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Native Bees

9/25/2017

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  We are glad be involved with Rent Mason Bees- a western Washington-based company that rents bees to backyard gardeners and orchardists. These native bees are non-aggressive, highly efficient pollinators. Renting bees allows you to enjoy the pollination services of these bees, but not have to worry about taking care of them the rest of the year.

  Rent Mason Bees supplies pollination kits which contain safe, local bees to provide a sustainable and economical solution for gardeners, fruit growers and farmers. When your pollination needs have been met at the end of the season, you don't need to hassle with the care, cleaning and storage of the bees. You simply return the kit to them and they do the work. Through renting bees, your spring and summer crops are pollinated, you help boost native bee populations, and you directly support the production of food that will end up in our grocery stores.

  Zenith Holland is now an established pick up and drop off location making renting bees convenient and easy. These bees are very docile, so your children and pets will be safe around these insects. They provide rentals of both a spring pollinator, the blue orchard mason bee, and a summer pollinator, the leafcutter bee.
Go to www.rentmasonbees.com to learn more about the bees and to reserve your kit for spring 2018! 

  Olivia Shangrow is the in-house Biologist for Rent Mason Bees. She is passionate about the protection of wild bees and through bee talks she hopes to raise awareness about how to support our threatened bee populations and the important roles they play in our ecosystems. Her research has focused on optimizing ways to provide foraging resources for many types of bees and increasing the value of both rural and urban habitats for native insects.
We are so happy to have Olivia speak here at Zenith Holland Nursery on October 22nd from 1-3pm Join us for this free event!

 

 

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Fall & Winter Garden Essentials

9/25/2017

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​It’s time to enjoy the vibrant colors of fall, prepare for winter and plan for spring.  Fall is one of the best times to get down into the dirt to plant, plan and protect your garden.

1. Plan: Make a list, redo a bed or plan your spring garden.
  • Make yourself a list of what you need to do and when. This saves you time and money in the long run. See Schedule at end as example.
  • Research new varieties to try, build a greenhouse or cold frame and make raised vegetable beds.
  • Organize your seed packages.
 
2. Plant: Fall is one best times to plant hardy specimens and spring blooming bulbs.  The ground is still warm allowing for the newly planted to get established while the winter rains hydrate roots.
  • Plant- sod or seed and apply organic fertilizer to your lawn & landscape. Aerate, Thatch & Amend Lawn.
  • Plant- Trees, Shrubs & Vines.
  • Plant-Perennials, Grasses & Ground Covers
  • Plant-Spring Blooming Bulbs- Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Iris, Snowdrops, Tulips. 
  • Transplant- Also a time to dig up and move plants that are over grown or need extra room. You can also divide perennials now or wait until spring. Dig up or move any tender or tropical plants you wish to winter indoors (Fuchsias, Begonias, Geraniums).
  • Add Fall Annuals and colorful perennials into pots, borders & beds- Pansies & Violas; Mums & Asters; Cabbage & Kale and Fall Color Vines (Purple Grape, Silver Lace Vine, Virginia Creeper) & Shrubs (Dogwood, Spirea & Blueberries), Evergreen Perennials (Heuchera, Tiarella & Hellebores), Broad Leaf (Euonymus, Azaleas & Lonicera) & Conifers.
  • Start a Veggie Garden! Cool season veggies-there are a bunch- Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Brussels & Cauliflower; Cabbage & Kale; Lettuce, Chard & Spinach; Onions & Leeks; Radish, Rutabaga, Turnips & Carrots
 
3. Protect: Plant roots, delicate foliage and irrigation.
 
  • Apply Mulch like compost or other organic soil amendments 1-3” deep. This helps protect your plants roots from winter damage. Place a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard prior to mulch to choke out weeds.
  • Avoid heavy pruning in fall, best to wait until late winter. Only Lightly prune and thin plants that need it.  Leave grasses and other perennials that produce seed heads for birds to eat over the winter intact, they can be cleaned up later in spring.
  • Dispose of fallen leaves that are diseased or invested with insect pests. Remove dead needles inside of dense conifers producing better air flow and reducing spider mites. Healthy leaves and needles can be used as a mulch and are great to suppress weeds.
  • Irrigation systems need to be winterized, ask a professional when needed. Add a hose bib or spigot protector to all outdoor faucets.
  • Bring in tools, wheel barrows and hoses to protect from freezing.
  • Cloches, Cold Frames & Greenhouses. Add protection to newly planted crops, allow to harden off, then plant!
Fall Garden Task Schedule:
September: Plan Your Fall & Late Winter Tasks. Plant Fall Crops, Fall pots & Hardy Plants. Bring indoors houseplants & tropicals. Lawn Care- Aerate, Thatch (if needed), Sod/Seed, Fertilize.
October: Plant Fall Crops, Hardy Plants. Rake Leaves, clean plants. Mulch.
November: Irrigation winterized (or in October). Cover spigots. Plants should all be winterized.
December: Decorate for holidays. Feed the birds.

Learn more about Fall Gardening....stop in and see what's blooming! We also have classes and workshops. Check out our classes page- October 1st, 2017 from 1-2pm Fall Planting & Evergreen Perennials 
with Horticulturist Kerri Bailey.  

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    Author

    Kerri Bailey

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