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We can’t wait to see you this weekend!
Our festive Christmas in the Country Weekend is THIS weekend! We can’t wait to see you all here! Shop Poinsettias, Wreaths, Greens, Cut Christmas Trees, Living Christmas Trees & more!
Join us for our Christmas in the Country Weekend: December 6-8th!
For more details on this event and plant information, follow us on Instagram @JohnsonBrosGarden
Save The Date: Fall Garden Party ~ October 19th 12-4!
*Bring up to three small hand tools to be sharpened for free! Come and shop fall plants, houseplants, trees, shrubs, perennials, mums and more!
2nd Annual Spring Kick-Off Party~ Thank you!
Thank you to all the wonderful customers and vendors who made this event a great success! In case you missed it, check out these fun photos!
Yearly Cart Run ~ Thursday Spots Still Open!
*We still have spots in Thursday’s Cart Run (Thursday, August 18th 6-7pm) Sign up here
For those of you who haven’t participated in one of our Cart Runs, here is a little information. It is similar to Super Market Sweep, but instead of at grocery store, it’s at Johnson Brothers! Check-in starts at 5:45 and the doors open for shopping promptly at 6:00 pm. You have one hour to load your cart with as many plant items as you can. You must be in line for checkout no later than 7:00 sharp. These best part is that you then receive 50% off all of the plants on your cart!
The event is FREE, but you must give a $5 deposit to hold your spot. The $5 will then be deducted from your total when you checkout at the event. Here are a few tips for success:
- Come out a day before the event to scout out plants. Since the shopping time allotted is only one hour, it will go fast.
- Create a list of what you want so you don’t forget anything.
- Plan your route before hand. You can get a map of the store before hand and map out your shopping in order so you can make the most of your time.
Annual Cart Run – Sign up is now live!
We are excited to announce this year we will be offering two nights of Cart Runs! The dates for this year’s events are Thursday, August 20th (6-7 pm) and Friday, August 21st (6-7 pm). For those of you who haven’t participated in one of our Cart Runs, here is a little information. It is similar to Super Market Sweep, but instead of at grocery store, it’s at Johnson Brothers! Check-in starts at 5:45 and the doors open for shopping promptly at 6:00 pm. You have one hour to load your double decker cart with as many plant items as you can. You must be in line for checkout no later than 7:00 sharp. These best part is that you then receive 50% off all of the plants on your cart!
The event is FREE, but you must give a $5 deposit to hold your spot. The $5 will then be deducted from your total when you checkout at the event. Here are a few tips for success:
- Come out a day before the event to scout out plants. Since the shopping time allotted is only one hour, it will go fast.
- Create a list of what you want so you don’t forget anything.
- Plan your route before hand. You can get a map of the store before hand and map out your shopping in order so you can make the most of your time.
- Almost all plants are included in the sale except for Mums, Pansies and Bulbs.
Sign Up Here for Thursday’s Cart Run
Sign Up Here for Friday’s Cart Run
It is a fun night whether you come alone or with friends! We hope you will join us this year.
Thank you for 30 years!
We would like to thank each and every customer who has helped us be in business for the past 30 years! Johnson Brothers started in 1985 as a small roadside stand. Now, 30 years later we have expanded to over 5 acres of retail shopping and over 30 growing greenhouses! We feel extremely blessed to be a part of this community and work with such great customers everyday!
Come out this weekend and help us celebrate with some fun activities:
Get your garden off drugs with Gardener & Bloome organics
We want to help you kick that drug habit for good, in your garden that is. This past weekend we showcased our favorite organic line, Gardener & Bloome. We gave away a ton of organic fertilizers and soils in our effort to send your gardens to rehab. Sure conventional fertilizers have their purpose, and we’re definitely not against them by any means, but there’s a place for everything! We want to educate you all on the benefits of keeping your edible gardens organic!
There’s the obvious, that you don’t want to put synthetics or chemicals onto the food that you will be eating, but it is also important to not put chemicals into your soils either. The Gardener & Bloome line offers many different soils and amendments that can safely and naturally enrich your garden beds without the use of harmful synthetics or chemicals. The Harvest Supreme is our favorite for edible garden amending. It can be used as a top dress or mixed in with last years garden soil to give it that boost of nutrients your plants need to thrive this season.
