The Early Bloomer - April 2015

The Early Bloomer seven acres of inspiration

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2015

Happy Earth Day! in this issue Happy Earth Day! April Gardening Peaceful Pathways Hop To It! Easter Basket Garden Special Events & Seminars How Does Your Garden Grow?

earth day

Happy Earth Day! Every day is “earth” day at Rock City Gardens. We celebrate the beauty of our natural surroundings and encourage sustainable living and continued growth of plants, flowers and trees each and every day of the year. April 22nd marks the 45th anniversary of global Earth Day. It’s a day on which events in 192 countries around the world will be held to support environmental protection.

In case you didn’t know, Rock City was in business 5 years before the first Earth Day. The original Earth Day was proposed by peace activist, John McConnell to honor the Earth and the concept of peace to be celebrated on the first day of spring in 1970. One month later U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970. Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in recognition of his work.

All of us at Rock City Gardens encourage you to participate in Earth Day festivities,

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either at organized public events or personally making a resolution to choose more environmentally healthy alternatives in your lifestyle. Following are thoughtful ideas to either begin or strengthen your commitment to protecting our Mother Earth and your healthy lifestyle: • Plant a new tree in your yard • Donate a tree to a public school or park • Grow native plants and flowers in your landscaping • Start a recycling mission in your home or at your office to encourage careful elimination of paper and plastic for use in recycled products • Create a bee garden to help reverse the decline of the honey bees – it also helps strengthen the human food chain • Plant container gardens with fresh vegetable plants. Enjoy the delicious rewards of your organic garden and improve your health, too!

Rock City’s staff is more than happy to help you select the right plants, flowers and veggies for your Earth Day mission.

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way c ol!

Seven acres of organic inspiration. Our talented team of horticulture specialists. You, unearthing your inner gardener. Mother Earth, smiling with satisfaction.

Doesn’t get much cooler than that!

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seven acres of inspiration 9080 US HWY 1 WABASSO, FLORIDA 772-589-5835 ROCKCITYGARDENS.COM

gardening

April Gardening We relish the mild weather and tropical foliage this time of year. It’s also the time of year that Christians around the world celebrate Easter. And it’s a holiday synonymous with spring flowers and new growth. Take a stroll through the Gardens and enjoy all that Mother Nature and our hard-working staff have cultivated.

This month, we’re introducing our Veg Trugs – raised beds perfect for easy vegetable and herb gardening. Our homegrown veggie plants are ready for your selection, including: • Heirloom and Hybrid Tomatoes • Peppers • Cucumbers • Zucchini • Yellow Squash • Eggplant • Watermelon Periwinkles, caladium and coleus, plus many more warm-weather annuals are on their way!

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hardscapes

Peaceful Pathways Creative paths are invitations to explore and discover – to step out of your home and venture into nature — even if it’s your own backyard. A thoughtfully designed path can turn a simple walk across the yard into an opportunity to slow down and notice your surroundings. You might be surprised when you walk, stop, and take time to smell the roses or the sweet scent of any tropical flower. You’ll experience the peaceful discovery of all that nature has to offer.

Here are a few ideas for creating your own zen-like garden path.

Rock-wall-lined path. Low-stacked stone walls can create raised planting beds alongside a path, allowing the plants to spill over without overtaking the walkway.

Stone pathway. An intricate design of stones can be as much a pleasure to look at as it is to walk on. A meandering stream of stones winding through a garden invites exploration.

Winding gravel path. Curving paths can make a small garden feel larger. Enhance your space by using smaller plants in the foreground and taller, fuller plants and trees near the back of your path.

Modern path. Complement your home’s modern architecture with square pavers set over environmentally safe turf by repeating the lines and shapes of the structure in the paths that surround it. You’ll create a pleasingly geometric look to your pathway, reduce landscape maintenance, and prohibit nitrogens from running into the waterways.

For a personal consultation and next steps for creating your perfect pathway, contact Wade Baxley, General Manager at 772.589.5835.

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garden boutique

Hop To It! Spring has sprung and Peter Cottontail is on his way. Our Garden Boutique is bouncing with happy customers and baskets full of delightful surprises.

You’ll love our many selections of bunnies, including statuary for the garden, sweet home décor perfect for springtime, and even stuffed bunnies too cute to miss. For those casual meals in your outdoor room, by the pool, or at a family picnic, be sure to try our beautiful paper placemats featuring charming animals and assorted sea life. And dare you forget, we have the largest array of freshly grown spring and summer flowers for miles around.

We have loads of fun home and garden décor to fill your Easter baskets. Our garden specialists have created unique baskets for your selection, and will even help customize your own Easter basket. So hop on down to Rock City’s Garden Boutique while supplies last!

Custom specialty baskets prepared

by Rock City staff

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garden boutique

Decorative UV-resistant outdoor Mad Mats速 are woven from recycled plastic.

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container garden of the month

Easter Basket Garden Break out of your shell this year and create a new variety of Easter basket. Long after the chocolate bunnies and jellybeans have disappeared, a container garden filled with sweet blooms will produce a long-lasting, colorful reminder of spring. Our April container garden is perfect for brightening your holiday festivities. Planted within a

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large green, low-profile pot are Regina Iris, Dianthus, Pentas, Mona Lavender and Supertunias Silver Berry.

For help creating your springtime container gardens, contact Rhonda Lowe at 772.589.5835.

special events & seminars

April marks the season’s last month for our popular garden seminar series. This season’s topics and guest presenters have been especially powerful and well liked. Don’t miss the opportunity this month to enjoy our final presentations. Both seminars will occur around our new deck by the pond.

Feng Shui in the Garden Saturday, April 11th 10:00 am Join Angela Davis, the Green Feng Shui Lady, at Rock City Gardens for a comprehensive and fun demonstration about the art of Feng Shui and how to introduce it into your daily life. Feng Shui is the ancient art of placement that can be used both indoors and outdoors to help us make our personal spaces more supportive. Angela will explain how Feng Shui can assist us as we flow along our constant journey in life and create balance in our world. The focus of this seminar will be to find a balance that supports your garden space. RSVP by April 10th at admin@rockcitygardens.com or 772.589.5835.

Overcoming Garden Challenges: What Every Gardener Should Know Saturday, April 25th 12:30 pm We’ve all experienced gardening challenges of various complexities, but have you ever discovered why they occur and how to solve them? Join Tom MacCubbin, author and horticulturalist, at Rock City Gardens for an insightful presentation that will unlock the mysteries of garden challenges. The fee for this seminar, which includes a box lunch from TooJay’s, is $20. Please RSVP

by April 22nd at 772.589.5835. Reservations are required.

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

April is the time to summer-ize your landscaping before the weather turns hot.

Gardening Tips: Cut back flowering shrubs as the blooms fade; replace cool season annuals; fertilize the lawn after new growth has started; and monitor landscape plants weekly for insects such as aphids on tender new growth.

CLOSED EASTER SUNDAY Hours

seven acres of inspiration

9080 U.S.. Hwy 1 Wabasso, Florida 32970 772-589-5835 RockCityGardens.com

Monday through Friday Saturday and Sunday

8:00am – 6:00pm 9:00am – 5:00pm

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