MARCH 2017



March Business Hours
Monday - Saturday 9am to 5:30pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm
Spring Forward Sunday, March 12
Introduction
In this newsletter you will find.....
  • Events This Month:  "Tower Garden" with Kathy Madden and                                          "Let's Get Gardening" with Andy Chidester
  • Seasonal Ideas & Information for March
  • Landscape Dept:  "Adding Interest with Planters"          
  • Seaside Casual Furniture 2017 -  use Bailey's Coupon! 
  • Bailey's Coupon
  • Floral Accents and Home Decor
  • Register for the DIY Hanging Basket Class
  • Mark your Calendar for the April "Pallet Gardening Class"
EVENTS THIS MONTH

   Tower Gardening with Kathy Madden
  Saturday, March 4th
  11am to 1pm

Tower Garden , a vertical, aeroponic growing system, allows you to grow up to 20 vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers in less than three square feet indoors or out.







  Let's Get Gardening!
  Saturday, March 11th
  10am to noon
This class will focus on vegetable gardening.  Andy will discuss how to lay out your garden, including containers, which soil and fertilizer you should use and what to do when things go wrong.
Seasonal Ideas & Information for March

The following are a list of activities to consider for your March gardening:
  • Vegetables & Herbs - Tomatoes....tomatoes....tomatoes!  We have all of your favorites, including heirloom tomatoes and more.  We are also fully stocked with beautiful vegetable and herb plants.  Have you ever grown spaghetti squash?  Give it a try!
    WE SELL LADYBUGS!
  • Fruits & Nuts  Plant a container grown fruit tree or other edible.  Fruit trees need lots of sunlight, so choose an area with at least six hours of sun.  Stop applications of dormant oil when blooms appear.  Also avoid insecticides during bloom to prevent needless destruction of honeybees and other important pollinators. Stop in and shop our citrus, avocado, olive, pomegranate, and more.  
  • Perennials & Annuals -From the beautiful delphinium to the fragrant sweet peas and colorful zinnias....we have it all!   It is time to plant warm-season annuals and perennials grown as annuals.  Mix an inch of compost into the soil prior to planting.  Water them in with a dilute fertilizer solution after planting and repeat fertilization a week later to promote fast early growth.   Our caladium bulbs have arrived. 
     
  • Trees, Shrubs & Vines  This past mild winter did bring enough cold weather to damage some landscape plants.  Check new growth to see if there was damage to the wood by scraping back a tiny bit of the bark with a thumbnail or knife to look for green tissue.  Any areas that don't bud out with new growth can be cut back now.  
    Fertilize trees, shrubs and vines that were planted in the fall and winter.  Blooming trees are adding color to the landscape this month.  Stop in and let us help you select one for your landscape.  The sooner you plant, the more time you'll provide the roots for becoming established before the heat of summer sets in.
    Ally learns about planting flowers with her Dad.

  • Lawns  Lawns are greening up this month and winter weeds are growing as well.  When your lawn has grown enough to mow it twice, it is time to fertilize. Mowing weeds doesn't count.  Your options for weed control are to: 1)ignore them and keep them mowed low,  2) hand-pull if there are not too many or the area is not too large, or 3) spray with a post-emergence herbicide. These products can damage your lawn when temperatures rise above the mid-80's and can also damage ornamentals if the spray drifts onto them.  The best long-term solution is to mow, water and fertilize properly to build a dense, healthy turf that chokes out most of its weed competition.   If your lawn is continually thin and weak, you will find weeds to be an ongoing problem because wherever the sunlight hits the soil, nature plants a weed. Just remember, the best weed control is a dense lawn.
Galveston County Master Gardeners Educational Programs:                      
  follow this link    2017 Gulf Coast Gardening for March

 

From Our Landscape Architect:
"
Adding Interest with Planters
"
by Janielle Guzinski
 
Container gardening is a staple of condo dwellers and beach houses alike.  And color pots always improve the look of a porch or patio.  But it's not always easy to know when and how to use planters in your landscape.  Here are a couple of my favorite tips for using planters. 
 
