Buy 1, Get 1 SALE!

With much gratitude for your business this year, we are pulling out almost every thing at Palmer's Garden to make this year's Annual sale the best ever for you, our customers. All day this Saturday and Sunday, we'll be slashing prices to give you the best deals in town. Does your garden need some stimulus? These once a year sale prices will go a long way!

~ Buy 1 Get 1 Free ~

Roses

Azaleas

Hibiscus

Caladiums

Agapanthus

Window Boxes

Select Hanging Baskets

Herbs/Veggies in Plastic pots

~ Buy 2 Get 1 Free ~
Podocarpus

~ Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off ~

Gardenias

Camellias

Glazed & Stone Pots

Vines including Wisteria, Allamanda, Passion Flower, Sky Vine, & Mandevilla

~ 40% OFF ~

Interior Gifts

~ 30% OFF ~

Juniper

~ 25% OFF ~

Trees

Fountains

Our Annual Sale is this Saturday and Sunday Sept 5-6, 2009 ONLY, 9am to 5pm.

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to visit the garden center and see all of the new changes we've made this past month. We are closed on Monday for Labor Day.

growing together,

The Palmers Team

Breast Cancer Benefit this Saturday!

Don't forget to stop by Palmer's Garden Center this Saturday as a percentage of all proceeds will go to MD Anderson in Honor of our manager, Christie Mock who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and will soon undergo treatment at MD Anderson.

We received a whole semi-truck full of pink flowers today [well, it seemed like that many] so there's lots to choose from if you want to plant a pink pot to grow good thoughts over the next few months for Christie.

We'll also have our new green roofed potting sheet in full operation so you can watch us pot your flowers or do it yourself with our soil and fertilizer. Remember too, you can bring your own pot from home or purchase one from us including some smaller plastic oval bowls that we got just for this occasion.

We open at 9am and the % of ALL SALES runs through out the day. From 3-5 pm we will have Christie here along with a little wine some lite bites to share.

We really hope you'll join us!
The Palmers Team

Don't Be a Boob! Plant a Pot for Breast Cancer

Please join us at Palmers Garden!

On Saturday, August 22
9-5 pm

A percentage of all proceeds will go to MD Anderson

in Honor of our manager, Christie Mock

3-5 pm

Wine, lite bites and good times with Christie

who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer
and will soon undergo treatment at MD Anderson

Christie Mock
Office Manager at Palmer's Garden & Goods

Check out our new potting station!

You've always been able to let us do the dirty work,
but now you can play in the dirt yourself!

For a discounted potting fee,

you can use our soil, rock and fertilizer to plant your own pot or a new one.

Great new pots have arrived just in time too!

We really hope you'll join us!

Allison M. Palmer
Palmer's Garden & Goods
407-896-5951

Getting Ready to Plant the Vegetable Garden

If you love cool weather crops like lettuce, broccoli, green beans, spinach & potatoes than get ready for the best season of the year to plant them. Autumn gardens are often the most productive here in Florida as we often retain warm days up through the holidays and many vegetables can tolerate even a light frost at night.

The earliest recommended planting time for seeds here is July 15th and successive plantings every two weeks can be done for quite some time. The most important step is to first prepare your beds, containers or pots that you intend on planting which shouldn't be done the same day as planting if possible. It's better to have them ready a week before and let them settle. For those with limited space, large pots with one or two tomato plants may be all you can handle. If you have more space available, you may want to try raised beds which yields more per square foot.


Square Foot Gardening Beds
There's an abundance of information on the internet about how to easily build raised beds. Here's some excellent planning advice we found for you:
http://www.wikihow.com/Construct-a-Raised-Planting-Bed

How to Build and Install Raised Garden Beds
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/gardening/4308264.html

and more from the Square Foot Gardener here:
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/index.php/The-Project/how-to-square-foot-garden.html


Earth Boxes with Tomatoes with Hog Wire
If you are considering container gardening, you should consider purchasing one of our EarthBoxes TM that comes with a free bag of organic soil. My father has planted the same crops in them for several years as well as right next to them in the ground and swears the amount of tomatoes he gets from the Earth Box is double. He also wraps his in hog wire to keep the deer from eating his plants.



GREEN LIGHT SPECIAL!
20% OFF ALL Crepe Myrtles this week!


EXTRA EXTRA!!!
Some Tips we've gathered that you will want to know:

Visualize Plan It, Build It, Put It To Use!
In general, a north–south orientation takes full advantage of available light. Video

Building a raised bed with two people is much easier and faster than with one.

