~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finding Your Comfort Pace ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A few years ago I was running the roads of my neighborhood when I passed my neighbor (who was also a runner) mulching the shrub beds in his front yard. "What's your speed?", he asked. (He was obviously expecting an answer in minutes per mile - as all runners do.) "Comfortable", I answered. Ever since my knees started to wear out, I find I have to gauge my intensity with my body - not with minutes per mile. I dial in "comfortable" not caring about speed anymore. A fast pace too often ends with an injury - and my injuries heal much slower than they used to. When I run or work in the yard alone, I spend the time thinking. Working up a sweat gives me time out from stress - physical and mental. As I have aged, I am persuaded that there is a "comfort pace" in gardening work just like any other forms of exercise. It is a physical and mental pace that neutralizes daily frustrations, disappointments, even success. It is where our competence and self-control make us realize we are doing our best work. For me, finding that yard work "comfort pace" is sometimes difficult, but the more I strive for it the more often I find it. A famous entrepreneur was asked what secret of success he would pass along to others. He said "Tell them to start. You just have to start. Nothing is ever achieved if you don't start." So, I've started. It's a day to day thing. I would like to suggest that working toward your gardening "comfort pace" is something worthwhile. A pace fast enough to enjoy the workings of your body and slow enough to let you enjoy the world around you. Dr. George Sheehan (a running guru) summed it up when writing about his running. "A comfort pace exceeds the physical. Comfortable has to do with my mental and emotional state. When I am comfortable I am finally at home with myself." I think this is a central truth. Ken Matthews ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ROSES: THE MOST POPULAR MOTHER'S DAY FLOWER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mother's Day is the day you remember the special mothers in your life that have meant a lot to you over the years. Roses are among the most popular flowers given to mothers on Mother's Day. Colors that are often selected for MOM include red, pink, white, and yellow. What do these colors signify? Here are a few rose colors and their meanings:
A red rose is an unmistakable expression of love. Red roses convey deep emotions - be it love, longing or desire. Red Roses can also be used to convey respect, admiration or devotion. Roses to consider are - Don Juan, Mr. Lincoln, Oh My!
White is the color of purity, chastity and innocence. White flowers are generally associated with new beginnings, but can also convey sympathy or humility. Roses to consider are - Sugar Moon or Cloud 10
Yellow roses are an expression of exuberance. Yellow roses evoke sunny feelings of joy, warmth and welcome. They are symbols of friendship and caring. Roses to consider are - Doris Day, Sunshine Daydream, and Michelangelo
There are a lot of variations of the pink rose. Over all, pink roses are used to convey gentle emotions such as admiration, joy and gratitude. Roses to consider are - Queen Elizabeth, Perfume Delight, and Bewitched.
An orange rose reminds us of a fiery blaze signify passion and energy. Orange roses can be used to express intense desire, pride and fervor. Roses to consider are - Easy Does It, Honey Nectar, and America
A Lavender rose like its color conveys enchantment. It also expresses "love at first sight These roses are used to express fascination and adoration. Roses to consider are - Orchid Romance, Angel Face, and Fragrant Plum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HERBS AND THEIR BENEFITS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The use of herbs and spices has been incredibly important throughout history. Many were celebrated for their medicinal properties, well before their culinary use. Modern science has now shown that many of them do indeed carry remarkable health benefits. Here are some of the world's healthiest herbs and spices: * Cinnamon - Lowers blood sugar levels and has a powerful anti-diabetic effect * Sage - Can improve brain function and memory * Peppermint - Relieves IBS pain and may reduce nausea * Cayenne Pepper - Contains capsaicin, which helps reduce appetite and may have anti-cancer properties * Ginger - Can treat nausea and has anti-inflammatory properties * Rosemary - Can help prevent allergies and nasal congestion * Garlic - Can combat sickness and improve heart health * Oregano - Improving the body's ability to fight off infections and for improving bone density and blood clotting * Thyme - Has strong anti-bacterial and anti-microbial action. * Basil - Has strong antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory properties, and can help with cardiovascular health * Parsley - Is helpful for hypertension * Chives - Is for cancer protection ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark Your Calendar! