picket fences A gArden | lifestyle | environment mAgAzine
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Hello Spring! We’ve Missed You!
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plus amazinG new walpole outdoorsÂŽ projects Garden pharmacy news
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Grow your own...edibles new, old faves & must-have plants for 2014 hot travel trends in the boutique the best in 2014 outdoor furniture
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Bucks Country Gardens
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Available at Bucks Country Gardens • 1057 N. Easton Road, Doylestown, PA
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Shop the new Spartina 449 Sea La Vie Collection today!
Welcome... Monday it had snowed ten inches. wednesday, we had an ice storm with power outages all over the place. they predicted another winter storm for the weekend. And it was only early February, but i have had way more than enough of winter. the weather was bound to change sooner or later and spring was coming, no matter what that groundhog had said.
i guess the only certainty about our weather is change. lots of people say that’s what they like about living here…the change of the seasons. Put me in that group. you might call me a “changeaholic”…at least when it comes to bucks country Gardens.
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there’s lots of change here this spring starting with the garden center layout. the Gift shop is now the Patio shop; the Garden shop is now the Gift shop. water Gardening moved to the Atrium Greenhouse and lawn & Garden is in the upper canopy. the supply closet is our new dressing room (don’t worry, we moved the vacuums and brooms) and we’ve applied feng shui to the design center and Furniture desk. you’re probably asking why? trust me, there are a ton of good reasons, but i don’t have room to list them here. track me down at the garden center for a full explanation.
rewards?” Guess i couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
picket fences
i may have poor vision, but i’m not stupid… much. As i saw it, we had two options: Add rewards or eliminate the club. we decide to do both. out with Garden rewards club and in with the Gardener’s Gold club. new name, new club…with great new rewards.
spring 2014 • issue 15
Thomas L. hebeL
publisher
adriene Vesci rice
new garDener’s golD Club 7 Free delivery on bulk Mulch* 7 Free delivery on Patio Furniture* 7 Free delivery on nursery, Greenhouse
graphic designer daLissa reeder
marketing assistant
& Garden supply* 7 Free At-Home landscape consultation 7 Picket Fences Magazine w/exclusive Gardener’s Gold club coupon 7 weekly Can You Dig It? Garden blog 7 weekly enewsletter 7 exclusive Monthly ecoupon 7 exclusive everyday Gardener’s Gold club specials in every department 7 Gardener’s Gold club special events 7 Advance notice for sales & events
ryan hebeL jennifer robinson
advertising sales barb-Lin carpeT one mary bowe bucks counTy designer house byers’ choice® doyLesTown hospiTaL espoma company george’s TooL renTaL harmony cLean Tom hebeL Lisa VaLeTTa waLpoLe ouTdoors®
see store for details.
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there’s just one catch. you’ll need to sign up again and we’ll need your home address, email and phone number. there’s a coupon in the back of this the other major magazine you can change this spring is complete and drop the Garden rewards off next time you’re club. the club was in the store, or you started more than can sign up at the ten years ago as a receptionist desk or way to reward our at the register checkloyal customers. out when you come. back then, we issued with all this change a 3% rebate to memgoing on, we bers on the previous thought maybe our When it’s bitter cold in Doylestown, Tom and Barb year’s purchases. head south in search of warmth and relaxation. team should be a that program was little more visible replaced with bonus and a bit easier bucks five years for you to spot, ago and since then, you’ve redeemed over so we’ve made one more change. we’ll be $500,000 in bonus bucks while the benefits the ones in the lime green shirts with our of club membership have been few. in fact, names on the front and a question mark on i was asked last year by one of our younger the back. Can you dig it? team members (i won’t mention his name Tom Hebel, President but he lives in my house): “why do we have a Garden rewards club if it there are no Bucks Country Gardens
contributing writers
advertising to request a media kit, call 215.766.7800 or email info@buckscountrygardens.com.
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1057 n. eAston roAd | doylestown, PA 18902
buckscountrygardens.com
215.766.7800 | #PA020339
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earn $1 in bonus bucks for every $10 purchase from now thru June 25. use your bonus bucks to pay up to 50% of your purchase anytime from June 26 thru July 9, 2014.
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COntents spring 2014
Features
9 The Boutique Keep Calm & Travel On... 12 In Your Own Backyard Easy Ways to Add Character & Style 18 Our Feathered Friends The Best in Bird Houses & Bird Baths 24 Out with the Cold, In with the New 2014 Outdoor Furniture Collection 29 Spring has Finally Sprung! New, Old Faves & Must-Have Plants 34 Grow Your Own...Edibles Easy, Delish Veggies to Grow at Home 44 NEW! Walpole Outdoors® Projects For Your Home & Garden 50 All About Sectionals Outdoor Seating at its Best
Departments
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33 Spring at Bucks Country Gardens Save These Dates! 41 Garden Pharmacy Impatiens Blight UPDATE & Rose Rosette Disease 49 Did You Know? Bucks Country Gardens’ Extra Services 53 Keeping It Contained Gorgeous Container Gardens & Pots 58 Employee Achievements • Spotlight 5-, 10- & 25-Year Anniversaries. WOW! 63 Kids in the Garden All About Butterflies
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we all want the beauty and satisfaction that comes with a healthy, thriving garden. but sometimes it seems like the soil in our garden is working against us. the soils we work are often poor and lifeless and our new landscape plants have difficulty surviving. take a few basic steps to ensure success with valuable new plantings. First, make good planting choices. consider native varieties that are better suited to your area. Make certain you are planting the right plant for the right location–don’t plant sun loving annuals in afternoon shade for example. use plants that are rated for your hardiness zone and plant during optimal times of the year, typically spring or fall. often the critical factor that determines a plant’s success is how fast a new installation can develop a
solid and sizable root mass. without this, plants often fail in hot dry summers or are not able to withstand harsh winters. recent research has shown that using biologically active plant starters and soil amendments will help speed root development even in poor soils. Espoma’s Bio-tone® Starter Plus combines the nutrients from all natural and organic plant foods with beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae fungi. the result is a remarkably larger root mass that helps the plant take hold quickly. but the good news doesn’t end there. the beneficial bacteria in Bio-tone® Starter Plus have also been shown to increase shoot growth and bloom count. this means larger, more beautiful plants...faster! landscaping is an important part of your home’s value. Protect your investment in landscape plants by making good planting decisions and giving them the best chance for success. look for new Espoma Bio-tone® Starter Plus today at bucks country Gardens to start things off right.
Bio-tone® Starter Plus A great, all-natural starter plant food.
Bio-tone® Starter Plus’
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natural ingredients help reduce transplant shock, establish plants quickly and promote bigger blooms.
Available at Bucks Country Gardens
Waterproof & Outdoor Friendly.
Outdoor Flameless Candles with Timer
Realistic flickering flame won’t blow out All-weather plastic pillar won’t melt in heat or crack in cold Miniature holes drain moisture out Convenient 24 hour on/off timer 500 hour battery life per candle in timer mode buckscountrygardens.com
Luminara. The perfect candle for everywhere.
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Complement Outdoor Lifestyles with Walpole Fence Styles
manufacture and faithfully replicate fence from the styles seen at Colonial Williamsburg.
Cellular PVC: A low maintenance wood alternative
Since 1933, Walpole Outdoors has been a leader in creating classic fence styles constructed from hardy northern white cedar cut in the company’s own mills in Chester and Detroit, Maine. This cedar was chosen by Walpole founders because it is a very workable wood for skilled craftsmen, is hardy, durable, and weathers to a dignified gray when left unstained or painted.
Today, in keeping with changing lifestyles–where homeowners prefer to spend more quality time with family, or relaxing, and less time with outdoor maintenance– Walpole offers a complete selection of wood alternative outdoor styles. Walpole Outdoors now handcrafts fence, gates, railing, arbors, pergolas, lantern and mail posts window boxes, planters, and more, in cellular PVC, an advanced material that looks just like natural wood, yet requires no upkeep for years and won’t rot, split, or warp.
Many styles to meet all tastes
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Walpole has more than 40 standard fence styles for homeowners to consider, ranging from classic to contemporary. Also, with their unmatched fabricating facilities backed by more than 80 years of experience, advanced engineering, and CAD expertise, Walpole can custom design a fence or outdoor structure working with homeowners’ detailed drawings, sketches, or old photographs of a project they wish to recreate.
Long experience in historic restoration
Over the years, Walpole’s quality craftsmanship has been recognized by very prestigious sources. Their fence and pergolas have been associated with Public Television, and have been featured on This Old House many times. More recently, Walpole replicated the railing, fence and other architectural details for the restoration of the Ocean House, located in Watch Hill, RI. Walpole is also the only company licensed to
Factory Pre-Finish eliminates yard mess
Walpole has designed and constructed a technologically-advanced coating facility in Pittsfield, Maine. A two-coat process ensures full uniform coverage that is superior to finishing after the project has been installed. What’s more, it eliminates mess in the homeowner’s yard and garden. Walpole partners with Sherwin Williams®, and offers choices in more than 100 colors.
No Obligation Fence Consultation
Walpole offers customers a free no obligation consultation, where a professional will take measurements on the property and assist with style and fence options that may best suit the homeowner’s needs and the home’s architecture. The authorized partners at Bucks Country Gardens have Walpole’s full support–from product and installation training, to CAD support, and in meeting all warranty commitments.
Service throughout our area and across the country New material meets classic woodworking Modern cellular PVC material is worked just like natural wood using oldfashioned, tried-and-true methods, and is shaped, routered, and mitered by Walpole craftsmen using many specialized woodworking tools. This dedicated focus ensures that the finished product meets the highest standards of symmetry and balance–from the substantial dowels, and mortise and tenon joints for strength, flexibility, and toughness, to the solid, aesthetically pleasing proportions.
Walpole Outdoors has stores and authorized partners from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey, to Maryland, Pennsylvania Virginia, Florida, and California. Walpole is proud to have Bucks Country Gardens as an authorized partner in the Doylestown, PA area.
