Upcoming Events At Ashcombe

I can't believe January is half over already!  Spring is just around the corner - it will be here before we know it!  Now is a great time to plan your summer garden.  Our seeds will begin arriving in a couple of weeks.  It's always fun to browse through the packs and dream about digging in the warm dirt!

We have been working hard to come up with seminars and workshops for 2013 that will help with some of your gardening questions and needs, as well as some great garden craft for kids.  You can check out the complete schedule for 2013 at www.ashcombe.com/interactivecalendar.htm.
Please remember that we do require pre-registration for all classes and pre-payment for some.

Here is what's going on this winter:

Homeschool Garden Craft Class - Making Bird Feeders ~ Wednesday, 

January 23rd 1-2pm  Each child will make a couple of bird feeders to take along home to feed the birds.  Please wear old clothes.  Ages 5 and up.  $5.00

Adult Terrarium Workshop - Thursday, January 24th 1pm.  Each participant 

will make a terrarium.  Bring your own container or purchase one here.  $5.00 plus plants 

and supplies.

Adult Suet Making Workshop ~ Saturday, January 26th 11am.  Each participant will make and mold their own suet to take along home for the birds.  $10.00

Adult Fairy Garden Workshop ~ Tuesday, February 5th, 1pm  Each participant 

will make a fairy garden.  Bring your own container or purchase one here .  $5.00 plus plants 

and supplies.

Homeschool Garden Craft Class: Fairy Garden Workshop ~ Wednesday, 

February 6th, 10-11am  Each child will make their own fairy garden.  Please wear old clothes.  $15.00

Children’s Garden Craft Class - Pencil Crafts ~ Saturday, February 9th 9-10am   Each child will make a couple of adorable pencil creatures to take home and use.  Please wear old clothes.  Ages 5 and up.  $5.00

Learn How To Start Your Own Seeds ~ Saturday, February 9th, 10am-2pm  Stop by our Garden Supplies department between 10am and 2pm and get some great tips on starting your seeds indoors. 

Homeschool Garden Craft Class - Make Your Own Seed Tape ~ Wednesday, 

February 20th, 1-2pm  Each child will make seed tape to give as a gift or use in their own garden when the weather warms up.  Please wear old clothes.  Ages 5 and up.  $5.00

Soup & Bread Luncheon ~ Thursday, February 21st, 11am  Enjoy a warm and tasty lunch featuring several different kinds of soups and breads - all made right here in our kitchen.  Dessert and drinks are included.  Recipes will be available.  $12.00.

All About Orchids Seminar ~ Thursday, February 21st, 1pm  Learn everything you ever wanted to know about orchids in this informative seminar.  Each participant will 

receive a starter orchid.  Pre-registration and payment required.  Fee:  $15.00

Mommy & Me Garden Craft Class ~ Planting Seeds - Wednesday, February 27th, 10am  In this fun class, we will make newspaper containers, then plant them with vegetable and flower seeds.  This class is for children 4 years and under.  A parent or guardian must stay with the child.  Pre-registration required.  Fee:  $5.00

Growing Healthy House Plants

Plants add color, life and humidity to our homes, especially during the dull days of winter. There are plants that will grow and flourish in almost all spots in your home. Here are some general guidelines for growing healthy indoor plants:

Location: Most of your success with house plants depends not on a magical green thumb, but on picking the right plant for a particular spot. The majority of house plants prefer bright indirect light, with perhaps a couple hours of direct sunlight especially in the morning. Flowering plants and those with brightly colored leaves often need 3-4 hours of direct sunlight daily. Ferns and those plants with soft, delicate leaves need protection from hot afternoon sun. Our trained staff in our Plant Shop can help you select the right plant to avoid disappointing results.