As far as fertilizing goes, we always encourage the use of compost, but if you need something more we recommend Gardener & Bloome organic fertilizers. We have liquid concentrates as well as granular options for just about any area of your yard and garden. For vegetable beds we like the Tomato, Vegetable, and Herb granular fertilizer. It’s very low maintenance and easy to apply, this granular can be mixed into the soil pre-planting and/or broadcast over the top of the soil to be watered in after planting. G&B fertilizers are fortified with calcium, humic acid, and other nutrients to provide just the right balance to make the fertilizer easily accessible to your plants. While organic fertilizers can take a little longer to show results, they also last a lot longer than conventional fertilizers meaning less work for you! G&B organic granular fertilizers only need to be spread every 2 months or so throughout the growing season giving you more time to enjoy what gardening is all about!
We also retail a Gardener & Bloomes organic liquid concentrate in three different varieties for those of you who like to water in your fertilizer, which is great for baskets and planters! Our favorite is the All Purpose liquid fertilizer, because it can be used on everything from containers to garden vegetables and even trees or shrubs. It’s molasses based for added nutrients and sugars that your plants need to thrive, and couldn’t get any easier than mixing directly into your watering can!
Come by to chat with our experts about any Gardener & Bloome product, or soils and fertilizers in general. We are always happy to help you get exactly what you need to be successful in all your gardening endeavors. Plus, ask us how you can save a dollar on ANY Gardener & Bloome product now through June 1st.
Hanging Basket Care
This weekend we debuted our hanging baskets for the 2015 season. This is the earliest we’ve had baskets available ever, so keep that in mind when thinking about size! By Mother’s day, they’ll be almost full size and in full bloom!
On Saturday, we offered a free basket care class so that you all can learn the tricks of the trade when it comes to basket care! We shared what we do to keep our baskets blooming clear through till fall and how you can be successful when caring for a hanging basket! Incase you missed the class and are wondering what you can do to maintain your hanging basket, I’ve got the most important tips right here!
Feed it!–A lot of people don’t realize how crucial fertilization is, especially for annuals. These plants go through their entire life cycle in one season, which is A LOT of growing in a short amount of time, and they need a lot of nutrients to support all that growth.
We recommend feeding your baskets BOTH a slow-release and a water-soluable fertilizer. Johnson’s MAXX slow release granules are perfect to be used every other month throughout the growing season along side FertiLome Blooming & Rooting water-soluble plant food every other time you water! Proper nutrition is just as important for your plants as it is for you!
Water!–Enough water is key to any plants success, but especially hanging baskets as they’re usually blooming through the hottest days of the year. Depending on the placement of your basket and whether it’s sun or shade tolerant, you may need to water your basket up to twice a day on hot days.
It is important to know your basket and what environment it will need to thrive! An easy way to judge wether or not you need to water is by slightly lifting your basket, if it feels lighter than normal-it’s probably dry and if it feel heavy-its probably fairly damp. General rule when watering baskets is to water until the water begins to run through the bottom.
Maintenance–I know this is the dreaded word for a lot of people, but it needs to be done! Some varieties of annuals require much less maintenance than others; think about the level of work you are willing to put in and shop accordingly. For example, Petunias last much longer and look much nicer when regularly dead-headed in comparison to million bells which can simply be shaken to remove any spent blooms.
Wether or not the location for your basket gets full sun or shade is something to think about when purchasing a basket. You won’t want to put Begonias in the full sun or Geraniums in a shady spot, most baskets have a preference for either sun or shade and should be chosen accordingly for maximum success.
Pruning–I know it may seem scary to prune your basket or cut it back, but trust us, it helps! If you have ever wondered how our Petunia baskets have such a rounded full shape to them, when you’re used to Petunia’s being leggy and sparse, the answer is we cut them back…more than once!
Most plants, when pruned properly, get denser and fuller when they grow back. We cut back our baskets pretty hard to get them to come back thick and full, so when you see any runners or gaps in your baskets don’t hesitate to give them a good hair cut.
