Hoffmann Hillermann Blog
Informational Articles, Promotions, and more
Christmas is just days away! We have many, many gift ideas for all ages and personalities to fit all budgets! Check out these pictures and come visit us to find many items to shorten your list! Check out this photo gallery for just a small sampling….
The month of December brings the holiday season and warm thoughts of family, friends and community. I would like to say “Thank You” and wish you and yours a “Blessed Holiday Season” with all the best in the New Year!
Winter officially arrives this month. Trimming or pruning of some of your trees and shrubs can be done now. Resist the urge to cut back everything. Most perennials benefit from adding a layer of mulch or dead leaves. Keep your ornamental grasses up until mid-March.
Plants get “chapped lips” too. Cold, dry winter winds and bright winter sun make our skin chapped and unhealthy. Those winds have a devastatingly similar effect on your plants too. No wonder your evergreens don’t look so great come spring. This drying effect is called desiccation. To fight desiccation, choose the right plants for windy, dry areas. Make sure to water your evergreens well through early December, before the ground freezes. Mulch your plants for winter to retain soil moisture as well as soil temperature. Use an anti-desiccant like Wilt Stop by Bonide. These products coat leaves and needles to slow down the loss of moisture.
Here are a few tips on winter houseplant care. Flowering plants need at least half a day of direct sunlight. The ideal temperatures for foliage plants are 68-70 degrees during the day and slightly lower at night. Remember, windowsill locations are much colder during the winter and plants may need to be moved to prevent them from getting chilled. The amount of water and fertilizers the houseplants need declines during winter.
Use caution when spreading salt or calcium on ice or snow packed walks or driveways. Salt can damage lawns and plantings, calcium is much safer to use. Be sure to designate areas to for piling snow from plowing in advance to prevent damage to trees, shrubs and lawns.
Continue to feed our fine feathered friends and place heated birdbaths with fresh water out for them.
Again, I wish you and your family a very Blessed Christmas season. Let’s get to work on planning that beautiful garden scene for next year!
See you in the Garden…
Sandi Hillermann Mcdonald
It is hard to believe we at the end of another summer and fall season. Below is a list of things you can do on warm fall days to prepare for winter. Dig into these tasks listed below and enjoy the outdoors as much as you can!
An important step is to make sure all plants are well watered throughout November to insure adequate winter food reserves. That final soaking before the last frost is essential. Soak evergreens and new plantings again in midwinter during a warm spell if moisture is not abundant.
Mulching is an important step to keep soil temperatures from fluctuating so much.
Protect the trunks of transplanted or young trees to minimize frost cracks. White plastic roll covers and paper wrap are good choices.
Till up the vegetable garden to expose many insect pests to winter cold and reduce their numbers in next year’s garden.
Apply Winterizer fertilizer to the lawn to strengthen plant stems and roots and early spring green up.
Plant tulips and other spring bulbs now through December.
Dig and store tender bulbs planted this spring such as Dahlias, caladiums, and elephant ears.
Start paperwhite and amaryllis bulbs indoors now thru December.
Take steps to prevent garden ponds from freezing using a floating garden heater in the pond.
Set up bird feeders. Birds also appreciate a source of unfrozen drinking water.
When feeding the birds, set up tube feeders that are good for songbirds, platform feeders that are good for cardinals and larger birds, and suet that is a great source of fat and energy for woodpeckers.
Winter houseplant care: reduce fertilizer until spring, shorter days mean slower growth, slower growth means less frequent watering.
Leave ornamental grasses standing tall for winter interest in the garden and for feeding the birds. Cut them down to 2-4” in early spring.
Time to go….See you in the Garden....
Sandi Hillermann McDonald
‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.’
- Chinese Proverb
Even though many trees have dropped most of their leaves, it is still a good time to plant them. The roots can grow until the ground freezes and then again as the ground thaws in spring. This way, they will get a better start in spring and be better equipped to handle the hot, dry weather in summer.
Come see our great selection of trees that have just arrived this fall. Let us help you choose a good variety for your location and needs.
We always here the regrets in spring... How can I get those colorful bulb flowers I see around town in my gardens now? We have to say, "Sorry, spring blooming flower bulbs need to be planted in fall." The good news is that you can plant a colorful spring garden with daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and more now up until the ground freezes. Then, those colorful flowers will come up on their own next spring! Come in and choose from our great selection!
Apply in the fall to both lawns and shrubs. It enables turf, tress & shrubs to withstand the rigors of winter better and easier. Its effects are similar to putting on an overcoat in the winter. Applying extra potash enables warm season grasses to come through winter better and be healthier in the spring. Builds hardiness, stem strength, and disease resistance insuring a healthy, stable plant to better survive winter.
