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| Karl's Blog 
A fun and exciting look at the garden center...
This blogging is hard work! Have to give props to those that do it daily, I just can't keep up. I will try to give updates fairly frequently, but can't promise to do it regularly. For the most up to date information check our facebook page.
April 29, 2011 4:10 PM
It's been a busy few weeks here. Lots of things rolling in daily, nursery stock, perennials, annuals, benches, gifts, a little bit of everything. I feel like I spend a lot of the day just unpacking boxes and unloading trucks.
Landscape projects have progressed slowly. It has been awfully hard to get the ground to dry out and it seems like we get a good day of work in and then the next day we seem to get a load of rain. Well I am being called again, we'll talk later!
April 1, 2011 11:00 PM
Well I was just going over the latest report of our website and I see that besides the homepage that this is the most viewed page. I better get a little better at writing here! Don't want anybody thinking that I am slacking!
Our annuals are growing bigger by each day. From a personal standpoint this is always a tough time of year, you know spring is here, but it wants to take it's time. Last year we had it so good with the warm March and just a beautiful spring in general. There's always stuff to get done, though. Theresa has been hard at work getting most of the annuals started, we have ran out of room here in town so now she will head to the "farm" to continue our planting operations. Our pansy bowls are in full bloom and will tolerate our cold spring, it might be wise on the colder nights to bring them indoors, but the daytime highs are perfect for the pansies to produce flowers and flowers that will last a long time.
Our nursery stock is still bedded down for winter. The shrubs lose a lot of their hardiness by being in pots instead of the ground so we lay them down together and then cover them in plastic. It looks like at the beginning of next week I will start uncovering them.
Next week I also plan on beginning the landscape season starting off with a patio for a St. Peter resident. My plan was to start yesterday but with the rain I decided to wait until Monday, but now they are saying lots of rain for Sunday so we will see how that goes. Well lots to get done tonight yet, so until next time, have a good one!
Jan 12, 2011, 4:30 PM
Well this is shaping up to be a classic January week. Just what I was hoping for during the sweaty month of August! Well I guess we could have paused in September or October. Last week dad and I attended the Northern Green Expo which is a convention for those in the green industry. We went to different seminars that taught us about lean business operations, new plant introductions, etc. There was also a trade show where we do some buying but a lot of looking as well. Most of our buying is done in the fall at different buying shows.
To beat the winter blues I try to stay as active as possible. Tomorrow I am heading to Mille Lacs for a day of walleye and perch fishing. Haven't had much success on the big lake in the past but hopefully that will change.
Dec 17, 2010 11:35
All this snow has become a real headache here. We lost part of our lean-to greenhouse on the south side of our building. Still dealing with the insurance company on that one. Also there is always plenty to shovel. If we get another significant snowfall before a warm up I will have to climb on the greenhouses at our growing range and clean the snow off. Right now we have them braced up with 4X4's, but for safety's sake I will want to remove some of the snow build up. Going to take the weekend off and do some ice fishing with some college friends.
Nov 20, 2010 8:15 AM
Made another run to the great north woods to gather balsam boughs this week. They had much more snow than we did which made the harvest a little more tough. Wet gloves and wet feet coupled with the cold temperatures made me wish I had made two trips last week, but with the deer rifle season over it is much safer to be in the woods. These boughs are all ready being made into swags, wreaths, and used in our spruce pots, a very exciting time here at the garden center. With our open house this weekend, These next two weekends are our busiest times of the holiday season. Long hours are rewarded when the customers come in and buy our products making everything worthwhile.
Nov 13, 2010 3:10 PM
Well I just got back from the North Shore where I picked balsam boughs for wreaths. This is a great highlight of my year, just being in the woods is a fun experience. At this time of year the woods is much emptier, all the decidious vegetation has fallen and it is much easier to explore. I stayed overnight in a tent, and ended up getting a full load after about 10 hours of picking. The short days don't offer much daylight for picking and I found myself using a flashlight to find the right boughs once the sun went down. It takes a little bit of skill to find a good picking area, balsam trees by nature are understory trees, in that they like to grow in partial shade. Sometimes it is quite difficult to find a good group of trees. Oftentimes black spruce, which are much more dominant in the landscape, takeover smaller balsam trees. But on this particular trip I really got lucky and found some good stands of balsam.
Oct 1, 2009 4:00 PM
Well a busy Summer has came and passed and now we enter my favorite season. I thought I would throw up a few photos of landscape projects on which we have been working this summer.
  
March 4, 2009 10:40 AM
Another day of busy planting. We are getting close to wrapping up our planting of Proven Winner annuals, we then go to the smaller 4 and 6 packs of various annuals. It is exciting to see the plants sprout new leaves one by one, a warm day like this will certainly help them! Our spring open house is getting closer and soon I will have the details ready for that! Busy day, got to get back to work!
Feb 27, 2009 10:20 AM
We definitely did not need that snow! I filled in as a snow shoveler at a local town home association and after 7 hours of shoveling I am proud to announce that I am done! I have never had pain like this, it feels like I just ran a marathon carrying 25 lb. dumb bells. I don't know how many tons of snow I lifted, but it had to be a lot, I was trying to determine the square footage, it was at least 29 walkways along with 144 sq ft entryways, and then three courtyards with interconnecting walkways. I can't type without giving my forearms a break every few words!
Enough complaining, we have started planting!! On Wednesday we started all the pansies and we are well on our way now with other various annuals. Soon enough we will be able to place them outside, not today though! Well I better get back to work!
Feb 9, 2009 2:05 PM
A Nice rainy day! Haven't had one of these in a while. Hopefully we will get a gradual melt of all this snow.
Was in the greenhouse the last couple of days planting up geranium pots. They will be absolutely beautiful in a couple weeks and by the time our freezing temperatures are gone they will be perfect!
Feb 2, 2009 11:50 AM
Well it looks like winter returned this morning and sure enough Punxsatawny (sp?) Phil saw his shadow meaning Spring will arrive sometime around the walleye opener. The weekend was a nice warm up (and needed warmup). I was able to get up to Mille Lacs for some ice fishing on Saturday. If you have never seen Mille Lacs in the winter it is pretty cool, thousands of ice houses of all shapes and sizes cover the ice. While we used a simple portable shack there were some cool houses nearby. There was even one with a front porch on which to grill, pretty sweet. While the fish didn't cooperate like we would've wanted it was still a great day to be out on the ice, it was nice setting up with no gloves and only a sweatshirt! If it warms up again at the end of the week I hope to get up there again.
On Friday we finished our tree and shrub order from Bailey Nurseries, they are one of several companies we get our nursery stock from. We loaded up on the Twist 'n Shout Hydrangea. This is going to be a great plant for our area, and should be plenty hardy, much more so than Endless Summer.
Is anybody else a little nervous about the mortality of some of the borderline plants? We have definitely had a zone 4 winter and this weather will test the mettle of some of the plants. But hopefully with the snow cover providing insulation we should be alright.