Walpole Outdoors walpolewoodworkers.com
Keep Calm and Travel On... ...with style, of course! This season, The Boutique at Bucks Country Gardens has everything a woman would want to do just that. Nothing says summer like fresh, crisp linen. And nothing says luxury like Spartina 449’s luxurious French Linen, the foundation for their much sought-after handbags. The rich linen is a perfect canvas for vibrant colors and unique patterns. Inspired by the natural beauty of Dafuskie Island in South Carolina, Spartina 449’s designers create beautiful and practical handbags and accessories. Yes, practical because the linen is water and stain resistant, so no worries. You liked our Charlie Paige clothing and accessories so much we brought it back with fresh and exciting new styles for 2014. Whether you’re looking for a soft flowing scarf in the hottest of ombre styles, a great cover up or even a fabulous dress for an ocean-side dinner, we have it all. Cinda b has two fresh new patterns for their travel bags, handbags and totes just in time for all of your summer travel plans. Classic and a little bit preppy, Neptune is navy blue with a punch of coral, this season’s must-have color. It’s understated nautical feel makes it perfect for warm summer travel. The new French Linen pattern is crisp, clean and neutral, so it pairs well with everything. Whichever your favorite, be sure to check out these three new silhouettes: Crosstown Satchel, Cell Phone Wristlet and Jolly.
Refreshing your Spring wardrobe? Looking for the perfect gift for Mom, daughter or favorite aunt? The Boutique offers something for everyone featuring on-trend apparel and jewelry.
Traveling with jewelry can be a challenge. You’d love to bring different pieces for every outfit, but that can be a lot of extra stuff and expense to worry about. If you aren’t familiar with Kameleon Fine Jewelry, now is the time. It is clearly the perfect jewelry for all your travel plans. Utilizing an ingenious interchangeable “pop” system, simply bring one set of jewelry (earrings, necklace, bracelet, broach…) and a compact full of different colored pops to switch out at your whim and you’ll have unique jewels to compliment every outfit.
As Coco Chanel once said, “The best color in the world is the one that looks good on you.”
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Greg Orme, Assistant Lifestyles Manager
buckscountrygardens.com
Stop in today and see the newly relocated, bigger and better Boutique at Bucks Country Gardens. You’ll discover so many fantastic finds and fashion this fabulous won’t stay in the store for long!
Fantastic Finds Just in time for long summer days, TRIPLE C tech products offer a variety of accessories that will keep your electronics going and you entertained all day and night. When you need a charge on the go, there’s Power Purse, a small clutch bag you can use on its own or tuck into your beach bag. It is equipped with a rechargeable battery-operated charger so your phone stays charged when you need it. If you want something smaller, there’s Power Card. It is the same size as a credit card and easily tucks into any wallet. For your listening pleasure: whether it be in the backyard, at the beach or even at the gym, try Smart Budz 2 retractable and magnetic earphones. To share the beat with your towelmate or workout partner, try the very portable BluCube Speaker or the Megabeat iPhone Amplifier. We all love our tech accessories and now there’s more ways to get the most out of all of them.
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Our newest “green” items are not only unusual, functional and beautiful, they are also great conversation pieces. Blu Marble recycles liquor and beer bottles from the casinos, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs along the Las Vegas strip and turns them into useful household items–mainly drinking glasses and pendant lights along with serving pieces and vases. Not wanting to leave anything to waste, they use the smaller fragments to create unique and beautiful jewelry. Try a Bombay Sapphire Ring or a Jack and Coke Necklace. And thanks for doing your part to keep it out of landfills! For outdoor (or indoor) entertaining at its finest, La Cadeaux creates the finest melamine tableware around. Exquisite patterns and vibrant colors are a hallmark of La Cadeaux’s designs. If you didn’t know better, you’d think you were eating off the finest Tuscan pottery. But best of all, it is virtually unbreakable. An exciting new pattern for 2014 is Catalina featuring beautiful shades of blue and
For Your Home & Lifestyle green fish patterns. We’ve paired it with Antiqua Blue and Antiqua Turquoise for a rich, eclectic look. There’s also new unbreakable glassware in a variety of sizes and colors to complete your tablesetting. We’ll have a great selection in store and can easily accommodate personal orders in a timely manner. The most versatile tableware at Bucks Country Gardens, or anywhere for that matter, has to be serving pieces from Nora Fleming. The clean, simple line of white serving pieces will complement any décor and style. You’ll find everything from small candy dishes and platters to large pasta bowls and cake plates. Interchangeable ceramic “minis” are inserted into the dish, making it perfect for any occasion. With a “mini” for every occasion, you’ll have a fresh look whenever you want! We are very pleased to introduce Hudson Valley Art Studio featuring artist Lyndi Lende. Our buyers discovered this artist on a recent buying trip to Atlanta. This versatile New York based artist creates stunning works of art which are meticulously reproduced in limited editions. Her work ranges from realist paintings of flowers, animals, and landscapes to more abstract and ethereal landscape paintings. Paintings are reproduced on 100% cotton canvas using UV stable inks, stretched and framed. Images on paper are reproduced on acid-free paper, titled, signed and numbered. They are true limited editions. Lyndi’s attention to detail and use of high quality materials ensure it to last a lifetime or longer. Greg Orme, Assistant Lifestyles Manager
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In Your Own Backyard easy elements for adding character & style
The most wonderful gardens to visit, the most welcoming, are rarely about
perfection. They are about personality, about the gardener who created them. How the gardener made best use of the outdoor space, materials, time and budget available while at the same time stamping the small heaven with their own sense of character and beauty is often a challenge, frequently a series of learning experiences and always fulfilling.
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Creating Spaces 1. This garden maximizes the linear space created by the surrounding homes, while at the same time allowing for separate garden “rooms.� Just as within the home, a garden should be thought of as a room or a series of rooms with potentially different functions and sizes. The side garden seen here has not been forgotten but instead allowed to greet guests with a simple but lovely pathway, easily maintained plants, a bench for quiet discussion and a gate which acts as a gracious invitation. The fence and gate act as an elegant delineation between private and semi-private areas on the property. The brick of the floors are complimentary to the brick homes close by. The plantings have been kept simple for the purpose of allowing the showier, perhaps more maintenance intensive plants to be used where they will be most enjoyed–around the family patio.
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2. A similar formal garden area “made” with the addition of a small water feature. The water feature acts as a focal point for the garden traveler and as an element around which the garden bones are organized. Whether a sculpture, a birdfeeder or a water element, this space would not be complete without an ornament.
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3. This modest back yard is filled with well-proportioned garden spaces, each with a distinct use: a shady play area for the children, gathering space in front of a fireplace for family and entertaining, generous lawn space and an upper level deck off the second story kitchen where a dining area is located. The breakdown of the different uses makes the most of the entire back yard and includes well placed decorative plantings where they will be best appreciated, close to the family seating area and seen while descending the steps from the deck. The materials used are simple but used to great effect by repeating them throughout the different back yard rooms, giving the entire backyard design a sense of continuity. 4. This is also a garden room with very formal bones, but the soft, billowy treatment of the plantings makes it feel very relaxed and a bit romantic. The garden brilliantly maximizes an element found in many backyards–a potting/tool shed. Instead of being relegated to the back corner of the property, this tiny shed has been made the crowning feature of the space. The mill work additions to the shed, the statue and the gateway finials add a wonderful sense of character. The mill wheel detail at the garden threshold is an added bonus detail–and made by pouring some left-over concrete into a shallow circular depression made in the earth and then using a board to shape the grooves into the still wet concrete.
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Walls and Steps Walls and steps are critical features for many gardens with existing changes in elevation and have many wonderful design opportunities inherent within them. Although often one of the most expensive components to build they can be designed and built cost effectively without sacrificing charm. 5.
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5. This garden corner is a transition space; within it two different levels and three different pathways intersect. The materials and construction techniques are varied; walls are constructed of rough stone, railroad timbers and cast in place concrete. The floors are wooden decking, steppers set in loose pebble and clay brick. Although the number of different materials used in this garden could be a bit much, it is the
change of elevation which is celebrated so beautifully. Hinged by a subtle water feature in one of the raised terraces, the garden tiers its way down alongside the steps. The repeated use of stone, from pebble to small boulder, helps it all tie together. The pop of yellow seen in the flower pot is an attractive addition.
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6. Sometimes our garden’s inherent walls are in less than optimal condition; sometimes the walls are just too bland for words. When faced with this challenge we go to the garage, and the garage sale. The sense of character given to a garden can often rest on serendipitous ideas for ornament which turn an otherwise lack luster feature into a design statement. Whether a watering can or lawn sprinkler collection, a wall of birdhouses custom decorated by your grandchildren or the baroque frame mirror crying out for the perfect shade of blue paint to make it pop against a red brick wall, the possibilities are endless, and you will wonder how you ever thought your garden complete without them.
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Seating What better place to sit and enjoy the end of the day than the outdoors? Give some thought to what would be most relaxing in a seating area and allow for those elements: fire, moving water, a view of your garden or a distant feature in the landscape, a place to sit quietly or to enjoy some company, a shady spot to keep an eye on the children...
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7. A wooden bench tucked within a simple border of colorful flowering shrubs. The easy curving line created by the walkway and defining the edge of the planting bed is complimentary to 8. virtually any back yard space and allows for easy maintenance of both lawn and planting bed. 8. Another wooden bench, this one set within a bower of Trumpet Vines. The pergola created to support the vines uses ready-made porch posts to great effect.
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9. This seating area is set within a space small enough that two people will not feel dwarfed within an over-large space. The scale of the patio is such that it seems to nestle its visitors within a well-defined space as they enjoy the expansive meadow vista beyond. Geared towards a meadow view in the daytime, the space is maximized with the possibility of turning the chairs around once the sun has set and enjoying a fire in the stone fire pit during the evening hours. 10. This seating area has been gently carved from woodland and a waterfall fed pond added. The soothing sound and
beauty of flowing water and the potentially hypnotic quality seen in the movement of koi can make an otherwise forgotten corner into a magnetic outdoor space.
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Focal Points when furnishing your garden rooms and adding focal points consider a few things: 11. How much room are you working with? is a multi-tier fountain too large or will a simpler overflowing urn be more suited to the scale of the room? 12. water features can be found or created to suit any budget or style. the millwheel fountain seen here is set atop a pebble covered, invisible recirculation basin. it easy to create and maintain and is also great for households with young children who love nothing more than to safely splash around on a hot day.
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13. what are your views? Are there elements within the garden to capture your glance when seated on the patio or from inside the house? birdhouses are excellent focal points and also bring a level of welcome activity with nesting birds and fledgling young. Provide a nearby source of water and food and your backyard will become a much needed habitat. bring feeding and watering stations a bit closer to the house in winter for a better view from indoors of avian activity.
Mary Bowe, Landscape Designer
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14. looking for a statement design element for your garden? consider the addition of a wellplaced, well scaled piece of pottery to contrast plantings around it. consider its shape, how it contrasts the texture and scale of the plants around it. consider its color and how it contrasts or compliments the foliage and flowers around it. consider also how the vessel will appear in the winter landscape; sometimes a burst of bright color is welcome, sometimes a more neutral palette preferred.