Deck screws work best to fasten the boards together.

Treated lumber no longer contains arsenic. It may however contain chemicals unsuitable for gardening

If there is no turf between your beds, put down some landscape fabric and cover it with pavers or a layer of gravel to improve drainage—after running out in the rain for a fresh bell pepper, you’ll appreciate the mud-free shoes.

SOIL
Where ever you decide to plant, we have Black Kow composted manure, Mushroom compost, Espoma's Organic fertilizers and organic sprays to help you be successful in growing your own food this year.

Beginner’s Guide to Fertile Soil and Raised Garden Beds

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2007-05-01/Beginners-Guide-to-Fertile-Soil-and-Raised-Garden-Beds.aspx

Do you have caterpillars in your garden? Then you won't want to miss next week's E-News.

Growing Together,
The Palmers Team

Under Ground NOTES

Do you have a question you'd like answered? Let us know and we may include it in a future newsletter!

Have you just started receiving our newsletters? Recent articles can be found online here: http://palmersgarden.blogspot.com

If at any time, you wish to STOP receiving this newsletter, simply reply REMOVE in the subject line and we'll take care of it for you, no problem.

What's that Caterpillar?

Eastern Black Swallowtail larva & chrysalis
Butterflies and caterpillars are in full bloom this month at Palmer's garden. We found this caterpillar munching away on our dill plant and at first glance, it appeared to be a Monarch. The chrysalis above it gave it away though. This was an Eastern Black Swallowtail. Don't be confused when you see the youngest of them though as the smaller larvae found on the same plant that's black with red spikes and white saddles is also the Eastern Black Swallowtail. They shed that skin when they are about 20% grown.


Baby "White Saddle"- Eastern Black Swallowtail

Below is what they look like during the different stages of their larva life.

Four Eastern Black Swallowtails
The baby is second from the left sandwiched between what we some times call a junior and a senior. The largest and curled one on the right is beginning to assume the position to shed its skin and turn into a chrysalis.


Monarch and Eastern Black Swallowtail
In contrast, Monarchs have white, yellow and black stripes instead of green and they have black antenna on both ends so they can confuse their predators.


Milk Weed, the host plant for Monarchs
If you look very closely [or click on the photo above to enlarge] on the curled leaves in the center, you can see the yellow spheres that are the eggs of the Monarch.


Eastern Black Swallowtail chrysalis

Once the caterpillars have eaten enough and grown to full size. They will then shed their skin and attach themselves to a nearby branch or underside of leaf that is out of the rain. We have raised these swallowtails in a large critter cage purchased at pet store and they almost always attach themselves to the roof. In the photo above, you can see two completed chrysalis and the center larva in the final stage of shedding its skin.


Translucent shedded chrysalis & a new Monarch
In the photo above, you can see the chrysalis that this butterfly just pulled itself out of moments before this photo was taken. The first few minutes, they like to have a branch to clasp while fluttering and drying their wings. If you put your finger under their feet, they will often do this on your hand and some times even fly back to you a few times when they are first flying around your yard.

Monarchs usually emerge from the chrysalis within a week or two with warmer temperatures speeding up the process. Be warned though, Eastern Black Swallowtails are erratic on the timing and have even been known to winter over and come out months later with 14 months being the known record. When they do, make sure that you release them within 24 hours and preferably near some nectar plants so they can get their first drink as soon as possible.


This new Monarch was placed on a pot of nectar plants which included pintas, zinnias, periwinkles and pink gaura, aka whirling butterfly bush.


Brand new Eastern Black Swallowtail
Here's one that just eclosed and is ready to start it's new life. For more information about Butterflies and help identifying the ones you see in your garden, check out:
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1356

10 Million New Gardeners

Community gardens have surged across the country with the demand for vegetable seeds skyrocketing [up 35 to 75 percent over last year] especially of staples like beans, potatoes and lettuces. They are expecting over ten million new gardeners this year and "Industry observers attribute the boost in sales to a concern for food safety following outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella poisonings and a desire by consumers to be a part of the local food movement."

