Why Buy from Local Independent Stores?
There are many well-documented benefits to our communities and to each of us when we shop at local, independently owned businesses. We realize it is not always possible to buy what you need locally or from independents and so we merely ask you to Think Local FIRST!

Top Ten reasons to Think Local--Buy Local--Be Local

Buy Local--Support yourself:
Studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms--continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community. Locally-owned businesses generate a premium in enhanced economic impact to the community and our tax base.) Shopping at neighborhood and independent retailers not only supports small business owners but also preserves jobs and supports the local economy. For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 goes back to the community in the form of taxes, salaries, charitable contributions and more. When shopping at a national chain, that amount drops down to $43.

Support community groups:
Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.

Keep our community unique:
Where we shop, where we eat and have fun--all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit.

Reduce environmental impact:
Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

Create more jobs:
Small local businesses are the largest employers nationally and in our communities, providing the most jobs to residents.

Get better service:
Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.

Invest in community:
Local businesses are owned by people who live in your community, and are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the future of your community.

Put your taxes to good use:
Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.

Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy:
A marketplace of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based NOT on a national sales plan but on the interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

Encourage local prosperity:
In an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!

Ornamental trees are usually described as trees that are less than 25 feet tall. They usually have a defining feature such as flowers, unique foliage, notable bark, or a form of branching that is eye catching and will draw attention to the landscape. Weeping ornamental trees are favorites of many homeowners. The long graceful weeping branches attract attention and seem to give a sense of peace and calm to a yard. Evergreens tend to derive their ornamental flavor from unique shapes or sizes. Evergreens offer year round color and appear about the same color in deep winter or in summer.Evergreens are versatile and can be used as specimens, hedges, privacy screens or as back drop to the more flashy Ornamental Trees. At Van Bourgondien Nursery we offer a wide variety of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Evergreens to fit Your Landscape design needs!

Perennials along with Trees and Shrubs are the foundation of a garden that can provide years of enjoyment and long lasting beauty. All too often gardeners are hesitant to work with perennials. Their different bloom times and multiple varieties may seem overwhelming. However, most perennials are easy to grow and offer years of pleasure for your investment. Instead of blooming all season like an annual, their bloom time is shorter so they can come back and Bloom again Year after Year. Remember that because perennials don't bloom all season like annuals, other characteristics of the plant become important (such as shape, texture, and foliage color). Annuals and perennials complement each other beautifully, so use them together. The planting site itself is a very important element in choosing the right perennials. Do you have sun or shade? What is the soil like? Do you want to add Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. Decide what kind of garden you want; cottage garden, rock garden, mass planting of color, herb garden. Are you going to use bulbs or ornamental grasses? It is important to have the right conditions for your perennials. A shade plant may not survive in the hot sun. A plant that likes direct sun may not flower properly in a shady spot. What height do you want for the different perennials? After that, an important factor is bloom color and season. If planned right you can have different perennials blooming throughout the growing season. Even a little planning can go a long way. We have an externsive selection of Perennials at Van Bourgondien Nursery and we receive shipments of "Locally Grown Perennials" each week as different varieties become available throughout the season.

Staking plants is nobody's favorite garden chore. Maybe that's why so many of us wait until the poor plants are already bending and flopping before we stake them. Staking in spring means you will have a few weeks of visible stakes, but it will save many headaches throughout the rest of the growing season. If You see your Peony start to break ground it is easier to put a Peony Hoop on now rather then later.
Well done spring staking makes the garden look better throughout the season. It also makes maintenance easier, because you will not have to lift and move dropping plants off one another. You will probably discover plants you wished you had staked, as the season matures. Gravity can be a garden foe for tall plants, which can flop over. Garden favorites with a tendency to topple include dahlias, gladioli, lilies, hollyhocks, delphiniums and coreopsis to name a few.
There are many different stakes from the traditional wooden stake, bamboo, plastic stakes, tomato cages & tepee type stakes, hoops and half hoops. There are very creative ways to stake plants as well... Look for canned goods with pretty labels or paint them yourself. Use a can opener to remove the top and bottom, leaving smooth edges. Poke a hole on one side of the can and slip a plastic-covered plant tie through. Secure the tie to a thick stick or bamboo plant stake in such a way that you can slide the can up or down the stake as needed. Put the stake into the ground next to a sprouting plant or seedling, guiding the shoot through the can. As the stem grows taller, slide the can upward to provide continuing support. You can also paint the name of plant on the can and use it for marking the plant for next year!