Insect Prevention–A lot of baskets fall victim to insect or disease damage throughout the season, these pesky problems can really take a toll on the look of your basket and may even kill it completely. Insect and disease prevention can be a crucial step to success with hanging baskets and can be easily dealt with. We recommend an all-purpose ready to use product called Triple Action Plus that is an insecticide, miticide, and fungicide! This will take care of almost any problem you run across and has all natural ingredients!
With proper care and maintenance you should be able to enjoy your hanging basket all through the season until fall! We want to set you up with everything you need to be successful, so keep an eye on our website for info on what/when our next free informational class is!
We are also currently offering a HANGING BASKET SUCCESS KIT for only $19.99, a $27. value! This kit includes our Johnson’s Maxx slow-release fertilizer, FertiLome Blooming & Rooting water soluble plant food, and FertiLome Ready to Use Triple Action Plus! This sets you up with all the tools you need to maintain beautiful baskets all summer long. Plus, we’re open 7 days a week and always love to offer any advice we can so don’t hesitate to send us a message, call, or drop in with any questions you may have!
Seedlings Garden Club for Kids- Easter Baskets
This last saturday was extra special, since it was Easter weekend we had some fun extra activities planned for the kids. For their Seedlings Garden Club for Kids project they planted some “Easter grass” in easter baskets. We also brought in some baby animals for a small petting zoo and put on an Easter egg hunt!
For the Seedlings Garden Club project we planted some small perennial grasses in an Easter basket and then decorated them with Easter themed stickers and add-ons. This months project was very quick and simple, but the kids had a great time!
All you need is any small plant and any container you like! Plant your plant of choice in the container, and decorate as you wish! Here’s what ours looked like
As I mentioned above, we had the pleasure of hosting some adorable baby animals for a small petting zoo! These little sweethearts really stole the show; we had a baby lamb, a dozen little chickies, and a two week old calf! The kids and their parents (and us employees too) LOVED having the animals out for an afternoon, it was such a treat!
To finish off the Easter festivities we held an Easter egg hunt in our perennial greenhouse, where we, I mean the Easter Bunny, hid over 1000 eggs! We had an estimated 150+ kids turn out for the hunt and it lasted all of 10 minutes before they had them all cleaned up and found!
Our Easter weekend was beyond successful, thank you all so much for your continued love and support! 
Seedlings Garden Club for Kids-Seed Starting
On the first saturday of every month we hold our FREE Seedlings Garden Club for Kids from 9-5. This month, we started seeds indoors to later be planted outside. The kids got to choose a few types of flowers to plant in coconut fiber pots to go directly in the ground later in the season.
We had options like Sunflowers, Poppies, Alyssum, a few different wild flower mixes, and even Cat Grass to choose from. The kids always love being able to dig into the dirt and actually plant something so this was a nice break from our indoor winter activities.
This project is incredibly simple and can be done with any seed you like; it’s even a good time to start veggies indoors. Use anything from plantable pots to egg cartons! Plant the seeds a few centimeters deep in well draining soil and leave in a warm well light location until they sprout. Once last frost has hit move seedlings out to the garden or container where they will be growing and watch your tiny sprout grow & thrive!
Seeds are a great way to delight and teach children all the joys of planting and tending a garden. It is such a rewarding feeling to see or harvest off of a plant you sewed yourself! Come on out to the nursery and get inspired to let your love grow!
No space? No problem!-Berry & Fruit Tree Container Gardens
In the midst of bare root week I thought I’d try to inspire some of you who may have lost hope. Growing your own fresh fruits and veggies is one of the most rewarding things for many reasons. It’s sooo much cheaper than buying from the grocery store, you will know where it’s from and whats been put into it, AND you can pick it right off the plant as you’re ready to eat it!
I know that growing your own produce is a little bit of an investment at first, and also requires the space to do it, but it is so worth it once harvest time comes along. However, if you’re like me and rent your home, the idea of planting fruit trees or bushes sounds like the worst idea! Why invest in plants that you’ll have to leave behind when you move! They can take a few years to even mature enough to produce and who knows if you’ll still be in the same home by that time.
