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	Summer 1995	Click below to receive the print version!

Home Site Map Guided Tour Website News What's New? Corporate Products Workshops Newsletter Ongoing Projects Trough Gardens Water Gardens Alpine Perennials Hardy Cactus Warranty Affiliations Awards Reviews DIY Greenhouse IPM Composting Reviews Horticulture Links USDA Zones Weather Reports FAQs Register Me Consulting Service Advertising Employment Visitors John's Journal Contact Us	Mulches: Part 1 - The Myths. Mulch Ain't Just Mulch Most Garden Centers and Nurseries carry a single line of 'Mulch', that is shredded hardwood material made from felled trees in the area, and composted about 1 year or less. Composting helps insure that the cellulose (wood fibers) decay moderately-quickly, and do not bring termites and earwigs along to you home and garden. It also helps to prevent your plants from yellowing or becoming chlorotic, since the bacteria that break-down the cellulose fibers need massive amounts of nitrogen (N) to live and work on the decay, and they'll rob your nice, green plants to get it, turning them yellow in short order. Mulch should be composted no less than 2 years, to be safe. This is true with the many tree companies who do pruning and cleaning work and then grind-up the limbs and branches and offer it back to the homeowner who feels very lucky to get this chipped matter as mulch: DON'T USE IT ON YOUR GARDEN BEDS! It will suck the nitrogen right out of your green plants and turn them yellow, unless you add copious amounts of nitrogen to compensate for the bacterial action. Into our 5th season, we've narrowed our offerings to a single line of Premium Dark Bark Mulch, which has no real chunks from hard wood, just the outer shreddded tree bark as its only ingredient. This bark is not likely to float away during a hard rainstorm, as is regular hardwood mulch prone to do, nor is it apt to cause yellowing, since bark contains little or no cellulose fiber. It is the very best choice for use on slopes and banks, where "mulch travel" is a problem. Shop around before buying mulch; mulches are not created, nor is mulch just mulch. Fillers, cubic yards & scoops, and price are other story topics for later issues. Our Guarantee vs All Others To say that no other Garden Center or Nursery and especially the Mass Merchandisers (Wal-Mart, Hechinger's etc) can't remotely compare their plant material and labor guarantees with ours is an understatement. Even those GC&N's who use a pro-rated 30-60-90 day figure in their formulas (which means it's also the customer's fault), leaves a bad taste in the mouth of a gardener-customer who is told that he or she planted or cared for the plant material in the wrong manner. And to be told by someone at one of these places who has no horticultural or gardening experience other than mowing lawns is absurd. Our guarantee is unconditional, except for Acts of Nature, and reads like this: GUARANTEE: Excluding damage by man, such as l awn mowers, weed trimmers, and other mechanical damage, w e guarantee all plants to be free of disease and i nsect infestation when purchased from us. I f for any reason, any plant or product that you purchase a t our Garden Center doesn't perform to your satisfaction, s imply bring it back with its original receipt and we'll give you a nother of equal value. O ur guarantee is one (1) year from date of purchase i f you install the plant material; and it is five (5) years if we install t he material. The cultural advice we provide must be followed f or the guarantee to remain in effect. If the plant is lost to any e xtreme weather or neglect, we do share your disappointment, b ut cannot share your loss: the guarantee is void. It somehow all comes down to buying quality plants at a reputable Garden Center or Nursery at a fair price, and passing on the junk offered by the Mass Merchandisers and less-reputable Garden Centers (you know who they are...). Just look at their dumpsters full of burned-up, diseased and non-quality plants. They throw away more than they sell! Some story that is.	In This Issue: Page1: Composting - The Easy Way Spring - Summer - Fall Hours: Water Gardening: Our Easy Way Page2: Landscape It Yourself, With Our Help New Format For Saturday Landscape Design Workshops Page3: Mulches: Part 1 - The Myths. Mulch Ain't Just Mulch Our Guarantee vs All Others Page4: Garden Center Is Available For Meetings & Tours Page5: Alpine Trough Gardens - The New Way To Garden: Replacing Water Gardening Quickly Page6: New Perennials, Annuals & Nursery Stock for 1995 Seed Starting Materials Featuring Upscale Shepard's Seeds Page7: Roses - Summer Care and Enjoyment Getting It All Ready For Spring. Again. Windowsill Container Herb Gardens Become Spring & Summer Outdoor Herb Gardens. Page8: Wildflower Gardens & Meadows Begin This Spring or Fall! Coming Next Issue 1995 Pumpkin Decorating Contest Page9: 1995 Workshops & Seminars Schedule Page10: Water & Fertilize It When You Plant It - Milk Jug Irrigation Special Heirloom-Quality Gardening Tools Newly-Re-Designed Rare & Unusual Plant Nursery