Yellow Springs Farm

When skies are grey, and temperatures are well below freezing, Yellow Springs Farm is still colorful and active with Cardinals, Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finches, Chickadees, and many other birds visiting our feeders. We notice geese and ducks on the pond, as well as an occasional Blue Heron. Dried native grasses provide cover now for many creatures, and cavities in dead trees and fallen logs are home to varied wildlife. Seeds are started indoors for new native plants, and spring can’t be far away.

These small pleasures make winter more bearable and are daily reminders of nature working all around us. February and March is a good time to think about how we will mark Earth Day coming up April 22. Celebrations are planned for both the weekend before and after Earth Day. The events started in 1970 with 20 million participants nationwide. This year over 200 million people are expected to celebrate Earth Day worldwide. It is a non-partisan celebration of nature and our environment. Would you like to plant a tree, pick up litter, or write to your

representatives in local, state or federal government to highlight how they can address your environmental concerns? You can put up birdhouses, pledge to recycle more, or change to more efficient light bulbs. Doing one thing is great, and doing several things is even better. I think of it as chance to give a gift to the Earth in recognition of all the joy I glean from the air, sky, waterways, and landscapes today, and every day. Please make a plan for Earth Day 2007; you might also coordinate with your friends, family, school, church, club or business colleagues.

Yellow Springs Farm can help you celebrate Earth Day on April 22, or any day. Please ask about our many species of native plants, gift certificates, books, and a full calendar of educational events on the Farm and at venues throughout the Middle Atlantic area.

Catherine M. Renzi
Yellow Springs Farm
Native Plants Nursery

Catherine Renzi Lecture at The Art Scene
“Kinetic Colors: Gardening with Native Plants for Blooms and Butterflies”
Wednesday, February 28th, 7:30pm
at The Art Scene
530 E. Union St.West Chester, PA

Catherine Renzi Lecture at the Philadelphia Flower Show
“Native Plants in America: Past, Present, and Future"
Saturday, March 10th at 11am
Demonstration Room 201-B

For more information on these events please visit our website www.yellowspringsfarm.com

Well, there is not much blooming now in the Northeast except for some yellow flowers on the Witchhazels and Red twig Dogwood is stunning with its burgundy stems set against a snowy background. Now is the time to consider 2007 Theme Garden Packages for select plants that will suit your special garden come spring. Yellow Springs Farm’s Theme Garden program is for gardeners who don’t have time or experience to sort through books and catalogs for the perfect plants.

Our four most popular Theme Gardens—surely at least one will suit your goals.

SHADE GARDEN
Looking for special plants for that shady spot in your yard? We have a great selection of shade- loving perennials for light to deep shade under a tree canopy, or perhaps on the north side of your property.

DEER RESISTANT GARDEN
Having problems with deer eating your favorite plants? It is impossible to come up with a deer proof plant, since hungry deer will eat just about anything. Instead, we offer plants with specific scents or surfaces that deer avoid in our gardens.

BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Trying to attract butterflies to your garden? You find a sunny spot, and we put together a great group of plants that includes Milkweed– Butterfly Flower. All plants provide nectar and/or serve as host species for caterpillars.

EDIBLE GARDEN
Curious about plants with edible leaves, fruits or berries? We have an assortment of native species, including Elderberry, Blueberry, Mountain Mint, Paw Paw, Persimmon, Cranberry, Serviceberry, and Anise Hyssop.

Each theme garden fills about 50 square feet. There are more details and pictures on our website to help you imagine what the gardens will look like. Now is the time to order, since these gardens sell out quickly.

The temperatures are so cold now, we are wondering whether Punxsutawney Phil was correct with his prediction that there would be only four weeks until spring. We can only hope…

Even with these frigid spells, it is not too soon to think about spring preparations for garden and lawn care. When considering how to approach your lawn, some prefer “nature’s way,” complete with grass, weeds, or anything green that happens to grow. For others who prefer a more manicured look, there are eco-friendly ways to get results without adversely affecting the environment and the safety of children and pets.

If you dislike weeding the garden, or pulling out that ugly crabgrass, we suggest Weedban. This is an organic based byproduct of corn syrup that prevents the germination of weed seed. It is applied before the weeds emerge. This will not affect plants or weeds that are already rooted.Weedban can be applied to lawns or garden beds in March

and again in early September. It is effective against dandelions, crabgrass, creeping bent grass, foxtail, lambs quarter, purslane and other weeds. The granules decay slowly in the soil and add nitrogen. After preventing weeds, Weedban becomes food for your plants.

Super N is another good organic supplement for spingtime lawns and gardens. Super N is a multi-nutrient, time-released fertilizer that gives that extra boost for the growing season. It is a blended, general purpose fertilizer able to activate the microbial life in the soil and add important nutrients for strong root growth. Steady nutrition over time results in strong soil and plant structures that are resilient to adverse conditions, including drought and pests.

Composting is a hot topic these days for gardeners. Compost granules offer an alternative soil amendment for those waiting on their homemade compost, or those who prefer a ready-made natural product. Compost granules are simply compost that has been

dried and granulated. Pound for pound,
compost tea granules contain more beneficial microbes than traditional compost. It is also easier to spread and requires less material than traditional compost. It is ideal for loosening clay soil and improving soil biology when used in conjunction with other organic supplements.We love it, and our customers who tried compost granules come back for more.

We would be happy to customize a garden care program to fit your needs, or help you select a package that we have assembled for various garden needs.

www.yellowspringsfarm.com

1165 Yellow Springs Road | Chester Springs, PA 19425 | P 610-827-2014 | F 610-482-9311

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