Other experts speculate the primary reasons are "the recession, income loss and the need for people to lower their grocery bills by growing their own." but Michelle Obama's new vegetable garden at the White House may also be inspiring people. Their first harvest was 73 lbs of lettuce, 12 lbs of snap peas and one cucumber. Obama and the children then trooped into the White House kitchen to wash lettuce and shell and cook the peas for lunch, which they ate outside on red and white checked tablecloths." 1


http://www.echotech.org

Urban and roof top gardens are popping up in cities across America and as one pioneer in Wisconsin put it; “We need 50 million more people growing food,” Allen told them, “on porches, in pots, in side yards.” The reasons are simple: as oil prices rise, cities expand and housing developments replace farmland, the ability to grow more food in less space becomes ever more important. "2

This motivates me even more to get my garden beds ready for July seed planting. We really enjoyed picking our own organic salads this past spring, all grown in containers. But autumn gardens are always the best here in Florida, especially the lettuces so we are building larger raised beds this summer so we can grow even more of our own this fall.

Over the next few weeks, this newsletter will be focusing on Planning your space, How-to-build raised beds and square foot gardening. Since the first seeds can be planted either in the ground or in 4" containers beginning July 15, it's time to start planning and thinking about what you want to eat this fall. Good crops to consider are seed potatoes, winter squash, peas, spinach, beets, pole beans, onions, lettuces, herbs and carrots.


GREEN LIGHT SPECIAL!
Buy 1 Rose [AS IS ] and get the second Rose bush at 50% OFF this week.

It feels like the Dog Days of Summer are here. Did you know that Palmers Maintenance has a service for LAWN AND SHRUB MAINTENANCE? Call us for a free estimate on taking care of your yard for you.


Butterfly Food
Right now the gardens here are full of butterflies, searching for nectar as well as a place to lay their eggs. Parsley is a great host larva plant for the Eastern Black Swallowtail and some beautiful parsley plants just arrived. We also have Milkweed in orange and in solid yellow for the Monarchs, Dutchman's pipe for the Pipevine Swallowtail and numerous colors of passion flower vine for the orange Gulf Fritillary to lay their eggs on. If you like to watch all the stages of the butterly, stop by and pick up what you need to feed them. Next week: Looking for Butterfly Larva on your plants

Growing Together,
The Palmers Team

Under Ground NOTES

Do you have a question you'd like answered? Let us know and we may include it in a future newsletter!

Have you just started receiving our newsletters? Recent articles can be found online here: http://palmersgarden.blogspot.com

If at any time, you wish to STOP receiving this newsletter, simply reply REMOVE in the subject line and we'll take care of it for you, no problem.

(1) Demand for Vegetable Seeds Is Rooted in Recession
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061402741.html

(2) Street Farmer
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html

Annuals or Perennials? You decide!

Caladiums
Are you looking for a splash of color in a shady or filtered light area of your garden? Caladiums are tropical plants derived from bulbs and quite easy to grow. They are native to the Amazon river area of Brazil so it's no surprise that these plants love a warm, shady, humid environment. The leaves come in a variety of combinations of green, with white, pink or red. It grows to it's full height of 12" to 30" in one season. Caladiums are perfectly comfortable in a pot or container, resulting in a very popular houseplant or deck plant. In fact, word has it that they are a favorite indoor plant at the White House!

Did you know? While it is native to Brazil, Lake Placid, Florida claims to be the Caladium capital of the world. Nurseries in this area grow a wide range of Caladiums on thousands of acres. Caladium grows well with little care or attention. Fertilize outdoors once a month with a general purpose fertilizer. Indoors, use a liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks. During the growing period, remove any dead or damaged leaves.

Best of all, caladiums are a perennial and on sale this week!

GREEN LIGHT SPECIAL!
Buy 1 perennial 1 gallon, get a second 1 gallon perennial at half price!

So what's the difference in an Annual and a Perennial?
Annuals by definition are plants whose life cycle lasts only one year, from seed to blooms to seeds but in Florida they often only last three to four months with our extreme summer heat and/or dry/rainy seasons. Examples of annuals are marigolds, bachelor buttons, zinnias, pansies, alyssum which are most often available in 4 inch and 1 gallon size containers. They are an excellent way to create a great splash of color in the garden and often have the brightest and most cheery of blooms.

Perennials, like old friends, return year after year, growing in size and stature until they reach their full maturity. Although they live on longer, many perennials lose their vigor after 3-4 years, and should be replaced. Most perennial plants may be divided to produce new plants, or they may be grown from seeds or cuttings. Perennials are available as 4 inch starters, 1 gallon size or even larger.

Planting annuals and perennials are basically the same, but with a few variances. When you plant a perennial, you must consider that your plant will be in the same spot for several years. As such, the preparation of the ground must be more complete. Annuals on the other hand will do just fine in any reasonably rich soil, with a minimum of feeding. *Always refer to plant care labels for specific requirements and cultural practices for your plants such as sun, water, pruning, division, etc.