January 29, 2009 3:15 PM
Another day of winter here, a little windy, too. We got a shipment of soil today. It was put right into the big greenhouse. It comes frozen pretty solid, so we need to thaw it out before we can use it. We will start planting geranium pots in a couple weeks. We buy our soil similar to you, we buy it in large bags and then place it into the pots or trays. I will try to get a picture of our operation at our farm. There we use a machine to fill the flats or pots, since we have had this machine it has made planting go much quicker (and more efficiently).
Finished cleaning out left over balsam boughs and other assorted Christmas green items. There is still a lot yet to be put into storage, but there are plenty of days left until warmer weather comes! Well gotta get back to doing something, later!
January 28, 2009 1:30 PM
Well it has been awhile since I have been blogging. It is awfully slow this time of year. I am currently getting orders completed for trees and shrubs, lots of new items for this year, can't wait for the new shipments to arrive. Some of the new items include the Itoh Peony collection from Monrovia growers. Look these up online, they are really something.
We are still going through large amounts of bird seed. It's been awhile since the birds have had this much trouble finding food, but we're always glad to help!
I have been busy ice fishing and dreaming of spring, some of my excursions have taken me to Devil's Lake, ND (too cold, went during the coldest cold snap of the year!) and up to Mille Lacs. Got my first nice walleye through the ice, it was 23 in. Hopefully I'll get out a couple more times here. Well gotta run!
December 5, 2008 2:40 PM
My feet have frozen solid. I am not a boots guy, and I have been working outside much of the day and my feet are raw. Been so busy I haven't had lunch yet, and I need lunch to keep going because of my lack of a breakfast. We finished and delivered all the wreaths for the MVL student council fundraiser, also we delivered another load of poinsettias for the St. Peter Lions Club.
Wish I could get out on the ice and do some fishing today, but maybe early next week, too busy yet. It will be a busy rest of the year as I have weddings and other fun stuff coming up fast. Well gotta run, later.
November 25, 10:54 AM
It's another busy day at the garden center. We are busy making wreaths, spruce tips pots, swags, and other Christmas items. Landscaping has wrapped up for the year, the ground is now frozen so that limits many of things I can do, not to mention it is freezing out there! I don't have much to add right now, but don't forget to stop in on Friday to kick-start your holiday.
November 11, 1:40 PM
Back to the old blog, I have been busy wrapping up the fall jobs, still have a couple days left, but have to wait until the weather clears up. This rain and sleet is not helping. Had a busy morning of unloading Christmas trees and various boughs and greens used in our wreath making. Our wreath making is in full swing as we speak. Also we got a load of spruce tips and other greens delivered from Two Harbors. So we have a lot to do around here. Also don't forget that this weekend is our Holiday Open House. Come in and get a head start on the holiday decorating season.
August 21, 11:24 AM
Howdy old friends. Back to the blog! I have a new respect for people who blog everyday, it is a lot harder than it would seem. Well let's get started right away, what's new at the garden center? We still have many great looking plants to add to the garden and landscape. If your yard is feeling the doldrums of the summer heat now is a good time to spruce up some sad looking areas! We still have plenty of summer left. Starting in a few days construction will start on a new street, Drantel St., it is the current gravel road adjacent to our store. The road is getting curbed and guttered. This is necessary as KFC will soon be moving across the street, sounds like more chicken sandwiches for me! We will still be open during construction, you will just have to park in the back by the shrub section.
Our landscape crew has been very busy. I had to give my back a day off today. Now is the time of year when my hands become overly callused and I realize the importance of "lifting with your legs, not your back". Here are a few pictures of our recently completed project on L
Here is another one:
This was a really great project to work on and I think it turned out wonderfully. The homeowner really enjoys entertaining and now she will have the perfect place to have a cocktail and watch the sunset!
Well that's all for now, gotta start ordering materials for the next project!
May 9, 10:04 AM
Sorry I haven't been on in so long, but I have been out landscaping and don't get back to the store until the late evening by then I am too tired to sit at the computer, I would rather just fall asleep. We are getting close to finishing our third project of the year, a great looking patio. I will try to update the new arrivals list as we have got a lot of stuff in the last few days, including all of our Monrovia order. So I will get back to work and talk to you later.
April 29, 2008 9:40PM
Howdy to all! I am sorry I haven't been on in the past couple of days, been out landscaping, I will share more about that later. The blog hadn't been on my mind until this afternoon. I'm down on my hands and knees installing a free standing wall when my phone starts vibrating, I was expecting 14 different calls so, I was hoping it was one of them, nope, it was avid reader and amateur biologist Peter Kratz wondering when in the world I was going to blog again, so my apologies to you everyday checkers!!
I've been working in Mankato this week on a great paver walkaway that extends into a circle fire pit, absolutely stunning already, and we haven't even laid the brick yet! It is a tough area where a skid steer wouldn't work to well, so I find myself hand digging a 20 foot pathway and 16 foot in diameter circle patio! I had to have four meals today just to keep up the energy, the first days of strenuous work are always tough, but after a week your body gets used to it. I feel like Brett Favre after a Vikings game... (drum beat) (drum beat) (cymbal splash). My back has seen better days to be sure. Some of you might be interested in the process, so I'll share. The first part is excavation, this goes down about a foot. Then we add a base layer of gravel, usually 6-7 inches. After that has been leveled and accordingly sloped we add 2-3 inches of sand, then on top of that we put the brick. Time consuming yes, but well worth it when considering that the pavers will last much longer than a similar concrete system.
I haven't been around the store much so I can't say exactly what's going on, but we have had to cover any plants that are outdoors to protect from frost. This has had me a skeptic of global warming, rather I bet it's the sun's fluctuations in energy that are to blame for periods of warming and cooling. This weekend frankly looks terrible. It is not good for the farmers or us in the garden center industry, we want to be out there planting just as much as you do, and it downright sucks when we depend on nice spring weather for our groceries in February.
Did anybody see the article about us in the Mankato Magazine? If not run to the local gas stations and pick up a copy or two I haven't seen it yet, and I'm kinda scared, John Cross made me take my hat off for the picture, and it's not ten seconds after I'm out of the shower that I put on my hat, sometimes I put my hat on before I put my shirt on! So you can understand that my hairstyle on any particular day revolves around the way my hat sits on my head. Hey, I have to cover up the gray some how!
Well I better get going and head off to bed because I "gotta take the 8:15 to the city!"
April 26, 2008 4:26 PM
Well the tropicals came in last night and boy do they look great! I got some pictures that I will add tomorrow. However we did wake up to this!
 
and this...
Let's hope for warmer weather this week!
April 25, 2008 5:13 PM
Remember that truck I was telling you about last night? Well it didn't come, supposedly it will be here around 5:30, we'll see. I am not a punctual person, but these trucks are ridiculous. Sometimes I wonder if they can read a map, just kidding, I know they have a tough job and I wouldn't want to have their schedule.
Well I had my seminar today, actually I gave it to myself, there were no customers but I did tell myself about lawn care and the proper pruning techniques. I have notes if any of you are interested just shoot me an email and I will forward them to you. Because of the weather today it was pretty slow, way to slow for a spring weekend.
