The Kerby's Nursery E-Newsletter
July 23, 2020
Walking a Tightrope
by Joey Bokor
by Joey Bokor
From that title, you might think I was going to talk about this year. I have definitely felt a few times like I was
walking a tightrope, high in the air, praying for balance. But this is a newsletter about life lived outside,
beautiful plants and butterflies. I'll leave the deep stuff for someone else.
No, the tightrope we walked this week was literal. For Maddy's birthday, we got her a slackline. Before Kim mentioned it as a potential birthday present, I had no idea what it was. Turns out it is pretty straightforward. A really long and strong piece of webbing gets looped around a tree or sturdy post, connected to second tree or post, and then tightened up really well. Once stretched and tight, you walk across it, or at least try. The webbing is about 3 inches wide, so plenty of room to put your foot on, but it is called a slackline because it does have some give in it. The weight of the person determines how far it 'slacks'. We did also opt for a guideline that stretches tree to tree over your head that you can use for balance.
Once I got it arranged between the trees, the first thing I did was jump on and try to walk. It didn't go so well. Fortunately, with the guideline above, I didn't fall off, but my legs were wiggling and jiggling back and forth like they were made of jelly. Of course, Abby and Maddy jump on it and just start hauling back and forth. I half expected them to start doing jumping jacks as they stared at me with the 'Come on Daddy, it's not that hard' look on their faces. I mumbled something about how much heavier I am than them, but I'm a good sport. I jumped back on and before too long, I had the hang of it.
The girls have enjoyed having something new to play with in the backyard and it seems like a little extra balance and core strength will be good for all of us. Plus, when you get bored walking back and forth while holding on, you can always let go of the guideline and just walk. None of us have quite gotten the hang of that yet.
So that was our outdoor fun this week. What are you doing to keep life outside interesting this year? With all the time we are spending outside, we are definitely having to be creative. But the list of things to do never ends, whether it is tending a garden, watching for butterflies, or perfecting your balance. And whatever way you spend your time, it is all a perfect distraction from and preparation for the tightrope of life.
No, the tightrope we walked this week was literal. For Maddy's birthday, we got her a slackline. Before Kim mentioned it as a potential birthday present, I had no idea what it was. Turns out it is pretty straightforward. A really long and strong piece of webbing gets looped around a tree or sturdy post, connected to second tree or post, and then tightened up really well. Once stretched and tight, you walk across it, or at least try. The webbing is about 3 inches wide, so plenty of room to put your foot on, but it is called a slackline because it does have some give in it. The weight of the person determines how far it 'slacks'. We did also opt for a guideline that stretches tree to tree over your head that you can use for balance.
Once I got it arranged between the trees, the first thing I did was jump on and try to walk. It didn't go so well. Fortunately, with the guideline above, I didn't fall off, but my legs were wiggling and jiggling back and forth like they were made of jelly. Of course, Abby and Maddy jump on it and just start hauling back and forth. I half expected them to start doing jumping jacks as they stared at me with the 'Come on Daddy, it's not that hard' look on their faces. I mumbled something about how much heavier I am than them, but I'm a good sport. I jumped back on and before too long, I had the hang of it.
The girls have enjoyed having something new to play with in the backyard and it seems like a little extra balance and core strength will be good for all of us. Plus, when you get bored walking back and forth while holding on, you can always let go of the guideline and just walk. None of us have quite gotten the hang of that yet.
So that was our outdoor fun this week. What are you doing to keep life outside interesting this year? With all the time we are spending outside, we are definitely having to be creative. But the list of things to do never ends, whether it is tending a garden, watching for butterflies, or perfecting your balance. And whatever way you spend your time, it is all a perfect distraction from and preparation for the tightrope of life.
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Happy Gardening, The Kerby's Nursery Family 
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Now Hiring
Kerby's is hiring! We currently have open positions for an experienced Garden Center Retail Associate, a Super Waterer and a Cashier. To see position descriptions and download an application, visit the Now Hiring page.
The Weekly Special
Mysty Salvia - 2 for $12
This beautiful salvia is the well-behaved cousin of the Mystic Spires Salvia. It has the same blue flowers, and bees and butterflies both love it, but it grows with a compact habit, staying around 18 inches tall. This week, they are on sale 2 for $12.
6" Pot, Regular Price $7.99
Valid Through 7/29/2020
This beautiful salvia is the well-behaved cousin of the Mystic Spires Salvia. It has the same blue flowers, and bees and butterflies both love it, but it grows with a compact habit, staying around 18 inches tall. This week, they are on sale 2 for $12.
6" Pot, Regular Price $7.99
Valid Through 7/29/2020
One of our favorite things to do is to see how many different types of butterflies we can spot in our yard. In the warm summer months, there are always so many fluttering here and there. If you are new to butterfly gardening, or just want to attract as many as possible, check out the tips below and don't forget to stop by and see the Kerby's Butterfly House and take your picture in front of the Butterfly Murals.
1) Start with Nectar Plants - Nectar plants are food for the adult butterflies. Pentas, salvia, firecracker, firebush . . . there are so many to choose from. Before you head on to host plants like milkweed, make sure you've got plenty of flowers for the butterflies to feed on.
2) Hide Host Plants - Host plants are food for the caterpillars. Design your garden so that host plants like milkweed are hidden by other prettier plants. When caterpillars start eating, they can be voracious and you may not have much of the host plants left.
3) Don't use pesticides - on or near your butterfly garden. Even organic insecticides are intended to kill insects and, as pretty as they are, butterflies are still bugs. We often get asked about aphids and milkweed bugs. Control aphids by pruning and disposing of affected branches and leaves. For milkweed bugs, it's the old flick and squish that tends to work the best.
4) Plant a variety - To attract butterflies of all shapes and sizes, plant flowers of different shapes, colors and sizes. A butterfly's feeding appendage is called a proboscis and each species has one of a slightly different size, so a variety of flowers creates the best opportunity for all types of butterflies to find food.
5) Be a little wild - Your HOA may not approve, but leaving some of your yard wild and overgrown provides shelter, wild food sources and puddling opportunities for butterflies. You'll have the most consistent butterfly populations if there are wild areas near or in your yard.
Now get out and enjoy!
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New Arrivals |
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Buttercup Heat-tolerant, sun-loving color. 6" Pot - $6.99 |
String of Pearls A cute little succulent 4" Pot - $17.99 |
Crown of Thorns Red, pink and yellow in stock 6" Pot - $7.99 |
Dwell at Kerby's - The Houseplant Shop
Take a peek at our new houseplant shop. Now you can shop for planty gifts for your friends and family from the comfort of your home and have them shipped anywhere in the continental United States. Share your love of plants with someone today.
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