Are you planning to plant a fall vegetable garden?
Now is the time to prepare your beds as first seeds can start being sown around the middle of July. Watch for upcoming articles on how to have a bountiful garden this autumn!

Growing and playing together!
The Palmer's Garden Team
www.palmersgarden.com
www.palmersgarden.blogspot.com
2610 Corrine Drive~ Orlando, FL 32803
jeff@palmersgarden.com or news@palmersgarden.com

407 896-5951

Vines for every purpose

Buy 1 Vine, Get the
2nd for Half Price!

"Many flowering vines thrive in Florida's mild climate. By carefully choosing among this diverse and wonderful group of plants, you can have a vine blooming in your landscape almost every month of the year. Vines can function in the landscape in many ways. When grown on arbors, they provide lovely "doorways" to our homes or provide transition points from one area of the landscape to another. Undesirable trees, posts, and poles can be transformed using vines to alter their form, texture and color.


Vines can be used to soften and add interest to fences, walls and other hard spaces... and, finally, vines attract wildlife" like butterflies. Many vines have flowers that feed the butterflies and the caterpillars called nectar and larval plants.


We currently stock the larval Pipevine for the Spicebush Swallowtail, and Blue, Purple or Red Passion Flower Vines for the Gulf Fritillary & Zebra Longwings, our state butterfly. Other vines in stock may include Allamanda, Bougainvillea, Coral Vine, Bleeding Heart, Honeysuckle, Mandevilla, Wisteria, Sky Vine, Confederate Jasmine, and even Muscadine grapes that arrived this week.

For extensive information from the University of Florida including How Vines Climb, Proper Planting and care, read more here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG097


Hanging Moss Baskets
Check out these new preformed, high quality black chained baskets that are priced economically by the piece or as a set. Made from Angel Moss-a blend of New Zealand Sphagnum moss that holds a considerable amount of water, these preformed liners are quick and easy to work with it and do not leave a mess everywhere. Side planting is a dream as holes are easily poked with a finger in the moss liners. Just plant the baskets dry, soak them down, and you're done! What a time saver!

Angel Moss soil conditioning marbles are a natural & biodegradable soil additive for moisture retention and an ORGANIC alternative to moisture crystals. 1.1lbs

FATHER'S DAY!
Did some one say Father's Day? Ahhh, I guess I'll be shipping some Bougain (my dad's favorite bougainvilla fertilizer) and a naturally decomposing SEED Card to North Carolina this year. If you are blessed enough to have your dad in these parts, we reckon you might drop by and get him something that will keep on giving or better yet, a Palmer's Gift Certificate for those gardeners who seem to have everything!

Growing together!
The Palmer's Garden Team

ps. This week's newsletter is dedicated to my dad, who along with his dad, inspired a life long love for gardening. May you be blessed with such fathers!

www.palmersgarden.com
www.palmersgarden.blogspot.com
2610 Corrine Drive~ Orlando, FL 32803
jeff@palmersgarden.com or news@palmersgarden.com

407 896-5951

Ignite with Blue & White!

Save 15% on anything Blue or White!

Go Magic!!! Stop by this week and save 15% on anything you can find that is white or blue in the garden center including pots, gift items and plants. Perhaps you've had an eye on a Cobalt Blue glazed pot, a blue and white gazing ball or some of our Endless Summer blooming hydrangeas? If it's white or blue, we'll give the discount at the register in honor of the Orlando Magic Playoffs this week! Offer ends Tuesday 6/16/09.


Is the mulch in your garden safe?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now showing concern over the safety of recycled, ground tires being used as padding in playgrounds and on sports fields. This comes after many years of professing the safely of recycled tires being used for a variety of uses. ~more:
http://www.examiner.com/x-11530-Orlando-Gardening-Scene-Examiner~y2009m6d9-Is-the-mulch-in-your-garden-safe
Palmer's carries shredded Eucalyptus, natural, black & red shredded Cypress, plus Pine Bark in nuggets, mini-nuggets or shredded.

Father's Day Gardening Gift Certificates
The perfect gift for that dad who loves to garden. Let him choose a new tool, a desired plant or one of our many pots & containers. Combine it with a promissory, "We'll help you dad!" certificate and you'll make his day!

Growing and playing together!
The Palmer's Garden Team
www.palmersgarden.com
www.palmersgarden.blogspot.com
2610 Corrine Drive~ Orlando, FL 32803
jeff@palmersgarden.com or news@palmersgarden.com

407 896-5951