access for underserved women in our area to screenings and mobile mammography, and receive our team 12% discount card for Garden Supply Co. to use on any purchase through the calendar year.

Be the one to recruit the most team members and you'll win a $500.00 Gift Certificate to Garden Supply.

Last, but not least, be the team member to raise the most money individually and we will give you 2 airline tickets anywhere in the U.S.!

Are you up to the challenge?  Then sign up and get started!  You can make a donation to our team by clicking on the "Donate" button near the thermometer on our Gardener's for the Cure page or if you would like to make your gift to one of the team members please click on their name at the bottom of the page.

Race day this year is Saturday, June 11th. For more information, please visit the Susan G. Komen NC Triangle Foundation.

Help us in the fight against breast cancer. Working together we can make a difference!

Deals to Share

Good evening everyone and happy Monday to you!  I hope your weeks are off to a wonderful start. We have a couple of special deals going on this week at Garden Supply that I am excited to share with you. It's hot outside, that's true, and gardening might not be tops on your to-do list right now, but these deals are too good to miss! First off, Keith was able to find a fabulous deal on B-Grade mulch that we are happy to be able to pass along to you, our treasured customers.  If you are needing to mulch your large natural areas or playgrounds, this is the special for you.  Now thru August 15th you can get this mulch for just $10 per yard. And to make it even "sweeter",we are offering free delivery in Cary, Apex, and Morrisville. ($20.00 delivery elsewhere). Now that's a deal!

Another deal you won't want to miss is our 50% markdown on all last minute summer annuals. Freshen up your bedding areas and container gardens with a pop of bright color that will last until fall, and enjoy spectacular savings.  We still have lots of fresh and beautiful plants to choose from.

And for those of you who may have missed out on our Gardener's For the Cure drive earlier this summer, it's not too late to get in on the great deal we have going.

We are still offering a 12% discount card good on ALL purchases at Garden Supply through the end of the year for every $100 or more donation made to the Komen Foundation. We also have our adorable team tees available for $10.

In other news, Fall and Halloween decor items are arriving daily to the Greenhouse. Come check them out because these goodies tend to head out the door about as quickly as they come in.

Thanks so much for stopping by everyone!  Hope to see you all soon!

Daylillies and Deals From the Greenhouse

Hello everyone and happy Thursday to you! Hope you've all been having wonderful weeks and are gearing up with big plans for your weekend.  For many of you with children on the traditional calendar, this week marks the end of this school year and the official beginning of summer! Hope you'll take a moment to stop in Garden Supply and capture a real burst of the summer brightness and color that is blooming throughout the nursery grounds. Don't forget that the 2010 NC Triangle Race for the Cure is this Saturday, June 12th at Meredith College.  We want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who joined our Gardener's for the Cure team to help raise money for breast cancer research.  We are so excited to announce that we have met our goal of raising $10,000, and we owe it all to you!  We couldn't have done it without you!  For those of you who would like to register still, today is the last day for online registration.  Everyone who registers by midnight tonight will receive a special 12% discount card for all your Garden Supply purchases for the rest of this year, and will be entered in our drawing to win a $500 gift certificate from us.  It's our little way of saying thanks. Go here to register for our team.

After today, you can still register for the race at one of the Komen pick up sites.  You can see all the important race day information here.

And now I have a burst of summer color to share with you, fresh from the perennial tables down at Garden Supply.

Just look at this lovely selection of daylilies that are just waiting to add a touch of brightness to your summer gardens. Daylilies are rugged, adaptable, vigorous perennials that endure in a garden for many years with little or no care. Daylilies adapt to a wide range of soil and light conditions. They establish quickly, grow vigorously, and survive winters with little or no injury. Each daylily plant produces an abundance of flower buds that open over a long period of time. There are many varieties, a wide range of flower colors, and the flowers continue during the heat of the summer.

Suncrest daylily

The Suncrest daylily grows 3-4 feet tall and produces large butter-yellow blooms that are splashed and speckled with maroon.

Daylilies belong to the genus Hemerocallis and are not true lilies. This Greek word is made up of two parts: hemera meaning day and kallos meaning beauty. The name is appropriate, since each flower lasts only one day.

Rosy Returns daylily

This beautiful Rosy Returns daylily produces masses of rose colored flowers from summer to fall.

Daylilies grow best in full sun. They will tolerate light shade, but flower best with a minimum of six hours of direct sun. Light shade during the hottest part of the day keeps the flowers fresh. Daylilies should not be planted near trees and shrubs that are likely to compete for moisture and nutrients.