Watering: For most house plants, good drainage is essential to plant health. If you are transplanting into another container, those with drain holes work best. If your pot does not have drain holes, consider placing the plant in the decorative container without actually transplanting it. That way, if you over water, you can remove the plant and pour the water off. More plants die from over-watering than under-watering. When your first bring your plant home, check the soil each day to see how long it takes to dry out. Then you can establish a routine. Day length and temperatures will affect the amount of time between waterings. As a plant grows, it often needs watering more frequently because of lack of room in the pot for water to be stored. Most plants like to go moderately dry in between thorough waterings. There are exceptions though, so check the plant tag in your pot, or ask one of our staff for specific recommendations.

Temperatures: House plants usually enjoy temperatures between 70-75°F. daytime and 60-65°F. night. If your house temperatures drop below that, there are certain plants, like Gardenia and Camellia, that enjoy lower night temperatures. Some plants like ferns for example, will go into a rest period in lower temperatures. Slow down on the watering when the plant slows down on its growth.

Humidity: Humidity levels can vary quite a bit from one house to another. Insulation, heating systems and other factors can make house humidity levels desert-like. Plants with thick, waxy or hard leaves are usually not as susceptible to lowered humidity than delicate plants like ferns. If the humidity level is a problem in your home, select plants that do not require large humidity levels, like Ponytail Palm or Chinese Evergreen. If you want to grow more delicate plants, use pebble trays under them to help humidify the air.

Soil Mix: Most house plants need a soil mix that holds moisture but drains well, holds nutrients and provides enough support to hold the plant upright. A peat-based blend of soil or composted bark, peat moss and perlite for drainage will serve the needs of many plant types. There are groups of plants like orchids and cacti that have special requirements. Ashcombe potting soil works for most plants.

Fertilizers: There are many satisfactory fertilizers for house plants. For foliage plants, a fertilizer with a balanced formula of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, like 20-20-20- is good. for blooming plants, go with a balanced fertilizer or one that has less nitrogen (the first number in the analysis) and more phosphorus and potash. You may prefer to mix a powdered fertilizer with your water when you water your plants, or use a slow release pellet or spike. The important thing is to fertilize consistently during periods of active growth and bloom, and to cut back when plants are slowing and resting. Most green foliage plants do not need fertilizer from late November until early March if they have been fed regularly throughout the growing time.

Insects: It seems that all plants inevitably get an insect infestation much the same way we get colds and flu. Often we wonder where they came from. Insects often come into the house on our clothes in the summer and although screens keep the flies out, small insects can get in and take up residence in your fig tree. Low humidity seems to attract spider mites. Check the undersides of your plant leaves often for an infestation. Our plant staff at the store can usually make a diagnosis over the phone if you spot something crawling and you aren’t sure what it is. For tougher problems like scale, there are many good insecticides formulated just for indoor house plants. The important thing is to stop the insects before they get firmly established. Then, they may need several treatments to get rid of them.

House plants can add a wonderful atmosphere to your home and office. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the store at 766-7611 for answers on specific plant queries.

Winter Blues? Get Some Green!

The holidays have come and gone and the coldest days of winter, no doubt, are still ahead of us.  Need a little comfort to see you through?  How about a lush, green foliage plant, reminiscent of the warm comforting days of summertime gardening?  They aren't just beautiful, they are healthy for the environment and actually clean the air we breathe in our own homes!
Check out this article for more interesting facts about house plants:  House Plants For Clean Air

Another favorite winter time treat at Ashcombe is our Farm Kitchen where we serve up daily lunch specials, hot and cold drinks and tantalizing desserts - all made right here on the premises.  Check out our January lunch specials here.

We also have a freezer full of home made quiches, soups, ham loaves and more delicious items that can make a fast, nutritious meal for the family always on the go.  Don't forget the finishing touch with our bakery items:  cookies, pies, cakes, muffins, breads, rolls, cupcakes, whoopie pies and so much more!

The Perfect Gift At Ashcombe!

POINSETTIA CARE

It’s that time of the year when you’ll find lovely Poinsettias to brighten the Holidays. A question often arises how do I keep my plant looking nice throughout the Holiday season and on into Spring?

