Growing Up
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Life Lived Outside The Kerby's Nursery E-Newsletter May 26, 2022 |
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Crape Myrtle Care | New Arrivals | ||||||
Growing Up
by Joey Bokor
It's startling how quickly time passes. One minute you are celebrating Christmas and New Year's and then all of a sudden, you've rip-roared through five months. Time does fly. When I think of the 1990's, sometimes it seems like it was just a few years ago, and then I find myself shocked to realize it's actually been a few decades. If you're my age and you really want to feel the time warp, the Smashing Pumpkins released their hit song 1979 in 1995. If released today, the song would be titled 2006. My apologies for both the math and for everyone in my age group that I just made feel
a little old. Anyways, what really got me thinking about time was when I was recording the newsletter last week. You may not have known this, but each week I record an audio version of Life Lived Outside (click here if you want to listen now). My hope is that I can share our stories with you even if you need your hands free to do something else. If you are a weekly listener, then you've probably noticed our sign off. It's Abby and Maddy saying 'Happy Gardening, The Kerby's Nursery Family'. I had them record it years ago now, back sometime in early 2019. This week, while I was editing my recording and splicing in their sign-off, they both overheard me listening to it. The looks they gave me were hilarious and their comment was 'We sound like babies'. And they really do. It's amazing how a few years has shaped their voices. Today, I let them record a fresh copy, but it makes me kind of sad. Because they aren't babies anymore. In the same way that this year has charged ahead and the decades have begun to slip by, Abby and Maddy are showing no signs of slowing their growing. Each day they get a little older and hopefully a little wiser. I'm not sure I'm ready for the tween and teen years, but they will be here soon and there is nothing I can do but embrace the fact that they are growing up. Sometimes it feels like I am just along for the ride. So, here they are, in their more grown-up voices to remind you that no matter what age you are, it is easy to smile when you are in your garden. |
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Crape myrtles are in full bloom all around town. They come in a variety of colors, are cold-hardy and are easy-care for our area. Below are a few tips for getting the most out of your crape myrtles. 1. Prune in Winter - Crape myrtles should be pruned in the winter-time, when they don't have any leaves. How much you prune is up to you, there is no need to do a severe prune (sometimes called 'crape murder'), but trimming back overall height if needed and thinning the branches will help the tree flush out well in spring. If you missed the pruning time in the winter, you can always prune later, just wait until after bloom time, otherwise you will cut off all of those beautiful flowers. 2. Water Wisely - Like any new plant, crapes want plenty of water to get started. However, once established they don't need a lot of extra water to keep them going. One good soaking each week is all they need through the spring, summer and fall and once they are dormant in the winter, they won't need much at all. 3. Watch for Suckers - No, we aren't on the lookout for a gullible person. All crape myrtles are naturally bushes. Even the pretty single trunk 'trees' are naturally bushes and will sometimes grow shoots from the ground, or lower down on the trunk. These shoots are called suckers. It doesn't mean anything is wrong, just trim them off when you see them to keep the energy of the plant headed up into the canopy. 4. Fertilize for the Best Blooms - Crapes aren't heavy feeders, but a spring, summer and fall dose of The Kerby's Special fertilizer will keep them in top shape and ready to produce the biggest, brightest clusters of blooms. 5. Go for the Sequel - If you dead-head crape myrtles and trim off old blooms just as they are finishing you can sometimes get a second, lighter set of blooms to emerge. Tough on really big crapes (since the flowers are so high up), but for your younger or smaller bushes or trees, you can extend your flower enjoyment. |
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The Kerby's Houseplant Shop
Send a living gift to your favorite plant person anywhere in the lower 48 states from the Kerby's online houseplant shop. Want your favorite person to be able to pick out what they'd like? Then you can also purchase a gift card to the online store. Happy Planting! SHOP NOW Follow us on: Instagram or Facebook |
Kerby's Nursery 2311 S. Parsons Ave. Seffner, FL 33584 (813) 685-3265 www.kerbysnursery.com question@kerbysnursery.com |
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