Pick a Color or Theme
I recommend choosing a color scheme or a style theme for your pots.  This will keep your planters looking cohesive and keep you away from a cluttered look.  Common in Galveston is aqua or blue, so you can have planters in a variety of shapes and sizes that are all tied together by a similar color or colors.  Conversely, you can choose a style, like angular, modern planters, and use a variety of pots that fit within that framework.  If you love the brightly colored Mexican Talavera pottery, I would say to pick one look of the Talavera and go crazy with sizes, shapes, statuary pieces.  Keep in mind that if you narrow down your style too much, you may be unable to replace broken pieces or add on more later. 
MEXICAN TALAVERA POTTERY
Scale your Planters to the Space
Think about where the planters are going and how big the space is.  Remember landscape planters have the sky as the upper boundary.  If the planters are by the front door, that front alcove is the extent of the space and you can get away with going a little bit smaller to avoid overwhelming your door.  Out by a pool you have a lot more space and the view is very expansive.  There you might want a mixture of sizes so that you have planters that relate to your big view and to the scale of the person in the lounge chair.  Smaller planters are perfect on tables, at tighter turns, and anywhere that would put the planter at level with the torso.  Generally speaking when the planter is over your head, it can feel outsized and if it's below the knee, it becomes a tripping hazard. 
LARGE SCALE POT NEXT TO SKY
Consider your Location
Galveston has fairly strong winds and this affects both stability and planter placement.  If your planters are very tall and narrow, they may blow over.  Rocks are often recommended at the bottom of a planter for drainage, but here I would recommend them for weight.  Most plants aren't going to drive roots down far enough for the rocks to be a problem.  You can also place your planters where the plants inside of them are somewhat sheltered from the wind.  This is especially important where the salty wind comes off the gulf. 
BLUE AND AQUA POTS TOGETHER
Explore what's new for 2017

Use your newsletter 10% coupon toward your purchase!
 SAVE 10%
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Save 10%
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 Use this coupon toward your purchase of 
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(Gift Cards, Sale Items and  Landscaping Services are excluded)

Show this coupon when making your purchase.
Offer Expires 3/31/2017.
FLORAL ACCENTS & HOME DECOR








OUR FAVORITE BROOMS ARE BACK!
Each Sweep Dreams broom is handwoven from renewable sorghum & bamboo, and dyed in ecofriendly non-toxic colors by adult workers under fair working conditions, resulting in an elegant classic.
 These brooms and whisks make an enduring addition to your kitchen, patio or garden. 


FOUND THESE LEGGINGS & BIBS AT JANUARY MARKET!  
  • available in two sizes: 6-12 months and 12-24 months
  • cute, comfortable,stretchy
  • perfect gift for new moms
  • warm enough to wear for outdoor activities
  • exceptionally easy to get on and off
  • stays put on squirmy legs


REGISTRATION FOR 
HANGING BASKET CLASS
SATURDAY, MARCH 25
10am to 11:30am

The Class Fee is $25 plus tax. 
This includes everything you need to make 
one beautiful hanging basket. 
(16" Coco lined basket provided)
Advance registration and payment is required 
                            to secure your spot.                            
Come learn how to create your very own basket filled with beautiful plants.  This hands-on class will include instruction by Peggy and her Staff. 
 They will instruct you on design, plant selection, plant placement 
and care of hanging baskets.  
You will also receive 20% off any other hanging baskets 
you buy the day of class.

Cold refreshments will be provided. 
Remember to bring gloves because we will be 
getting our hands dirty!  
MARK YOUR CALENDAR


Pallet Gardening Class
Saturday, April 29th
10:30am - 12:30pm
Learn to build your own garden out of an old recycled pallet!  With just a few tools and a little bit of inspiration, Kate from Lady Bug Natural Brand will teach you how to pick the perfect pallet and turn it into a trendy raised bed, vertical garden , or planter box of your dreams. FREE CLASS!  FREE PALLETS TO TAKE WITH YOU AFTER CLASS!

Remember to look for us at 
and join the conversation on Social Media. 

Sincerely,
Peggy Cornelius, owner
Tom's Thumb Nursery & Landscaping   
              
Peggy Cornelius | Tom's Thumb Nursery & Landscaping  | 409-763-4713
2014 - 45th Street  Galveston, Texas 77550
  [email protected] | www.tomsthumbnursery.com
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