Poinsettias are tropical warm loving plants that like good light. Place it near a sunny window. South, east or west facing windows are preferable to a north facing window. Water the plant whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. Water until it drains out the bottom, but don’t let the plant sit in water. Wilting is another common cause of leaf drop. A wilted plant can be revived and salvaged, but it will take another season to improve its appearance. Fertilizer is not necessary until the days lengthen in February. Keep them from drafty areas such as doorways.

Humidity- Lack of humidity during dry seasons, in particular winter, is an ongoing houseplant problem. If your home tends to be dry and your poinsettia is in direct light, you will find yourself watering frequently, possibly every day.

When you purchase your Poinsettia be sure you keep it warm until you get home with it. Make it your last purchase before going home so it doesn’t sit in an unheated car while you shop.

To Rebloom for the next season:
During winter, continue to follow holiday upkeep tips.
March 17 (St. Patrick's Day): When bracts fade, cut stems back to eight inches above soil line.  Continue to water regularly.

Lightly fertilize with a good, balanced all-purpose fertilizer every three to four weeks.
When temperatures are warm, place plant outdoors; first in indirect, then direct sunlight. Avoid temperatures below 50 degrees throughout the summer.

July 4 (Independence Day): Cut back new growth stems. Repot if needed.
Early September (Labor Day): Move plant inside. Provide six or more hours of direct light.
October 1 through mid-December: Confine plant to complete darkness for 14 hours, giving it 10 hours of natural light daily. This will set the buds and cause bracts to color.

Why Do We Decorate With Fresh Greenery At Christmas?

Decorating the house with fresh greenery is one of the oldest winter holiday traditions. Evergreens have been a part of winter festivals since ancient times. Evergreens are used to represent everlasting life and hope for the return of spring.

Decorated trees were used in winter celebrations long before the advent of Christianity. Plants and trees that remained green all year had a special significance for people who lived in cold-winter climates.

Ancient people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. Some believed they kept witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness away. Romans decorated trees with trinkets and topped them with an image of their sun god. Druid sorcerers hung golden apples and lit candles on oak trees to celebrate the winter solstice.

It is believed that the use of an evergreen tree as part of a Christian Christmas started some 400 years ago in Germany and eventually spread across Europe and to America.

Gathering Greenery

The first and often the best place to look for holiday greenery may be in your own landscape. Greenery gathered from your own garden will be far fresher than any that you can buy. You may also have a variety of unusual greenery that would be difficult to find for purchase.

When gathering live greenery from your shrubs and trees, remember that you are actually pruning the plants. Consider carefully which branches to cut and which ones to leave. Distribute the cuts evenly around the plant in order to preserve its natural form.

Types of Greenery

Many different kinds of greenery can be used for holiday decorations. Pines, firs and cedars are good to use for indoor decoration since they dry out slowly and hold their needles best at warm interior temperatures. They may last for several weeks if properly treated and cared for. Hemlock, spruces and most broadleaf evergreens will last longer if used outdoors.

Below are some suggested varieties to use in holiday decorating.

White Pine: This soft, bluish-green, long-needled pine has excellent needle retention but wilts visibly if dry. It is readily available as premade garland and wreaths.

Virginia Pine: This native pine has shorter, coarser needles, and is long-lasting, with excellent needle retention. Virginia pine is readily available.

Junipers: Fragrant, short, green or silver-blue foliage that may be adorned with small blue berries. The needles are often sticky. Red cedar is a native juniper and is readily available.

True Cedars: Deodar cedar, blue atlas cedar, and cedar-of-Lebanon all have a wonderful fragrance. If small male cones are present, spray them with lacquer or acrylic to prevent the messy release of pollen at room temperature.

Firs: All firs have wonderful scent and good tolerance of hot, dry indoor conditions. The needles are short and flat with excellent color and needle retention. Fraser fir wreaths and swags are commonly available from commercial sources.

Spruce: Wreaths are the main use for spruce greens. The branches are stiff with short, sharp needles. Blue spruce is especially attractive because of its color, and it holds its needles better than other spruce. Needle retention is poorer on spruce than on other conifer greens.

