Discover the Fun of Gardening
September 13, 2018   
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Garden Tip   |   Featured Plants    |  Fall Workshops  

The view coming into Utah.

I never specifically had Utah on my bucket list, or at least not Salt Lake City. I'll admit the pictures of Arches National Park and Bryce Canyon capture my imagination, but I hadn't really thought much about Salt Lake. This past week we had a garden center convention in where else but Salt Lake City. Before we even landed, I realized what a cool place it was. From the window of the plane, you could see the brown, rippling landscape as if it were a sea full of waves. And then suddenly, a huge mountain made an appearance at what seemed like a mere hundred feet below the plane. It was quite striking. I mean when you are born and raised in Florida, any hill is exciting. Mountains like the Rockies just blow your mind.

The convention was great. We got to visit a few beautiful garden centers and all around the city were bright, colorful plantings, filled with flowers we can only dream about in the summertime. We also toured Temple Square which is home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The architecture of the buildings was amazing and the gorgeous flower beds throughout the square were eye-catching. We even caught an organ recital in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearses and performs. Throughout the city, there were great places to eat, cool modern architecture and of course ever-present mountains in the background. One night out behind our hotel, there was even a live jazz band with tons of people dancing along. Definitely a vibrant and beautiful city.

The view coming into Utah.
With all we had to do while we were there, there wasn't much time for mountain exploring, but I had five hours between our last session and my flight and I thought, I'll bet I could find a little hike up those mountains. And then I got lazy. I was flying the red-eye home, and I didn't want to be worn out and exhausted, so I skipped the mountains and did a little last minute exploring on foot. I saw more of the grounds of Temple Square and eventually found myself decompressing my thoughts from the convention in a small city park called Brigham Young Historic Park. Throughout the park were statues and stories of the people that settled the Utah Territory. There was a small water wheel to show how they used streams for power, but of course what caught my eye was a large veggie garden. The settlers of Utah had a strong pioneer spirit and they involved the entire family in tending to the home and garden. This park really captured that spirit.

And as my trip ended, meandering through this park and sitting in a shady bench along the garden really gave me time to daydream about the upcoming fall season. It will be here before you know it. At our house, we've already seeded out some snap peas and our garden beds are just about ready for fall planting. Now, if the rain would let up a little in the evenings, we might actually get it finished.

Happy Gardening,
The Kerby's Nursery Family

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It's time to start fall seeds.
Garden Tip
Starting Veggies from Seed

1) Plant at the correct depth - This is the most important part of planting seeds. A general rule of thumb is that small seeds should be planted shallow (a quarter of an inch under the soil) and large seeds should be planted deep (around an inch under the soil). Each seed packet will tell you the depth that particular seed variety should be planted at. Follow it. Seeds that want to be shallow won't have the energy to reach sunlight if they are planted too deep. Seeds that want to be deeper will emerge too quickly and won't be strong enough to stay upright if they are planted too shallow.
2) Start Seeds in Pots or Trays - Some seeds, like lettuce, spinach, radishes and carrots are easier to start right in garden beds. But some veggies like collards, broccoli, tomatoes and peppers are easier to start in individual pots or trays. We like to use old egg cartons with holes poked in them as our seed-starting trays. This allows you to start a number of seeds and then select the strongest plants for your garden. When starting seeds in pots or trays, use a very light soil. Mix a little perlite or vermiculite into your garden soil to lighten it, or use a mix designed specifically for seeds. A dense, heavy soil can be tough for a little seedling to push through.
3) Water seeds properly - Seeds don't need a whole lot to get started. A little sunlight and moderate moisture is all that they require. Avoid over-saturating the soil that you are starting seeds in, as this can lead to disease issues and poor growth of seedlings. As seedlings grow larger, increase the amount of water they receive.
4) Transplant - The first set of leaves that emerge are called seed-leaves. The second set will be the true leaves. Once the true leaves have emerged, your new seedlings should be ready for transplant. Don't let them stay in little trays too long or they will get rootbound.
5) Have Fun - Seeds are a great way to start heirloom varieties that are hard to find as starter plants and it is the best way to start large beds of lettuce, spinach and other greens. So experiment a little, find a variety and challenge yourself to have your best harvests ever.
Time for Fall Planting
Milkweed

Feed your hungry caterpillars.
6" Pot - $5.99
Veggie Starts are here

Lots of varieties to choose from.
6" Pot - $5.99
4-Pack - $3.99
Lavender

First Shipment this Season
6" Pot - $7.99


Kerby's Nursery

2311 S. Parsons Ave.

Seffner, FL 33584
(813) 685-3265
www.kerbysnursery.com


Store Hours
Open Seven Days a Week
Monday - Saturday,  9am - 5:30pm
Sunday,  11am - 4pm