We have a new line of products this year – locally made cedar trellises.  These come in 5-foot, 6-foot, and 7-foot heights, are very well constructed, and are hinged at the top for easy storage in the off-season.  I just installed one of these in our demonstration vegetable garden – they will do a great job of supporting our pole beans.  (I personally prefer to grow pole beans over bush beans because of the small amount of space the pole beans require – I can usually get in a quick crop of something underneath them before they get too tall.)

These trellises would be perfect for cucumbers, melons, or squash.  It would also be a fun support for annual flowering vines – morning glory, sweet peas and my personal favorite, black-eyed Susan vines, would all do a great job of filling in an empty corner just for one spectacular season!

Who says rugs have to be boring?  I love these new rugs we have in the store - fun designs, great color, incredible functionality.  These machine washable accent rugs are perfect for indoors or outdoors; they are fade resistant, quick drying, can be thrown in the washing machine and dryer with ease.  And to top it off, 35% of the fiber used is recycled post-consumer PET plastic, which you would NEVER know by how soft and comfy they are. 

With the onset of the holiday season and the arrival of our wreaths and garland, we are also starting up wreath shipping for the season.  Our wreaths can be shipped anywhere in the US, and are great gifts for family, friends, or business associates.  Regular wreaths are shipped fresh with a burgundy bow and personalized card.

There are several ways to order, but ordering online is by far the easiest method.  You can visit either our online store at www.farmingtongardensonline.com, or our products are also available through Amazon.com.  We will also accept orders over the phone, by fax, or in person.  Regular shipping begins the week of November 23rd, so get your order in soon if you want your wreaths shipped during the first week.  Final shipping will wrap up the week of December 14th, depending on destinations.

If you would like to send wreaths for your business, or are looking for larger volumes, please call or email us so that we can get you pricing information and find out the best way to facilitate your needs.

Navigating the multitude of plants and products that we carry can be a daunting task, which is why we bring you our weekly featured selections.  These are the best of the best for the week, and are front and center when you come to the nursery so you don’t have to hunt around for them!

Featured items for October 2nd through October 8th:

Magenta Mums – Deeply colored and in full bloom!

‘Profusion’ Beautyberry  – Gorgeous Purple Berries!

‘Berry Smoothie’ Heuchera – A new introduction with amazing foliage color!

‘Chocolate’ Joe Pye Weed – Just in time for fall, blooming now!

Bonide Annual Tree and Shrub – An effective solution to many pest problems!

Navigating the multitude of plants and products that we carry can be a daunting task, which is why we bring you our weekly featured selections.  These are the best of the best for the week, and are front and center when you come to the nursery so you don’t have to hunt around for them!

Featured items for September 25th through October 2nd:

Orange Mums – A striking color that has fall written all over it!

Purple Asters – A beautiful companion to the Mums

Purple Pansies – Who can resist?

Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’  – Going where no Hydrangea has gone before – Fall

Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum ‘Hameln’) – In their prime!

EB Stone Bulb Food and Bone Meal – Time to plant and feed bulbs!

Black Gold Organic Potting Soil – Only the best!

Our fall shipment of Garlic has arrived, and with it comes a chance for you to grow your own and experience a world of flavor that you won’t find in most supermarkets!  Garlic varieties have many subtle differences and variations from mild to absolutely fiery, and everything in between.  Our varieties include German Porcelain, Early Italian Purple, Brown Tempest, Chesnok Red, Inchelium Red, Nootka Rose, Purple Glazer, Silver Rose, and Elephant Garlic (which is not really a garlic, but close enough).  Garlic needs to be fall planted for best success, so plant yours soon for the best harvest next year!

Our Garlic Information Sheet has been updated for the 2009 planting season, and has descriptions of all of the varieties that we carry and how to plant and care for them.  You can find it in our online reference center, or download it directly here.

Our fall bulb shipment has just arrived, so stop by soon to take advantage of the fresh selection!  Spring blooming bulbs like Tulips, Daffodils, Crocuses, and others need to be planted in fall for optimal spring results.  These bulbs do best with a winter’s chill before their bloom time, so by fall planting you allow them their needed chilling and plenty of time to settle in.  We carry a wide variety of colorful spring bloomers that you will really enjoy after the gray days of winter!

We are still a few months away from the holiday season, but this is the time for groups and organizations to start thinking about holiday fundraising programs!  Farmington Gardens is one of the largest producers of handmade holiday products in the country, and we have a wonderful wreath fundraising program that is a great way to raise funds for your cause.  To find out more information about our fundraising program, you may visit our online fundraiser packet here, or contact us at 503-649-4568.  Pricing information is not available online, but we would be more than happy to send you that information on request and discuss how we can help you with your fundraising goals this year!

We’ve been having some pretty chilly nights still – and to top it off, I’ve heard that our spring will be unseasonably cooler than normal till June.  That is going to make growing any of the warm-season crops especially challenging this year.  Darn.  I’m talking about tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers, squashes, and eggplant.  Fortunately, all of these are good candidates for using our Gardeneer Season Starters.  These early season plant protectors are pyramid-shaped and water-filled — they surround the plant, absorbing heat from the sun during the day, and giving it off during the night.  Think of it as a blanket for your favorite veggies!  You are able to plant up to six weeks earlier with this protection, which also means you HARVEST weeks earlier too.   Take good care of them and they will last several seasons.  We have one on display here – come in and feel how much warmer it is inside!

For those of you anxious to  bring mason bee pollinators to your garden, we have a good supply of everything you will need.  If you are just starting out, you will need some type of nesting box, with empty straws inside, in addition to some live larvae which will emerge when the weather dictates.  Here’s what we have:

• 2″ starter kit with 20 empty tubes, $9.99
• 4″ starter block with 130 empty tubes, $19.99
• Replacement straws, or liner straws $.30 each, or 35/$19.99 for combo straws
• Mason bee larvae, 2 straws (15 larvae inside) $19.99
• Mason bee larvae, 15 cocoons/$16.99

To get all the info on mason bees, don’t miss our class this Saturday at 11 AM!  Class is free, but please call to register.  (See posting last month on the class.)

Okay bees, go forth and pollinate and multiply!!

As our weather stays cold for the next several weeks, and we huddle around the fire, many of us begin plans for our spring gardens.  As you make plans for seed starting, I wanted to give you a heads-up about a new product, due to arrive in January, which we are excited about!  CowPots are a green alternative to plastic pots for seed starting, and have many terrific advantages.  But first, what are they made of?  They were invented by dairy farmers in Connecticut, who were looking for creative ways to use the abundant, nutrient-rich manure produced on their farm.  These clever guys have created a pot that:

• grows sturdier, healthier plants
• goes directly into the soil with the plant; it fully decomposes with no throw-away
• encourages root development
• avoids plant stress
• adds soil-conditioning natural nutrients to your garden
• is convenient and time-saving
• is easy to handle, odor-free, non-toxic
• 100% Made in the U.S.A.
• reduces non-recyclable plastics
• reduces dependence on foreign oil
• reduces municipal waste
• promotes recycling of agricultural waste to horticultural benefit
• made from a highly renewable resource
• nutrient-rich

Wow – no wonder they are talking about these pots on NBC’s Today Show, Larry King Live, Dirty Jobs, and more.  They will cost a little more than the everyday plastic starter pots, but when you factor in all the benefits your little seedlings will receive with the built-in nutrients, it starts looking pretty good.  Not to mention the bonus points you get for ’green’ and ‘sustainable’.  I can’t wait to try them out.

P.S.  If you’d like more detailed information on this product, visit their website: http://www.cowpots.com/