To make the Holiday Season less hectic and to help get some of those details out of the way early here are some planning tips from our years of experience at Wegman’s.

As you are thinking of your holiday decorations remember that Wegman’s will have a full selection of wreaths, garland, swags, centerpieces and mantle pieces. We hope that we can make this area of your Holiday planning and preparation a little more stress free.

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 this link. 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. Remember, orders must be placed by Wednesday, November 12!

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.

When there is need for a colorful plant display near the household entrance or patio or balcony, a container may be your only choice for housing the plants. The size of the container will determine the size or number of plants you can use. The container can be terra cotta, ceramic, plastic, wood, or the new material Eurocast. It will make no difference which you use so far as plant growth is concerned but it should be compatible with the home’s design and color--and there must be a drainage hole in the bottom.

It is absolutely essential that you plant in a quality potting soil such as Master Nursery Gardener’s Gold. We have seen numerous planting failures when inferior potting soils obtained from discount or chain stores were used for healthy plants. A container with a 16 or 18 inch diameter is the minimum size for a satisfactory display. Use a tall pot for tall plants such as a four-foot camellia or for a display with trailing plants. A low pot is more effective when smaller plants such as cyclamen or paperwhites are used.

If the display is to serve for only two or three months, no fertilizers are necessary. When the display is to become permanent, the first fertilizer should be applied three months after the initial planting and monthly after that. Master Nursery Camellia, Azalea, Gardenia and Rhododendron Food will suffice for most of the container plants. Containers should be watered as needed but will probably require less water than during the summer. As usual, irrigate until water runs out the bottom of the container and not again until the top one-quarter inch of soil is dry.

One of the most striking yet least complex displays is to have the Sasanqua Camellia 'Yuletide' planted in a medium height pot next to the entrance. Yuletide is a dark green shiny leaved evergreen showing masses of flowers; bright red with yellow stamens. Yuletide starts blooming just before Thanksgiving and continues until about the middle of January. For a bit more extravagance, place three pots of red cyclamen around the base of Yuletide. With the care outlined above, this camellia will bloom year after year.

Another uncomplicated display can be made by using only cyclamen: two reds and a white on one side of the door and two whites and a red on the other side or three reds on one side or all red or any other possible combination. If you want more showy green, put one or two Foxtail asparagus ferns in back of the cyclamen.

For a slightly more decorative display, three red cyclamen in the center of the 16 inch pot surrounded by English ivy hanging over the side will be an easy-do-it-yourself project. If the exposure is all day sun and too hot for Cyclamen or just for something different, substitute red berried 'Lofast' cotoneaster for Cyclamen.

By planning ahead, an attractive display can be made by using Paperwhite Narcissus. The Paperwhites can be used alone or in combination with Cyclamen or Poinsettias. The paperwhites can be potted up alone or on three sides of the cyclamen or poinsettia. The planning ahead occurs because it will take six to eight weeks for the paperwhites to bloom after being planted. Simple enough, by planting the cyclamen/poinsettia in the front-center of the 16 inch pot and the Paper whites around it. When paperwhites are planted, there should be no more than one-quarter to one-half inch between the bulbs. English Ivy can also be planted to trail over the edge of this pot.

Paperwhites and amaryllis can also be started outdoors and then brought inside when they begin to show color. (See our Paperwhite Care Guide). Cyclamen will only last a week or so indoors and are exclusively outdoor plants.

Be sure to allow three to four weeks for your display to settle down and fill out. This, again, is where the "plan ahead" caution comes in. The more time you allow your display to sit in its desired location, the better it will look.

Typically, you think of spring as the time to battle ravenous slugs and snails. The bad news… slugs and snails can remain active in temperatures down to 40°F. Fall baiting can help significantly reduce slug and snail damage in your garden come next spring. This fall make sure you use the highly effective slug and snail control, Sluggo, which can be used around pets and wildlife.

Made from iron-phosphate, Sluggo works by binding the gut of slugs and snails so it’s the last meal they’ll eat… instead of your hostas! Aside from being the number one choice for pet owners, Sluggo is also OMRI approved for organic gardening so you can use it around your fruits and vegetables.