Sept. 29, 2011 Newsletter, Fall Colors (& more) Have Arrived
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The less desirable colors of fall are invading As the days shorten and winter begins to close in, we are not the only species preparing and they are not Harmonia in the household. That’s right, Harmonia axyridis (right) are Asian Lady Beetles which are a help to farmers and gardeners for their love of eating aphids, have begun invading homes; a favorite site to overwinter.
One way to prevent these insects from entering the home is to seal gaps in siding, doors and windows. Physical exclusion can be supplemented with a residual insecticide barrier around the foundation, windows and doors. For insecticides to be effective, they must be applied before insects begin to enter buildings. The best time to treat is usually late September or early October. Some examples of effective insecticides available to the public include those containing: bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin and permethrin. These ingredients are listed on We recommend deltamethrin for it’s longer lasting effect. It’s available at Drummers as BugMax. |
Plant More, Save More Our Progressive Tree Sale We still have a good selection of shade, ornamental and fruit trees to select for your yard. Although the selection may have slimmed, you can now take advantage of excellent pricing. Purchase 1 or 2 trees Purchase 3 trees Purchase 4 trees Purchase 5 trees
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| Thank you Salsa & Vegetable Contest Participants You entered over 65 jars of salsa in our annual contest this year in the mild, medium and hot categories. Congratulations to the winners! The judges did choose to give honorable mentions as well. Mild Salsa Medium Salsa Hot Salsa Thanks to judges Louis Sanchez of Plaza Giribaldi Restaurant, North Mankato, and South Central College culinary arts Students Brady Shanks and Jeremy S. Tesch. In the Vegetable Growing Contest we had several entries and Danielle Burger won Largest Zucchini, Vegetable Oddity and also had honorable mentions in Vegetable Oddities. Layne Johnson won second place in the Vegetable Oddity contest and Brad Pederson won third. Kerry Zeigler won for Largest Carrot and Brad Pederson placed again winning Largest Potato. Brian Wendinger won an honorable mention for Largest Potato. Thanks again everyone for your participation! |
Check out our Pumpkins, Mums and Fall Decor
What better way to celebrate the colors of fall close to home than with pumpkins, gourds and mums decorating your doorstep. We have a great selection of them as well as other fall decor to perk up the place. We have some really fun ghosts for home and yard. You’ll love our competitive pumpkin prices too! Take home your pumpkin from us at $5.99 or 3 for $15. You want to maximize your dollar so don’t hesitate to use mums, pansies and snapdragons in your fall decor. These plants don’t mind frost and will give you great color after cold nights.
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Take A Break starts Next Thursday, You’re Invited! Please join us during your lunch hour for the return of our Take A Break on Thursday, Oct. 6. We are offering the Take A Break the first Thursday of each month starting in October and running through March from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Stop by for a bite and a stroll through the store and greenhouse. We invite a special guest each Take A Break as an opportunity to learn more about the community. VINE Faith in Action of Mankato will be here next week for Take A Break. Of course, we are also offering our quick mini class to make a bit of Desk Bling. For $5 make a fun gift for a friend or something for your desk to keep you cheery. We will offer a fresh flower Desk Bling next week with a fall theme. These are long lasting and worth the effort. Come in on Thursday, Oct. 6 and Take A Break. Bring a friend too! |
What to do in the garden now Get out and use repellents on plants you know will be damaged by deer or eaten by rabbits and mice over winter. Use Bonide Repels All in liquid or granular form, Liquid Fence or Plantskyyd. These are natural products and won’t harm your plans or animals. Layer on the liquids now as they need to dry on your plants rather than freeze on. Hold off on other winter protection for now. Wait to apply tree wrap, rose cones, Wilt Stop and mulch over plants. It’s just too early and warm for these actions. If you didn’t get grass seeded in September, don’t fret. Wait for a while now and we’ll teach you how to do a dormant seeding after the end of October. This is a successful technique to get grass growing in early spring, long before you’d be able to get in and seed grass after the thaw. WATER! Make sure your shrubs, trees, perennials and lawn are getting an inch of water a week. This time is critical for water to help these plants through winter and to look good in spring. You can lower your mowing height a bit and apply winterizer to the lawn. Winterizer will help protect the lawn over the cold months and give you a quick green-up in spring. Do plant trees and shrubs until the soil freezes. If you are still planting perennials, plan to provide them with extra mulch after the ground freezes. |
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Vase Recycling Event to Begin Oct. 3 If you have a few vases cluttering up your storage space, we have a great way to transform them into fresh flowers! Recycle 4 useable vases at Drummers from Oct. 3 to Oct. 31 and we will reward your efforts with a FREE mixed flower bouquet. We’ve seen a lot of vase types over the years and welcome what you’ve got to recycle. Thanks for participating. |
Identifying Oriental Bittersweet We’ve had some questions about the new advisory to control Oriental Bittersweet which is an exotic plant shown to take over woodlands unlike the native American Bittersweet. Here’s a helpful guide for identifying and understanding this woodland pest. |
