2012 is the year I finally finished and published my book '12 Steps to Natural Gardening'. It took a long time to write but the results were worth - 360 pages filled with important information for every gardener to reference. It is a book that is nicely formatted with large print, easy access and information at your finger tips. . I encourage everyone to purchase a copy, a tool to be used throughout the year. Each Gardening topic is covered in great detail and I will refer often to the 33 chapters as I write my emails. I printed 100 copies of this book prior to Christmas which sold out. But my new printing of 2,500 we will have plenty of books for everyone.

THE OUTDOOR GARDEN: January can be a very difficult month for plants. Make sure that everything is well mulched, particularly when snow cover is lacking. Alternate freezing and thawing can cause root balls to heave and create severe winter damage. Mulching will prevent this. During warm or windy weather, plants lose moisture and can dehydrate causing winter injury and in severe cases, death. If there is adequate moisture in the soil and the ground thaws, the plant is able to absorb that moisture. One of the great advantages of mulching is that it prevents the soil from drying out.

Anti Dessicants such as Wilt-Pruf play an important part in your winter protection program. On a warm winter day, spray some Wilt-pruf on your broad leaf evergreens to reduce the water loss from your plants. Greens from the Holidays or Christmas tree branches can be used to cover perennials. Pruning of deciduous shrubs, trees and evergreens can be done in the winter time. Refer to chapter 8 ' Pruning' for detailed information. Evergreen branches that might break under heavy snow loads should be reduced in size. In case of heavy snows, shake the snow off. This is particularly important with evergreens. When applying ice melters to walks, avoid over using salts that are toxic to plants. We carry Jonathon Green Melt-A-Way. If you are in deer country, apply repellents once a month. During January, deer get desperate for food and your garden contains some of their favorites. Just prior to a big snow fall, apply grass seed to your bare lawn areas. This is called dormant seeding. With a snow covering, birds can't get at the seed and the seed is conditioned for early spring germination. Don't forget to feed the birds. They are especially good friends to the organic gardener. We carry a full selection of bird seed, bird feeders and suet cakes.

Seasoned Firewood: We have seasoned firewood that we sell in full or 1/2 bins. The 1/2 bins are our most popular size, a good value and fits easily in the back of a 4x4 or a large trunk.

Centerpieces: We are known for the beautiful centerpieces we create using flowering house plants. From a single potted flowering plant to a beautiful combination of them, we can come up with any size arrangement fitting your needs. After the event they can be broken down and used as favors or to brighten your house with color. Beautiful flowering plant centerpieces are more practical, economical, and more green. They can be used for weddings, parties, funerals and any special events. After the event these plants will keep giving great pleasure to those who were lucky enough to end up with them. In this day and age where events are going green, flowering centerpieces are the way to go.

Indoor Plants: Fill your house with plants and purify the air. Without plants the air in tightly sealed houses can be unhealthy. It is important at this time of the year to read in my chapter on "Indoor Gardening'. It covers everything you need to know about growing house plants as well as the health benefits they provide. As the weather gets colder, the heat turns on more often and the humidity in the house drops. Low humidity and hot blowing air ducts are difficult on plants. Anything done to increase humidity will be beneficial. Humidifiers, misting the foliage frequently, oversized pans with 2 inches of gravel and one inch of water set below the plant, as well as grouping plants together are all methods of increasing humidity. African Vio+lets, Streptocarpus called the Cape primrose and other gesneriad like it warm and should be kept out of cold drafts. Flowering house plants should receive as much sun as possible. The light intensity in January is low. On a sunny day in the winter the maximum is 2,500 foot candles compared to summer when it reaches10, 000 foot candles.

Insects thrive in a hot dry environment. Keep an eagle eye out for Red Spider Mite, Scale and Mealy Bug. Treat these pests with an organic control as soon as you see any indication. Plants close to a window may form condensation on their leaves and could be prone to disease problems such as Mildew or Botrytis. Treat as soon as any symptoms develop. When you water your house plants, water them well. You never overwater by watering too much at one time. You over water by watering too frequently. In the Indoor Gardening chapter you will find cultural information on all the plants we grow. Use this as a guide. Foliage plants are not only aesthetically pleasing but they create a healthy environment. Foliage plants help purify the air, removing many of the toxins that are so prevalent in today's modern houses. Flowering plants give you a lift psychologically during a time of the year when many people experience the midwinter blues. If you need a pick-me-up, take a trip to the Nursery where hundreds of flowers are in bloom.