I did get up to Arlington this morning and planted an Arbor Day tree, it was a beautiful Redmond Linden. I felt pretty accomplished, it was in a big 25 gallon pot with nearly a three inch trunk. I just kind of John Wayned it into the hole. Hold on the truck is here gotta fly.
April 24, 2008 7:28 PM
Just hanging around the store waiting for a truck to come in tonight. And I am looking at the radar and seeing a big orange glob come at us once again, so lets get wet!! Lots of cool stuff came in today, I know many of you are fans of fuschias, and who's not, especially avid reader Katie Renner, we got some lovely ones in today, both in hanging baskets and regular pots. I have added some hot off the press pictures of the greenhouse, they are basically in real time with a 10 minute delay!
I forgot to tell you that on Monday I got my first mosquito bite, yikes, but haven't had one since, but I am sure with all this rain there will be plenty of them this spring. Well let's get going with the pictures. And I don't know how to turn off the flash, so yes we do have lights, even running water!
 
There are those lovely fuscias, remember they like the coolness of spring, now is the perfect time to have them out on the front step! Are they my favorite flower? Well today they are!!
 
Now some coleus, on the left is the King Kong coleus, it loves the shade, just look at those huge leaves!! It is perfect anywhere you get less than 5 or 6 hours of sun a day. On the right is a kind of sun loving coleus called 'Sedona'. I wonder how it got it's name?
Here are some fresh geraniums, lots of color options, we also have some in larger pots. All are in full bloom.
Finally we have some great hanging baskets already in full bloom, check out the petunias!!! The last few days of sun have really helped them, on many hanging baskets there are as many as 40 flowers!
Well I figured the truck would be here by now, it isn't, but the rain is. Go out and collect your night crawlers! Have a good one.
April 23, 2008 10:03 AM
Well it must be official, it's spring. Today I put on the shorts and for the first time this season placed the orange Crocs on my feet. I am ready!! Not much new to report. We are busy moving plants outside now, first the pansies and the vegetables. I think we will leave the petunias and the more delicate annuals in the green house for the time being. It doesn't look like this weekend will be very good weather wise, if I was a teacher grading the weather outlook for this weekend I would give it a D+.
Many of you should have gotten the newsletter in the mail this week. If not shoot me an email and I will send that off to you!
Well back to work!
April 21, 2008 9:19 PM
How about the weather today? It didn't sound like it would be that nice, then boom it was gorgeous! Had another shipment of shrubs come in today, lots of Endless Summer hyrdrangeas and some assorted roses, all came in with full foliage and blossoms, simply wonderful!!
Of course I was out on landscaping jobs during our crappy weather, just got in a half an hour ago and am suffering from light hypothermia. We finished a kasota stone patio, and boy does it look sharp, it is now ready for fires and barbecues. Well I better get going, with these 12 hour days I need to be in bed by 10:20 or else I feel like taking a nap for all of the next day, that might be fine for January but not now! We'll talk soon!
April 20, 2008 4:59 PM
A great start to the spring season today, by mid afternoon the clouds had broke and it is just beautiful outside. Lots of hot items at the garden center today, pansies were flying out the door, they are in full raucous bloom right now. Several couples came in and got some shrubs, it seems like as soon as the sun came out so did the customers!!
Yesterday was the Bethany Baseball alumni day. Due to Fridays wet weather they played a triple header!! Now that's a lot of baseball! It was great to see everyone again. I am continually amazed by how many readers of the blog there are, many people came up to me and said that they make the blog part of their daily routine, to those I issue a hearty thanks. It is fun to just let everyone know what is new!
Here we are trying to keep warm, after being out in the wind for awhile I realize that a coat would have been a better idea. I'm on the left followed by Jon Mielke, Josh Anderson, and Seth Hueckman, Peter Kratz is the goofy guy in the background.
We are spending the week getting ready for the big open house. I have to start practicing for my seminars too! So I better head out, we'll catch you on the flip side!
April 18, 2008 9:25 AM
Well the shrubs are all in and placed in their rows, and boy will they look good. Yesterday I was out of the office the entire day doing property maintenance. That grass is beginning to show signs of green!
From accounts when I got back to the garden center late yesterday afternoon it was a busy day around here. Two groups of Gustavus students came to take a tour, a group from the security hospital did the same, and we got more annuals in, that was a busy day!
Yesterday was also the end of spring planting, it never really ends until September, but the large brunt of the first stuff is all done!
Well i gotta check the weather and go back to property maintenance!
April 16, 2008 10:34 AM
Busy morning at the garden center, already had two trucks come through and expecting the shrubs any minute. It's kind of like Christmas, I can't wait to see the new shrubs, even though I know what's coming it's still an exciting time.
Holy wind! It is still blowing today, granted yesterday felt like a hurricane. The lawns are still brown, but that can't last much longer. Driving along the river valley you can start to see the trees emerging from their slumber, what once was drab gray, has turned to lesser drab gray as the buds come out and the leaves are beginning their yearly cycle. Well I gotta run, too much to do today!
April 13, 2008 11:54 PM
Burning the midnight oil again here at the ol GC. And yes, the Asia and Don Henley is pumping loud in the greenhouse. I find that I work best and most efficiently after dark, just like when I wrote all my college papers at 3 in the morning, it would of took me six years to finish college if I couldn't work after midnight. Just getting ready for the first real weekend of spring. If we all cross our fingers it might not get below freezing again, but I bet we have a couple nights of sub-freezing temps left. But we can hope, right!
The amateur meterologist (meaning I can read a weather report) in me says that this is going to be just a great week. If you're anything like me you check weather websites religiously, but lately I have feared seeing what they have to say fearing another snowstorm! With a little luck (and some good nitrogen levels) our lawns should be green by the end of the week. Get that fertilizer and corn gluten down now so we can get out the lawn mowers!
Well our shipment of trees came yesterday and today I organized them and put them into their spots. Couple of really cool trees, including a weeping cut leaf birch and one of my favorites, the thornless cockspur hawthorn, its like a crabapple without the mess and diseased leaves. And don't quote me on this, but I think the Monrovia truck is coming this week, and trust me, we got a lot of really sweet things coming in this year, I'll try to post a list later. Also our big shipment of shrubs and perennials should be coming on Tuesday, so start digging your holes. Also don't forget to mark your calendars for the spring open house and come see me do some seminars, they should be a really good time. Well I better get going if I want to catch some zzz's tonight, but first I have to finish up some watering, which I always do last because I always end up dripping water all over my shoes and having my own wet t-shirt contest. Someone could make a lot of money if they could make a connection between the hose and the watering wand that was watertight for longer than 12 days!
April 12, 2008 2:53 PM
Great Scott! Earlier today I had done a nice right up, then poof, something happened and the whole window closed and nothing saved, so I am at it again!
Took the day off yesterday (great weather we had by the way) as I had some college friends fly/drive into town. Lots of stories were rehashed and retold, always funnier than the last time. It was a really good time. And how about those Wild?!?! I thought they were going to blow it again, but lo and behold we get a great win and are headed to Denver to continue the series.
Been doing some more organizing/cleaning inside today, that has been a recurring theme here the past couple days. But it looks like this week will beautiful and I will finally get a good start on landscaping jobs.