KoKomo Sunset daylily

KoKomo Sunset offers clusters of large 4" wide deep gold flowers with a burgundy-red eye, light ruffle, and a green throat.

Although daylilies are adaptable to most soils, they do best in a slightly acidic, moist soil that is high in organic matter and well drained. Daylilies can be planted almost any time the soil can be worked. Till the soil deeply before planting. Work in well-rooted manure or compost to increase organic matter. Apply fertilizer based on a soil test. Dig a hole large enough for the roots without bending or crowding them.

Landscaper's Best Purple (left) and Little Wine Cup (right)

Dominic daylily

Dominic has deep maroon-red, almost-black blooms with just a bit of ruffling.

Chicago Apache daylily

Daylilies typically grow one to four feet in height and produce numerous flower buds that are showy over a long period. They are useful in the perennial flower border, planted in large masses, or as a ground cover on slopes, where they form a dense mat in just a few years. And as you can see, we have a fabulous assortment of daylilies to chose from in every color range.  Other varieties we have available include Conca d'Or, Stella d'Oro, Ann Warner, My Reggae Tiger, Sunday Gloves, Hyperion, Happy Returns, and Pardon Me. Come talk to our friendly experts on making the perfect selection for your garden.

And now, as promised, a little deal for you from the Greenhouse.

fabulous Tyler candles are now on sale, buy one, get one free! The Tyler Candle Company offers you many great ideas for gift giving regardless of the occasion. The perfect gift for you or someone special, Tyler offers a wide variety of scents to suite every personality. The diverse fragrances and products offered by Tyler Candle Co. will help you to enhance your homes ambiance and aesthetic.

Thanks so much for stopping by everyone!  Hope to see you soon down at Garden Supply.

Butterfly Bush

Hello everyone, and happy Monday to you all!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  Things are certainly heating up, and we are still in full swing down at Garden Supply.  We have a couple of events coming up that you will want to mark your calendars for. First, the 2010 NC Triangle Race for the Cure event is being held next Saturday, the 12th, at Meredith College.  Our Garden Supply team, Gardeners for the Cure, will be there, and we'd love to have you join us. Every 73 seconds we lose another Mom, daughter, wife, sister, friend, or co-worker to breast cancer. We ARE making strides, more than 200 of you are making an IMPACT right now, but we still have a way to go!  So here's the link to our team page.  http://nctriangle.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/DUR_NCTriangleAffiliate?team_id=133021&pg=team&fr_id=1702 You'll be amazed at what comes back to you. A couple of items to note...you do not actually have to run or even walk on the 12th in order to participate.  Simply check the "sleep-in" option on the registration page.  For all of you who join us in this fight, you will receive a team Tee shirt, an after- party, and a special 12% discount card for ALL your Garden Supply purchases for the rest of the year.  And best of all, your name will be entered in our drawing to receive a $500 gift certificate to Garden Supply. Hurry, online registration ends June 10th.

Also, mark your calendars for out Annual Auction on June 19th. Join us for a full day of fun at our best sale of the year by participating in our absolute auction. Plants, trees, flowers, pots, urns, iron pieces, fountains and lots of other gift items will be sold. It's easy, just register and get a number, bid and be competitive, finish up your landscaping and get it all at a great price. Please check back for more details on this event including live music and other promotions.

And now I have a few more blooming plants to share with you that will add stunning color to your garden all summer while attracting a myriad of wildlife at the same time. With a collection of butterfly bushes in your garden you will be able to behold the beauty and fragrant delight of these plants while also attracting butterflies and hummingbirds who will love to feed off the flowers. There are plenty of butterfly bush varieties from which to choose, they are not picky about where you plant them and they grow hardily no matter what area of the country you are in.  You can find blue, ruby, pink, purple and red plants of the buddleia species down at Garden Supply to make your landscape a rainbow of color.

Miss Ruby butterfly bush

Developed by Dr. Dennis Werner of the JC Raulston Arboretum in NC, Miss Ruby is noted for its compact habit and remarkable vivid, rich pink flowers. The flower color is unlike any other buddleia. This new butterfly bush has silver leaves with a well branched growth habit which results in lots of beautiful flowers.

Miss Ruby photo courtesy of colorchoiceplants.com

Black Knight butterfly bush

Every bush of a Black Knight buddleia is covered with long, star-like almost-black blossoms from summer through fall. An easy-to-grow shrub that should be an essential feature in all yards. Butterflies and hummingbirds can’t resist the honey- scented blooms. Place near a patio or pathway and you’ll also appreciate their fragrance. Removal of spent flower spikes during the growing season will encourage additional bloom, but consider leaving final blooms in place to facilitate reseeding.

