IT'S FEELING CRISP OUT THERE

Now that the smoke and heat are behind us, we can finally enjoy fall. As it gets cooler, plants slow down and divert their energy to winter survival. There are things we can do to help our plant friends prepare for the long winter and emerge in the spring extra strong:

• Do a light mulching of your garden beds with compost. Compost helps add organic matter to soils that have been depleted by all the watering we needed to do over a long dry summer. This layer also protects roots from extreme cold and as we move into the next year, holds onto moisture and keeps the roots cool.
• In general, you don't need to fertilize established plants at this time of year, because you don't want to encourage new growth that might be damaged by frost or a deep freeze. However, for established woody plants, applying Soil Science Bloom Driver or EB Stone Ultra Bloom encourages root and flower growth for the upcoming season, especially for lilacs, camellias, rhododendrons and fruit trees. These products have a low amount of nitrogen but high enough phosphorous.
• It's a good idea to give your lawn one more dose of fertilizer before winter. This helps give roots a boost so your lawn comes back stronger in the spring. Pick a time that's not too rainy (or the fertilizer will just wash away) and before a deep freeze when the grass is dormant.
• Before we get into our storm season, it's good to thin out tree and shrub branches that may be encroaching on your paths, driveways or above your house. As long as you're not removing more than 20% of the overall volume of your plants, you are not setting back their health. It’s better to make those pruning cuts yourself rather than having the wind or wet snow do the trimming for you.
• If you have veggies growing, such as leafy greens, you should consider covering them with a cold frame or cloche to extend the season.
• Consider getting some Reemay or protective material (Harvest Guard) to cover your tender plants before a cold spell. Also, you may want to move potted tender plants to a protected area before such a spell.

HOW DOES A
PUMPKIN WALK?

Open now through the month of October.

The Pumpkin Walk is back for its 30th year (wow)! If you're not familiar with it, The Pumpkin Walk is a family-friendly event that goes on throughout October.

Our trail through the woods has hundreds of decorated pumpkins and larger vignettes. In addition there are kid-friendly photo areas and fun stuff for the little ones.

Much of the success of the Pumpkin Walk is due to contributions by our customers! Last year, customers added well over 400 hundred pumpkins to our trail!

The Pumpkin Walk is free. We do accept donations to the Bainbridge Island Boys and Girls Club. This event benefits our local club.

Every Saturday, we will have a food truck!

• Sat, Oct 4th - Da Q Shack (hours roughly lunch until they run out)
• Sat, Oct 11th - Sauced (hours roughly lunch until they run out)
• Sat, Oct 18th - Burger Wagon (hours roughly lunch until they run out)
• Sat, Oct 25th - Sauced (hours roughly lunch until they run out)

For more details on the Pumpkin Walk and how you can add your own pumpkins to the trail, click here.

GET YOUR GARDEN READY FOR FALL

Fall is an underrated time of the year. Yes, Spring is about fresh, bright colors, and boundless optimism about the gardening year ahead, but fall is when you can celebrate what you've done in the garden and prepare for year ahead! Here are some tips for the final months of the year:

• Harvest Don't forget to harvest your vegetables and fruits when they are at their peak. Enjoy the work you've done to get fresh fruits and veggies! Oh, and if you have a few tomatoes that don't quite get ripe, well, fried green tomatoes are really quite delicious!
• Refresh Add some fresh color to your garden. Pansies, mums, and ornamental cabbage are in, and consider adding some textures to your containers, such as wintergreen or grasses. Come on in, and we'll give you some ideas.
• Water We know, we know. Although it's cooler, there's still not enough rain to excuse you from watering. Keep watering your plants. The good news is that cooler weather slows down plant growth.
• Plant Fall is great time to plant trees and shrubs. The cooler weather is less stressful on many plants, and getting them in the ground now gives their root systems a chance to establish themselves. Spring bulbs (daffodils, tulips, crocus, et al) are coming in and should be planted soon. Garlic is coming in and ready to go into the ground!
• Prepare Your lawn, that is. Mid-September through mid-October is a great time to fertilize, over-seed, and mulch. The ground is still warm (NW grass seed germinates when the ground is 55F or warmer) and the rains naturally keep the ground moist.

  Apply lime to discourage moss	Lilly Miller Super Sweet	25lb bag covers 2000 sqft
  Apply fertilizer	EB Stone Lawn Food	20lb bag covers 2000 sqft
  Overseed or patch areas	Supreme Blend (full sun) or Show and Shade Blend (shade or sun)	2lb bag covers 2000 sqft for overseeding
  Mulch	EB Stone Top Coat	1.5 cuft bag covers 72 sqft with 1/4" layer