Plant Feature: Cyclamen
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The Cyclamen is probably my favorite flowering house plant. In the old days it required a very cool environment but the new hybrids are very adaptable to ordinary room temperatures. Cyclamen need a sunny location and should be cleaned once a week removing any spent flowers or yellow leaves. Feed them with Daniels, an amazing organic fertilizer, on a weekly basis. The results are incredible. New flower buds are initiated in the crown of the plant. These buds keep the plant blooming all winter and in many cases throughout the spring and into the summer. The trick is to keep the crown clean of any dead material which may cause rot and lead to botrytis. When removing spent flower buds or leaves, pull to the right or left not straight up and make sure the full petiole is removed completely from the crown. Watering is one of the most critical requirements in growing a good Cyclamen. They need a lot of oxygen in the soil and should not be waterlogged. Clay pots are preferable to plastic because they allow an exchange of oxygen into the soil. The best method for watering a Cyclamen is to give it a good drink, filling the pot up to the rim with water then allowing it to dry out before watering again. A customer told me that after all these years he finally learned the secret to watering a Cyclamen. He waits until the plant starts to wilt and tells him "I need a drink." He then waters it thoroughly and by the next morning it is perky and rigid. He has them in flower until the heat of summer. Miniature Cyclamen are f-1 hybrids and are gaining in popularity adding another dimension to the Cyclamen world. They are grown in 4 inch pots, have a smaller flower, are more prolific and often can bloom throughout the year. They lend themselves to planting in window boxes at the same time as pansies. They withstand some cool temperatures and give a dramatic display of color. They are a great windowsill plant and add a lot of color to any home. If you don't own a Cyclamen, stop by the Nursery. Those who bought them earlier in the season keep coming back for more, usually for a friend who admired theirs.

Vegetable gardens are gaining in popularity and will be big again in 2012. If we convert our land to the organic approach, we can grow fruits and vegetables any place on our property. Our food supply has been contaminated by modified seed and by the chemical methods used by most big farms. In an attempt to increase production and reduce costs of growing food most Agricultural Universities advocate the use of chemical instead of natural methods. In our attempt to control nature, increase production, increase shelf life and process and market our food we have inadvertently created a serious health problem for our country. More people are realizing that we need to turn to organic food for quality and good nutrition; that we need to eat healthy un-processed food. Food direct from the vine to the dinner table is your best source of healthy food. Developing an organic vegetable garden in your yard makes sense. Hedging against shortages and eating healthy are steps anyone owning land can take. In time of crisis each family needs to know how to become self sufficient. Organic vegetables grown in your garden are a source of great nutrition and will provide substantial savings. The vegetable garden can be a place for the family to work together. The younger generation can become involved and realize that we all need to work in harmony not only with each other but with nature. The fruits of your labor are in the harvest of your own food . Understanding the steps of how you got there: the conditioning of your soil, the selecting of your plants and the role that the sun and rain play, is essential to understanding how important it is to do things the natural way. The Vegetable Garden is a chapter you will want to read in my new book ' 12 steps to Natural Gardening" It will provide you with all the information needed to plan for your very own Vegetable Garden.

Gardening is a great activity for us all to partake in. It is challenging, rewarding and enlightening. Working with plants and creating beautiful designs has made gardening the number one pass-time in America. . This activity, for those who are not yet hooked, will create changes in life styles. Working in the garden provides fulfillment where one never expected it. Gardening promotes health and builds character. We need to work with nature, combine aesthetics with practical needs and integrate it all into an exciting style of living. Our emails and my book focus on this method of growing plants

Changing our operation into growing plants organically was a challenge, but now that we have done it we will never turn back. It involves using beneficial insects instead of weekly chemical sprays, a strong commitment to boost the immune system of the plant by adding microbes to the soil, switching to liquid organic fertilizers and spraying Employ® every three weeks. The blend of organics that we added to our plants created some incredible results with our winter flowering crops. We have found the secret to growing great plants. We can't wait till spring to be able to fill your garden with their beauty.

