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(773) 878-5915 | 5739 N Clark St, Chicago, IL | Map | Contact Us
May ChecklistMAY 2008
FYI: Extended Summer Hours begin, 5/5, we will be open until 8pm Mon-Fri.
Delight Mom with a large potted geranium, or create your own containers with our wide variety of annuals in all colors and sizes. Annual hanging baskets make a great gift and we have a wonderful assortment of plants & color, you’re sure to find just the right floral mix for Mom this month.
The Annuals Department is in full bloom, with the largest selection of fine quality annuals in the Chicagoland area. From the standards to the extraordinary, add breathtaking color, texture, scent and beauty to your garden with Annuals from Gethsemane. Our Annuals Staff is comprised of experienced gardeners, who devote their time to helping you create a wonderful annual mix for your gardens and containers.
Our talented Container Designers are at your disposal, assisting you in the creation of stunning containers for your front door, patio, window boxes, decks and porches. Stop in today and meet with one of our experienced designers who will work with you on optimal plant selection and variety for your containers. Our designers will work with your own containers, so bring them in with you, or choose from the widest selection of stone, cast iron, fiberglass and concrete containers in our Statuary department. Their artistry is guaranteed to wow you and your friends.
1. Continue spring clean up – removing mulch and winter interest growth for your garden.
2. Add fresh compost and/or mulch to the planting beds.
3. Assess your garden. If there are bare areas at the end of April or beginning of May, think about adding woodland plants in your shade areas. Virginia bluebells, trilliums, ferns, epimedium, wood poppies, sweet woodruff, bleeding hearts & Hellebores, all are “early risers” in the spring.
4. When planting new potted perennials, dig a hole 1 ½ to 2 times wider than the root ball. Water the plant thoroughly in its container before removing it. To help the plant establish quickly, carefully loosen the sides and base of the root ball by teasing out the roots with your fingers or hand fork. Plant the perennial at the same soil level as it was in the pot.
John’s Tree and Shrub checklist tips for May include;
1) If you have blue hydrangeas in your garden, now is the time to treat them to an aluminum sulphate fertilizer to ensure their blue blooms this season.
2) May is the month to prune your needled evergreens & conifers, to keep their low height. Call the Tree & Shrub department for pruning instructions, at (773) 769-8217.
3) May is a great month to get your trees and shrubs planted. Let Mother Nature assist you with the watering with our Chicago spring rains, which will help your plants get established.
We have a wide array of tropical plants and trees, such as hibiscus, oleander, mandevilla & bamboo. Create your own private oasis in your backyard or deck, once our weather warms up. Mario’s rule of thumb, if the temperature is going below 55 degrees at night, you’ve got to bring your tropical plants indoors for the night.
Last month we created wonderful live centerpieces for a “Green” wedding, tabletop pots filled with ferns and grasses, which looked fantastic on the table and received rave reviews. Think GREEN for your entertaining this season, green and blooming flowering plants make an excellent alternative to cut flowers and provide a lasting keepsake of your wedding, bridal or baby shower and Bar Mitzvah.
The summer styles from Mariposa have arrived! Fun and festive unbreakable platters and serving bowls, perfect for outdoor and casual entertaining, silver cocktail napkin holders, chip & dip serving pieces, and platters with coral-look handles will add a touch of elegance to your outdoor table. In addition, the Wild Pansy is featuring a new line of serving pieces influenced by the sea. Iridescent bowls, platters and serving dishes, in the shape of mussels, clams and more, will bring the seaside to your dinner parties this season. These ceramic serving pieces are oven, dishwasher and microwave safe.
Decorate your garden with our ceramic garden mushrooms, offered in a variety of sizes and colors. Add a splash of color to your green outdoor plants, or bring them indoors and dress up your house plants. The 2008 line of the very popular Oka slip-ons have arrived, choose from practical to fanciful, these waterproof shoes quickly become a favorite summer shoe.
Our Statuary department is unloading new and beautiful inventory each day, based on suggestions and feedback from our customers. The just arrived cast iron black and brown urns are not to be missed. Make a statement at your front door, or create a focal point in your garden with one of these beauties. We have increased our supply of concrete planter boxes, which stand 12 to 18 inches from the ground, and provide wonderful plant filled borders for patios and decks. Choose from classic, traditional and modern styles to compliment your outdoor living space.
Many of our customers have requested the fiberglass containers & urns and we have just completed the installation of a wide array of Crescent Pottery. It looks like solid concrete, with wonderfully stained patinas, but it’s actually constructed of lightweight fiberglass and can be relocated in your garden and patio with ease.
Our GHD designers are ready to create a one of kind silk floral arrangement, composed of “botanically correct” flowers and greenery, for a Mother Day bouquet to last a lifetime. Also, with Memorial Day at the end of the month, place your orders early for graveside pieces, flower cones, wreaths and crosses.
