Let’s Get Planning!
First, I want to say, “Thank you!” to everyone who has supported us throughout this insane time. It is an amazing feeling to know how much our customers care about us. We get asked, almost daily, how the store is doing, and the answer is “much better than we could have ever expected when all this began.” That is all because of you, and we can’t ever tell you how much we appreciate your support. For many people, the idea of supporting small, local businesses has always been a focus. For others, it hasn’t necessarily been something we’ve given a lot of thought to – our focus is often on what is most convenient or what is the lowest cost. That’s understandable, as we have a lot of pressures on us all the time to save money and time, so it’s easy to just jump online and find the cheapest or most convenient option (and I include myself in that, trust me). So, to know that so many of you took the time and effort to spend your hard-earned money and time at our physical and/or online store (and the many other wonderful stores and restaurants in Chelsea), fills my heart immeasurably.
In case you haven’t heard, we will be closed for the entire month of January.
Not to worry – we will be back on February 2nd. We will be spending the first couple of weeks putting away the leftover holiday stuff, cleaning, and doing inventory. Then, we are going to take a couple of weeks off. This past year has truly been exhausting, and we never really took any time off, so we’re going to do that now. We’re not going anywhere – just taking it easy (I’ve got a stack of books to read!). But, while we’re off, our online store will still be open. We won’t be able to fulfill orders while we are doing inventory, but will be coming in occasionally the last couple of weeks of the month to water plants and get orders together. So, if you find anything on our online store that you want, we will be happy to get it to you. And then, we’ll plan to see you in person in February (or you can continue to order online – that works, too)!
I am very optimistic about the upcoming gardening season. Why? Because I’m a gardener, which is the very definition of optimism! I’m always optimistic about the new season. I spend hours dreaming about what new plants I am going to grow, how I am going to finally finish the project on the slope in the backyard (which I started 8 years ago!), and all the other wonderful things I will accomplish. I likely won’t get even half of them done, but it’s fun to make all those grand plans while I look out on yet another dreary, gray day. At least there’s no snow to shovel – for now. The weather over the next couple of days looks a little suspect.
Jennifer
In this month’s issue of Let’s Get Gardening
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In this month’s issue:
I am now humming that song by the Everly brothers “All I Have To Do Is Dream.” My brain works that way – turning most things into song lyrics – I don’t know why. But, dreaming is a great way to spend January if you’re a gardener. That, and planning. And maybe getting a few things done indoors.
Indoors:
- Make your plans now so that you can start gathering what you will need early in the season, before all the good stuff is gone. Write down what you want to get done.
- While you are sitting indoors, look out. Are there areas in your yard that look boring or bare at this time of year? Plan for how to change that now.
- Pour through the seed catalogs that will start arriving any day now, and peruse the online catalogs to get inspiration for what you want to grow (Garden Mill seed varieties will be available on our website shortly!).
**See below for information on ordering online from The Garden Mill** - Did you get a “Christmas” plant (Norfolk Island Pine, Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus, etc.) this year? If you’re not sure
how to care for your new acquisition, here are some links to sites with tips. If you’re looking for care tips for other indoor plants, houseplant411 is a great resource.
–Norfolk Island Pine
–Poinsettia
–Christmas Cactus - Give all of your indoor plants some TLC this month. Indoor plants tend to get neglected during the outdoor season (at least at my house!), so now’s a great time to make up for that neglect. Clean off any dust that may have accumulated on leaves.
- Humidity is also key to healthy indoor plants at this time of year. With heaters running pretty much constantly, the air gets dried out quickly. If you don’t have a whole-house humidifier, and it’s not possible to have a room humidifier in every room where you have plants, there are still ways to increase the humidity around them.
- Don’t fertilize indoor plants for the next few months, as they need a resting period just like outdoor plants.
- Repot any plants that have outgrown their current pots and are getting root-bound. Root-bound plants dry out faster, and generally don’t thrive.
Outdoors:
- The weather forecast is calling for warmer-than-normal temperatures for the next couple of weeks. Take advantage of that to finish mulching any plants you didn’t get to in the fall (you may want to wait until after this weekend’s apparently messy weather). We tend to get fluctuations in temperatures throughout the winter, which can stress plants severely.
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- If you didn’t get burlap screens up around your evergreens, finish that task now, too. The high winds we have been experiencing lately will continue throughout the winter. Combined with the frozen ground that doesn’t allow plants to take up water, this causes evergreens to dry out and potentially sustain significant damage.
- The weather people are saying that we will have a warmer and wetter winter this year. That means that we are likely to see much more snow than we did last year, and that it will be the wet, heavy kind.
Birds:
- Feed the birds. Keeping the feeders clean and filled can be a time-consuming task, but one that will bring lots of
pleasure as you watch your feathered friends show their appreciation for all your hard work. - Water is also important for your birds. With temperatures going below freezing, water is hard to find when you live outdoors, and birds can’t work faucets.
Happy New Year!
Hoping to get seeds before they’re all gone? Don’t let the fact that we will be closed in January worry you! Our online store is always open, and we’ll have seeds available online in just a little bit (I expect by the end of next week).
We’ll have a good selection of seeds on our website from Renee’s Garden, Ann Arbor Seed Company, and Nature & Nurture Seeds (the last two are locally owned, small businesses), but if there are things you don’t see there that you really want, just ask – we may be able to get them for you. If there is something on our website that you had your heart set on, but is sold out, get in touch – we may be able to get it back in.