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Winter Storm Cleanup We Can Help!
they say this is the worst winter we’ve had in forty years, and chances are, your property is feeling the effects. it may seem overwhelming, attempting to clean up the aftermath, but we’ve broken it down into three easy steps.
Step 1: Walk around and see what’s really happened.
it’s easy to make generalizations about the problems on your property, but you need to go out and assess everything that may need repair. evaluate issues such as tree damage, uneven walkways, eroded lawn and garden areas, etc. and determine how much you can handle safely. remember that your safety is of prime priority here.
Winter ‘13– ‘14 • Snow fall #10 Ug gh!
Step 2: Rent from people you trust!
now that you have the main problems understood, give George’s tool rental a ring and let us know! our experienced staff is more than happy to be of assistance to you. we are always ready to offer up the best equipment and even better instruction for its usage, all with the classic service you know and love.
Step 3: Get to work!
you’ve got your equipment, you know how to use it, and you know exactly what needs to be finished. it’s time to start repairing what the storm has undone!
Here’s just a sampling of the equipment available for you to rent from George’s tool rental:
House or Roof Damage Ladders AeriAl liFts uP to 56’
Tree Damage
cHAin sAws cHiPPers stuMP Grinders
Landscape Damage
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lAndscAPe bed edGers sod Cutters tiLLers
Lawn Damage
TR! p. Thanks G Easy clean-u
overseeders aerators tHAtcHers
Great f or garde n prep!
Fence Damage
Post Hole AuGers coMPAct loAders
Al & Marty wismer and the George’s tool rental team | serving the bucks-Mont Area since 1970 | www.Georgestoolrental.com
Haring Brothers, Inc country butcher shop
Stonewall Kitchen
We’ve got you covered.
Creators of Specialty Foods
Bourbon Pecan Dessert Sauce O.K., we may have outdone ourselves with this one. First, we carefully crafted a smooth, rich caramel sauce, added fresh pecan pieces and then just to put it over the edge, a hint of a smooth, barrel-aged bourbon. Voila! A dessert sauce to end all dessert sauces! Enjoy.
quality meats personalized service everything cut-to-order 5484 haring
Featuring: California Umbrella TreasUre Garden ClassiC CUshion CasUal CUshion
road, doylestown, pa 215.766.8330
haringbrothersmeats.com mon thru fri 7am–6pm sat 7am–5pm
Umbrellas • Cushions • Pillows
Add a pop of color to your outdoor living space. Premium quality. Best selection.
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Our
Feathered Friends What is it about birds that we find so captivating? Perhaps it’s our amazement at how they glide so effortlessly throught the air. Or, maybe it’s how the sweet sound of a songbird takes us back in time to the long, endless summers of our youth. Or simply it’s that we provide food and shelter for them and they reward us with a neverending stream of brightly colored visitors to our backyard... Whatever the reason, bird enthusiasts of every level will want to peruse our Bird Department this spring and discover all of the fantastic new finds for your home and garden. Here’s a few of our favorites we just had to share with you now!
lg. shingled house $398
Lazy Hill Farm Designs
Handcrafted in Maine of native cedar and wood-alternative cellular PVC, Lazy Hill Farm Designs bird houses and feeders are the finest garden accessories on the market. Classic designs, durable materials and handmade in America–it doesn’t get any better! For years, these bird houses and feeders have been focal accents in gardens across the country. Most notable, the Large Shingled House is an adaptation of an English dovecote featuring a cedar shake roof over a rounded eight compartment body. Today, more than fifty sizes and styles make up the Lazy Hill Farm line including matching posts. There’s bound to be one that’s a perfect complement for your home and garden or an awesome gift for someone special.
single family round house $79–$149 bell feeder $398 t. dove post $179
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single family sq. house $109
sm. shingled house $109 sm. natural cedar post $48
hanging copper top house $139
copper top post cap $149
shingled house post cap $129
hANgiNg NeSt birdbAth $34.99
Burley Clay products
LAVeNder birdbAth $99.99
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since 1933, burley clay Products has been producing beautiful, handmade garden pottery and birdbaths in roseville, ohio. More than eighty years later, burley clay continues to employ a rarely found “lost art� production method known as jiggering. in this process, a jiggerman places a plaster mold inside a spinning steel drum then adds the appropriate amount of clay. the jiggerman works the clay by hand with a wet cloth into the form of the mold. As the clay begins to dry, the mold draws the water away from the clay, releasing it from the mold. this skill requires years of apprenticeship and is usually passed down to family members who have worked in area potteries for generations. burley clay artisans hand decorate and paint all of their products creating unique pottery that is truly a work of art. the popular collection at bucks country Gardens includes everything from the most traditional to the most unique and artistic designs. uNiVerSAL birdbAth $79.99
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hANgiNg gLAzed birdbAth $39.99
gArdeN bee birdbAth $99.99 19
bLuebird birdbAth $99.99
all abOut
hummingbirds
Hummingbirds
why are we so fascinated with hummingbirds? they are certainly not the most colorful birds in the back yard. cardinals, blue Jays, woodpeckers and bluebirds are far showier. they’re not the rarest either. baltimore orioles, Pileated woodpeckers and scarlet tanagers are fewer and farther between. it’s the combination of physical characteristics that define hummingbirds and make them an obsession for many birders.
attempting to lure more of them more often to our backyards. this spring, bucks country Gardens has introduced a great new collection of feeders and can you believe it, nectar that costs as much as a decent bottle of wine to help you in your quest.
size A hummingbird’s diminutive size is one of its most familiar characteristics, and in fact some hummingbird species are the smallest birds in the world. other species, however, are larger and more robust, though they are still tiny when compared to other backyard birds. shape
Hummingbirds may look different than other bird species, but they have a similar shape that makes them instantly recognizable. the stubby body, long wings and long, narrow bill are features found in every hummingbird’s shape.
Perry’S wiNdOw Feeder $19.99
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bill the needle-like bill of a hummingbird is its most unique physical characteristic. the bill is extremely long and thin compared to the bird’s overall size, and it is used as a tube for the bird to lick nectar from flowers, sap wells and feeders with its long and agile tongue. wings
oh yes, the wings. A hummingbird’s wings are long, narrow and tapered to give it better agility in the air. even more important than wing shape, however, is its construction–the shoulder and elbow joints of the wing are very close to the body, which allows each wing to pivot and tilt. this is critical for the bird’s ability to change flight directions and hover.
wiNe bOttLe NeCtAr $12.99
movement
if there’s one characteristic that defines hummingbirds it has to be the way they fly…forward, backward, standing still (or flying still). who doesn’t find watching a hummingbird fly from flower to flower in the garden, sucking up nectar then darting off to who knows where, fascinating? Maybe that’s why we can’t stop
wOOdStreAM Perky Pet ANtique bOttLe Feeder $24.99–$29.99
Kills weeds to the root.
Guaranteed.
Roundup® Extended Control
Weed & Grass Killer Plus Weed Preventer II
• Dual-action formula
• Kills existing weeds and grasses to the root
• Prevents new weeds from growing for up to four months by creating an invisible barrier
buckscountrygardens.com
Ready-to-Use Pump ‘N Go® Sprayer
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Keep Your Curb Appealing Crackdown on Weeds
Apply Roundup® Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer at the first sign of weeds. The best time to apply Roundup® Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer is when air is calm to prevent drift to desirable plants. For fast, visible results, apply during warm sunny weather (above 60 degrees F). As the name states, this product is a weed and GRASS killer so do not to use it on your lawn or in lawn renovations. Be careful to choose a different product if the weeds you wish to kill are near fruit or vegetable gardens.
Cracks in sidewalks, patios and driveways
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may seem trivial, but to a weed they are the perfect breeding ground for establishing a deep root system. Some weeds are more invasive than others making them more than just irritating eyesores. Once weeds take hold, it’s difficult to combat them throughout the summer through natural methods unless you are vigilant and have plenty of time on your hands. For those of you interested in tackling weeds with a longer lasting method requiring less work, applying a post-emergent herbicide that won’t wash off with rain is a logical choice. Roundup® Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer prevails as the top postemergent herbicide choice for home and business owners, and is easily applied using a spray method. For smaller jobs, the 30 ounce size is the perfect choice because it comes pre-mixed in its own spray bottle ready for application. Larger jobs may necessitate purchasing the .5 gallon or 1 gallon 42 oz size that also come pre-mixed in their own tanks with attached sprayers. Roundup® Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer is also available as a super concentrate if you prefer to mix only the amount you need as the season progresses. The best places to use Roundup® Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer are driveways, sidewalks, paths, tree rings, mulched areas, along fence lines, and gravel areas.
Before applying Roundup® Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer, cover any nearby plants, shrubs, and vegetation that you’d like to keep. Once covered, spray the undesirable weeds until thoroughly wet, and wait at least 10 minutes before watering. Roundup® Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer is guaranteed to kill existing weeds and prevent new ones from growing for up to four months. You should start to see results within six hours of application. As with any chemical, make sure to avoid contact with your eyes or clothing when using Roundup® Ready-to-Use Weed and Grass Killer and wash your hands with soap and water after use or before eating or drinking. For long-term control in the most difficult to manage areas, you may choose to use Roundup® ReadyTo-Use Max Control 365. The application process is the same, but you should be careful not to spray anywhere that you may want to plant or seed within one year. In heavy clay soils, plant growth may be prevented for more than one year. In areas of heavy rainfall, applications every six to eight months may be necessary. To avoid damage to desirable plants do not apply over the root systems. For shrubs and trees, do not apply nearer than twice the distance from the trunk to the drip line as roots may be within this area. Results for this product are seen within 12 hours of application.
Article courtesy of Scotts’ Round Up® Visit scotts.com for more product information.
ExpEriEncE • SErvicE • Quality
• Custom Pergolas • Trellis • Outbuildings
• Additions • Renovations • Kitchen & Bath Remodeling
John S. McIlvaine • General Contractor 215. 859 .7187
238 Durham Rd • Ottsville, PA
PA HIC# 053541
Home Fragrance
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Our nature-inspired home fragrances help you conjure a mood, reflect your unique personality and welcome all who enter. Thymes decorative scented candles and votive candles; room sprays, reed diffusers, potpourri and refresher oils; and home care and décor are all positively enlightening. Lovely enough for giving, yet practical enough for using.
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Out with the Cold & in with the New {Highlights from our 2014 collection}
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New Season, New Look, New Finds and so much more! wow, what a winter! spring has finally made its presence known and 2014 is sure to be an exciting year at bucks country Gardens. sometimes we all need a change and throughout the garden center, you will find lots of it. we not only did the usual and necessary spring cleaning, we also have a new logo, a new garden club and we rearranged and redecorated our entire lifestyle department. besides moving our boutique front and center and relocating the design center to be more customer friendly, we now have the largest and best selection ever of outdoor Furniture on display. you will find all of your favorite brands like Hanamint, castelle and Gensun plus some new players and returning favorites.