After a good spring cleaning...pruning, weeding and feeding flower beds are then ready for mulching. Even if You haven't fully planted for the season mulch can be pushed to the side planted then redispersed around new plantings. Mulch can reduce water loss from the soil, minimize weed competition, and improve soil structure. Mulch serves as nature's insulating blanket. Mulch keeps soils warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.. Properly applied, mulch can give landscapes a beautiful, well-groomed appearance. Mulch must be applied properly; if it is too deep or if the wrong material is used, it can actually cause significant harm to trees and other landscape plants. Not Too Much!

As beneficial as mulch is, too much can be harmful. The general recommended mulching depth is 2 to 4 inches. Unfortunately, many landscapes are falling victim to a plague of overmulching. A new term, "mulch volcanoes," has emerged to describe mulch that has been piled up around the base of trees. As always if you have any questions about Mulch or the amount of Mulch to use please do not hesitate to ask us. We are here to help you.

Cedar mulch is prized for some of it's benefits over other mulching materials. It's not only the aroma that makes cedar mulch a preferred mulching material, but it can help with insect control. It is an easily renewable resource and it helps to build up the nutrients in the soil as it breaks down.Best of all, just like a cedar storage closet or cedar chest, it helps to repel insects. I have far fewer issues with garden pests. Beneficial critters, like earthworms thrive under it as they are harder for predators to detect.Cedar mulch is great for starting a new flower bed or expanding an established one. Cedar mulch (and bark) is wonderful stuff for your garden. It costs a little more, but is well worth it!

You can tell a great deal about gardeners from the condition of their hoses. Skilled gardeners know that a hose is an essential gardening tool; they know it must be maintained and stored properly for it to do its important job. No gardener wants the frustration of a tangled or cracked hose, the waste of a leaking hose, or the danger of tripping over a trailing hose. Properly maintained, a hose can last for many years. Proper maintenance means putting the hose away after every use. When you put the hose away it is less likely to become kinked, get run over by a lawnmower or car, become a tripping hazard, or rot from soil moisture.
Simple storage mechanisms make it easy to put a hose away. With a hose reel you just turn a crank to wind up the hose. A hose pot is a practical and attractive way to coil a hose and store it safely out of sight. Hose hangers that attach to the side of the house or garage are common storage solutions.
The basics of connecting a garden hose to an outdoor spigot are quite simple. The hose has two ends that are threaded differently. One end has a cuff that can fit over the threading of the spigot, allowing it to be tightened so that it holds the hose firmly to the spigot when it is turned on. The other end will generally have the opposite threading, allowing another hose or one of several accessories to be screwed onto it. When the hose has been secured to the spigot, the rubber or fiber that the hose is made of is designed to be sufficiently strong to hold in the water pressure if the other end of the hose has a sealed valve on it; otherwise the water simply flows through the hose and out the other end.
Valves, nozzles and other attachments can all be screwed onto the end of a garden hose to change the way that water comes out. Basic valves will allow you to control the pressure and amount of the water coming out of the hose, while nozzles and sprayers will change the way that the water comes out (ranging from tight, high-pressure streams to gentle showers.) Other attachments such as sprinkler heads can also be used with a garden hose, the pressure of the water causing certain parts to move and letting water be distributed over a much larger area. In addition to basic rubber garden hoses, other hose types also exist. Watering hoses have a number of holes along the length of the hose and a cap on the end, causing small jets of water to come out all along the entire length of the hose so as to water plants or grass. Condensation hoses or soaker hoses are similar, but are made of a porous material that lets water gently leak through in all directions (these hoses are generally buried under mulch or dirt to allow for better watering of plant roots.)

8 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 3-ounce package Asian noodle soup mix (such as Top Ramen), noodles coarsely broken
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
10-12 ounces of Fresh Spinach from Your Garden or (1 10-ounce bag ready-to-use spinach leaves)
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Prep ~ Whisk 6 tablespoons oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add noodles from soup mix (reserve seasoning packet for another use), nuts and sesame seeds. Stir until noodles, nuts and seeds are toasted and golden, about 8 minutes. Pour contents of skillet into large bowl and cool 10 minutes. Add spinach and green onions to same bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Serve, passing remaining dressing separately.

Add Grilled Shrimp or Chicken if You like! Delicious and Healthy!

Bumpercrop is the soil amendment to use in Vegetable Gardens and all Flower Beds. We carry Garden Elements Starter Fertilizer. We also carry Garden Elements Tomato & Vegetable Food.