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Utica
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Have a Look Around the Site:
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Be a Guest Gardener:
Gardeners love to learn from other gardeners "over the fence." We would love to include a tour and/or an article from one of our readers!
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Contact Information:
E-Mail:
Click to contact us.
Telephone:
(815) 667-7003
Address:
2958 East 8th Rd.
Utica, IL 61373
Hours:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 5:00
Sun 11:00-4:00
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Early and late blooming mums, pansies, cabbage & kale, pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks and hay bales, wreaths and garland, flags, garden art, and so much more...
Warm soil and cool nights make Fall PERFECT for planting trees, shrubs, evergreens, ornamental grasses, perennials, and of course BULBS! Stop by and let our landscape designers help you create your own OUTDOOR PARADISE!

Click to print coupon
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Gift Center:
40-50% off Spring and Summer Décor
25% off all containers
Garden Center:
30% off on Nursery Stock: trees, shrubs, perennials
50% off Bud and Bloom Roses
50% off all water plants |
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By Tamara Galbraith
Chrysanthemums are one of the staples of the late fall garden. Their hardiness and color range make them perfect for both the landscape and container holiday arrangements.
These tough plants will thrive in less than ideal conditions, although they prefer full to partial sun and good, well drained soil. Their shallow root system dictates that they be watered often. Apply a balanced fertilizer on a regular basis.
After plants are done blooming, pinch or shear back so the mum will eventually develop a bushier shape. Once fall arrives again, don't trim them anymore so buds can develop, and switch to a fertilizer higher in phosphorus to promote blooming.
Mums will survive winter in most zones; however, if you are in one of the extreme northerly areas, apply a thick layer of mulch over your mums to protect them or dig them up and put them in the garage for the winter.
Aphids are the main mum munchers. Other than those little beasts, mums experience little other insect damage.
Believe it or not, the one thing that can really affect the flowering of your mums is nighttime light, so do not plant them where they will be exposed to streetlights or foundation lighting. Like us humans, mums need a good night's sleep to be at their best.
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Fall is the time to plant spring blooming bulbs for that wonderful first show of spring that we all love! When you think of spring, daffodils (Narcissus) or maybe crocus come to mind, but there are many other bulbs for fall planting to bring gorgeous color to your spring garden. Some of these even have bloom times that extend into the early summer. These bulbs are originally from all parts of the world. Aren't we lucky that we can grow them here, too!
Preparing your soil for bulb planting is simple. As you dig each hole for the bulbs, add Hi-Yield Bone Meal Bone Meal bulb food. Each bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber requires a different planting depth. Follow the packaging instructions or ask one of us for help. To make your bulb planting easier, we have tools available to help you, such as bulb planters (long- and short-handled) and bulb auger bits.
Following this preparation and giving your bulbs the sun/shade and watering that they require will bring you a vivid colorful spring garden.
Stop in to see our spring-blooming bulbs. |
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One of the most useful additions you can make in your garden is to plant a tree. A tree adds scale and structure to a garden and pulls together the various elements that create the overall look and feel. The tree's foliage throughout the seasons, and flowers when they are significant, will also add impact to your garden design.
Yet today, many gardens do not have the space for large spreading trees (along with their imposing trunks). But most of us have a small garden--or even a courtyard--that still can use a smaller tree to give balance to the landscape.
Sometimes gardening isn't limited by space, but by time and interest. If you
love the idea of being surrounded by a garden, but you can't see yourself spending
countless hours with a pruning shear in your hands, a wonderful option is to
create a garden paradise on your patio or terrace in containers. And small trees
will add balance and make a great addition to any patio collection. If you plant in containers, be sure to use a high-quality potting soil for best results.
Small trees are sometimes called patio trees and are usually defined as slower-growing and ranging in height from six to fifteen feet. Most produce an incredible display of blooms at some time of the year, and have non-invasive roots as an added landscape benefit.
When selecting a patio tree, allow adequate width to keep walkways, entryways, driveways or buildings clear of overhanging branches. Many small trees, although short, can spread as much laterally as vertically.
We offer a large selection of small-space trees that will be perfect for that special place in your garden or patio. Come on in and look them over--we are sure to have some you'll love!
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As a kid, the arrival of Indian summer was the last summer hurrah! It was still light enough to play outside after dinner, and warm enough to wear shorts. Even though school had begun, you still had a couple of weeks of warm summertime fun. Well, now I realize that it was also a couple more weeks of summertime flower color for my parents to enjoy in their gardens! Somehow, I think they must have planned ahead to ensure that the gardens were beautiful.
That's right. Now is the time to tuck into your garden beds and patio paradise containers some of your favorite late summer and fall blooming perennials and shrubs. This list of flowering plants includes just about every flower color that you can imagine. You may be the type of gardener who has a complete plan of colors, sizes and shapes in mind. Or you might be a gardener that loves just to collect plants of all colors, sizes and forms. You know who you are and what your style is.
There are plenty of late summer and autumn bloomers to choose from. Check our gallery here for some examples. Our plant selection is a veritable treasure chest of Indian Summer colors. Come into the garden center and begin choosing today. Don't forget to pick up some planting mix to amend your native soil. Oh yes, and to promote the non-stop blooms, feed with a good bloom fertilizer.
Then sit back on that Adirondack chair, chaise lounge, or hammock--and enjoy your Indian Summer garden in full bloom!
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| What
You'll Need:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1-1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
- 1/2 cup egg substitute
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- Cooking Spray
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Step by Step: |
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Preheat oven to 375°F.
Combine flours, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Combine pumpkin, buttermilk, egg substitute, canola oil and applesauce in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched in center.
Cool muffins for 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove muffins and cool completely on a wire rack.
Yield: 16 muffins
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