The History of Halloween

Halloween traditions of trick-or-treating and jack-o'-lanterns were brought to America in the 1840s by Irish escaping the Great Potato Famine. On Halloween, Irish peasants begged the rich for food and played practical jokes on those who refused. To avoid being tricked, the rich handed out cookies, candies, and fruit--a practice that turned into our present day trick-or-treating.

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By Tamara Galbraith

We see the term in plant care descriptions all the time: "Must have well-draining soil."

So, just what does "well-draining" mean, and how do we know if we have it?

In a nutshell, well-drained soil can be said to exist where water is removed from the soil readily (but not rapidly) and soils are not wet for significant periods of time. The best well-draining garden soil will consist of a nice balance of sand, clay, silt and organic matter.

But how do you tell if your soil is in need of improvement? Try this test in various locations in your garden when conditions are dry: dig holes one foot deep by two feet wide. Fill the hole to the top with water, then time how long it takes for the water to completely drain. The ideal time should be between 10 and 30 minutes.

If the water drains in less than 10 minutes, it's likely that your soil has a lot of sand in it. Adding organic matter will help immensely. Either till it into the soil or just add it on top in the fall or spring and allow nature to take its course.

On the flip side, if the water takes 30 minutes or more to drain from the holes you dug, you probably have soil that is heavy on the clay side. As with a sandy situation, organic matter will do wonders for your soil. So will raised beds comprised of a balanced garden soil.

Two things to stay away from in amending clay soil, however: rototillers and sand. A tiller will be a total waste of time in a bed heavy with clay. As a resident of an area with heavy clay soil (and former tiller owner), take my word for it.

Secondly, although many people think the well-draining qualities of sand will balance out the heavy water retention of clay, the opposite is true. What you create when you add sand to clay soils is basically...cement. Don't do it. Again, dig in a good organic amendment like cottonburr or mushroom compost to your clay soil beds each fall and spring and have some patience. The earthworms and Mother Nature will do their stuff in time.

• Take care of your lawn.  Apply Scotts Super Turf Builder with Winterguard to encourage root growth and early spring green up next year. 
• Keep up with Watering.  Trees, shrubs, perennials and evergreens especially, need you to keep watering to get them hydrated for the long winter ahead.  Plants will continue to take up water until the ground is frozen.
• Dig up tender bulbs such as dahlias and cannas and store in a cool, dry place for winter.
• Rake up fallen leaves from the lawn, use the lawn mower to shred them and use them as mulch for perennials and shrubs.
• Dig up and divide hostas, dayliles, peonies and iris.
• Clean and sharpen tools before putting away for the winter.
• Do not cut back hibiscus, butterfly bush, caryopteris or chrysanthemums. Cut back after new growth appears in spring.
• Give a light shower to houseplants before bringing them inside for the winter.  Wallaces recommends spraying them with a houseplant insecticide to get rid of insects.  Apply Systemic Insecticide Granules for 6 weeks of protection. 
• Stop in to Wallaces to pick up your last minute Fall Decorating needs.  Corn Stalks, pumpkins, gourds and straw bales will add seasonal color to your front porch in an instant
• Plant Tulip, Daffodil, Hyacinth and Crocus bulbs for a nice Spring Surprise.  Don’t forget to use Bulb Saver to keep critters away and keep bulbs from rotting in wet soils.
• Take care of containers.  Empty out soil and plants, wash out with water and store in a dry place out of the cold.  Containers left outside can crack as moisture expands and contracts in cold temperatures. (Fountains should be cleaned and protected as well)
• After the ground freezes, disconnect hoses and store inside. Blow out irrigation systems to prevent breaks over the winter.
• Mark your calendar for Wallaces Holiday Open House Saturday and Sunday November 17 and 18.

Stop in for sales, holiday music, cookies, cider and coffee, photo ops available in our antique sleigh, live reindeer and fresh plantation grown Fraser fir Christmas trees, wreaths and roping.

Plant a Tree!

Planting trees remains the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess CO2 from the atmosphere.

Planting 100 million trees could reduce carbon by an estimated 18 million tons per year while saving American consumers $4 billion each year on utility bills.