Delaware Garden Center
25 Kilbourne Road Delaware, OH 43015 | p: 740-369-5454 | f: 740-363-2091
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Racing ahead to Spring - We hope.
Keeping all fingers and toes crossed that it will be an early Spring for all of us in Central Ohio. After the last six weeks (it seems like much more to me), it would be very welcome to all gardeners.
Although I must admit that I was out planting some spring bulbs last week, which had been forgotten in the garage. Hopefully, they will forgive my tardiness and go ahead and bloom anyway. Back to those crossed fingers again!
A question that does get asked quite a bit is whether fertilizing in the winter is effective. The short answer is NO. Plants take up nutrients in water through the roots. If the water in the soil is frozen, then the roots do not take up nutrients. Then the probability of the nutrients being washed away is quite high. Waste of your effort and money.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules. These tips come from David Beaulieu, who writes for The Spruce. If your vegetable beds are empty, it is fine to work compost into them in periods of thawing during the winter. This saves you from having to do this in the spring when the new gardening season starts. Be sure to cover the compost afterward with a mulch (straw is my preferred cover). This will aid in not exposing this valuable resource (and your effort) to the elements to be blown or washed away. And straw also works as a weed suppressant. Compost serves as a wonderful soil amendment, improving the soil structure. The nutrients act in a slow-release manner. Then, all through the growing season, work more compost around the veggie plants. Tomatoes love this and will reward you with more produce!
An extra tip I will share is that after I put the straw down in my veggie beds, I then place cardboard on top of it and weigh it down with pots, tomato cages, bricks, etc. This is also an excellent natural weed suppressant.
If you are into starting your veggies and flowers from seed, then it would be an excellent idea to start studying those seed packets. You want to see how early they should be started before the last frost in our area, generally around May 15th. Of course, we must always be cognizant of how fickle the Ohio weather is around here. And that is easily an understatement! If you have not already stocked up, now would be a good time to get packets of seeds because Oakland Nursery has all seed packets at 25% off until they are gone. And a great selection from all of your favorite seed companies.
This time of year is a totally fantastic time to come into the Oakland Delaware store and be amazed at all of the new products we have arriving every day in every part of the store. There is a super colorful, bright, and fun collection of brilliantly colored planters and metal creatures in various sizes in the garden store side of our establishment. And the displays in that portion of the store are really changing up and will be exciting for anyone to enjoy.
In the Gift Barn & Loft, we have also been quite busy receiving and displaying gorgeous new products. Among the fresh new looks, you will find a number of exciting surprises! Examples include: New jewelry from RHO, Viaroo and Zenzei; Sharp and lovely seasonal clothing from Coco & Carmen; Porchview Home with amazing accessories, candles, and furniture; Some new and truly tasty food items (Yum) that you will love.
And a stunning collection of Chinoiserie, including ginger jars, plates, wall art, vases, etc. A wonderful way to add a bit of timeless elegance, color, and a bit of whimsy to your decor, whether it be traditional or modern.
Let's put this on your calendar - the second weekend in March (March 14 & 15) is the annual 'Spring Fling' at Oakland Nursery. Most stores will have special events happening at different times.
So, until the next time, I will keep checking the garage for any other misplaced spring bulbs and doing some wicked garden planning that can’t happen soon enough. All while sipping a cup of tea!
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!