If you’re renting and don’t want to up the value of someone else’s property OR just don’t have a ton of space to plant fruit LISTEN UP! You can grow your own fruit such as apples, cherries and blueberries in a small space AND easily take them with you no matter where you live! We’ve got varieties of many different fruits that can easily and happily be grown in containers! Yes, even apples, cherries, peaches and other fruit trees…
We offer a wide range of container comfortable fruits that will be happy and productive never setting a root in the ground. Our customer favorite currently is our Brazel Berries series that offers 3 varieties of blueberries and a thornless raspberry that are perfect for container gardening. We also have columnar and dwarf apple trees as well as a miniature peach, a cherry bush, and a true dwarf grape.
All of these plants will do great being confined to a pot, they WILL produce despite not having much space, and they’re self pollinating. If you want to really bring up your yield have at least two separate containers AND utilize the space in the pot around the base of your plant by sticking in some strawberries. They’re shallow rooting and won’t disturb trees or bushes when planted in the same container.
Don’t be put off from growing your own fresh fruit just because you’re renting your home or if you have a small yard or patio, YOU CAN DO IT!
We have a great selection of fruit trees and berries available bare root all this week, as well as a planting success kit on special that will set you up with everything you need. For $25 you’ll have a 3 cubic foot bag of soil, all natural root stimulator, and a 4 lb. bag of organic fertilizer. Attend our orcharding 101 class this Saturday, Feb. 28th from 1-2pm for info on how to plant, prune, fertilize, and raise your own fruit.
Rose Care 101
This last week was our annual Rose Week, and we had such a great turn-out! Thank you all for your continued support, we’re pleased to see so many of you out and gardening so early in the year.
On Saturday we hosted Chris from Week’s Roses to give a class on rose care 101! For all of you who may have missed it, i’ve attached our rose care sheet below to fill you in on all the details of rose care!
Hopefully these are helpful for any rose care questions you may have, and please always feel free to call us anytime for expert advice!
More on Fruit Trees
As a brief follow up to last weeks blog I want to touch on the fact that not only is this the time of year to be treating existing fruit trees, but also the best time of year to be PLANTING fruit trees! We should start to see our stock of bare root items in the coming weeks which include fruit trees, berries, rhubarb and asparagus. Items that are sold as bare root (as opposed to in a pot with dirt) are cheaper in price so they tend to go quickly!
Why buy bare root?
The option to go bare root is an optimal choice because when planted as bare root, rather than transplanted from a pot, the roots become acclimated much more quickly and tend to grow more vigorously. When roots become established in a container and are then transplanted it can put the plant into a temporary shock, or at the least, under stress which slows the growing process. Bypassing that stress period can result is a much stronger and ultimately larger plant (and it’s cheaper!!) so who wouldn’t want to go bare root?
How to plant bare root?
Planting bare root is no more (or less) difficult than any regular planting just add an extra step or two to ensure optimal root growth.
- First you’ll want to soak your bare root plants in water to stimulate the roots (NEVER let bare roots dry out). We recommend using Root Stimulator in the water to really encourage strong root growth in the early stages.
- When prepping your hole for planting you’ll want to dig it about 2-3 times wider than the current root base. The more pliable the soil around the roots the easier time they will have in early growth. You’ll also only want to bury the plant only a couple inches beyond the roots once the trunk starts.
- While you’re filling in your hole, you DO NOT want to be packing the soil too tight, adding in any amendments, or fertilizing at this time. The soil should be snug but not hard packed so that the new root growth can easily maneuver through the soil.
- Once your plant is secured in the ground you’ll want to give a thorough watering also using a root stimulater, and then apply a layer of mulch to protect and insulate your roots. When applying mulch you want to make sure to not put it too close the the base or trunk of your plant but actually leave a couple inches of breathing room.
- Keep your mulch and soil damp with regular waterings but NOT soggy; during the wetter months of spring you’ll only need to water every couple weeks depending on the rain. Once the weather gets hotter and dryer you’ll want to water more generously on more of a weekly basis.
