Wine & Design Container Gardening

Hi everyone! Tonight is Wine & Design time down at Garden Supply. Join us from 6-8 pm and let our experts help you pick out the perfect plant arrangements for your container garden.  Sip a glass of wine and enjoy a beautiful evening with us. This event is free, however RSVPs are requested at 460-7747 or email at info@gardensupplyco.com. Want a few tips on easy container gardening? Beautiful pots bursting with gorgeous plantings dress up your patio, entry, or garden, and they are a snap with these simple guidelines.

Dazzling containers reach their potential only if planted properly.  Here's the scoop on soil, pots, and the little things that help plants thrive. Plants need good potting mix to flourish.  But how can you spot a good potting soil?  Hoist the bag. If it's light and fluffy, like moist sawdust, it's probably fine.  If it's heavy and feels like wet dirt, keep looking. Also consider using a mix that already contains a slow-release fertilizer, like Miracle Grow potting soil. Always use potting mix, never garden soil.  And although it's tempting to reuse potting mix- it costs money after all- your plants will grow more robustly and have fewer diseases with fresh mix. If your soil doesn't already contain it, blend in slow-release fertilizer when you plant.

Pots must have a drainage hole for excess water to pass through.  A pan to hold the drain water prevents staining on your deck or patio. In larger pots- more than 12 inches across- you may want to add an upside-down plastic pot or packing peanuts in the pot's bottom to decrease the overall weight.  In smaller pots, fill completely with soil to allow for good root growth.

Finally, cover the surface with mulch.  Not only does it decorate the pot, it also reduces soil splashing and conserves water.  Simple bark mulch is fine, but try other materials such as rocks or moss for a more decorative look.

Now that we've got you started, you can move onto the real fun part...picking out your plants.  Stop by the garden center tonight and let our friendly experts guide you on making the perfect selections for your yard.  And come back tomorrow for more tips from me on basic design and TLC for your newly planted containers.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you all back here tomorrow for more snippets from the garden.

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!

Wine & Design Trunk Show

Hello everyone!  Hope your weeks are off to a wonderful start!  We have some fun activities going on this week that I am excited to tell you about.  First, I hope you all can join us this Thursday evening from 6-8 pm for our Wine & Design Trunk Show.  Deborah's friend from Richmond is bringing her clothing boutique to us! She has a way of scouting the market for the best trends and wearable designs at affordable prices. She will be giving you a forecast  of trends coming this way, advice on what to hold onto in your closet, and what to let go. Also, Lynne Ogburn Designs will be here with her "gems in the garden" a beautiful and creative jewelry line and Moon & Lola from downtown Apex will be here with their own line of handmade jewelry. So mark your calendar and invite your friends for a different night in the garden! Please RSVP for this event to 460-7747 or email at info@gardensupplyco.com. We would also like to invite you to The Page-Walker Arts & History Center on Saturday the 15th for their 1st annual Herb-Fest.

In addition to touring the Garden, festival-goers can watch herb cooking demonstrations and stroll through booths selling a wide variety of herbs, crafts and garden products. Vendors participating in Herbfest include: Bela Imports, Chatham Street Café, Dillardville Bird Houses, Garden Supply Company, Eva Green, Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, J & M Garden Art, Bonnie King Soaps, The Little Herb House, The Meat House, The Thyme Savor, Wake County Herb Society, Natalie Winters and Whole Foods. Each will reflect the theme of this year’s Herbfest, which is gardening, herbs, native plants, perennials, nature, cooking, and the contribution these pursuits make to a healthy lifestyle. Live musical entertainment will be provided throughout the event by Chris Anderson and Gail Leonard, as well as a talented jazz trio from Enloe High School.

And don't forget that we have tons of gorgeous new plants arriving daily down at Garden Supply.  Peak planting time is now so come on in and let us help you achieve the garden of your dreams this season.  Our garden center is open 7 days a week and our experts are standing by.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I'll see you all back here soon for more snippets from the garden.

And the Winner is….

Congratulations to Barb Drummond, the winner of our first Facebook page contest!  Barb has won 2 free tickets to this weekend's Chapel Hill Spring Garden Tour. Barb, call the garden center at 460-7747 or stop by to pick up your tickets, and mostly.......enjoy every minute of your tour!

A huge thanks to everyone else who played along with us.  Keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook page for upcoming contests and giveaways.

Have a great day everyone!

Chapel Hill Spring Garden Tour

Good morning everyone!  It looks like the start to another beautiful day here in the heart of North Carolina.  Perfect for a day of gardening or perhaps a stroll through the nursery here at Garden Supply.  Or, why not a little of both?  With all the wonderful new plants we have arriving daily, how can you help but want to get your garden on?  I know I can't resist. If a stroll through the garden is right up your alley, then the Chapel Hill Spring Garden Tour, being held April17-18, is just the ticket.  Presented by the Chapel Hill Garden Club, the tour includes 8 gardens in the Eastwood Lake area, as well as the NC Botanical Garden.

Since their first tour in 1996, over $100,000 in proceeds have been donated to the NC Botanical Garden.  Their continued efforts help the Garden furnish their new Education Center, plant new landscapes, and provide additional programs for garden lovers of all ages.  Tour proceeds also help fund the educational and community outreach projects of the club, including teaching elementary students with their Seeds Program, maintaining a planter on Franklin Street, and purchasing garden tools for new owners of Habitat for Humanity houses. 

Now in their 79th year, the Chapel Hill Garden Club continues to be an integral part of the social fabric of our community.  They have an open membership policy and welcome anyone interested in gardening or learning about gardening.  For membership information and details about the garden tour, please visit their website.

We, at Garden Supply, are pleased to support the efforts of the Chapel Hill Garden Club and are thrilled to offer 2 free tickets to the upcoming garden tour.  Simply upload your favorite Garden Supply photo to our Facebook page before April 15th to be entered in our random drawing.  Winner will be announced at 12:00 pm.

Thanks so much for stopping by everyone!  I'll see you back here soon for more snippets from the garden.