I was going to post on Thursday afternoon when the weather was so bad, but just as the rain was picking up and the wind was howling a truck pulled up and we, well I, I had to unload it out there in the rain. It was the most miserable thing I've done since I lost the engagement ring at the landfill (not a true story, but a good metaphor of how I felt!). But we have all the fertilizers and mulches you will need!
In my cleaning I found the plaque I got for becoming a certified professional, for some reason it wouldn't let me rotate the picture, so just turn your heads accordingly or flip your monitors over.
April 9, 2008 11:33 AM
This is what Seattle feels like in January! Not a good day, I think the weather forecasters got today a little wrong. Instead of sunny and 50, it is more like 35 and cloudy, oh well. More inside jobs today, reorganizing and cleaning my desk and bringing in a new filing cabinet. Nothing too exciting. All our new shrubs will be coming in next week so hopefully the weather cooperates by then.
Lunch is calling and I need to answer! Then it is off to some tree and shrub pruning.
April 8, 2008 11:17 AM
Good Morning! Well it was beautiful from 6:15 to about 6:45 this morning! The rest of the day will leave something to be desired. We are planting a surge of hanging baskets yet, the one's we planted earlier in the season are really doing great! I will try to get some pictures of them up here soon. Yesterday afternoon we planted up some more succulent gardens, they are a really great carefree plant for either indoors or out (during the summer months that is). And the pansy bowls are still looking great!
Well lookey there, my Jayhawks (thanks again, Jake, for the hat, it hasn't let me down!) won the national championship!! I could tell that Memphis was going to let us back in and boy did they ever! That game sure made up for a lackadaisical tournament. It just didn't seem to have the excitement of years past, or maybe I am just getting used to seeing great tournaments year in and year out.
Well later today I am headed to Mankato to get my teeth checked by a college friend. Today I just have to go in and get checked, so no actually cleaning today. She is in the dental hygenist (sp?) program at MSU and I think she needs to get so many hours of actual cleaning in. I am not sure exactly of the details, but I know that she will do a great job. I am just hoping to keep my streak of no cavities alive, so far I am at 23 years. Years of sports injuries have not been kind to my teeth, elbows, baseballs, and the such, I should've waited to get braces until after my competitive sporting years were over!
Well I am off to Lion's Club, we'll talk soon!
April 7, 2008 10:42 AM
Greetings from the northern tundra! Yes, it feels like a mukluk morning. I don't know where all the warmth of Friday and Saturday went, but it is cool and windy this morning. I do have plenty of stuff to do on the computer, so I will just chill inside for the time being.
We had Tim Krohn and John Cross from the Free Press in this morning. I believe the garden center is going to be featured in that Mankato Monthly magazine that comes out with the Free Press. I forgot to mention the blog but I did get interviewed for several minutes. I didn't think I would be asked any questions, so unfortunately I didn't have much time to think of any zingers, but oh well. Plus when John took the picture for the article he wanted me to take off my cap (finally wearing this Kansas hat has paid off as they will undoubtedly win the national championship tonight!) so I did, so who knows what my hair was doing. I probably look pretty goofy.
Might want to bring in your pansies tonight as it sounds like it might get cold enough to damage them. Also it is not a good day to see if your shorts still fit, or if you that Hawaiian shirt still looks good on you.
April 4, 2008 4:42 PM
I keep telling myself I need to blog more, but boy has it been busy around here! The wonderful weather has people streaming through the doors! What's better than spring in Minnesota? Summer in Minnesota!
I was out on jobs for most of the day, pruning shrubs, fertilizing lawns, and from the way it looked I wasn't the only busy-bee out there, lots of people in their yards getting ready for those first shoots of green! With a good rain we should see the lawns transforming from the pale brown of winter to the jubilant green of spring.
I'll update the front page of the website here shortly, but I figured I would toss in this picture of the greenhouse that I took a few minutes ago.
You can tell that the plants are thriving. It's too bad that I couldn't get a picture a few minutes earlier when the sun was out and everything was so bright. It looks like the clouds have rolled in... oh well I guess this isn't San Diego!?!?!
And here's a picture of my favorite plant, the King Tut papyrus, you'll notice on one of the plants in the foreground that it has begun to send out its "plumes". Just gorgeous!
Everytime I look at the plant I am reminded of the old Saturday Night Live skit with Steve Martin, you know the one where he sings "King Tut... King Tut!" Don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing!
The other day I also answered a question about corn gluten meal on the questions page, check it out and email if you have any more questions. I didn't get that professional certification for nothing!!!
Well I'm out, keep your green thumbs green and the rest of your fingers clean!
April 2, 2008 10:59 AM
Hopefully the snow melts today, April snow is not sitting well with me! We have started planting at the farm, doing a lot of maintenance and clean up out there. My days are spent here at the garden center and the nights are spent at the farm getting ready for the next day of planting. This work involves filling trays and inserts with dirt, we use a conveyor belt system, where the dirt is dropped overhead as the trays go down the conveyor belt. It's not a perfect system, but it beats the days when I had to do it by hand. Usually I can get about two hundred trays filled in about two hours. It gets to be a tedious process, but it's the best way to do it. The hardest part is having to stop the conveyor and reload the dirt hopper. Usually I can fit about four bags into the hopper and this will fill about 50 flats. The radio helps me get through the boring parts!
Check out the homepage for our Spring Open House info, I will be giving seminars all three days, so come on over and say hi! I will be doing the landscaping, shrubs, and perennial seminars. We have a special guest from Proven Winners, Carrie Larson, who will be showing some of the great annuals for the upcoming season.
Also we will be offering spring lawn care specials. For a very reasonable price we will come to your house and do a spring fertilization program, this includes a weed and feed program along with a "lawn diagnostic check". This should be up on the landscape services tab.
March 31, 2008 10:40AM
My apologies for slacking the last couple of days, but it has been very hectic. I have been getting out and meeting with customers offering advice for spring lawn care and landscape ideas. Hectic, but fun.
Well it is snowing hard right now, the kind of snow that sticks in your arteries and can lead to heart disease! A classic March snowfall, not good for the local high school and college baseball teams that want to get outside and throw the ball around, this snow has delayed their outdoor action for awhile.
I have to go pick up my brother from school right now as it is cancelled, but with the dreary weather hopefully I will log on again. I hope to update other parts of the website as well. So that should be exciting!!
March 26, 11:54 PM
I write this entry from a dimly lit motel room in Madison, WI. I found out where all our snow went. It's located in the parking lots of Madison. While it doesn't look much different from home in regards to the amount of snow that is still on the ground, there sure are a lot big piles.
I am plugging away at many bid offers for different municipalities and such. It is tedious work (that involves a lot of math) but it has to get done. It is nice working at this motel desk, as it is uncluttered unlike the one I use back at the store! If I were a coffee drinker this is when I would put on a fresh pot, instead tap water will have to do.
Not much is new at the store since I wrote last. Just more of the same, making new displays, unpacking gift items, watering plants, etc.