Feel free to call and check in on our availability of bare root fruit trees, and other items. As I mentioned they do tend to sell out quickly, so don’t wait too long as this is the optimal time of year for planting fruit trees other woody plants. We will also be showcasing our fruit trees during the last week of February but if you’re really wanting the widest variety in your selection start checking in as early as next week. We currently have asparagus and some berry varieties in stock already, and will be posting updates on Facebook as other bare root items begin to hit the sales floor!
Seedlings Garden Club for Kids-Mason Jar Terrariums
This is our first year staying open during the month of January and I have to say, so far it’s been pretty successful! So thank you all for your continued support through this dreary month! We are continuing our FREE monthly Seedlings Garden Club for Kids in 2015 and have quite the line-up planned so don’t miss out! However, as always, if you can’t make it feel free to turn to our blog for that month’s project instructions…
This month we made Mason Jar Terrariums, and it was a huge hit. This project is so simple and can be done easily at home in any kind of glass container, with or without a lid.
Supplies
- Mason Jar, or any glass container (Lid is OPTIONAL)
- Small Gravel (fish rocks, or pea gravel would do)
- Activated Charcoal (OPTIONAL)
- Fresh Potting Soil
- Small Plants
- Items of interest (OPTIONAL)
Instructions
First you want to clean out and sanitize your glass container so that no existing bacteria can contaminate your new plants.
Then, IN THIS ORDER, you want to add enough small gravel to cover the entire bottom of the container to allow for drainage. Cover the gravel completely with charcoal (about 1/4 inch), this will filter the water draining down and keep your terrarium smelling fresh. Then cover the charcoal with potting soil, using anywhere from 1-4 inches of dirt depending on how large your container is.
You’ll then want to add your plants. Terrariums with lids help ferns, mosses and other “leafy” plants thrive by keeping moisture inside. They create their own “atmosphere”, by water evaporating out of the soil, collecting inside the container and on the lid, which then drops down into the soil again. Terrariums without lids are best for cacti and other succulents, which thrive in low humidity.
Lastly, finish off your terrarium with any items of interest, such as decorative rocks, tumbled glass, figurines, etc…
If you have a lid on your terrarium you’ll really only need to water it initially, because it will continue to water itself with the humidity trapped in the container.
If you have a terrarium without a lid, you’ll want to water every week or so as needed for the types of plants you chose.
Join us next month, Saturday February 7th, for valentines day planters. We’ll be painting up some decorative pots with lots of hearts and love for your special valentine.
Christmas Update — Holiday Store Hours
Hello All! I just wanted to give you a quick update on what our store hours will be through the coming weeks.
Many of you may be used to us closing our doors for the month of January and opening back up with early spring delights such as roses and fruit trees… Well this year WE ARE STAYING OPEN and have a full schedule of fun activities for you to enjoy!
This week we will be closing early on Wednesday, Dec. 24th at 3:00 PM. Our gates will remain closed Thursday, Dec. 25th & Friday, Dec. 26th so that our employees can enjoy the holiday with their families.
WE WILL BE OPENING for regular business hours beginning Saturday, Dec. 27th through Tuesday, Dec. 30th
We will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 31st & Thursday, Jan. 1st for the New Year.
Beginning Friday, Jan. 2nd we will resume normal business hours and remain open from that point on!
Even though we have been closed for the month of January in the past we encourage you to join us in the new year, as we have big plans!
Were kicking off the new year on Saturday, Jan. 3rd with our monthly Free Seedlings Garden Club for Kids! Were making terrariums so don’t miss out!
Saturday, Jan. 10th we are hosting Richard from Horizon Distribution who will be giving a class on pruning and spraying your fruit trees.
The weekend of Jan. 17th & 18th were celebrating the Gardeners Month Off with refreshments, prizes, and super deals!
And to finish out the month we will be highlighting houseplants the week of Jan. 19th through Jan. 24th
Keep and eye on our website for more details about our exciting year coming up!
We look forward to welcoming 2015 with all of you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
Seedlings Garden Club for Kids–Nature Inspired Ornaments
We had our monthly Seedlings Garden Club for Kids this last saturday and this months project was making nature inspired christmas ornaments. Such a simple fun project that leaves you with a beautiful handmade treasure that you and your family can enjoy.