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start the season off with Agio, a new brand for bucks country Gardens. they have been crafting quality outdoor furnishings for 25 years. the Providence collection combines aluminum, wicker, tile and fresh fabrics to create separate seating and dining groups. the four piece seating combines two weaves in a medium oak finish with celery green cushions and fun throw
pillows. The seven piece dining set combines an aluminum-frame table with inset tile and chairs featuring a woven seat back and coordinating cushions. A. 4pc Deep Seating Group 7pc dining Group (Not Shown)
REG: $1599 SALe Price $1299 REG: $1943 Sale Price $1499
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erwin and sons | breathe
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alfresco | rimini
This year from Alfresco, we are featuring a few cast aluminum collections. If you’re looking to host big garden dinner parties or cookouts, look no further than Rimini cast aluminum dining collection. The large 84” x 60” table features a timeless lattice pattern complemented by sturdy cast chairs. It will seat ten comfortably while giving you plenty of room for all the goodies. b. 11pc dining Group (84” DIning Table) 7pc dining Group (Round Table–Not Shown)
When it’s wicker you want, Erwin and Son’s Bahama Winds collections are easily your one-stop-shop for all things wicker. The Breathe Collection’s versatility and transitional styling make it a great choice for your porch, deck, patio, pool house and even a sunroom or solarium. This season, we have changed up this popular collection by offering it in two finishes and many stunning new fabrics. f. Loveseat G. Recliner h. Coffee Table Sofa (Not Shown)
REG: $1700 REG: $1304 REG: $796 REG: $2199
Sale Price $1299 Sale Price $999 Sale Price $499 Sale Price $1599
REG: $6609 Sale Price $5299 REG: $3754 Sale Price $2999
alfresco Soiree
Whether you just want to cozy up to a good book or have pre-dinner cocktails, a chat set featuring a fire pit is a great place to start. Soiree gives you just that with spring rocking chairs, plush neutral cushions and a fire pit table sized perfectly for entertaining. c. 5pc chat set (wtih Fire Pit)) REG: $3850 Sale Price $2999
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gensun | bel air
REG: $7106 SALe Price $5599 REG: $7027 Sale Price $5599
more featured sets from our 2014 collection
Visit our on-line gallery at buckscountrygardens.com/casual-furniture to view more Dining & Deep Seating Sets.
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REG: 4067 Sale Price 3199 REG: $2090 Sale Price $1599 $
i. 9pc dining Group (Geo Egg Table) 9pc dining Group (60” Sq. Table–Not Shown)
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d. crescent sofa E. rocking lounge chair
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Bel Air from Gensun offers versatility and style with unusual shaped dining tables like the “Geo Egg” and 60” Square. Both are large tables which seat eight comfortably, allowing plenty of room to spread out for an enjoyable casual meal. In stock and ready for your next party, you’ll find various sized dining tables, a “Party Bar”, loveseats, club chairs, fire pits and other accessories to create a complete outdoor room.
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Since you loved it so much, we expanded our Madrid collection from Castelle. Aptly named, Madrid has a Spanish flair that blends perfectly D, E with today’s design aesthetics. In stock now is the Crescent Sofa which pairs perfectly with Lounge and Rocking Lounge Chairs. Its circular shape is great for entertaining and accommodates a large coffee table or fire pit beautifully. When it’s time to eat, choose from a variety of table sizes as well as bar height tables, all with coordinating sling chairs.
give aluminum the look and appearance of natural stone without the maintenance of stone. We are offering this innovative furniture in two finishes and styles: the Villa collection and the Momentum collection. m. 7pc dining Group
REG: $4381 SALe Price $3799 save 15%
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hanamint | barrington
One of the most recognized names in outdoor furniture, Hanamint offers some of our most unique dining table options. Our ever-popular Barrington collection is offered in Hexagonal (seats six) and Octagonal (seats eight), both with a flush, integrated Lazy Susan for easy sharing. Also available is a versatile rectangular extension table. At 42” wide, it is 76” when closed and extends to a whopping 100” for when company shows up. j. 9pc dining Group (Octagonal Table) 7pc dining Group (Hexa. Table–Not Shown) 9pc dining Group (Ext. Table–Not Shown)
REG: $5940 Sale Price $4199 REG: $4487 SALe Price $3299 REG:$5559 Sale Price $4059
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woodard | belden
Another furniture company that is made in America is Woodard. First introduced to Bucks Country Gardens last year, they were so well received that we brought them back for a repeat performance. We’ve updated our most popular collection, Belden with a fresh finish, new fabric and a new, lower price. Whether you need a seating group or a dining set, you really cannot beat the superior quality and value for American made furniture. n. Crescent Loveseat 7pc dining Group (Not Shown)
REG: $2139 SALe Price $1699 REG: $4861 SALe Price $3899
jensen leisure | topaz
Returning for a second season is Jensen Leisure’s beautiful wood furniture. You l asked for more options of this sustainable Ipe’ wood and we delivered! New for Bucks Country Gardens is the Topaz extension table. At 39” wide by 65” long when closed and 87” when open, this table is great for simply everyday dining or when your neighbors stop by because your grilling smells so good. Also be sure to take a seat in our new Opal Swivel Rocking Lounge chairs; without a doubt, some of the most comfortable outdoor seating on the market! REG: $6337 SALe Price $5499 REG : $2099 Sale Price $1799
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k. 7pc dining Group (Extension Table) l. Opal Chair
Telescope villa
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Telescope has been making quality furniture in the USA since 1903. Stone Tech tables debuted last year and they are back in 2014 by popular demand. These beautiful tables utilize modern technology to
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woodard | lucerne
Also from Woodard is the Lucerne collection, p featuring a five piece Sling Dining Group. This group features a 48” round dining table with an inset glass top and elegantly styled rocking chairs, indulging in all of your creature comforts. Also available is a coordinating 48” round fire pit table. o. 5pc sling dining group p. firepit
REG: $1375 SALe Price $999 REG: $499 SALe Price $399
The Spring 2014 Collection at Bucks Country Garns is full of exciting favorites and new furniture offerings for all of your outdoor and casual living spaces. Shop now for the best selection of in-stock sets and accompanying pieces and one of our knowledgeable Lifestyle team members will assist you in making selections that are just right for you and your home.
Bucks Country Gardens
Chic & Unique
®
Versatile, fashionable & fun, cinda b® handbags, totes & accessories are ideal for today’s active lifestyle.
Perennial Festival June is Perennial Month. Plant your favorites or discover some new ones!
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Exotic Escape-Inspired Collection
Investing in our community is business as usual. At National Penn, we care about our customers and the communities in which they live. Everyday we strive to make our towns a better place to do business and raise a family. We look beyond the everyday transactions to help you get one step closer to your dreams.
1.800.822.3321 www.nationalpenn.com
Member FDIC
Recipe for Success It’s a Guaranteed 1–2 Punch!
Follow these easy steps to grow thriving trees and shrubs as well as extend the warranty on your plant material to two full years!
bumper crop
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Questions? Ask for our planting Guide or view it on our website at buckscountrygardens.com/ask-an-expert!
No matter the industry, new and better introductions are all the buzz every year. Cars, cell phones, computers, games, sneakers, fashion, hair…even the NFL has its own version of new and better– it wants to change extra points! Well, horticulture is no different. New and improved plants drive our industry. More flowers, different colors, disease and pest resistance, drought tolerance, faster growth, stronger branching…better, better, better. Here are a few of our favorite new plants arriving at Bucks Country Gardens this spring. Try them out in your garden and tell us if you agree they’re better.
New intros, Old faves & Must-Have
plants
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Coneflower Sombrero
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Coneflower Sombrero–Flamenco, Lemon, Hot Coral & Salsa–is a very well-branched series, well-matched for habit and timing, and perfect for use in almost any garden. Sturdy, compact plants have proven hardiness for years of enjoyment. These plants are very floriferous in bright, rich colors. As with other coneflower varieties the Sombrero series requires full sun and well-drained fertile soil. Plants are drought resistant and will flower longer when deadheaded. These plants are in relative short supply and will likely arrive at Bucks Country Garden in mid to late May.
salsa
buckscountrygardens.com
lemon
hot coral
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best best a n n u a l s of the
we often find ourselves coming back to our long time favorites when we’re looking for flowers that are easy to grow, perform all season long and really knock your socks off. we’ve picked our best annual flowers and a specific variety of each to come up with our best of the best list, guaranteed to work in your garden.
Hydrangea BloomStruck™
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a. angelonia wedgewood blue b. bacopa snowstorm Giant C. begonia begonia bonfire D. Calibrachoa superbells yellow e. Canna tropicana F. geranium savana Punch g. Ivy geranium Caliente rose H. lantana New Gold I. lysimachia Goldii J. Mandevilla sun Parasol K. Marigold Janie bright yellow l. new guinea Impatiens sonic Magic Pink M. Petunia royal velvet n. rosemary Huntington carpet o. salvia victoria blue P. scaevola whirlwind blue Q. sweet Potato Vine Margarita r. Torenia summer wave blue s. Verbena superbena Purple T. Vinca Pacifica Polka dot
Hydrangea bloomstruck™ is the newest addition to the endless summer® collection of reblooming hydrangea, and lives up to the promise of endless blooms, and then some. this beauty blooms on old and new growth, constantly pushing out new flower heads measuring 3”–5’’ across. intense rose-pink, violet or blue flower heads are held upright on striking red–purple stems. As with other hydrangea, bloomstruck’s flowers can be pink, purple or blue, depending on soil pH. Glossy dark green leaves with red petioles and red veins add to this plant’s allure, making it stand out before flowers even open. bred by dr. Michael dirr, Plant introductions, inc. in Georgia, bloomstruck has extremely strong stems, above average heat tolerance and great disease resistance, especially to powdery mildew.
Hydrangea Double Delights™ Expression
Hydrangea double delights™ expression, introduced in 2012, is a compact reblooming Macrophylla Hydrangea with double pink to blue mophead flowers. they begin to bloom in late spring and continue until frost. this plant will rebloom in the summer and fall. Flowers stay upright during blooming, a significant improvement over many other reblooming Hydrangeas which tend to flop over, and contrast nicely against dark green foliage.
