A Note from Scott and Marsha
January 9, 2020
Happy New Year, my friend. It's here. 2020. Another decade gone. We keep blinking, and it really is flying by. I like fresh starts, do you? I was reading this week in Hoda Kotb's book, I Really Needed This Today . She quoted Anita Krissan: You don't have to move mountains. Simply fall in love with life. Be a tornado of happiness, gratitude, and acceptance. You will change the world just by being a warm, kind-hearted human being.   That's pretty simple.  

Speaking of kind-hearted people, I work with so many, and this lady is a particularly warm and kind-hearted human being. Marjie is our Buyer and Coordinator for our Landscape Operations. She magically handles all the materials that go into making your landscape beautiful! But it really goes so much farther than that, and it doesn't involve sitting behind a desk all day sourcing from our local vendors and suppliers. Do you know what she does?  

First, it starts with very early and cold mornings. Y'all. She has two horses. She rises every morning in the dark and drives her big ole' truck to a nearby farm to be greeted by two beautiful creatures glistening in the frosty grass waiting for Mom to arrive. I can just see their ears perk up listening for the rumble of the engine and crunching of tires like clockwork. And with a swish of their tails, they gallop along the fence line and follow her to their stalls for her kindness, touch and love. I told her a couple weeks ago, "I bet they are just so excited and in their heads are yelling,  Mom's here, Mom's here !"  Marjie chuckles and says, "They are more likely yelling,  Food, food !" She might be right but who wants to think that? I mean, I have teenage sons and I know when I come home, they immediately think food. Our loving animals would never think like that!  

Then, Marjie arrives at work and some days she orders and some days she climbs into one of our big trucks and bounces around to local vendors south of Fuquay Varina picking up plant material. Recently, we had a truck that needed to be picked up from the Ford dealership, and she was dropped off to drive it back. She thought it was interesting when someone noticed her and incredulously watched her climb into that F450 and drive away. We always joke about aging because I'm approaching 50 and you know, 50 is the new 40, 60 the new 50, etc. etc. You never judge a book by its cover. Ever. We will surprise you.  

When she wraps up bouncing around, she unloads. Unpacks. Puts together landscape lighting fixtures. Makes calls. Shares recipes. Teaches us. Cries with others having a rough day. Cries when we share mom wins and mom fails. Laughs at herself. Sticks up for herself. Loves her family well. Hikes. Rides horses. Loves plants. She is magical like her horses. Who knows ... maybe she is a unicorn! We just love her. Maybe you will have the chance to work with her on a landscape install. If you do, you will have the pleasure of knowing her. She's pretty awesome.  

Know what else is awesome? The weather this weekend. It could be the earliest false spring ever. But you know what that probably means? This is an evil trick and we are going to get pounded with 18 inches of snow in February. And the rising daffodils will be crushed along with the spirit of every early spring blooming tree living in confusion. Either way, white or green, we are here for you.  Laughs, tears, and all.
JUDY'S HOUSEPLANT PICK
This adorable citrus tree--the Calamondin-- is Judy's houseplant pick of the week. The Washington Post hails this tree to be the "best-behaved citrus tree". The entire fruit is edible--the peel is sweet and the fruit inside is tart. In our area, the Calamondin works best as a houseplant, although it will likely do great on your patio or terrace come summer. The sweet, white blooms are deliciously fragrant. The gorgeous green foliage is full and glossy.
SARCOCOCCA CONFUSA 'SWEETBOX'
If you need an evergreen shrub for shade, the 'Sweetbox' may be just what you are looking for. Dark green foliage lasts all year. Red berries in the fall become black in the winter and last until spring. In late winter, this shrub blooms tiny, white fragrant flowers that will delight your senses. 'Sweetbox' can grow up to 5' x5' feet, but you can keep it trimmed back smaller if needed. We love that it is drought tolerant and deer resistant as well.
NEW POTTERY--INDOOR AND OUTDOOR
You must come by soon and peruse our latest selection of pottery for inside and outside. We have a better variety of sizes in our indoor pottery than ever before. You will find colors that complement any decor. Whether you need pots for inside or out, we are confident you will find the perfect pot. Plus, if you need plants to put inside these pots, we are receiving a new shipment of houseplants this week!
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
H APPY HEALTHY HOUSEPLANTS
Saturday, January 18, 2020
10AM-11AM
Join us for an informative session on everything houseplants. We will cover how to choose the right plants for your home and how to care for them so they stay happy and healthy. You will learn about air-purifying plants and pet-friendly plants. Every houseplant needs a home and every home needs houseplants! Cost is only $10 and includes a spray bottle and mini-trimmers.   Register today.

TREE PRUNING FOR BEGINNERS
Saturday, February 1, 2020
10AM-11AM
In the N.C. Piedmont, winter is the ideal time for pruning trees. A proactive health practice, pruning may be conducted for a variety of reasons including removal of dead wood, removal of poorly formed branches and branch unions, improved resistance to storm threats from ice or wind, disease mitigation, reduction of interference with structures, and crown raising and shaping. Join Jacob Pressley, Certified Arborist and owner of Grateful Trees and Bees , for a workshop covering the fundamentals of tree pruning and methods to encourage healthy tree structure. The class will begin with a discussion sharing basic pruning knowledge, including "the pruner's preamble"; why the dormant season is the best time for pruning; which species it is essential to prune only in the winter; the art of shaping; and various pruning techniques for both fruit and landscape trees. Participants will then have the opportunity to observe and practice proper pruning techniques on various specimens on the grounds of For Garden's Sake. Pole saws will be available to try out, but students are also welcomed to bring their favorite pair of gardening shears or a pole saw of their own to use. This class is free, but it is limited to ten participants so that each student may have time to try out the hand tools. Don't wait! Register today .
MAKE YOUR DREAM LANDSCAPE A REALITY
Spring is not too far around the corner, so NOW is the time to let us know about any landscaping project ideas you have for your home. Our landscape schedule fills up fast once spring arrives, so don't wait! Contact us today to schedule your design consultation and allow us to help make your dream a reality in 2020.
READ OUR BLOG
Happy January! If you missed it last week, we have your to-do list for what needs to be done outside in January . We are all about green around here--we mean plants of course--and we think you should be too. In this post , we share some tips for how you can have more green in your life. And by all means, if we can help you do that, you know we are up for the task!
FOLLOW US!
We post daily to Instagram @fgsdurham (Garden Center) and @fgslandscapes (Landscape and Lawn Maintenance) and Facebook to keep you up to speed with the latest information about what we are up to, what's in stock, or all the fun we're having!

For Garden's Sake | 919.484.9759| www.fgsdurham.com