Supplies
- twine, ribbon, or any type of string
- a clear plastic christmas ball ornament
- snow/glitter
- pinecones
- bells
- mixed greens
- holly
- mistletoe (Caution: mistletoe is POISONOUS, although pretty and festive. If you have children involved in this project pay close attention when dealing with mistletoe and DO NOT let them eat any part of it including the berries.)
- anything that will fit and that you want to include…
Instructions
This project is very simple and involves little instruction. The ornaments we used were clear plastic and snapped together in the middle, leaving two halves when open.
Fill each, or one, half with any decorations you’d like to have; we used artificial snow, moss, mixed christmas greens, bells, and small cedar cones.
Then simply, snap the ornament closed and run a string through it using any kind of twine, ribbon, or cord whichever you prefer.
As I said this is a super simple project, but truly creates a handmade piece of beauty for your family to enjoy. Pictures, heirlooms, or anything else is easily incorporated to make these ornaments all that more meaningful. I hope that those who came out on Saturday enjoy this gift from their little ones and to all those who may participate on their own. Creating memories together with your family is the real gift!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!
2014 Holiday Garden Party Highlights
Last Friday, November 14th we held our annual Holiday Garden Party, everything went off without a hitch and a fabulous time was had by all! Our garden parties feature one night only specials, live music, food&drink, and FUN!
Some of this years highlights include:
Skip Jones Band providing live entertainment for our customers all evening long. Delicious hors d’oeuvres & refreshments courtesy of Mezza Luna Pizzeria, Eugene Kettle Corn, The Lilly Family, and Linda&Sharyl–keeping our glasses full and the tables set with a beautiful spread.
We also offered a mail station for the North Pole for children to get their letters in to Santa, a wood burning fire pit for those brave enough to enjoy the outdoors, and 20% off of your entire purchase that evening.
I know I speak on behalf of our team here, when I say we had a blast putting this event together and getting everything decorated, so I hope you all had an equally great time enjoying it. Thank you again, to all our wonderful customers for brightening our days and making our business such a success! We can’t wait to see what exciting things 2015 has in store; from our family to yours 
Do’s and don’ts of poinsettia care
The holiday season is finally upon us bringing with it the echoes of Christmas music and the daunting task of trying to make your poinsettias last until at least the 26th of Dec. They’re picky, they’re temperamental, but boy are they B-E-A-UTIFUL… and we all want one or two to dress the table or compliment the tree. Good news is we’re here to ease your mind and make poinsettias easy peasy this year with some fun info and the do’s and don’ts of poinsettia care.
DON’T
- Put poinsettias near cold drafts OR excessive heat. That means not too close to windows, doors, fireplaces, or directly in the path of the heater vent.
- Expose poinsettias to temperatures below 50ºF. That means DON’T leave them in your car unattended -OR- transport them with the windows down if you can avoid it.
- Over water your poinsettia, avoid this by ALWAYS removing it from any decorative container or pot cover before you water and allow ALL the excess water to drain before placing it back in the containers.
- Fertilize your poinsettia when it’s in bloom. This is NOT the time of year poinsettias need to feed, they eat during their growing period.
DO
- Give your poinsettia access to plenty of light, at least 6 or more hours per day of indirect sunlight.
- Provide comfortable indoor temperatures between 60ºF and 70ºF, usually if you’re comfortable your poinsettia is comfortable.
- Water your poinsettia when the soil becomes dry to the touch, but NEVER let it sit in water.
- Use a plant sleeve or large shopping bag to cover and protect your poinsettia when you transport it AND keep the time your poinsettia spends in your vehicle to a bare MINIMUM.
Given you follow these basic guidelines you should have NO PROBLEMS keeping your poinsettias alive, well, and in full blooming glory throughout this holiday season. Come see us for the largest retail poinsettia display outside of Portland with over 20 different varieties to choose from!
FUN FACTS
- Poinsettias are NOT poisonous! Poinsettias are safe for both humans and pets, though not intended for consumption and actually remove pollutants from the air.
- A poinsettia’s bloom is not the beautiful colored bracts, but actually the tiny yellow centers. The colored portions are just the leaves of the plant that happen to change color during the blooming process.