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, May 7 10 AM Fairy Garden Workshop Fairy gardens are perfect for anyone, young and old, looking for a touch of magic to add to their home. This is a hands-on 90 minute class, ideal for parents/children or grandparents/grandchildren. Children must be accompanied by an adult. (One child per registered adult.) Workshop fee of $25 includes a container, soil and a choice of 3 pre-selected miniature outdoor plants. Miniature gardening items purchased during the workshop by registered participants will receive a 20% discount.All ages are welcome!Register by calling 757.898.7799 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, May 8 Mother's Day Our colorful annual hanging baskets, lasting perennials, fragrant roses and blooming houseplants are gifts that are sure to delight any Mother. In addition, you will find a huge selection of garden gifts and accessories. If you're still puzzled about what to get Mom, you can never go wrong with a Ken Matthews Gift Certificate! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, May 14 Herb Speaker 10-11 AM Herb Tasting Event 11-2 PM Nichole Schermerhorn, a commercial herb grower, will talk about the best herbs for healthy living, how to grow, and use them in cooking. Register by calling 757.898.7799. Learn how to add new taste experiences to your meats, veggies, and beverages by using herbs you can easily grow in your own garden or containers. Afterwards, enjoy in a tasting of herb infused dishes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday-Sunday May 27-30 Water Garden Weekend May 28 10 AM - 11 AM Laurie J. Fox, Ph.D., author and associate professor at VA Tech Hampton Roads AREC will be here to speak about how to select, plant, and maintain perennial and native water garden plants with an emphasis on algae management. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, May 30 Memorial Day 10% Discount with Military ID Memorial Day started as a day of remembrance for the men and women who died while serving in the Armed forces. It has now become a weekend long celebration devoted to shopping, family gatherings, pool openings, and the beginning of summer beach weeks. Please take a few minutes this year to consider the real reason Memorial Day was started - to remember the men and women who lost their lives protecting our freedom. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, June 6 National Perennial Month Celebration Check your Email for Kickoff Specials ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Girls Night Out Tuesday, July 19 5-8 PM If you are a vendor and would be interested in participating in our Girls Night Out, please email Sandy at sandy@kenmatthewsgardencenter.com or call 757.898.7799. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tips for the Garden ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Water, water, water, as often as daily for new plants and almost all plants in pots. The rest of the garden generally needs one inch of water every week - whether from rain or from the gardener. Remember to water deeply, not superficially, because deep watering encourages deeper roots and more drought-resistant plants. * Weed regularly, and not just because they're unsightly, either. Weeds rob water, light and nutrients from the plants you DO like. Always remove weeds before they have a chance to go to seed - this is the first line of defense to keep weeds in check. * Deadhead perennials and annuals (remove spent flowers) to encourage rebloom. * Time to buy and plant summer annuals! * Time to plant bulbs like elephant ears, dahlias and caladiums. * Do your vegetable garden prep if you haven't already. For most gardens that means adding compost (Bumper Crop is great), and turning it in gently. * Mid-May is the traditional time in our region to begin planting summer vegetables. * Cage your tomato plants and tap them occasionally to encourage pollination. Keep plants moist and once fruit appear, feed them with Dr Earth Veggie & Herb Fertilizer. Remove suckers that grow at the soil line throughout the season. Use Mag-i-cal to help prevent end rot. * Thin out all vegetable seedlings to the correct distance from each other. * If you haven't done it already, prune your spring-flowering shrubs IF they need it. Mature, full-size shrubs usually need renewal pruning at least every other year. * Mow your lawn to 3 high and let the clippings stay on the lawn to provide Nitrogen to the soil (and the turf). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ $5 OFF A $35 or More Purchase with this email or coupon Expires May 15, 2016. Not valid in conjunction with any other offers, gift certificates, previous purchases, bagged goods or bulk items. Limit one coupon per customer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