March 21, 2008 12:09 PM
Well yesterday we finished planting here in town. We will now continue out at the farm. So it feels good to be approximately 1/3rd of the way done! No blogging yesterday as it was extremely busy, didn't check in on the tournament except for a few snippets here and there. More cleaning and getting Easter lilies ready for delivery. Well I gotta get back to work.
March 19, 2008 4:37 PM
Dang it, I forgot to celebrate the Ides of March. How did I miss it? It's from some Shakespeare play, right? Anybody go to the Bon Jovi concert last night, or going tonight? I envy you. It's on my list of things to do before I die (or he does). It's no accident that me and Richie Sambora are distant relatives, great musical talent runs in the family, my talent involves listening to music.
Anyways, another SPF 50 day here on the Southern Minnesota prairie. Got a lot down outside, cleaning, sweeping, throwing away some old plants leftover from last autumn, and more cleaning. You'd be surprised at how much stuff blows around and ends up in our front area.
The camera is still missing, I am guessing it walked off, it wanted a vacation. It's probably in a jeans pocket somewhere, either that or in a bird bath somewhere around here. Anyways, my back is killing me and I am suspiciously tired. Sleep is not going to be made up tonight either, a big Wild game on the west coast means that the game won't be done until midnight, arggghh!
Don't expect too much tomorrow as I will have one eared glued to the radio listening to the beginning of the NCAA Tournament, the most exciting day in sports. Maybe I will be in the office, watching the games on the computer, in that case I might be blogging more than usual!
March 18, 2008 11:33 AM
Hopefully everybody had a safe and eventful St. Patrick's Day, I spent my evening watching wrestling and the news, another exciting day in the life of Karl Struck! We had a surprise delivery of pottery and fountains yesterday afternoon. Just finished unpacking all of them, lots of cool ceramic fountains. I will try to get pictures up, but have temporarily lost my camera (sounds familiar to people who know me). I figured we wouldn't get any snow last night, but lo and behold I wake up to three inches of the sloppy wet stuff, hopefully it won't be around too much longer. I guess they are saying 80's by the end of the week, kidding of course! Well I am off to lunch, I will try to do an afternoon update.
March 17, 2008 1:31 PM
Good afternoon! Here at the garden center we are busy getting ready for our spring open house. The dates will be April 25-27th. There will be plenty of activities and seminars throughout the days. It is looking like a great weekend. We will also be having our first ever Tent Sale, think Cabela's big tent sale, only with garden related items (and probably not as big!!). If you haven't signed up for our mailing list, shoot me an email through the "contact us" page and I'll make sure to mail you out a postcard. Alright well I gotta get back to work.
March 13, 2008 1:14 PM
What a day!! Contrary to Paul Douglas' weather report, this day is absolutely perfect! Another day like this and we will no longer have Niagra Falls pouring into our driveway in the back. The sun feels so strong, if I had just time transported to this day I would want to go out on the boat and try my hand at some wake boarding! It's great when you can walk around in a t-shirt and feel comfortable and there's no mosquitoes yet!
Took pictures of the 'King Tut' papyrus today, will have to get those on later. Doing a lot of cleanup outside today, finally getting rid of the last of the spruce tip pots and other assorted Christmas greens. Some are still frozen in here and there. Did get a lot of sap on my hands, haven't had that feeling since December. Just a note here, but the best way to get sap off one's hands is too generously lather your hands with shaving cream, nothing short of gasoline does the trick. I have tried using gasoline, but then for the next few days you end up smelling like Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Nothing all that new to report, just a lot of stuff getting unpacked. If you haven't stopped in during the last week you will really notice a lot of new merchandise. Well Chris, our seasonal help from the high school, is back at work today, another sure sign of spring, maybe I'll get his picture doing some of the getting-ready-for-spring tasks.
And yes, it is still too early to be planting tomatoes outside! (But we are one day closer!)
March 12, 2008 2:18 PM
Good afternoon! It's a busy unpacking day today, had to take a break, it really does get quite boring. There's little thinking involved, its just move this box here, move that box there. We got more plugs in yesterday, I didn't get a chance to see what they were, hopefully I will update later with some more info.
Don't have much more to report, but like I said hopefully I will get back later to do an update.
March 11, 2008 5:31 PM
Jeepers, I have to get a better looking picture, I look pretty mad. We'll just have to say that I just received news that we are expecting another six weeks of winter. Anywho, an eventful day to say the least. We got flooded in the back of the greenhouse. The big drain usually freezes up, and this year was no exception. We now have a new water garden in the back, so I was busy using the sub-pump and that wasn't even keeping up. I blame the melting on daylight savings time, because we now get an extra hour of sunlight, right? The shipment came and it took awhile to unpack, you'll notice that some of the pallets are stacked pretty high, well one tipped over on the way from the truck to the greenhouse. We finally were able to get it back up without unpacking the whole thing, thank heavens for that packing wrap. I think the pallet that tipped over was actually the one in the foreground on the left hand picture below.
Anyways, here are some pictures of the pallets we got in.
 
No! More unpacking!!! This will take awhile to unpack, literally hundreds of items, from lawn furniture to pots
to trellises, you name it, it came on this shipment. So if I am little light on blogging you know why!
Here's our precious container, (day nine I believe) this was
taken yesterday, I think, but it would've surely grown today!
Notice how the plants are putting out more and more foliage.
This is evidence that our days are indeed getting longer!
I forgot to take a picture of my big surprise. This morning we got another shipment of plugs from Proven Winners. And lo and behold we got 50 'King Tut' Papyrus. These are a cool, fast growing variety of the common pond plant. They can grow up to 6 ft, even in our limited season. They do great in large containers, as well. I will definitely be putting one into my pond. Maybe at the end of the year I can even make some paper?!? Or not.
Well I better head to the drug store and pick up some aloe vera lotion, I got some good sun today!!
March 11, 2008 12:21 PM
Apply the SPF 50, its spring time in Minnesota!! I forgot to mention that ice fishing yesterday gave me my first sun of the year, while not an all out burn, it took away the pale ghost likeness of my Norwegian/Minnesotan skin.
Well it sounds like the truck should be here any minute. Lots of furniture and other good stuff should be on it. Got my camera in my pocket ready to snap some good old pictures.
I'll update later today, but this morning we got some really cool plants in, think Egypt!!!
March 10, 1008 2:04 PM
Howdy, howdy, howdy. Well I had to take a break from carrying all those granite benches. It really takes a toll on you when your process is lifting with your back, not your legs! Well the big shipment we were expecting this morning hasn't come in yet, not that that's a surprise. The plants are doing great, everyday they are sending out more leaves. Pretty soon the pansies will be sending out the yodels of spring. Looks like this week will be nice if not perfect. Granted we could use a 50 degree day in here somewhere, I'll take 40 and sunny any day of the week (in March that is).
Decided to head up to Hayward, WI on Saturday night. Spent the day Sunday trying to catch fish. But I am happy to report that Wisconsin still has a good fishery, we didn't put a dent in it whatsoever. The catch of the day was two small perch. They looked pretty, but could've used a few more years to get within eating size.
Well I better head back to the greenhouse. More stuff to do.