- December 12th is National Poinsettia Day, in honor of Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett who first brought the poinsettia to the US from its native country of Mexico.
- Poinsettias are the highest selling potted flowering plant in the country with over 34 million sold every year, distantly followed by Easter Lilies and Orchids.
We’ll be showcasing our poinsettias this Friday, November 14th from 4-8pm at our annual Holiday Garden Party. Swing in for one night only specials with music, wine, food, & fun for the whole family! As always, this is a complimentary event with no invitation needed; HOWEVER if you RSVP ahead of time using the link provided it will put your name in a drawing for a $100. JBGH gift card——–> http://jbgardenmarket.com/event/holiday-garden-party/
Seedlings Garden Club for Kids–Pinecone Bird Feeder
So you may or may not know, but the first saturday of every month we host our FREE Seedlings Garden Club for Kids. They get to plant or make something different every month and learn a little about what it is they’re working with. The activity goes on all day, so feel free to drop in anytime from open to close; we provide aprons & gloves, any supplies needed for the activity, and a snack when they’re done.
Going forward I’m going to be posting the instructions and some pics every month incase you weren’t able to make it in. This month we made Pinecone Bird Feeders so that during the colder months while natural food sources are scarce the birds can still find some snacks.
Supplies
- pinecone
- twine
- peanut butter
- bird seed
- butter knife
Instructions
You’ll want to first tie a piece of twine to the top end of your pine cone, make sure its secured around it and has a loop or bow. This will be what your pinecone hangs from once its done.
Next, using your butter knife, liberally spread peanut butter ALL OVER the pinecone, making sure to spread it in between each scale, filling all the open spaces as much as possible.
Lastly you want to dump/sprinkle the bird seed over the pinecone causing it to stick to the peanut butter. It is helpful to do this over a paper plate or some kind of catch so that you can keep re-sprinkling the seed until it’s all stuck. Again, you want to make sure all the open spaces are filled as much as possible with seed.
Your pinecone bird feeder is now done and ready to be hung up outside on the patio or in the yard where wild birds can enjoy the tasty snack.
Be sure to join us next month Saturday December 6th from 9-5pm, we’ll be making nature inspired christmas ornaments for your holiday tree.
Winter color…ya we’ve got that!
Most people think of winter in the Willamette Valley as wet, cold and dreary… and did I mention wet? Good news is, we here at Johnson Brothers have a variety of hardy options for winter color that will bloom and provide interest all throughout the damp winter months lasting until spring.
Of course, we have all the classic options such as winter pansies and violas, which provide cute pops of color and a bold fragrance along with ornamental cabbage and kales that promise striking interest with hues of greens, purples and whites.
Aside from the traditional, we also have many other options for winter color that most people don’t think of, that can really set your landscape apart from the rest.
We have a fresh stock of both winter and spring blooming Camellias. These hardy evergreen shrubs bring color in a big way, with dark glossy foliage and big bright blooms.
Hellebores, are often an over-looked gem. These compact evergreen perennials set off their blooms around Christmas and last into the spring. They come in a variety of colors ranging from whites and pinks to deep violets.
Sarcococca is another forgotten treasure, these also evergreen, hardy shade tolerant shrubs thrive here in the Willamette Valley. These little beauties put on tons of small, white, incredibly fragrant blooms from January into early spring.
For more interest to tuck between your winter blooming shrubs we love Heuchera, a small mounding evergreen perennial that comes in a variety of colors from lime greens to oranges and even burgundies. They provide excellent winter color and year round accent in any landscape. Wintergreen is another favorite, an excellent evergreen ground cover that puts on vibrant red berries and, true to it’s name, puts off the scent of winter-green gum.
This weekend, Sept. 26th-28th, we are having our Fall Planting Event here at the nursery. We’ll have weekend only specials along with our “Cash for Plant Clunkers” event going on. Cash for Clunkers means you can bring in cuttings of your dead plants and get a voucher good for $5 towards a replacement tree or shrub. A few of these fabulous winter bloomers fall into that category, so grab your old dead plants, your Brother Bucks, and head on out to see us this weekend for big savings at our Fall Planting Event.
