Holiday Events for Gardeners in 2015

A Longwood Christmas
November 26 – January 10, 2016
Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
"The spirit of the holiday season overflows during A Longwood Christmas with a fountain-inspired display. Blue and white twinkling lights, whirling fountain features, thousands of seasonal plants, and a bounty of trees with icicles and fountain-inspired glass ornaments fill the Conservatory."
www.longwoodgardens.org/events-and-performances/events/longwood-christmas

Fantasy In Lights
November 13 – January 2, 2016
Callaway Gardens
Pine Mountain, Georgia
"Callaway Gardens' Fantasy In Lights is not only the South’s most spectacular holiday light and sound show, it is one of the world's "Top 10 Places to See Holiday Lights," as named by National Geographic Traveler."
www.callawaygardens.com/events/signature/fantasy-in-lights

Blossoms of Light
November 27 – January 2, 2016
Denver Botanic Gardens
"Blossoms of Light is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. Denver Botanic Gardens is proud to host this annual family-friendly event that has become a tradition for people across Colorado. The 2015 event features new elements, including the return of the grand illuminated O’Fallon Perennial Walk and the Romantic Gardens. Enjoy thousands of twinkling lights throughout the Gardens, as well as the always anticipated HoloSpex glasses."
www.botanicgardens.org/events/special-events/blossoms-light

Great Gifts for Gardeners

Christmas is right around the corner. It's not too early to start brainstorming gift ideas.  Here are 4 suggestions for the gardener in your life:

BioMarker Plant Tags

Long lasting pressure sensitive labels make these garden markers a great gift for any gardener.

$29.95 for a pack of 15

www.cobrahead.com/biomarkers/

GardenScribe Plant Organizer

Help the gardener in your life get all of those plant tags and photos organized (and forgive us this shameless plug for our own product…we really do believe it makes a great gift).

$39.95

www.gardenscribe.com

Confetti Wind Spinner

Standing 6 feet high, this amazing garden attraction forms a beautiful flower when spinning and reminds us of a brightly colored peacock when stationary.

$79.95

www.plowhearth.com

Gift Card to a Local Nursery

Can’t decide? A gift card is always a great gift. 

Fall Is The Time To Plant Spring Blooming Bulbs

Fall is the best time to plant bulbs that bloom in the spring such as Tulips, Daffodils and Iris.

The ideal time to plant is at least six weeks before ground-freezing frost is expected in your area so that the bulb has time to root.  So how do you know when a hard frost is expected?  Here are two resources:

1) DavesGarden.com has a handy freeze/frost lookup tool. Just enter your zip code.

2) Your local Cooperative Extension office will be able to assist you. Use the USDA Partners and Extension Map to find the office nearest you.

But, what if December rolls around and you still haven't planted the bulbs?  As long as you can dig a hole in the ground, go ahead and plant them.  They'll probably rot if you leave them in the bag. At least they'll have a chance of blooming if you put them in the ground.

2015 Pumpkin Events - October

Harvest Fest & Pumpkin Patch
October 18
Queens Botanical Garden
Flushing, New York
718-886-3800
www.queensbotanical.org

Great Pumpkin Carving Contest
October 29
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta, Georgia
404-876-5859
www.atlantabg.org

Living Pumpkin Arrangement Class
October 28
Missouri Botanical Garden
St. Louis, Missouri
www.mobot.org

Pumpkin Festival
October 9-11
Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield
Littleton, Colorado
720-865-3500
www.botanicgardens.org

Pumpkin Walk
October 24
The Arboretum at Flagstaff
Flagstaff, Arizona
928-774-1442
www.thearb.org

10 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

Looking for a natural way to keep the mosquitoes away?  Try some of these plants in your garden:
Marigold – great for borders.
Citronella  - perennial clumping grass.
Catnip – cats love it so skip this one if you don’t want to attract them.
Lavender – calm soothing scent.
Basil – delicious fresh herb.
Lemon Balm – easy to grow and hardy.
Peppermint – also works as an itch relief remedy.
Garlic – may also repel vampires.
Rosemary – attracts butterflies.
Geranium – works great in a hanging container.

2015 Gardening Events - February

Orchid Show
February 28 – April 19
New York Botanic Gardens
New York, New York
718-817-8700
www.nybg.org

Philadelphia Flower Show
February 28 – March 8
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
215-988-8800
www.theflowershow.com

Seed Swap
February 22
Chicago Botanic Garden
Glencoe, Illinois
847-835-5440
www.chicagobotanic.org

Propagate Workshop
February 26
Garvan Woodland Gardens
Hot Springs, Arkansas
501-262-9300
www.garvangardens.org

Northwest Flower & Garden Show
February 11-15
Washington State Convention Center
Seattle, Washington
253-238-3807
www.gardenshow.com