Archive for November, 2009

     With Thanksgiving day in our rear view mirror, off we go to the wonderful month of December. I hope all of you had a meaningful and satisfying day. Meanwhile back in the garden the last of the leaves are slowly falling from trees and shrubs. Check and make sure your lawn does not need one more clipping before the winter season settles in. Still time to apply some of our organic lawn fertilizer to all your grass. We have lots of organic “manure free” compost to top-dress empty beds. Three inches would be best. If you have leftover carrots, parsnips, beets. or other root crops still in the soil make sure to insulate them with straw of some other mulching material to ensure no freeze damage when the mercury drops.

     If you are contemplating a “living” tree for the upcomming Christmas, now is a GREAT time to make your choice. Redmond Greenhouse has a pretty nice selection for you to choose from with prices starting at just six dollars. Some of the smaller selections make excellent table top choices as well as childrens bedrooms. Spraying your trees with “Moisturine” if “WiltPruf” will make a HUGE difference in terms of overall health and well being!

     Our first load of “fresh-cut” Noble Firs just arrived. We focus on larger trees if you are in the hunt. This group of trees was cut Thanksgiving week from our grower in the Silver Creek Falls area. As in past seasons we are still offering custom “Snow Flocking” if you are interested in that  “Winter” look.

     Enjoy the weather and all the moisture we have been getting. Rake the leaves, take time to smile, and share a hand with someone in need….. Doug

     As November fades from the yearly calendar many of you will begin thinking about the traditional centerpiece of the Christmas season, The tree. As in past years Redmond Greenhouse will be presenting to you a host of “living” trees for your selection. From small tabletops to larger specimans we hope you will find the perfect tree for your home. There has been an increase in interest in living trees  as folks look for ways to make better spending choices. I know of folks who use the same tree year after year. They simply use the tree for the season and then return it to the patio for the remainder of the season.

     The choices you will have will include the most popular Colorado Spruce along with a few assorted Pines. As more kids get involved with gardening we have made sure to increase our inventory of smaller one gallon trees plus a special selection of “garden-start” trees all dressed up in a traditional Terra Cotta pot complete with bows and  keepsake ornaments….. Happy Holidays!!!!

     We also like to suggest using living evergreens such as Holly, Mugho Pines, and Pieris for indoor greens and decor. Simply wrap the nursery pot with decorative florist cello or rustic burlap to conceal the pop….. zippo………. you are looking great and going with “growing green”. For your table you might just plant up a low decorative planter bowl with succulents, ivy, and Christmas cactus, add a couple of long taper candles and again you are “going green” with your table centerpiece.            As you can see the possibilities are endless…. This is what I call “Getting out of the rut”…… Happy end of November….. Doug

     Just in case you are all wrapped up in other important things…. Don’t forget to get your garlic planted. We thought we were out, but then we were able to get another shipment in. Fall is the time to plant these wonderful little garden gems and our selection is pretty darn good. Many of you have found out how easy it is to grow and how GREAT the results can be not to mention the money that you can save. I was in a local market the other day and the shallots were at just under six bucks a pound…. ye ha dang!!!!! Someone just might want to start a small cottage business in raising and selling quality organic shallots.

     In other related garden news don’t forget to top-dress your empty garden beds with a generous application of “Cold Climate” organic fertilizer as well as at least three inches of compost. You still have time to plant a few “spring flowering” bulbs if you have not already done so. For those of you that have fruit trees DON”T forget to spray your fruit trees with dormant spray. In my opinion this is BEST preventative you can do to guard against overwintering insects and disease.

     Meanwhile back at the ranch I have been able to get away a few times to enjoy life up at our cabin on the north slope of the Steens Mt. Talk about ye haw dang…………… it has been SPECTACULAR!  On other unrelated items my back continues to mend and I am very optimistic about the surgery they did. I just hope I will respect my body just a little bit better and not tear things up.

     Well that is about all for now……….. I will try to be a little bit more attentive to posting info as we head into the late fall early winter season. Hope you had a good season…. Enjoy the weather each and every day……   Try making a homemade soup and a loaf of fresh bread….. Now we are realy living the good life….. Happy November… Doug