To complement our Outdoor Furniture, we are carrying a wonderful selection of outdoor rugs, (Mad Mats, Courstian, Capel) made of recyclable material & easy to clean. Define your outdoor living space with one of these colorful and environmentally friendly area rugs. Outdoor lamps, mirrors, patio & umbrella lights will transform your outdoor spaces into inviting extensions of your home.
· Summer Classics, made of cast aluminum with your choice of cushions made of “Sunbrella” stain & mildew resistant fabric, which will not fade or wash out, even in the harshest sun. You can custom order your furniture and fabric, and Summer Classics will have your order ready in 2 - 4 weeks.
· Kettler Furniture from Germany constructed of black locust, eucalyptus or wrought iron. The Kettler line also uses Sunbrella fabric and your custom order will be ready in four weeks.
· Schou, Danish outdoor furniture, made of wicker or teak. Choose your custom Sunbrella cushions and your Schou outdoor furniture will be available in four weeks.
· Rockwood Outdoor Furniture made of teak with flair. You can purchase custom Sunbrella fabric cushions to compliment your stylish teak chairs and benches.
· Arboria, crafted from hardwoods which rival teak in their strength and durability, we will be carrying chairs, benches, tables and arbors from their 2008 line.
· La Fuma, multi-positioned folding recliners made of tubular steel and canvas seating, with removable ergonomic headrests.
· Treasure Garden, manufacturer of canvas umbrellas in all sizes and shapes, to add shade and weather protection to your outdoor dining and living space. Additionally, we will be offering the Treasure Garden furniture covers to protect your outdoor furniture investment.
· Blue Star Group, who manufactures half canopy umbrellas which are perfect for city gardens, balconies and porches. These are sold with custom cast bases, and allow the shade protection of an umbrella, while taking up half the space.
· One Coast, outdoor fans, in three styles. These 18” diameter fans can be used safely out of doors and can be raised from 38” to 50” in height, providing a breeze on our hot Chicago summer nights.
· Golden Care, eco-friendly maintenance products for your outdoor furniture. Their products are completely free of solvents because they are manufactured with a water–based solution. The world market leader in care products for outdoor furniture.
Pruning instructions for your roses:
1. Using sharp, clean pruners, trim away any dead twigs or branches, any canes that cross or rub against each other, and any twigs smaller than a pencil.
2. Trim remaining canes down to a strong, outward facing bud. If you follow the cane from the top down, you might see blackened winter kill, green living wood, weak buds, and finally, strong buds, and this is where you can make your cut. Start your cut ¼ - 3/8 inch above the bud. Cut the cane at a 45 degree angle slanting away from your bud, so that the rainwater is directed
3. If your rose bush is very young (1-2 years), prune lightly to allow the plant to establish itself.
4. Older plants will need to have the oldest canes removed to keep the plant vigorous. These older canes are typically thorny and gray with visibly wimpier buds.
5. Clean away all dead leaves and trimmings from around your plants, work some rose food and new compost into the soil, and top it off with a new thick layer of mulch.
Take good care with your pruning & feeding, and your rose will provide a fabulous show this summer.
Attention fruit lovers; Tribute and Ozark ever-bearing strawberries are available for sale now. By mid May we will be carrying potted rhubarb, blueberries, raspberries, currants and blackberries.
Gethsemane is growing unique and heirloom varieties of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and cucumbers from seed, called “Gethsemane’s Best”. These vegetables are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. We wait until the overnight temperatures are consistently 50 degrees to sell these cold sensitive vegetable plants. We nurture these plants in our offsite greenhouses so that they will be strong and ready for you to transplant by the “Safe Date” in our Zone 5 climate of May 15th.
To access a complete list of the Herbs & Vegetables we will be offering this spring & summer, visit the Herbs & Vegetables page of our website and clink on the 2008 link.
Gardening gloves and garden tool kits make a great Mother’s day gift for the gardening moms on your list. Garden tools from the strictly utilitarian to a lovely new line of paisley garden tools from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London make the most mundane of garden chores a little more fun!
It’s time to Spring Clean your pond. If you have a heavy fish load, or accumulate extensive leaf build up in your pond, it is possible to change anywhere from 50% to 100% of your pond water. This should generally be done no more than once per year, as a major cleaning will require that your pond’s ecological balance be reestablished. We recommend using Microblift Spring/Fall cleaner for start-up.
In the spring when water temperature may reach 50 degrees, but nights are cooler, aquatic plants and bacteria will start to grow. Algae is usually growing at a much faster rate, reacting to the warming water and seemingly taking over the pond. Don’t worry. Be patient. Once your aquatics and the bacteria in your pond substrate start to really grow, the string algae of spring will die off from lack of nutrients
This year our Pond Area has been relocated to the south east corner of the Annual Department.
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