Royal Red butterfly bush

One of the most commonly requested butterfly bushes is the royal red. The royal red butterfly bush, instead of red as one would expect, has brilliant violet flowers that bloom from mid-summer. Royal red butterfly bushes can reach a height of up to seven feet. The blooms of a royal red butterfly bush are very fragrant, and attractive to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. This vigorous, dense shrub will add structure and grace to a perennial border. The gray-green foliage of the royal red butterfly bush contrasts perfectly with the bright blooms.

Other butterfly bush varieties available at Garden Supply include:

Pink Delight- fragrant pink flower spikes from summer through fall.  Grows 4-6 feet tall and wide in an upright, spreading form. The fragrance has been described as similar to honey. The flower sprays are made of many tiny densely packed flowers.

Bicolor-the first Butterfly Bush to feature multiple colors on each bloom. Pannicles grow up to 10" and feature raspberry and butterscotch yellow florets beginning in summer. It is an excellent attractant for butterflies and hummingbirds. Grows 6-8' tall. Drought and deer resistant. Great cut flower.

Harlequin- Spectacular summer color from reddish-purple flower spikes. Terrific fragrance attracts butterflies. Good background or accent plant with the added bonus of variegated leaves.

Ellen Blue- Beautiful blue flowers with an orange eye and medium to high fragrance. Gray/silver foliage, grows to 6'. A seedling of 'Lochinch', selected by Ellen Hornig and named for her.

Lochinch- extremely fragrant lilac-blue flowers with orange eyes. Its arching, mounded habit typically reaches 3 to 5 feet in one season, but can grow much taller in the deep South. The 8-  to 12-inch-long flower spikes begin in late summer and bloom until frost.

Creating a butterfly garden is a fun hobby with an amazing pay-off.  You get to enjoy the beauty of many different species of colorful butterflies that visit your garden once your butterfly bushes begin to bloom and grow.  It is a popular hobby because it is not difficult, it is great for the environment and it is something that pretty much anyone can do. Stop by the garden center and let our helpful experts get you started on your own butterfly garden today.

Bloomers for Early June

Hi everyone and happy Friday to you all!  Another weekend has rolled around again and the grounds at Garden Supply are looking as beautiful as ever.  Late spring, early summer is blessing us with tons of beautiful blossoms at the garden center, and I am so excited to share with you some of my favorites of the week.

As you can see, the perennial and annual tables are absolutely bursting with color.  The roses are magnificent right now and the hydrangeas are out of this world.  Scroll down a post or two to see more details on those.  I also mentioned previously the early blooming crape myrtle, Zuni, which continues to wow down at the garden center.  Now joining the Zuni in full bloom are the Natchez and Tonto varieties of crape.

Natchez Crape Myrtle

The Natchez Crape Myrtle is a best seller, made popular by being a fast growing tree that blooms all summer long. It grows very rapidly at 3-5 feet a year and is tolerant of many climates. The pure white blooms explode in brilliance against the tree’s deep green leafy canopy from June through September.  A Natchez Crape Myrtle also gives you the unusual bark coloring of cinnamon on the trunk and stems, along with its smooth, sleek distinctive texture.

Tonto Crape Myrtle

The new Tonto Crape Myrtle gives you huge, dark pink blooms throughout the summer. This is the perfect tree if you want to add vibrant color to your lawn, but have limited yard space. This crape myrtle matures to 8-15 ft., making it the perfect tree to tuck away in tight areas. However, it will soon attract attention with its abundance of dark pink flowers that last from late spring to early fall.

Zuni Crape Myrtle

The Zuni tops out at about 12', making it the ideal choice for small yards and screening hedges. Blooming early summer through fall, Zuni features larger, dark lavender flower trusses, improved hardiness, and handsome peeling bark. Excellent fall foliage color from orange-red to maroon.

Another blooming tree that caught my eye this week is the stunning Southern Magnolia. Native to the southeastern United States, the magnolia is a large striking evergreen tree with large dark green leaves and large white fragrant flowers. Widely cultivated around the world, over a hundred cultivars have been bred and marketed commercially.  We are excited to offer several varieties at Garden Supply, including this 'Little Gem' magnolia.

Little Gem Magnolia

This cultivar of Southern Magnolia has a compact, upright growth habit more typical of a multi-stemmed shrub than a single-trunked tree. It grows at a slow rate to a height of perhaps 30 to 35 feet with an 8 to 12-foot spread. ‘Little Gem’ Southern Magnolia forms a dense, dark green oval or pyramidal shape, making it suited for screen or hedge planting.

The Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora is a medium to large evergreen tree which may grow 27.5 m (90 ft) tall. It typically has a single stem and a pyramidal shape. The leaves are dark green, stiff and leathery, and the large, showy, citronella-scented flowers are white, up to 30 cm (12 in) across and fragrant, with 6–12 petals with a waxy texture, emerging from the tips of twigs on mature trees in late spring. Flowering is followed by a rose-colored fruit.

We also offer the Dwarf Southern Magnolia, a heavy bloomer with white, 6-inch flowers appearing  in spring and again in summer. Its narrow, evergreen form is 20 to 25 feet high by 10 to 15 feet wide. Green leaves are rusty bronze underneath.

I wanted to share with you a fun new line of Americana home decor items just in to the Greenhouse. These adorable pieces are full of spirit and are just waiting to brighten your homes this summer season.

And don't forget our Gardener's for the Cure team, part of the 2010 NC Triangle Race for the Cure, being held June 12th.  If you have not joined the team yet, it is not too late.  We are getting close to our goal of raising $10,000, but we still have a little way to go.  Every penny goes to research for finding a cure for breast cancer, and we appreciate each and every pledge.  So much so, in fact, that we are offering a special 12% discount card for all your Garden Supply purchases for the rest of this year.  Register with us at the nursery, or online here. Help us in this fight against breast cancer.

Thanks so much for stopping by everyone!  Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  See you all down at Garden Supply.

Win a Thousand Dollars

A heartfelt thanks to all of you who have joined and/or donated to our team, "Gardener's for the Cure". We're off to a good start, but there's more that we can do. There are over four thousand of you on our email list and we thought, "Well, we can easily see 10% signing up, times the $25.00 entry fee, equals $10,000. Easy, that's our goal!" We have a way to go!

We want to clarify some commonly asked questions we are hearing from you....you don't have to come to the Race on June 12th, you can check the box, "Sleep in for the Cure". Also, when you sign up on the website for our team, you are automatically assigned a "personal page" with a "personal goal". It's part of the "networking" to raise more money. However, you do not have to participate in that way. (Of course we would encourage you to, it's an easy way to let your family and friends know how you are making an impact!) Also, a lot of you are on teams through work or have already signed up individually, etc. but guess what ?! You can be on more than one team... some of us are on three. And lastly, YES! We are really giving you a 12% discount card to use on ALL of your purchases  the rest of the year for the mere $25.00 it takes to join our team.

So here's our challenge to you: the deadline to be able to sign up for the team is May 17th and we want to hit that goal! If we do, one of you who have either joined and/or donated to our team, will win a $1000.00 Gift Certificate from Garden Supply Co. Don't put this off another minute! Follow this link to our Team's home page and join us there or if you aren't comfortable with cyberspace, you can register with us at the store. http://nctriangle.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/DUR_NCTriangleAffiliate?team_id=133021&pg=team&fr_id=1702

One person can make an impact on many women's lives, imagine all of us together, all four thousand of you, and the IMPACT we can have on the lives of MANY women and their families. Join us!

Herb Fest

Hello everyone and happy Friday! It's time to kick off another wonderful weekend. We hope you can join us tomorrow, the 15th, in downtown Cary for the 1st Annual Friends of Page Walker Herbfest.  Festivities begin at 9 am and include cooking demonstrations, crafts, live music, and activities for the kiddos. We'll be there selling a huge selection of herbs at a great deal. Stop by and say hello!

We would also like to give a big thanks to everyone who stopped by our Wine & Design Trunk Show last evening!  A big thanks as well to NYFO Boutique, Lynne Ogburn Designs, Surcee, and Moon and Lola for sharing your gorgeous and unique fashions and jewelry designs.  We couldn't have done it without you all.

NYFO Boutique

NYFO Boutique

Surcee

Moon and Lola

Surcee

Our own Master Gardener Allison modeling fashions from NYFO

And lastly, our heartfelt thanks for all of you who registered last night for our "Gardeners for the Cure" team as part of the Susan G. Komen 2010 NC Triangle Race for the Cure.   Our gratitude to Surcee and NYFO for donating fabulous prizes yesterday for a special raffle drawing for our team registrants.  And take a look at our cute team logo. Perfect for us gardeners!

Even if you cannot be present at the race on June 12th, you can still join the team and receive all the bennies Deborah is offering, including a special team Tee shirt, an after-party, and a 12% discount card for all your Garden Supply purchases for the rest of the year. Here is the link again for our team. Together, we can help find a cure for breast cancer.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope to see many of you at the Page Walker tomorrow for the Herbfest!