Lavender Phenomenal
At last, a lavender truly adapted to our hot, humid summers and tough winters! Phenomenal is a groundbreaking hardy cultivar that every gardener will love. this new introduction refuses to die back in winter, tolerates extreme heat and humidity without melting out, resists rot, and stands up to other foliar diseases that can make lavender a challenge to grow. on Phenomenal, the bright blue blooms are held well above the silvery-green foliage, creating a canopy of color–breathtaking even in a small planting. both the flowers and the foliage are strongly fragrant. Phenomenal reaches about 24”–32” inches high and wide, blooming heavily in late spring and early summer (much sooner than most other lavender varieties). we heartily recommend it for borders, mass plantings, and containers in full sunshine and well-drained soil.
we’ve got you covered g r o u n d c o v e r s Most of us think of groundcovers as low growing, fast spreading, small leaved little plants and perennials. Groundcover actually refers to any plant that grows over an area of ground, provides protection from erosion and drought, and improves its aesthetic appearance. the most widely planted groundcover in today’s landscape is turfgrass. but other groundcovers may provide solutions to a landscaping challenge or just add a bit of much needed texture and color.
Kong Junior Coleus
it has been almost a decade since kong coleus caused heads to swirl with gigantic leaves and packed with an almost psychedelic array of colors. now kong Junior is the one that has everyone talking. kong Junior will probably be even a bigger hit. we will have four colors, and all are flashy. kong Junior lime vein which is a dark magenta with lime green variegation and kong Junior Green Halo which is a combination of chartreuse with yellow cream in the center are the two most popular. the leaves of the kong Junior are about 30% smaller than the original kong and they will reach about 2’ in height with a spread outward to 3’. you could not ask for a better garden size.
Groundcover plants, when properly taken care of, provide dense soil cover, retard weed growth, and prevent soil erosion. Groundcovers range in height from an inch to four feet. they can be woody or herbaceous; clumping or running; evergreen or deciduous. Groundcovers also unify different components in the landscape. non-spreading types can be used as hedging material, traffic barriers or just visual guides. they soften hardscapes such as walks, steps and driveways and can help to define space. Here Is a lIsT oF our FaVorITes: CHoColaTe CHIP aJuga this is a wonderful new gem from valfredda nursery in italy. leaves are narrow and chocolate brown forming a low mat. spikes of bright blue flowers appear in mid spring. Perfect as a garden border or in containers. blaCK sCalloP aJuga Midnight-dark foliage, rich blue blooms and great adaptability to varying soils and moisture levels. this is a stunning groundcover for the garden floor or container. its foliage is oversized, its habit very low and mat-forming, and its maintenance low.
with big blooms and superior disease resistance, all-around winner Zahara assures big impact and carefree, season-long shows. the flowers are 20% larger than comparable types and the color choices include the first yellow and scarlet and the first well balanced Mixture in this type of zinnia. Zahara sundurst is an outstanding performer in sunny, hot and dry conditions.
VarIegaTeD laMIasTruM also known as yellow archangel, this is the fastest growing ground cover for dry shade. it is also
PaCHYsanDra A popular evergreen groundcover tolerant of poor dry soil and deep shade. it is slow to establish and requires close planting but is always available in rooted cuttings. it is the perfect 6” height and doesn’t climb or spread aggressively, maintaining a very neat and controlled habit. sweeT wooDruFF an excellent, fast spreading groundcover with a very delicate whorled green leaf. this plant does best in shady, moist conditions and produces clusters of tiny white flowers in mid to late spring VInCa Also known as common periwinkle, this is a very popular groundcover. it grows low to the ground with spreading runners, features dark green leaves and produces periwinkle blue flowers in mid spring. vinca is very shade tolerant but will also tolerate a good amount of sun. it is available in flats of rooted clumps or peat pots and is one of the more economical choices in groundcover. sTePables Fifteen years ago, stepables were introduced as a collection of miniature ground cover plants designed to help gardeners cover their yard with plants that that can be walked on, trampled on, run across…by man or beast (dogs and cats). we feature the best performers suited for our area and can order most requests.
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balTIC IVY the most hardy of the common varieties of evergreen english ivy, this is excellent as a vine to climb and cling to stone or brick walls and also as a groundcover in shaded and sunny areas. Also does well in window boxes.
CreePIng lIrIoPe while preferring a slightly shaded exposure, liriope tolerates a wide range of sites and conditions. the spicata variety is fast spreading and fine leafed with pale lavender flower spikes in late summer. big blue, a muscari variety, has showy flowers and is a less aggressive grower.
buckscountrygardens.com
Zahara Sunburst Zinnia
adaptable to most conditions from part sun to full shade in many types of soil. this silver-variegated trailing form can be used in hanging baskets or to make a dense ground cover that out-competes most other plants. the clump-forming ‘Hermann’s Pride’ is a better choice in gardens as it is not as aggressive.
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Celebrate every Day. birthdays / weddings / anniversaries / special moments collectable vintage-inspired heirloom charms & jewelry
g n i r p S s i at BuCkS Country GardenS h T april
may
may store hours: 8:30–6 Daily • 8:30–8 Friday memorial day: 9am–3pm
spring store hours: april 14–June 15
8:30–6 Daily • 8:30–8 Friday
Free Tree Planting sale
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it’s all about Ferns & tropical Plants! specials, Featured Products & More.
ongoing thru june 25
ends april 16
buy the tree & we’ll Plant it for Free! see store for more details. Final Days!
edible extravaganza
may 15–21
may 1–7
Memorial Day spectacular!
take an eXtrA 10% off everyday savings of 15%–40%. Final Days!
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outdoor Furniture specials plus same day Furniture delivery* and specials in every department! see store for more information.
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Mother’s Day may 11 • open 8:30–6
outdoor Furniture Preseason sale
ends april 30
ongoing thru june 25 Festival of Flower Flats
april 17–23
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specials, Featured Products & More!
may 8–14
may 22–28 *
Memorial Day may 26 • open 9–3 Perennial Festival
may 29–june 18
official “Frost-Free” Date
$ave on a fantastic selection of Perennials– Fresh plants arriving daily!
may 15
green Collaboration eco-Market april 19 • 11–4
celebrate earth day and shop eco-friendly products and merchandise from local, planet-conscience businesses.
june
easter sunday
april 20 • open 8:30–6 earth Day april 22
summer store hours:
thru June 15 8:30–6 Daily • 8:30–8 Friday
Impatient for Impatiens Fest
april 24–30
Perennial Festival
specials, Featured Products & More!
ongoing thru june 16
$ave on a fantastic selection of Perennials– Fresh plants arriving daily!
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summer store hours: thru october 31 9–6 Daily • 10–5 Sunday Independence Day
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save the dates! aug 7–27 summer Clearance sept 4-10 Mummania sept 20–21 Customer appreciation weekend!
oct 18–19
Pumpkin Festival weekend! 33
Pay up to 50% of your purchase with bonus bucks earned all spring!
Father’s Day
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july
June 16–october 31 9–6 Daily • 10–5 Sunday
Grow Your Own
Edibles
I think there’s a little farmer in all of us. It doesn’t get much better than planting a seedling, nurturing it with food and water, tending it as it grows strong and healthy, then harvesting it when it’s ripe and ready for the table.
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I’m not sure if it’s the satisfaction of knowing we can do it or the amazement of seeing what nature does almost by itself. No matter the reason, lots of us get a ton of enjoyment out of growing our own.
Grow Your Own Edibles
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Today more than ever there seems to be a concern that the edibles we grow are wholesome and natural. A resulting popular plant choice in recent years has been “heirloom” vegetable varieties. An heirloom variety is an old cultivar that is still maintained by gardeners and farmers particularly in isolated or ethnic communities. These may have been commonly grown during earlier periods in history, but are generally not used in modern, large scale agriculture. These vegetables have kept their traits through open pollination.
A. Amish Paste Tomato
Many believe this is the ultimate paste tomato. Giant, blocky Romatype tomatoes have delicious red flesh that is perfect for paste and canning. World class flavor from an Amish community in Wisconsin.
B. Black Krim Tomato
Mild, sweet-tasting fruits have high sugar content and grow to over 1 lb. This luscious tomato has rich yellow undertones covered with pinkish-red striping.
D. Cherokee Purple Tomato
Large dark purple, rich and flavorful tomato from Tennessee rumored to have come from Cherokee gardeners.
E. Rutgers Tomato
Legendary tomato introduced in 1934 is a cross between JTD, an old Campbell’s Soup variety, and Marglobe. Its flavor for slicing and cooking is unequalled.
F. California Wonder Pepper
The standard bell pepper introduced in 1928, perfect stuffing pepper, thick walled, tender and flavorful.
G. Corno di Toro Pepper
Italian heirloom full tapered pepper, sweet and crisp, perfect raw, fried, stuffed or grilled.
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Medium sized, dark maroon, extremely tasty beefsteak with wonderfully rich flavor, originated in Crimea near the Black Sea.
C. Mr. Stripey Tomato
buckscountrygardens.com 35 Grow Your Own Edibles
Heirloom tomato varieties at Bucks Country Gardens this year include Amish Paste, Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Mr. Stripy and Rutgers. Heirloom pepper varieties include California Wonder and Corno di Toro. We will also continue to offer a line of Burpee Home Gardens grafted heirloom tomatoes, “Bumper Crop”. These plants combine the best hybrid root stock with an heirloom plant that may produce as much as 50% more fruit than traditional heirlooms.
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Hybrids
A. Slice More Cucumber
High quality slicing cucumber with uniform 8.5” fruits. Dark green, smooth skin protects a crisp flesh with a very small seed cavity.
B. Green Fingers Cucumber
Snack-size 4” cucumber has thin skin, crispy-crunchy texture and the most delicious flavor of any cucumber.
C. Candy Apple Pepper
While this new sweet pepper may look like an heirloom, it is worlds apart in performance. This high yielding, disease-resistant, early maturing variety produces flattened round fruits with exceptionally sweet flavor, thick walls and crisp texture.
E. Indigo Ruby Tomato
Lipstick red, plum shaped tomato with violet-blue tops and deep red flesh, flavorful and sweet with a tempting aroma.
F. Pineapple Tomato
Very large, up to 2 lbs. each, yellow fruit with red marbling through the flesh. One of the most beautiful tomatoes, very sweet and fruity; good yields!
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A great-tasting, blocky sweet bell pepper that’s perfect for eating fresh, stuffing or using in soups or chili.
D. Yes to Yellow Pepper
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Heirlooms may be growing in popularity, but new hybrid varieties offer hard to pass up improvements in appearance, taste and production. Some new hybrid introductions in our edible department include Cucumber Slices More and Green Fingers, Pepper Candy Apple and Yes to Yellow, and Tomato Indigo Ruby and Pineapple.