March 7, 2008 7:02 PM
No, I didn't get kidnapped by the folks at Bachman's! I am back, it was a late night last night, we didn't leave the dome until 1:30. Bethany lost the first game, but were ahead in the second game when we took off. It was great to see some old friends, it's always a side splitting event when the stories start getting told. I rode up with Jake Krier of the Greater Mankato Chamber and Convention Bureau, boy is it fun listening to some of his stories, he is really doing some great work for the Mankato Chamber.
Anyways, I am burning the midnight oil over here at the garden center, no, I still don't have a social life. I shared a great 1/4 pounder with cheese meal with some fellow pansies (no pun intended) and am feeling ambitious. We are expecting 12 more pallets on Monday so it was imperative that the previous shipments were all priced and put into displays/shelves/whatever. The only pallet left has the granite benches, which I am not moving tonight. Maybe if AC/DC "Hard as a Rock" comes on, that would put me in the mood to move those things, but I doubt it.
We did some more hanging baskets today, I don't think I will have any more pictures until Monday. Who knows what will happen tomorrow, but I am definitely not ice fishing. I do not plan to go fishing again until it reaches 40 degrees with no wind, than I would feel comfortable. Plus if the fish hear I am coming, they immediately swim to deeper waters.
They say warmer temps next week, I hope so, for pete's sake it's almost spring. It comes on the 20th, right?
Have a good weekend, and yes it still too early to start putting your petunias outdoors.
March 6, 2008 11:53 AM
Good morning to all! We got another shipment today, nothing too exciting. Three pallets of goodness. It was mainly trays and inserts for our four-packs and six-packs of annuals. We will being producing them around the 15th of March. Also some garden gnomes came in, I am not the biggest fan of these, but my dad likes them and they do sell.
I am excited for tonights big Bethany baseball game. We play Carleton at the Dome tonight. I am headed up there with some fellow baseball alumni. It will be great to see everybody again, many of the people I played with now reside in the twin cities. I was there during our transition from a 2-year junior college program to our inclusion in NCAA Division III athletics. We are picked to finish second in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, so hopefully we can over achieve a little, and win the title.
It's a slow day at the garden center, we are not doing any planting today. Teresa has the day off, it's her 50th birthday so I am sure she is busy celebrating. Luckily I have a few years to go before I hit that birthday.
March 5, 2008 4:27 PM
Make sure you check out the posts below for the new daily segment called The Container Watch.
Anyways here are some various other pictures from the greenhouse.
 
These are some of the new ceramic pottery. I showed the packaged stuff a couple days ago, they are each sold separately, but each style has three matching pots. They are all one of a kind with their own idiosyncrieces (sp?). They really do look great in groupings of three. They would be great by an entrance or as the focal point of a deck or lounge area.
 This is the packaging the above pots came wrapped in,
anybody know what that box says? Me either.
Here is some more of the glazed pottery, along with
the cute matching birdbaths. Now if you can get
color coordinated birds to bathe in the bird baths, snap
a picture!
Well that's all the blogging for today.
March 5, 2008 3:40 PM
Notice anything new about the blog???? I bet you do. I just noticed that everybody else's blog has all these cool graphics and pictures, and mine didn't, so I decided to do something about it. I know, I know I don't take good pictures, never have been very photogenic. I take all the pictures myself and just use the timer. I feel like that one guy on the Discovery Channel who tapes himself surviving in the jungle. Anywho, here are some of the fun things happening, wait I forgot to tell you, we are adding a new daily section to the blog. It's called (drum roll, please)... The Container Watch.
 
This is the container we will be following for the next several weeks. I have included the tags of the plants so at least you know what is in the container. You'll notice the Diamond Frost is the plant in the middle. The other two varieties have three plants . This will be fun to watch and then we can do a time lapse picture of the plant growing in fast motion, or we could just not do that since I have no idea how to do that.
Anyways I have to run, I took more pictures and I will update them later, I have to do a quick errand.
March 5, 2008 3:35 PM
I had just finished the last post when I lost everything, stupid computers. Anyway, here I go again I will try, this time crossing my fingers...
March 5, 2008 10:38 AM
More snow. I wasn't that excited when I woke up to a couple more inches of the fluffy white stuff. After shoveling you could tell it was some good ol' March snow, a little heavier than the ordinary January and February snow. Hopefully it will stick around for a few days and then melt into old fashioned water.
On Friday I am headed up to Hedberg Landscape Supply for their annual spring contractors show. It is a good cure for spring fever, plus a great educational event. Hopefully I will come back with some great ideas for your landscape!
Another day of planting is here for us so I better get back to the greenhouse.
March 4, 2008 2:13 PM
Howdy from the garden center world! Had a wonderful lunch with the St. Peter Lions Club. The guest speaker was outgoing Gustavus President Jim Peterson. He spoke of the continuing changes of the Linnaeus Arboretum, this summer they are adding a large tract devoted to restoring of the native prairie landscape, it sounds really cool. Speaking of Gustavus, make sure you get a chance to visit the wonderful gardens and the Linnaeus Arboretum, it makes a great afternoon visit. They are truly spectacular!
Well save the date for Saturday April 26th, no I am not getting married. We are having a Proven Winners spokesperson in to lead two demonstrations on container planting. We will have all the necessary components to follow along and create some truly stunning container gardens or hanging baskets! This weekend will also be our open house, a can't miss Spring event. Although my ideas of fireworks and a parade were shot down, it should still be a great weekend to come in and get some great deals.
I feel like taking pictures today so maybe if I get bored in the greenhouse I'll snap a few more.
March 4, 2008 11:32 AM
Well just a short entry here, I'll have more later in the day. Met with a Mankato MoonDogs representative about some advertising opportunities, I have a couple of big ideas. Got some big news that involves plants, as well. Will share that with you later, I have a lunch meeting I am off to now.
March 3, 2008 2:37 PM
Well I posted a picture of the plants in the greenhouse on the home page but here are some other things that you might enjoy. The greenhouse is still a hub of activity and controlled chaos (just like it is every year at this time)
Here are some of the plugs I was talking about the other day, notice that some are already blooming!
More plugs, this is the Proven Winners Diamond Frost, an excellent everblooming and trailing plant that is perfect in planters and hanging baskets, it's almost like the old school baby breath plants, but with bigger flowers and greener foliage.
There are a lot more hanging basket options than the old green and white plastic! Do you even need
to put plants in these?!?! They look great by themselves!! Heck, I might hang one in my bedroom to
store my spare change!
We have a special new area for fountains and such. There is a lot to add
yet, as I am still expecting our big shipment of fountains. That spitting lion
is a classic look, it must've been going pretty fast to crash through that
fountain!
Here is some of the unpackaged pottery we got in the other day. It is all
glazed, and look at those designs. These are a must for doorways! Imagine
putting in a big umbrella palm with some purple wave petunias!
This picture is kinda confusing but it shows some of the new trellises.
Had to give a shout out to the new metal trellises, too! These would complement
clematis, morning glories, or any other climber (except toddlers).
Moving indoors, here is one of the new slate fountains I was slobbering over.