Fall Lawn Care
I don’t know about you guys, but I am SO ready to say adíos to the lawn mower for the next few months and hello to sweaters, scarves, and pumpkin spice lattes…with fall temperatures getting closer every day you should be starting to think about getting your lawn prepped and ready for winter. This time of the year is the most important time to fertilize your lawn, as it is getting ready to take in any available nutrients before it goes dormant for the winter. The better you feed and prep it now, the healthier and more lush it will come out in the spring.
We recommend using a combination of lime, winterizer fertilizer and soil activator to give your lawn all the neutralizers and fertilizers it needs to come on lush, full and green in the spring. The Lime will restore the ph levels of your soil to provide an optimal growing environment and also discourage moss growth (which that alone is enough of a reason to love it!). Winterizer Fertilizer enriches the soil with all the nutrients your grass needs to remain healthy. A lot of these nutrients are found naturally in the soil however, have most likely leached out with all the watering that was done during the summer heat. It is important to feed your lawn, just like any plant, if you want top quality performance from your grass. Finally, Soil Activator encourages microbial activity which more quickly breaks down organic matter, including grass clippings, to increase the natural foods your grass will be looking to take up. This also helps to naturally aerate your lawn, promoting water retention and overall healthier grass.
These three components should be mixed together at an even ratio and distributed now, and then again following the last mow of the season. As I mentioned, grass is looking to stock pile on food and nutrients now before it goes into it’s winter hibernation. The more prepared it is for the cold winter temperatures the better and stronger it will be in early spring when we all want our lawns looking fresh and green for the start of a new season.
You can hear more about this topic from our expert himself Caleb Johnson, tomorrow evening, 9/18/14, on KEZI 9 and Johnson Brothers’ “In the Garden” segment. Also, this saturday 9/20/14 out here at the nursery you can come chat one on one with the experts on lawn renovation from 9am to 12:30pm. Make sure to bring soil samples from different areas in your yard and we’ll test them for FREE from 11am to 3pm, giving you a breakdown on soil composition, nutrient content, and ph levels.
We carry everything you need to create a lush green carpet next spring, so come on by this weekend for complementary snacks and info. Can’t wait to see you all here!
Fall is coming and so is GARLIC!
If you’re anything like me, garlic is a staple in your kitchen… all year long, most meals, all the time! I go through garlic like crazy, and no it’s not the most expensive thing in the produce isle but there’s still nothing like that home grown taste! Garlic is super easy to grow yourself, and trust me, once you get started you’ll never go back!
We are proud to offer Local and Organic Seed Garlic coming available the first week of September! We’ll be carrying the following varieties:
- Chet’s Italian Red– Good raw garlic, not overpowering
- Inchelium Red– Super flavorful, but mild
- Oregon Blue– Great for storing, NW Heirloom variety
- Polish Hardneck-Very popular variety, impressively tall plants
- Spanish Roja– Great “true-garlic” flavor, NW Heirloom variety
- Nootka Rose– Beautiful to braid, strong flavor, NW Heirloom variety
- Mild French– Early maturing & pink in color, great for storing
You can find these varieties along with other fall bulbs available in the first weeks of September. Keep in mind that a lot of fall bulbs (especially garlic) are VERY popular items and our quantities are limited, so feel free to call ahead to confirm availability.
Our Fall Harvest Festival coming up the 13th & 14th of September would be an excellent time to load up on your fall bulbs while enjoying free caramel corn, apple cider, and live music. There’s plenty of fun for all ages with face painting, pumpkins, and snacks– so bring the whole fam and come have some fall inspired fun with all of us! The festival is all weekend long so feel free to drop in at any time Saturday and Sunday–can’t wait to see you there!
Hot Summer Plants
Every day for the next two weeks we will be featuring a different plant as our “Hot Summer Special”. This will give you the opportunity to snag some popular items at a fraction of the cost– perfect for those late summer pops of color or last minute spruce up for the bbq with the in-laws kind of things.
Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page for daily updates and reminders of the sales over the next two weeks. We all hope to see you soon, and remember to stay hydrated!