Grow Your Own Edibles Grow Your Own Edibles Grow Your Own Edibles Bucks Country Gardens
Grow Your Own Edibles
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Veggie Vocabulary With all the different terminology out there, we thought it might be good to define the more common terms that many of us find a bit confusing. In addition to heirloom defined above, here are ones we use every day at the garden center:
Native As in... Native Plants Plants indigenous or naturally occurring in a geographic area for many, many years.
Cultivar
Involves natural processes, often taking place over extended periods of time with non-chemical fertilization, disease and insect control. Certified organic growers use absolutely no chemicals and tend to tolerate some pests and disease. This science requires an extraordinary effort to manage plant production, naturally incorporating the following strategies: • Encouraging predatory beneficial insects to flourish and eat pests • Encouraging beneficial microorganisms • Careful plant selection, choosing disease-resistant varieties • Planting companion crops that discourage or divert pests • Using row covers to protect crop plants during pest migration periods • Rotating crops to different locations from year to year to interrupt pest reproduction cycles • Using insect traps to monitor and control insect populations
A plant or grouping of plants selected for desirable characteristics that can be maintained by propagation. The world’s agricultural food crops are almost exclusively cultivars that have been selected for characteristics such as improved yield, flavor and resistance to disease.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Organisms developed through the modification of their natural genetic makeup. GMOs commercially available include corn (field and sweet), soybeans, sugar beets, cotton, alfalfa, papaya, squash and canola. Farmers choose to use genetically modified seeds to reduce crop damage from weeds, diseases and insects, as well as from extreme weather conditions, such as drought. None of the seeds and plants at Bucks Country Gardens are GMOs.
Grafted
Organic As in...Organic Horticulture
A horticultural process where tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two may join together. In most cases, one plant is selected for its roots and the other plant is selected for its stems, leaves, flowers or fruits.
Propagation
Hybrid As in... Hybrid Varieties
Generally refers to the growth of cells from a tissue from a multicellular organism. Plant tissue culture is the growing of entire plants from small pieces of plant tissue, cultured in medium.
The product resulting from the combination of different varieties to create a new and “superior” variety.
The process of creating new plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings, bulbs and other plant parts.
Tissue Culture
Bucks Country Gardens
Give Your Fish a Fresh Start
LANDIS FENCE
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For over 50 years, we have been serving do-it-yourself homeowners and contractors alike. And whether you are looking for a quality fence supplier or someone to install your fence, we do both.
Residential Commercial Vinyl Aluminum Split Rail Wood Board Picket
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Microbe-Lift PL The #1 requested pond product on the market creates a cleaner environment while promoting faster fish growth. Beneficial bacteria will reduce pond maintenance, ammonia nitrogen levels and hydrogen sulfide while dissolving organic sludge.
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171 South Main Street, Dublin, PA 18917 landisfence.com
215-249-3132
HIC#PA019640
www.mircobelift.com
Microbe-Lift Products are available at Bucks Country Gardens.
Unique, Fun, & Flexible k a m e l e o n Jewel Pops C h ange i s natu r al.
Av a i l a b l e a t B u c k s C o u n t r y G a r d e n s .
buckscountrygardens.com
interchangeable sterling silver jewelry
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Fine Traditional & Decorative Crafts a t B y e r s ’ C h o ic e L t d . , i n C h a lf o n t , P A
What a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day Weekend with your entire family! Held at the Byers’ Choice Factory, 4355 County Line Road in Chalfont, PA, attendees can browse and purchase a variety of high quality crafts including: ceramics, glass, jewelry, fashion, furniture, leather, photography and more. It is a must-attend for craft and fine art lovers — there is something for everyone! Demonstrations and delicious specialty foods will also be available.
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The Byers’ Choice Ltd. 3rd Annual American Artisan Showcase is a family-oriented tradition featuring fine art and crafts from a juried selection of the region’s most talented artists. This two-day event is scheduled during Mother’s Day Weekend, May 10th & 11th, and will highlight over 70 juried artists and their original handmade works.
Admission is $5 when purchased online, $6 at the door, and free for children under 12. Free parking is available on site. For more information on the show, please visit www. AmericanArtisanShowcase.com or call 215-822-3274.
Impatiens Blight Update
downy mildew on impatiens
impatiens blight, or downy Mildew, has almost completely eliminated the use of standard impatiens (impatiens walleriana) in our gardens over the past two years. this disease has no cure and continues to affect plants throughout the entire east coast.
last spring, we elected to offer a very limited selection of impatiens plants in hanging baskets and 4” pots for those of you who decided to give them another try. we also identified a wonderful variety of great annuals as substitutes for standard impatiens. the most popular of these options, new Guinea impatiens and sunpatiens, proved to be awesome plants offering non-stop flowering and low maintenance…the two most requested characteristics we all look for. while begonias may not have quite the flower power, they sure are easy to grow and look fabulous right into the fall. you might not see and hear much harmony begonias about impatiens blight this year, but it’s still out there and may be for a very, very long time. the Green team at bucks country Gardens has elected to continue offering standard impatiens in hanging baskets (slightly less susceptible to disease when growing in a basket) in early spring, but discontinued standard impatiens in pots and flats. For those of you looking for a low cost substitute for flats, we will feature new Guinea impatiens in 1801 trays at the everyday low price of $2.49 per pot for bucks country gardener’s gold Club members. For large massings, plant them on 15”–18” centers, water and fertilize them regularly, and watch them spread. you might just forget about the standard impatiens you used to grow.
Rose Rosette Disease this is what rose rosette disease (rrd) looks like and it’s not pretty. A healthy plant starts producing Medusa-like bunches of bright-red new shoots. the shoots bloom, but the flowers look distorted. As rose rosette spreads through the plant, the rose gradually dies back, until it dies completely.
rose rosette disease
what Causes rrD? rose rosette disease is caused by a virus first discovered in the western u.s. around 1940. the virus is mainly spread by tiny eriophyid mites that they literally blow into gardens on the wind. when they feed on a rose, they transmit the virus. the host for rrd is multiflora rose and unfortunately for us, it grows wild all around us. Can rrD be controlled? when caught within a month or so, infected canes should be cut down to the ground. remaining shoots should be treated with a household mitocide such as Abamectin. in many cases, this can successfully rid the plant of rrd. in severe cases where multiple stems are infected, plants should be uprooted and burned. what else can be done to protect roses from rrD? conard-Pyle, the respected Pennsylvania nursery that introduced ‘knockout’ roses, suggests pruning back the plants by 2/3 while dormant in late winter. this is especially important for large landscape plantings of ‘knockout,’ because the more bushes you have, the more mites you have. elimination of multiflora rose within a 100 yard radius will reduce the chances of rrd spreading to your roses. ideally, a mile or greater is best. Multiflora rose can be removed, mowed regularly or treated with herbicides for optimum control. regular spraying of roses with a rotation of mitocides from bud break throughout the growing season will greatly reduce the chances of rrd. these products are safe and easy to use. bucks country Gardens’ certified and licensed landscape maintenance crews will be happy to schedule your property for a healthy knockout roses regular preventative spraying program.
the risk, however, is far overshadowed by the reward and until there is another option with as great a benefit as landscape roses in our gardens, we will continue to use them and offer them at bucks country Gardens. Bucks Country Gardens
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New Guinea Impatiens
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should I stop using roses in my gardens? every plant in the garden has positive and negative features. roses, especially hybrid landscape varieties, have been the single most popular and exciting plant to be introduced…period. they are popular not only for their unmatched flower production, but also for their carefree, low maintenance, easy to grow qualities.
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Bucks Country Gardens
Federally insured by the NCUA
In a hurry? Go planter a Pick up Ready-toer designers. created by our Contain
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Easy. Simple. Beautiful.
Create your own container garden~ the perfect patio accent piece or colorful mini garden.
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1057 N. EastoN Road, doylEstowN, Pa | 215.766.7800 | buckscountrygardens.com
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A. Bedminster trenton sign Post with 10”x18” burgundy doubled-sided Mahogany sign with gold letters B. VIA Designer House 2013 westchester Picket Fence 3.5’ high and Garden Arbor with 4.5’ opening C. VIA Designer House 2013 verde copper top bird House Fence Post cap and sphere-topped lattice obelisk
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walpole outdoors® installation projects B
bucks country Gardens joined walpole outdoors® last year as the exclusive authorized walpole dealer in bucks county. lots of folks visited the garden center to purchase and order products featured in the walpole selections catalog. lots of others worked with our landscape design build team incorporating walpole products in gardens and outdoor living areas on their properties. the most popular items include lazy Hill Farms bird houses and feeders, window boxes and planters, arbors, lattice panels, lanterns and posts, mail boxes and posts, pergolas and custom fencing. walpole has been the industry leader in custom cedar fencing and landscape features for 80 years and has applied their trademark craftsmanship to solid cellular Pvc that is built to last forever with practically no maintenance. Here is a sampling of some of the walpole projects installed by our landscape crews last year, all constructed of solid cellular Pvc.
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D. Buckingham Oxford Lantern Post with Montgomery Lantern Hydrangea
‘Pistachio’
e. Doylestown Oxford Lantern Post with Sign Bracket and 10”x18” black double-sided Mahogany sign with gold numbers and owners’ lantern
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f. Doylestown Straight Top Pergola 10’x14’ with Round Columns and Shade Canopy
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g g G. Solebury 10’x14’ Straight Top Pergola with Round Columns
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H. Doylestown Custom Walcott Picket Fence with Radius layout and curved top, Custom Color Match I. Solebury Norfolk Lantern Post with Westport Cap, two sign brackets and owners’ mail box
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walpole outdoors® low-maintenance architectural products for home and garden. installations by bucks Country gardens landscape Design/build
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J. Buckingham dover Mail Post with black strong box with white lettering K. Bedminster spindle top Arbor with 4.5’ opening, custom universal circle top Gate, universal Fence with lattice topper and westport Post caps in walpole verde Finish L. easton Jamestown railing with 36” darien Post and westport cap, custom color Match
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Keep the Birds Singing... with
LYR I C S U P R E M E W I L D B I R D F O O D
Did You Know? Providing outstanding customer service for over thirty years, Bucks Country Gardens delivers what we promise. Every day. All year long. Here are a few services you might not know we offer:
Furniture Delivery & Setup We don’t just deliver, we will also assemble and arrange your new furniture–ready for you to enjoy! Gardener’s Gold Club members enjoy FREE Delivery. See purchase requirements below. Delivery fees for non-members vary depending upon the purchase and destination for your delivery. Plant & Bulk Delivery Whether it’s bulk materials, a large tree or a one-gallon perennial, we will deliver it to your door. Gardener’s Gold Club members enjoy FREE Delivery. See purchase requirements below. FREE DELIVERY DETAILS Requires Gardener’s Gold Club membership with qualifying minimum purchase: For Patio Furniture, Nursery, Greenhouse & Garden Supply: Free Delivery up to 10 miles with $500 min. purchase; after 10 miles, regular rates apply. Lehigh Valley & Main Line: Free Delivery with $2500 min. purchase. New Jersey Shore: Free Delivery with $5000 min. purchase. For Bulk Mulch & Materials: Free Delivery up to 5 miles with purchase of 5 yards or 5 tons; Free Delivery up to 10 miles with purchase of 10 yards. Planting Let us do the dirty work! We plant trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals–plus, we extend our plant guarantee to two full years!
