Delaware Garden Center
25 Kilbourne Road Delaware, OH 43015 | p: 740-369-5454 | f: 740-363-2091
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Well, Hello There!
It looks like we made it through the Shortest and the Longest month of the year - FEBRUARY! Shortest month with only 28 days. Longest month because of the wild fluctuations in weather. As Charlie Brown has said, "Good Grief." On the other hand, we made it. And wonderful, lovely weather and beautiful projects to look forward to has me very excited.
Here at our Delaware location, we are expecting new nursery stock to be arriving within the first two weeks of March. Just in time for the 'Oakland Spring Fling' starting the second week of March. Look for great sales and discounts happening inside and outside of the store.
In the Delaware Gift Barn and Loft we have been receiving massive deliveries of NEW, STUNNING, GORGEOUS, FUN and even TASTY products for you to consider for your home decor or gifts. New Spring clothes are available in our Loft along with really fun hair accessories, scarves, purses and many other delightful and fun fashion items for any Lady you may know. Even yourself!
Our greenhouse (aka, Dinosaur Land) is bursting with gorgeous blooming orchids and African violets along with other totally stunning and fun Tropical plants. You really should come visit, even if you are only escaping from the wild Ohio weather. You will feel so much better just being in this luscious warm environment. Plus, you may just find a new plant to enjoy at home and create your own tropical wonderland. And of course, you will want to visit the dinosaurs. They enjoy friendly visitors and won't think you are a snack!
Do you like to start your own seeds to have a bountiful, healthy, beautiful and productive garden? Not to mention maybe even a bit less costly? Now is the time to start planning for it my friends. Mid-March in Ohio is a good time to start many veggies and flower seeds inside. May 15th is considered our first frost-free date in Central Ohio. Yes, I remember the snow falls that happened on Mother's Day in some years. Let's hope that is not this year. Gotta think positive here folks. At least it melted fairly quickly and we did not have to water plants that day! Keep in mind that if you have planted cool weather crops, such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce, spinach, carrots, Swiss chard and even a few edible flowers (pansies, calendula and more), etc. you are good. They love cold weather. Just not freezing. In that case cover them at night and uncover in the morning. If you leave them covered they will get overheated. Potatoes and onions plant around March 17 - St. Patty's Day. Don't panic here about a strict date, a bit later in March is just fine also. I had bountiful production from my potatoes and onions last fall. Still using up potatoes and just finished the last of the onions. Just the bestest!
As for those lovely warm weather crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra) you do want to consider starting them inside. Personally I start eggplant okra and peppers (in particular) late February and early March. These seeds take longer to germinate than most. In fact, just when you have given up on them (consider about 8 weeks) they will surprise you by suddenly popping up. All I can say is that I am always happy to see them. Like jumping up and down happy! Keep in mind that keeping the seed starting soil moist, plenty of light and the environment warm is so important for success. Be sure to use a good seed starting mixture as this will allow those seeds to push through with less resistance. If you notice gnats around your seedlings, consider using houseplant sticky stakes to control. Try to resist fertilizing your seeds. Seeds do not benefit from this at all. Later on all of those plants will love it!
Another subject here, tomatoes. I personally, do not ever start my tomato seeds until April 1. The reason being that these seeds germinate quickly. And I do mean quickly! Super-fast!! Start them too early and they get leggy because they are stretching for the light. Now if you do end up with leggy plants, all is not lost. Just do a little research on the technique of how to trench plant these plants successfully. It is not at all difficult and you will truly have stronger plants that will support all of those tasty fruits!
Be sure to harden off your seedlings starting about two weeks before you think you will be able to plant outside. When we are two weeks past our last frost-free date, go ahead and check that your soil temperature is somewhere between 50-60 degrees. You are now ready to put your plant babies out in your garden. Exciting times here and in the future for you!
A couple more items of note: our summer bulbs are in, as of this morning. Exciting!!! And such a stunning selection of lovelies! I suggest you come early to find your new and/or old favorites. I can guarantee the stock will not last long. Just a suggestion from me.
The other item is that we have hellebores in right now. For those of you that do know this terrific perennial it is one of the few plants that holds on to its foliage though the winter and then blooms right about now. And holds its blooms a long time! You can also cut the blooms and bring inside to enjoy as a cut flower. Later on, the older foliage dies back and new foliage springs forward. This plant prefers shaded locations and does so well on the North side of the house. Mine gives me so much joy every year at this time of year. And so much hope for a great year going forward.
So, lets go forward with positive thoughts on our gardens and co-operative weather and enjoy immensely.
Till next time Everyone!
CUSTOM CONTAINER PLANTINGS
Can’t seem to find exactly what you’re looking for? Maybe a color scheme isn’t what you were envisioning, or the premade planters are never the right scale for your area. Whatever the case may be, Oakland Nursery is happy to customize seasonal containers for you! Let us create a custom combination planter for your home, based upon YOUR specifications!
You can pick from our wide selection of pottery or bring in your own container. You can pick out exactly what you want or just give us some guidelines and let us do our magic.
Colorful containers can start as early as February and go as late as November, and there are many options for holiday greens arrangements to fill even the coldest months!
Prices are dependent upon the plant selection and container size. Additives such as Soil Moist and slow release fertilizers are also available options. We will do our best to understand your needs and make informed, educated decisions about what plants will work best for your location and lifestyle.
Call us or stop in anytime, we are here to help!