It's not as heavy as it looks, but it would need a tornado to move it, not
that we have ever experienced that before! It could be used indoors or out.
Those other mini fountains are new, too. If you're looking for zen then these
would be a cheaper alternative than flying to Japan to visit a rock garden.
One more picture of the baby plants, we've got fiber optic grass on the left and
a corkscrew plant on the right. The nice thing about these two plants is that they
could also be used in a water garden or in a simple planter! Note: Please don't
expect the fiber optic grass to actually give of light, it won't provide a nice accent
on top of your television. If the plant does give off light, I'd send in a soil sample
to the EPA.
Well that is a little bit of a slide show of what is happening today at the garden center. Now is a good time to get that seed starting mix and begin to think about starting some of those seeds inside. We have all you need for seeding and planting needs. Plus I think we might be more helpful than those folks over there at Home Depot!
March 3, 2008 1:40 PM
Got the camera all ready, I am off to take some blurbs of the store!
March 3, 2008 9:56 AM
Well not a bad weekend. March came in like a lamb, unlike last year when it definitely came in like a lion, if I remember correctly we had quite the snow storm last year at this time. The temps still don't look like they will climb above average for the rest of the week, but it's all about the sun angle. It's almost sunburn time!
Went out ice fishing on Saturday, first time I had been out on Madison Lake. I might as well of been fishing on the water garden here at the store. Although we had a nibble here and there, no fish came through the hole. There was about 36 inches of ice, another cold snap and my auger won't be long enough!
Not a lot happening at the store today that hasn't been happening for the past week. Another day of planting and setting up displays is the order of the day. I brought my camera, but I can't remember where I put the charger, if I find it I will post some pictures of the greenhouse, which is getting more full of plants by the day.
Feb 29, 2008 3:19 PM
Holy Cow!! I just checked out the website usage reports and we have once again set new precedents. Thanks everybody, we had more than twice as many people visit the website this week than last week! Well I just finished moving in all the ceramic pottery and birdbaths. These items will go fast, they are really amazing and would look just great anywhere!
It's such a nice day, it is downright tropical in the greenhouse, the moist humid air is really something to revel in. It will feel good for awhile and then June comes and I want to be cold again. I am very impatient when it comes to temperature.
I hope to get out fishing again tomorrow, they're saying 40 degrees! And hopefully the wind isn't too bad. And hopefully the fish begin to wake from their winter slumber to inhale my wax worm!
The greenhouse is beginning to get full of plants, I will try to remember my camera and have some pictures up there next week. Often I just roll out of bed, hop in the shower and am off to work within 15 minutes. I am not a morning person so remember things in the morning doesn't happen to often.
Oh yeah, the frozen pipe is still somewhat frozen, but it didn't burst so that is nice. We have had to water the greenhouse from the water faucets that are in the store, it takes a long hose, but it does the trick.
Many of you have been sending questions in, I will try to get some of the answers posted on the website within the next few days, no promises, but I'll try. Well have a good day, I am off to do some more work before the weekend gets here!
Feb 28, 2008 11:07 AMTalk about a fun day. I am about to head out the door and head down to Faribault to pick up some more plugs (a term used to describe a tray of small plants, there is usually around 200 plants per tray) from Donahue's, this is also where we get many of our fine clemati (that must be the plural of clematis, right?). Donahue's do such a great job, it is always fun to head down to their store. To be honest I am not sure what kind of plants I am picking up, I was just told I am going to pick them, yes Dad! Dan Johnson, Bethany Lutheran College's head groundskeeper, was in this morning and we got all the annuals ordered for his spring planting. He has drawn up some real neat plans, it will be exciting to see the plants in full action! I didn't unload any of the pottery yet, I should have done it when the sun was out yesterday, oh well. I will do that when I get back from Faribault. But right now I am unusually hungry, so an early lunch is in order. What do I have for lunch here? Well it is a mixture but it is usually one of three things. 1. McDonalds (when I am feeling famished and need something greasy) 2. Hot dogs or brats in the microwave (I can eat these for several days in a row, then I get terribly sick of them) 3. or Peanut butter sandwich (when I am in a hurry) Well I gotta run, sounds like we have frozen pipes, this should be a fun one! It's panic time! Feb 27, 2008 9:04 AM Another busy day here at the garden center. Another full day of planting and other fun stuff. I am excited about a large shipment of terra cotta pottery. They said they would be here at 9, but I haven't seen them yet. The pots all come stacked on pallets. Taking them off the pallets is a back backing chore, think moving out of an apartment, only everything is already packed! I wish it was a little warmer, it's always easier to unload things when you can feel your fingers. They say more snow is on the way for tomorrow, which I don't mind. Any snow that is remaining is awfully dirty and a little more white can't hurt things too much. Especially if it's going to be warm this weekend, that little extrat moisture will be appreciated by the corn and soybeans later in the year. My hands and arms are still sore from carrying the granite benches. I guess granite is pretty heavy. I figured I could use the extra weightlifting since I don't do any of that anymore for baseball (not that I did barely any for baseball either, it's just that if I have too much muscle, you know it's hard to swing a bat, at least that's what I tell myself). Speaking of baseball I am excited to see Bethany play in the Metrodome next week. It's always fun to play in the dome and it's been a long winter, it will be nice to see the "Boys of Summer" out there again, too bad I won't be able to be part of it. The highlight of my season last year was playing in the dome and pulling a fastball into the left field line seats. You have to understand that me hitting the ball is a feat unto itself! And the clanking echo the ball made as it harmlessly hit off a blue chair is a sound I will never forget. Lame I know. I will never be mistaken for Jake Krier (a fellow Bethany alum with a powerful swing that was known to put a dent in many a ball). Feb 26, 2008 5:09 PM Sorry about the late update today, but have been busy doing pretty much everything. Setting up some new granite benches, moving this and moving that. Today was the first day we heated the big glass greenhouse. All of our previous planting was done in the main store greenhouses. Still working on pansies and geraniums. Anyways I gotta run to the grocery store and pick up something for supper. I will have a more complete update tomorrow morning. Feb 25, 2008 2:55 PM Well kinda a slow day here. I am in the greenhouse putting together martin houses. These are really cool. Each house has 12 little rooms. Martins are one of the few birds that actually like nesting together. And another good thing about martins is that they eat only flying insects, and you know what that means, less mosquitoes. It is ridiculous how much one bird can eat. We started planting today, pansies and geraniums are being put into real dirt! I forgot the camera, so no pictures of the slate fountains. But they are really cool, the one I put together has two halogen lamps that give it a great luminesence (don't know if that is a word?) at anytime of day. You don't see too many real slate fountains, many are just expensive plastic or fiberglass. Well that's it for today, my fingers are sore from tightening all the bolts. As Happy Gilmore's grandma would say, "My fingers hurt!" Feb 24, 2008 7:17 PM Well I am back at the store doing some random clean up things. Also am putting together another one of the slate fountains. I will try to have pictures up of some of them tomorrow. They are quite the site to behold and would really add serenity to any indoor or outdoor setting! Took some time off yesterday to do some ice fishing. I always think it is going to be warmer than it actually is. The little bit of wind really made it quite chilly (yes, I was underdressed). We only caught four fish, which was enough for a light snack before a pizza. February is almost over! Not that I don't like the month, but it seems that nothing exciting ever happens. It is really the doldrums of the whole year. Too bad it's a leap year and we have to suffer through one more day! Let's hope it doesn't snow too much tomorrow! Feb 22, 2008 4:05 PM Well here's the afternoon update I promised. I have been busy in the greenhouse unpacking various boxes. It's amazing how much I have got done. I cranked Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" to put me in the spring mood. Usually I am a country radio guy, but when I need to get motivated I will turn on some classic rock, nothing like a little AC/DC to get you fired up to sort through packing peanuts! Each pallet had about 15 boxes so I am in the process of pricing and unpacking each one. Took some pictures and I will try to post them here, not sure how it will work, but I'll give it a shot. Here I am with one of the new square glazed birdbaths, the picture really doesn't do it justice.