LYRIC WILD BIRD FOOD
Soil Testing Bring a sample of your soil (equivalent to a coffee can size) to our garden pharmacy for pH testing and advice, free of charge. If you require additional information, take-home soil testing kits and Penn State University mail-in tests are also available.
Contains only the finest & freshest ingredients Scientifically tested, developed & marketed to appeal to a wide variety of wild birds Free of filler & waste
House Calls One of our garden experts will come to your home and discuss aby garden questions. Horticultural House Call fee is $99 which includes a one hour consultation or assessment.
buckscountrygardens.com
Landscape Design/Build Our professional Landscape Division will knock your socks off with the most talented designers, experienced technicians and award-winning projects. Our commitment to our clients and the success of each of project, from the drafting table to the final touches, is unsurpassed. Gardener’s Gold Club members considering a landscape installation enjoy a complimentary one-hour site visit from one of our designers.
Better quality seeds mean more birds at your feeder–again & again!
walpole installation From a simple mailbox to an extensive pergola, Bucks Country Gardens’ crews can install all Walpole Outdoors Products as a specific project or part of a larger landscape installation. Fountain Setup Purchase one of our fountains and we will deliver and set it up for you. Prices for delivery and set-up vary based upon fountain purchase and delivery distance.
Available at Bucks
Country Gardens
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Visit buckscountrygardens.com or call us at 215.766.7800 for more information.
All About Sectionals
Outdoor entertaining has never been more popular. More and more people are investing in their homes and this includes the outdoors as well. Long gone are the days of just a porch or a deck, outdoor spaces have evolved into true extensions of the home. Outdoor rooms include everything from traditional patios and decks to screened-in porches, pool houses, gazebos and even outdoor kitchens and fireplaces. Whatever type of outdoor room you have, finding the right furniture is imperative.
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Today’s outdoor furniture is built with these exterior environments in mind. It is often constructed of high quality aluminum that is cast or extruded and will weather outdoors without rusting. In the case of wicker, the aluminum frame is then wrapped and woven with resin wicker. Casual outdoor furniture has many of the same features of indoor pieces but with a higher level of construction. Once you figured out how you are going to use your outdoor space, picking the right furniture is the next key step. With an endless choice of seating options, a sectional may be just the way to get exactly what you need and want. Because of their versatility with movable, modular pieces, sectionals can be arranged, rearranged as the mood or amount of company strikes you. Sectionals generally come with removable clamps to allow you to attach each piece together, once arranged in a position you like. This gives you the opportunity to make a design statement that is entirely your own. A sectional sofa may seem too big for a smaller area but with virtually limitless configurations, you can use a sectional almost anywhere. The trick in a small space is to use appropriate sized furniture. Embrace the smaller scale and use a versatile sectional to create a cozy atmosphere with ample seating space for entertaining.
When using a sectional it is often best to pick a focal point. This could be a fireplace, a large screen TV or a pool and face the sectional towards that feature. Contrary to popular belief, sectionals are not limited to being stuck in the corner, they can be free floating and even help divide a space. Try adding an outdoor carpet to really anchor the sofa and define the space. This year at Bucks Country Gardens, we are offering several different styles of sectionals to create your dream outdoor room. Never stress again about having your guests sit comfortably outside, you will always have plenty of inviting seats for your friends and family to lounge and relax. Sectionals have definitely become a favorite seating element at the garden center. With so many options available–from the frame color, material and fabrics–let the fun begin! We have you covered.
Timeless Appeal
CLUB BY SUMMER CLASSICS Summer Classics furniture truly stands out in the crowd because it is exciting, unique and timeless. Summer Classics is always fashionable and always in style and it’s combination of traditional craftsmanship with diverse materials makes Summer Classics a purchase for generations. The beauty of the Club collection is that it can be used individu ally but also mixes well with other collections. Executed in a durable wrought aluminum and finished in a rich Mahogany, this sectional is perfect for any outdoor space. a. Sectional
REG: $6691 SALe Price $4999
Our Featured Sectional HAVANA FROM ERWIN
The Havana Sectional is a handsome transitional group, featuring resin wicker in an end-over-end flat weave design over an aluminum frame in a rich Rosewood finish. We love the look of this sectional and the versatility that it offers. The beautifully curved arm is traditional yet has a modern feel. With the curved wedge as the corner unit, this sectional can be used in many configurations, depending on your space.
sure to brighten any day along with coordinating chairs and tables. For more traditional tastes, the serene Heather Beige fabric pairs well with everything and we chose to give it a pop of color with vibrant orange striped throw pillows. Also available is a 36� round chat table that works perfectly to bring the party to life. b. Sectional
REG: $4999 SALe Price $3999
Havana is constructed with a Rosewood frame to blend beautifully in any environment but is available with two different fabric options. For the more adventurous, we have a beautiful green Ginko fabric that is
Visit our on-line gallery at buckscountrygardens.com/casual-furniture to view our Dining & Deep Seating Sets.
PORTFINO BY RATANA This sectional has a true contemporary edge. With a beautiful dark espresso wicker and crisp edges, the Portfino is a fit for anyone with a flair for something extraordinary. There are two configurations available at Bucks Country Gardens. One seating option is a complete conversation group that holds up to eight people. The other group adds a coffee table in the corner, offering a completely different look. This
configuration is ideal for a smaller, more intimate space that requires a lighter feel. In addition to the Portfino sectional, we have a matching dining set to complete this look. c. 4pc Sectional 3pc Sectional
REG: $5895 SALe Price $4999 REG: $4170 SALe Price $3499
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Donna Dentner, Lifestyles Manager
buckscountrygardens.com
New Offering
Explore Serendipity Farm to conclude the tour with a relaxing stop at the Water’s Edge Café. Several special events are planned including Fashion Shows and a Champagne Brunch to cele-brate Mother’s Day. Complimentary seminars will also be offered on select days.
Serendipity may be defined as a pleasant surprise and visitors touring the 39th Bucks County Designer House & Gardens will certainly experience this sensation at the event’s 2014 location–Serendipity Farm. This charming 245-year-old farmhouse is nestled on nine verdant acres with spectacular views and the charm of historic Bucks County. The farm is also home to a cozy cottage, an inviting pool with pool house, plus a serene pond and a grand barn.
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Beginning in February, approximately 30 professional designers have merely two months to transform the buildings and gardens of this expansive estate into a stunning property. This evolution and its beautiful result should not be missed. Serendipity Farm is located at 131 Pine Mill Circle in Doylestown and will open for public tours April 27–May 31 (excluding Memorial Day, May 26).
Plan to spend at least two hours visiting the farm and exploring the gardens. House tour tickets are $20 in advance (until April 25) and for seniors (62+), $25 at the door, $18 group rates tickets available for 20 or more. Visitors may explore the homes, stroll the gardens, and shop the displayed designer décor and outstanding boutiques; plan
The Village Improvement Association of Doylestown hosts this event, its largest fundraiser, to benefit Doylestown Hospital and the mission of the VIA. For more information including tickets, hours, seminars, parking and more visit www.BucksCountyDesignerHouse.org or call 215-345-2191. Serendipity Farm is located at 131 Pine Mill Circle in Doylestown and will open for public tours April 27–May 31 (Closed Memorial Day).
Photos on this page courtesy of Proven Winners.
When people who live in single family homes hear the word gardening, many hear the word work. When people who live in multi-family developments (apartments, townhomes and condos) hear the word gardening, many think it doesn’t apply to them. One of the biggest changes happening in horticulture has resulted from thinking outside the garden–the in-ground garden, that is. And that focuses on the STP of gardening: Space: We have less and less space to garden with. Utilizing more space for gardening means more work. We want to contain and control our gardening space.
Proximity: We want our plants close to us. We want them in or near our living environments. We want to enjoy their beauty and reap their harvest with ease.
The emergence of container gardening, however, does not suggest the demise of traditional gardening. In fact, most traditional gardeners have embraced container gardening in many ways. What it does suggest is new generations of gardeners will grow and enjoy plants and flowers in ways that fit their space and their time.
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The desire to grow and enjoy plants isn’t limited to those Americans who have the time and space to grow flowers and vegetables in the ground. In many cases, the new American garden is the patio, deck, balcony and
Today, when plants are grown and sold in mixed containers, consumers are buying an interesting mix of flowers and plants–a readymade product and not a specific plant. Perennials, tropical plants, even shrubs grown and sold in a decorative container are now being thought of and treated by the consumer as annuals in many instances.
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Time: Although experts say we have more leisure time now than in years past, there is much more competition for this time and attention.
front porch. Container gardeners and containerscapers are enjoying the immensely rewarding and environmentally enhancing plant-growing world more and more everyday while the gardening norms of the past are being challenged.
basso Collection
Alexandria Collection
heirloom Collection
taranto Collection
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amalfi Collection
peacock Collection
Glazed pottery is by far the most popular plant container option at Bucks Country Gardens. There are lots of other choices including wire baskets with coco moss liners; plastic, resin, fiberglass, metal, wood, concrete and PVC pots, but glazed terra cotta pottery offers more varied looks with style, size, shape and color options that seem endless. There’s probably a glazed pot that’s right for just about everyone. One producer of glazed terra cotta containers is unique in a sea of sameness–Alfresco Home, headquartered right here in the Delaware Valley. Their focus on providing premium quality, innovative style, exacting function and unbeatable value has kept them at the top of the industry for over 40 years.
violetta Collection
The Alfresco Home Collection at Bucks Country Gardens includes everything from a miniature Bonsai Pot to an Estate Planter, all handcrafted and unique. What isn’t unique is the consistent quality–and their unmatched high style. Come into the garden center today to see the vast selection of pottery available. It will be hard to choose just one! The images above are just a sampling of our favorites.