Convincing people to go organic is an educational process. This is why I have written my book '12 Steps To Natural Gardening'. It teaches good gardening practices and that is what organic gardening is all about. Once you master organics, you will never turn back. The rewards are too great, the soil pure, the flowers brilliant, the birds happy and the grass healthy to play on. You will feel good in contributing to a better environment and in doing your part for the next generation. For those who haven't made the switch yet; make your New Year's resolution for 2012 to do so. We have made it easy for you if you follow the information contained in my book. Our programs are geared for monthly applications. If you follow them, they will work. If you have a problem, we are here to help. We want to be your partners as you venture into this world..

My New Years resolution for 2012. To continue to broaden people's knowledge of Organic gardening. My desire is to help you achieve great results and introduce you to products that will make for a more beautiful garden. I have tested my programs and they work.. As a grower, I love organics because it requires growing a good plant. Most of us have played a part in polluting our environment and increasing our health risks. We have done it without knowing. We have become programmed by advertising, by schooling, the media and the big chemical companies. There is another way and it is better way. It is a learning process we all have to go through in 2012 and beyond. I will continue to lead you through this educational process. Help me spread the word. We are all in this together. If you know of someone who should become part of the organic movement, share my book with them.

Landscape Design: From concept to construction Sprainbrook Nursery will create a landscape environment that is both beautiful and functional, adding greater value to your property. Softscape or hardscape, a small project or a larger project, we will be there for you. Contact us early for an appointment. We will start making home visits on February 16. February and March appointments will be free of charge. Book your appointments early. We will come to your home, discuss the project with you and measure the area. We will draw a plan and formulate a free detailed estimate accompanied by a plant list. We will mail the plan and estimate to you for your approval. We will be glad to show you the plant material and make changes if needed. We can do any project in stages. Once the plan is finalized and you have put down your deposit we will schedule the job.

Our landscape foremen have been with us for over 20 years. You will enjoy working with them but more importantly you will enjoy the end result. We are flexible and will work with you to achieve a great outcome.

Sprainbrook Nursery has been in business since 1944. Our installations all follow our organic programs. Our crews are professionals who have been at this for a long time. Landscaping pays and horticultural knowledge is needed to avoid costly mistakes.

Our Winter lecture series will start in early February. They are 2 hour in depth pictorial lectures that start at 10:00 am and go to 12.:00 noon. They are free to all. Take some time to shop as we are offering twenty percent off for anyone attending the lecture. Pass the word on and bring your friends. These are popular winter events.

Landscape Design March 3rdSpring Weekend: March 10th and 11th. Topics coveredOrganic Lawn-----The Organic Vegetable Garden-Seeding and Propagation------Teaching Combination container planting-----The care of Perennials------House Plants and their care.------Carefree Roses---------Landscape principles--------Pruning

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Gardening Frequently Asked Question: Why are leaves dropping on my Ficus tree?
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Why are leaves dropping on my Ficus tree? Why are the edges of leaves turning brown? Why are the lower leaves of my foliage plants turning yellow. As the heat goes on in our houses, the humidity drops and plants suffer. Increasing humidity will improve this situation. Plants will often need more water as the heat goes on; and lower light intensity will cause additional leaf drop. Feed your plants with Daniels, a great organic fertilizer

Both scale, mealy bugs and red spider are prevalent on plants during the hot dry conditions caused by winter heat. Scale are sucking insects protected by a hard shell that exude a sticky substance. Control is spray with superfine oil. Mealybugs are cottony white substances siphoning sap from the axils of the leaves and protected by a waxy, fluffy white substance. Control with Insecticidal soap. Red Spiders are microscopic red mites that thrive in hot dry conditions and multiply rapidly. They puncture the undersides of the leaves causing discoloration of the leaf. Spray with Earth-tone Insect Control.

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Tour the Nursery: Flowering and foliage plants
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The Garden Center is filled with items for the spring. The seeds are in along with all of the material needed to start them. Don't forget food for the birds, books on organics, mulch for bare spots, deer repellents and safe-to-use ice melters. The greenhouses are filled with an enormous selection of flowering and foliage plants. The primroses are in bloom now and can add much needed color to any house. We are busy seeding, making cuttings and transplanting the many liners of new plant material that are shipped to us from all over the country. We have assembled one of the largest and best selections of plant material that can be found.