Wegman’s will be closed on Friday, the 4th of July.

Wegman’s wishes everyone a fun and safe 4th of July. It’s a perfect time to enjoy all of your labors in your gardens by enjoying a BBQ or just a quiet day relaxing.

Wegman’s will reopen on Saturday at 7 a.m. Beginning Monday, June 30 our hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Our knowledgeable and helpful staff is always here to diagnose plant problems, give planting tips and advice, and answer any questions you might have. Remember that Wegman’s is always pleased to try to locate those special hard-to-find plants that make your garden unique.

Redwood City celebrates 70 years of pageantry in presenting the 4th of July Parade. Redwood City has the largest 4th of July Parade in Northern California and it’s always great fun for the family! Check out their website for more details: http://www.parade.org/index.html

Farmer’s Markets and greengrocers have a number of hard to find varieties of fruits that you might want to add to your home orchards. Now is the perfect time of the year to check out your favorites. But where do you get the bare root stock?

Wegman’s has just posted our First Pick availability list and order form for ordering heirloom and hard to find varieties of apple, apricots, cherries, figs, jujubes, nectarines, nectaplums, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums, pluots, pomegranates, and quinces.

Wegman’s is once again partnering with Dave Wilson Nursery to take pre-season orders for individual bare root stock trees. Through the First Pick Program, you can special-order single trees of taste-test winners, heirloom varieties, early and late-maturing, novelty and specially adapted varieties - many grown on a choice of rootstocks.

You can download the 2009 First Pick Worksheet and Order form by clicking here. The worksheet/price list has over 225 varieties of fruit and nut bare root trees to choose from. By visiting the Dave Wilson Nursery website you may view the fruit and its characteristics. Finally, either come into Wegman’s with the completed Order Form or fax it to us at 650-368-0403. Orders must be placed by November 10, 2008.

Your bare root stock will arrive at Wegman’s between mid-January and mid-February 2009. We will contact you either by phone or email to pick up your order, just in time for the perfect planting conditions.

2009 First Pick Worksheet and Order Form

On the hot summer days ahead, plan to have a cool, shady place where you can sit back, relax and enjoy the shadows of leaves doing their best to filter out the sun’s hot rays. Your garden should have a ‘quiet place’ where you can sit and let Mother Nature sooth your soul.

More easily said than done you say. Not so, we say. Almost everyone has at least one tree in or near the garden which we can use for a start. To build our quiet place, we will add a few small Japanese Maple trees to enclose our area and provide the tranquility we are trying to achieve. Our Japanese Maples may be a small grove or several bushy, low growers acting like a wall to discourage the day’s tensions from disturbing our tranquility. The goal is to provide a quiet, shaded area using trees that will be attractive in your garden.

If the original, existing tree is a large old oak, or a few middle-aged birch or any other mature tree or trees, these will be the start. We will plant one to several Japanese Maples near the drip line of our existing tree(s). The Japanese Maples will range from 6 to18 feet tall depending on the variety. As ‘understory’ trees, the original tree will provide the filtered sun many Japanese Maples need for best performance. With even the most gentle breeze, the leaves of your maples will flutter and provide the soothing environment you were working to achieve.

As you design your ‘quiet place,’ your maples can be those with green leaves or with red leaves. Regardless of summer color, all will have brilliant fall colors to accompany the cooling days which announce the ending of summer. During winter when your maples have lost all their leaves, the ‘quiet place’ continues its function as you contemplate the intricate branch pattern of the trees and the various colors and designs of the bark.

If your garden does not already have a big tree to start your design, there is at least one fast growing, large Japanese Maple that can be used. The tendency to believe that all Japanese Maples are slow growing, delicate and require shade or low light is wrong. In the future weeks, we will discuss the different sizes, shapes and colors of maples to help you decide what will work best for ‘quiet place.’ The quiet place will also need ground covers, shrubs, and flowers to finish it design. Those will be worked into our plans as well.

Our Bedding Department has beautiful hanging fuchsia baskets in full bloom and in vivid colors! Fuchsia baskets are perfect to hang on your patio or along a front porch for a bright color splash. The baskets are party ready; just hang them up! Just that breath of cool color on hot summer night--and the hummingbirds love them!

Last Call! Sale Ends June 30th!
1.5 CU FT PREMIUM POTTING SOIL WITH MYCORRHIZAE

Primary Uses:
• For use in all indoor and outdoor container planting applications.
• Also excellent for hanging baskets and raised bed planting.
• May be mixed with existing garden soil to enhance soil texture, drainage and fertility.

Features & Benefits:
• 100% natural, completely organic peat-based formula that includes alfalfa meal, worm castings, kelp meal and bat guano.
• The extra absorbent, fine-textured blend keeps tender roots moist and aerated between waterings.
• Abundant essential plant nutrients promote quick growth and long-lasting health for all types of container plants.
• Increase air space and excellent drainage in the root zone.
• Includes several species of beneficial Mycorrhizae