Ivy: This vigorous vine is readily available in many yards. It makes an excellent green for holiday arrangements. The cut ends must be kept in water, or the ivy will quickly wilt.

Holly: This most traditional holiday green comes in several forms, both green and variegated. Female plants display bright red berries. Make sure that holly does not freeze after cutting, or the leaves and berries may blacken.

Mountain Laurel: This is a traditional evergreen in the South for wreaths and garlands. As with other broad-leaved evergreens, however, laurel holds up best when used outdoors.

Boxwood: This small-leafed shrub is a longtime favorite for fine-textured wreaths and garland. It has an aroma that is either loved or hated. Be sure of your reaction before using it indoors.

Magnolia: The large leaves are a glossy, dark green that contrast well with the velvety, brown undersides. Magnolia leaves make stunning wreaths and bases for large decorations. The leaves hold up very well even without water.

Some other excellent evergreens that can be used for holiday greenery include:

• Arborvitae
• Ligustrum
• Pittosporum
• Podocarpus
• Viburnum
• Leyland Cypress
• Nandina
• Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
• Hemlock

NOTE: Ground pine, also known as princess pine or creeping cedar, is often used for Christmas decorations. This beautiful native plant is very slow-growing and local populations can be destroyed after only a few years of harvesting for Christmas decorations.

Decorating Safely

Dried evergreens can become flammable when in contact with a heat source such as a candle flame. Make sure that any wreaths, roping and garlands that you bring indoors are as fresh as possible. Check needles by bending them. They should be flexible and not break. Avoid greenery that are shedding or that have brown, dry tips.

Before bringing the greenery inside, soak them in water overnight to rehydrate them. Commercial sprays are available that can be used to provide some fire resistance.

Never place fresh greenery near heat sources, such as space heaters, heater vents or sunny windows. Be careful of wreaths used on the front door, if there is a glass outer door that receives direct sunlight. Keep greenery away from candles and fireplaces. If you use lights near your green arrangements, make sure that they stay cool, and if outside, that they are rated for exterior use.

Check your decorations every couple of days for freshness. If greenery are becoming dry, either replace or remove the dry portions. Make sure to discard dry greenery away from the house or garage to prevent a further fire hazard.

Safety for Children & Pets

Some popular plants used in holiday decorating can present poisoning hazards for small children or pets. Poisonous berries are found on holly plants, yews, mistletoe, ivy plants, Jerusalem cherry, bittersweet and crown of thorns. The pearly white berries of mistletoe are particularly toxic. Keep all these plants out of the reach of children and curious pets.

Keeping Greenery Fresh

• Use clean, sharp cutters to cut branches and immediately put cut ends into water until ready to use.
• Crush the ends of woody stems to allow the cutting to take in more water.
• Keep greenery out of sunlight.
• Immerse greenery in water overnight before arranging. This allows the cuttings to absorb the maximum amount of moisture.
• Allow the foliage to dry and then spray it with an anti-transpirant, such as Wilt-pruf, to help seal in moisture. Note: Do not use antitranspirants on juniper berries, cedar or blue spruce. The product can damage the wax coating that gives these plants their distinctive color.
• Keep completed wreaths, garlands and arrangements in a cool location until use.
• Display fresh greenery and fruits out of the sun and away from heat.
• Plan to replace greenery and fruits throughout the holiday season if they become less than fresh.

Decorating With Greens

Many different types of decorations can be made with fresh greenery. Some traditional types are garlands, swags and wreaths. A number of different types of forms can be stuffed with sprigs or branches to create topiaries. Kissing balls are an unusual alternative to the usual mistletoe sprig.

A variety of wreaths and garlands are readily available commercially. Most are plain and unadorned, but can be dressed up with contrasting live greenery from the yard for a personal look.

Part of this information was prepared by Clemson Cooperative Extension, Clemson UniversityPrepared by Karen Russ, HGIC Horticulture Specialist; George D. Kessler, Extension Forester; and Bob Polomski Extension Consumer Horticulturist, Clemson University. 

Christmas is Coming -- Let Ashcombe Help Decorate!