Bucks Country Gardens
210 PENNS TRAIL, NEWTOWN, PA 215-497-7447
18 N. MAIN ST., DOYLESTOWN, PA 267-327-4505
www.teamcapitalbank.com
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Spring Cleaning Green & Simple Spring is in the air and it’s time to give your home a top to bottom clean sweep to usher in the new season. Here are some tips to get you started.
Make a plan and stick to it. Don’t let little projects distract you, as in, don’t go into the laundry room to get cleaning supplies and suddenly start reorganizing the shelves.
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Gather all tools and cleaning products into a caddy or bucket before you begin.
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Be systematic. Dust all rooms, then vacuum everything, then polish. Consider doing the bathrooms and kitchen (the wet work) on the same day, but make that a different day than all other rooms.
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Use an extension cord for the vacuum cleaner and plug it into the hallway to reach all bedrooms, saving time.
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Have plenty of microfiber cloths ready. They grab and hold dust when dry and are extremely versatile when damp. Plus they reduce the need for paper towels as well as cleaning products.
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For general cleaning, purchase an earth-friendly multi-surface cleaner. Most grocery stores have natural product sections. Try established brands such as 7th Generation, Ecover, and Earth Friendly Products. They have proven track records and are less toxic than most traditional brands.
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For bathroom and kitchen cleaning, use a natural product containing vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or essential oils that sanitize surfaces and kill mold and mildew. Remember that prevention is better than scrubbing so keep moistureprone rooms well ventilated and dry off shower walls after showering when ever possible.
1 Once you’re finished sparkling the floors, consider adopting a ‘No Shoes in the House’ policy and place doormats inside and outside all entrances to help reduce future cleaning time and increase your future fun time! Vicki Brown | Harmony Clean | HarmonyClean.com
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Employee Achievements
Spotlight
these days, spending more than just a few years with one employer is a good accomplishment. these great folks were recently recognized at our Annual company Meeting in March for serving 5–25 years here at bucks country Gardens. now that’s something to talk about! congratulations! From left: cole Simcox, nancy Mcilvaine, David Jones kathy evans, Mary kline, patti carr and Ryan hebel.
25 Year Anniversaries nanCY MCIlVaIne
Hard Goods Manager Just like the change of seasons, nancy has changed throughout her tenure at bucks country Gardens. since 1989, nancy has held a variety of positions including cashier, Gift buyer, sales Associate and has spent roughly the last ten years as Hard Goods Manager. Always looking for new products from our vendors, nancy is passionate about all of the products she sells and enjoys working with customers. she is one of the most recognizable faces of bcG and often runs into customers on her days off. nancy enjoys caribbean vacations, long beach island and boating and fishing with her husband, John.
10 Year Anniversary
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PaTTI Carr
Administration tucked away in the administration building, Patti spends her day supporting the operations behind the scenes. overseeing the accounting and human resource functions, Patti most enjoys providing visionary direction for the garden center. Patti and her husband, doug, keep busy with their two teenage daughters, Megan and kaitlin, and black lab, toby. Patti loves a good book and enjoys running along the delaware.
KaTHY eVans
Greenhouse Sales responsible for creating gorgeous container gardens and displays throughout the garden center, kathy always has a new and exciting
recipe for success. with a biology degree from rutgers university, kathy completed continuing education courses at del val college to further increase her knowledge of plants. A true animal lover, kathy is a dedicated volunteer at the bucks county sPcA. kathy’s two children are beginning their own careers and kathy enjoys traveling with her husband, kris.
rYan Hebel
Customer Service Manager ryan has a need for speed–whether it’s in a car, on a jet ski or a snowmobile. And it’s with the same passion that he has embraced his career at the garden center. From warehouse Assistant to Graphic designer to Front end Manager, ryan has worked in several capacities over his young life. with his infectious personality and engaging demeanor, he can happily serve any customer. A volunteer fireman, ryan is dedicated to our community. He enjoys golfing and going to Penn state football games when he can.
DaVID Jones
Horticulturist & Customer Service Specialist with his distinguishable accent, david provides excellent problem solving and advice to our gardening customers. educated at the kildaton Horticultural college and James o’ keefe institute in ireland, david joined bucks country Gardens with a lifetime of industry experience. A true family man, david keeps in touch with his parents and extended family in ireland with the latest technology, via skype. His middle-school aged twins, colleen and evan, and wife Holly, often vacation at the beach. david enjoys reading and watching his favorite player, wayne rooney, of Manchester united in his spare time.
Cole sIMCox
Landscape Coordinator cole was just 15 years old in 1995 when he started working at bucks country Gardens as a part-time sales associate. He spent his early years building furniture, loading bags in customer vehicles, cashiering and stocking shelves. cole has come and gone a few times through the years, and we have always welcomed him back with open arms. His current position in the landscape division keeps him busy supervising projects and assisting administration. cole also serves as the Music director at living Hope community church. cole and his wife, kristy, welcomed their son, Miles, last spring.
5 Year Anniversary MarY KlIne
Receptionist Mary came to bucks country Gardens with years of experience with other bucks county nurseries and garden centers. Mary’s position as our receptionist requires her to juggle many tasks. it is her smile and pleasant attitude that keep the administration wheels moving in the garden center. she also keeps tom happy with occasional cookies in his mailbox. A dog lover, Mary is eager to show you pictures of Harvey. she and her husband, Jeff, have two young adult daughters who have recently begun their own professional careers and who live nearby.
Bucks Country Gardens
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We’ve Got You Covered the best in flooring For over sixty five years, barb-Lin carpet one has been located at 640 n. Main st. in doylestown. Family owned and operated since the beginning, barb-lin takes great pride in providing extraordinary selection, price and customer service. the floor covering industry has undergone many changes in the recent years. barb-Lin carpet one is one of those dealers who have met the challenge by aligning themselves with major brands such as karastan, Lees, masland, fabrica, stainmaster and armstrong. backed by carpet one, barb-lin offers the best guarantees and warranties available including a 25-year stain protection plan exclusive with relax it’s Lees styles. Along with offering the best in floor coverings, barb-lin now offers a dustless sanding and refinishing service. using our powerful extraction unit, virtually all the dust created by sanding hardwood floors is removed from your home and contained in our trailer unit.
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barb-lin carpet one Floor & Home 215.348.8116 www.barb-lin.com
buckscountrygardens.com
the above are just a few of the latest benefits available only at barb-Lin carpet one that take all the risk out of buying new carpet for your personal or business use. we invite you to visit our showroom and let our professional staff answer any questions you may have.
Young minds and gardens grow with these.
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Young gardeners will be delighted with real tools they can use. Child-sized and made to last, these tools and accessories feature durable construction and bright, Sunny Patch colors. Available at Bucks Country Gardens.
Kids in the Garden Fun Facts Did you know…
butterflies can’t fly if they’re cold. the optimum body temperature for a butterfly to fly is between 82° and 100°F. some butterflies live for nine months but most live just two to four short weeks.
Invite Butterfly Guests to Your House delight in butterfly watching by creating a butterfly garden. Pick a location with at least 6 hours of sunlight. remember, butterflies are cold-blooded creatures and need sun to keep them warm. Also, most plants that attract butterflies require a sunny location to thrive. Add stepping stones or garden statues. butterflies love basking in the sun on warm surfaces.
adult butterflies only consume liquids, usually nectar from flowers. they drink through a tube-like tongue called a proboscis.
A Beautiful Butterfly Snack a cuTe parTy TreaT or snack-on-The-go!
whAt yOu’LL Need 1 clothespin 2 googly eyes your favorite snack
glitter glue, paint or markers 1 zip-seal snack baggie 1 pipe cleaner
2. Fill a zip-seal snack baggie with your favorite treat such as crackers, cereal, fruit, or candy. distribute snack to the corners of the baggie.
when planting, consider that groups of the same plants or displays of the same color are easier for butterflies to see than singly planted flowers. And don’t forget leafy host plants that provide food for larvae. For example, the black swallowtail caterpillar feasts on parsley. when the flowers start to bloom, be on the lookout for fluttering wings and enjoy butterfly beauty!
3. clip the clothespin over the baggie. stick an antennaeshaped pipe cleaner into the jaws of the clothespin.
More Kids Activities...Next Page!
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4. share with friends and enjoy!
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iNStruCtiONS 1. decorate one side of a clothespin with glitter glue, paint or markers. Attach googly eyes to the decorated side of the clothespin. let dry.
select a variety of nectar-rich flowers to entice your butterfly visitors. Generally, butterflies are attracted to flowers of strong fragrance and bright colors. Popular plants for your butterfly garden include: lantana butterfly weed verbena Phlox black-eyed susan Zinnias liatris Purple coneflower Marigolds Joe Pye weed butterfly bush lilac sunflowers bee balm
Kids in the Garden My Pet Caterpillar
Grow your very own caterpillar. name it and cut its hair, too! whAt yOu’LL Need 4 cups potting soil 4 tablespoons quick-sprouting grass seed paper cup knee-high nylon stocking colorful ponytail holders pipe cleaner, googly eyes, bobby pin, pom-poms iNStruCtiONS
Stained Glass Butterf lies whAt yOu’LL Need dark cardstock contact paper tissue paper butterfly template of your choice iNStruCtiONS
1. combine potting soil and grass seed in a bowl.
1. cut tissue paper into 1”–2” squares.
2. cut the bottom from a paper cup to create a funnel. slide the stocking end over the cup funnel.
2. use your butterfly template to cut a butterfly outline from the dark cardstock.
3. scoop 1 cup of soil mixture into the stocking. slide a ponytail holder over the stocking to section off the first pocket of soil. repeat this process until you have a filled caterpillar and have at least three body sections.
3. cut 2 pieces of contact paper slightly larger than your butterfly shape. 4. Place the butterfly on the sticky side of one sheet of contact paper.
4. knot the end of the stocking and trim any excess nylon.
5. the fun part: decorate the butterfly by placing pieces of tissue paper on the contact paper inside the butterfly outline.
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5. submerge the caterpillar in water for 10 minutes. 6. create pipe cleaner antennae and poke into the caterpillar. Pull a bobby pin apart to form a “v” and glue a goggly eye to each end. Push the bobby pin into the caterpillar. 7. Put the caterpillar in the sun and keep it evenly moist. watch for grassy hair in about 4-7 days. http://spoonful.com/crafts/very-hairy-caterpillar
6. Place the other sheet of contact paper (sticky side down) on top of the decorated butterfly. 7. trim the edges. 8. Hang the butterfly on a window and let the sun shine through! http://www.happyclippings.com/2013/04/stained-glass-butterflies-kids-craft.html
Lisa Valetta, Customer Service
Bucks Country Gardens
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