Here I am with one of the new square glazed birdbaths, the picture really doesn't do it justice.The aqua color is pretty incredible, especially in brighter light.
Here I am opening one of the new fire pits. One of these is definitely going in my backyard. It has an optional grill insert so it can be used for cooking up some brats as well! Picture having one of these, you got some brats and onions on the grill, it's a warm spring evening, John Gordon's announcing the Twins game, no mosquitoes, ahhh yes, Spring is almost here!
Our greenhouse has been converted to a temporary storage while I unpack all the goodies!
Well that's all for today. Thanks to all the readers out there, we have seen our web traffic spike way up. We're actually more popular than Google right now.
Feb 22, 2008 12:09 PM Just an update here. The truck came with four loaded pallets, I am not sure what is all inside the myriad of boxes, but I do see the fountains and fire pits. I will update later in the afternoon with pictures of some of the new items. I sure broke a sweat unloading everything, the sun is really heating up the greenhouse. I have the back door open just to provide some heat relief! You could almost cook bacon and eggs on the floor! I will update later with more info and the pics. Feb 21, 2008 4:21 PM How about the eclipse last night? I knew what to expect, but it is kind of anticlimatic isn't it? As they said on the news it was perfect viewing conditions I watched most of it (by most of it I mean 15 minutes) from a heated car. Which might be considered cheating, but I got the same affect. With the weekend warmup on the way I hope to get some fishing in on Saturday. Last weekend yielded enough sunnies for a nice snack, but hopefully they will be a bit more voracious this time. This morning I awoke to birds singing. I heard a particular call that I haven't heard in quite a few months, and now I can't think of it... Hopefully I will hear it again tomorrow morning and will be able to figure out what it was. A great day in the green house, unloaded some bird baths that are simply stunning. I will try to post pictures tomorrow. Also unpacked some great metal trellises. It was a hot one in the greenhouse today, I bet it got to 70 degrees. Also coming in were some shovels, spade, hoes, etc., and some other good tools to work the soil. Tomorrow is the big day with six more pallets coming in. Feb 20th, 2008 1:52 PM Today would be a good day to be a hibernating bear! A cold artic sunshine is pouring down on us, from the window it looks like a great warm day, however that is not the case as I don't believe it has gotten above zero today. A good day to watch HGTV and ponder what the garden will look like in a few long months! Customers continue to be amazed at the amount of bird seed that our feathered creatures have been eating. Even the squirrels have used up their supply of acorns and nuts and many seem to be relying on us for their substinence. I had an interesting experience last night while watching the Wild game on television, around 9 P.M a male cardinal flew into the window of our sun room, apparently he had enough of the cold as he wouldn't take no for an answer. For about three minutes he was hovering against the window trying to find an opening. I don't blame him, the Wild game was pretty exciting, maybe I should've just positioned the TV so he could view it as well. Well we at the Garden Center are getting poised for another large shipment, it was originally supposed to come tomorrow but it has been pushed back to Friday. Anticipation is running high as we are getting some really cool slate fountains among some other items. I forgot to mention this yesterday, but we did get all new shopping carts! They will be a little large than our last ones, but should be easier to push around. Has anybody heard of the new line of Monrovia soils coming out? I might purchase a few bags, but I have been relatively happy with the Ferti-Lome. So if there is a clamoring I'll get us a bigger shipment. Feb 19th, 2008 Well there is a dirty snow falling right now, it isn't pretty like a December snow event. The current weather has made me yearn for a time when we can go outside without pain on the skin. Having played college baseball for Bethany Lutheran College, I always relished when our spring break came, we flew down to Port Charlotte, Florida for a week of games, some extra practice, and some time in the sun. While it was mostly work, with little play (if you don't count baseball games as actual play) it was always exciting to see the various plants blooming and grass that is actually green. I can see myself as a snowbird later in life, I am a big winter guy and do enjoy the season immensely, however, it does begin to wear on me a little. Had planned to get more cleaning done in the greenhouse today but got side tracked. I was a guest at the Lion's Club weekly lunch. It's good to see such a wide range of St. Peterites involved in such a great organization. It reminded me of my 4-H days. Anyways, prior to the luncheon I had popped in a set of contacts, however, I believe they were left in my car and had at one point frozen. Although they were thawed by the time I put them in they were brittle and actually broke apart in my eye. So I just got back from the eye doctor as they were able to take out the pieces of the contacts that had wandered all over my eye. Well back to the green house, where planting should begin on Friday!!! Feb. 18th, 2008 Another cold day here in the Artic Circle! As cabin fever has set in I religiously check different weather web sites for the latest updates. However, none of the forecasts seem to be giving encouraging news. It wouldn't be so bad if we had an average amount of snow, then it would feel more like winter. Instead it feels as if we are just sitting in a freezer, and unfortunately it's not May yet! For those of you looking for solace in these winter doldrums. I would suggest reading a book by local phenologist Jim Gilbert. His book Jim Gilbert's Nature Notebook takes a day-by-day look at the changing seasons, it is a collection of 10-15 years of field observations from around his Waconia area home. So there must be hope on the way! Well it's off to the green house to do more cleaning. At least the sun is getting higher in the sky, that means even though the air temperature is around 0 it should still be around 50 or 60 degrees in the green house (that's if it continues to be sunny). Feb. 14th, 2008 Well Happy Valentine's Day everybody. This is often the unofficial start of the growing season for us here at the garden center. Some years it's earlier and some later, it often depends on the weather. This year it will be about a week later. Nothing scientific about it, but it's just due to the cold temperatures. Just like heating our homes is more expensive the colder it is, same for the greenhouse. A few days will not impact the quality of the plants being produced, as they crave the longer days and more direct sunlight just like we do! Next week should bring more moderate temperatures and before we know it the first pansies will be in bloom! Otherwise the spring schedule is quickly approaching. We are constantly getting new and unique items in from our suppliers. Just yesterday eight pallets of various Malaysian pottery, arbors, and fountains arrived. I am busy unpacking those items, and boy do they look good! I am still in the process of doing spring cleaning in the big greenhouse. You'd be surpised how much dirt and dust can accumulate in just one year! | |
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