Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

Dear Santa:

I have been a good girl this year.  I planted, fertilized, composted, and pruned.  I canned, dehydrated, shared and ate my bountiful crops.  My wildflower seeds are spread, my cover crop growing, my birdfeeders are full and my garlic, potatoes and onions are growing.

Please Santa, I have been oh so good!  Please send me the following gifts this season:

LADYBUG HOME – Spraying their little wings with mist as I release them is very time consuming, so could you please send me a home that will keep them in my garden where I intended them to stay?

DEER ATTRACTANT -  The way I see it, if you could make a bush that deer just love to distraction and will forsake all others (including vegetable and fruit trees!), it would make life oh so much less aggravating!  Oh, and by the way, if you could make their blood toxic to ticks upon digestion of said plant, that would be most greatly appreciated.

FROST TIMER – This shouldn’t be so tough for a guy from the North Pole!  I’d like a device that warns me up to 48 hours prior to those deadly weather events; plenty of time to apply some Agribon.

ULTIMATE COVER CROP – This needs to be low growing, evergreen, fire and deer resistant, erosion controlling, beneficial insect supporting and, of course, need no irrigation and be pre-coated with inoculant.  A little wildflower combo would be appreciated as well.  (I mean, Peaceful Valley has a pretty good selection, but somehow, they find it tough to meet all these criteria in a single blend.)

So Santa, four little gifts?  I’m sure there are plenty of other deserving gardeners out there who would benefit too…so spread the joy, the cheer of happy gardening.

Oh, and I know my kids haven’t been so good this year – but could you forget the coal for their stockings and maybe substitute some compost instead?

Thanks, Santa.  Merry Christmas…Janice

Today, most people probably know that Christmas is a holiday reminiscent of pagan tradition that predated the birth of Christ. What most probably don’t know, is that the Roman holiday for the winter solstice from which Christmas was born was called Saturnalia, and lasted from the 17th through December 25th. This week long festival was marked by widespread civil disorder, laws were written forbidding any person to be brought up on charges for damaging property or injuring another person during this period, and the Roman courts were closed. Furthermore, each year an individual was elected who represented “the Lord of Misrule.” This person was indulged with physical pleasures of all kinds, and it was believed that in order to destroy the forces of darkness in the world, “the Lord of Misrule” was brutally murdered at the end of the celebration.

But this blog entry is instead about a different kind of murder, the murder of poor innocent defenseless trees. The origins of the decoration of a tree for Christmas within the home, is believed to have begun in Germany during the 16th century. Although there is no definitive evidence for an exact population, person, or place that contributed to its creation.

Contemporaneously there are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, with over 100,000 people employed in the trade. Each year there are approximately 33 to 36 million Christmas trees produce in the United States alone for the holiday. There are another 50 to 60 trees grown in Europe. Originally Christmas trees were harvested from the wild, but today it is estimated that the majority of trees are farmed for use. It takes 10 years for a Christmas tree to grow to the size desirable for sale to the Christmas consumer. Although the temporary forest created while growing these trees is arguably habitat for fauna, the use of heavy pesticides and herbicides negates most of this benefit in the long term.

Besides the fact that one does not receive the bonuses of the lovely smell of a real tree, artificial trees may reduce the destruction of living trees, but do contribute to environmental pollution. Plastic trees are often made of non-biodegradable plastics like PVC or polyethylene and contain lead, filling landfills with toxic chemicals. 80% of artificial trees are created in China, giving support to foreign markets.

To continue in the tradition of not living like the crazy pagans, we should all consider buying a Living Christmas tree like those sold in the Peaceful Valley Nursery. These trees have the benefits of a real tree, ie. Look and smell. None of the drawbacks such as loosing needles on the carpet, polluting the environment, or contributing to waste. You can also name your tree, making it an addition to you family. This new addition, like your relatives who you only want to see once a year, can be put outside for the remaining 11 months. When your living Christmas tree is too large to fit in the living room, it can be planted outside to continue converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, to beautify your yard, and produce shade. Come by our nursery and take a look at our wonderful living Christmas trees and take one home!

As Christmas and Chanukah inch closer to us, us order department people are getting more and more calls from customers looking for that perfect gift.  Here are some great ideas for that gardener in your life:

• As always, your easiest option is the brand new Gift Gard.   Unlike the old, bulky gift certificates, these gift cards feature a beautiful design, are compact and reloadable, and available in any denomination from $10 up to $500.  They are good for any item we carry, and are redeemable online, over the phone or in our retail store.  And as always, each gift card comes with a gorgeous full color greeting card, which can be customized with your holiday message.
• Garden tools are also a great option, and are easy to buy. We offer a wide variety of tools to fit anyone’s gift budget, from inexpensive trowels (starting at just $9.99) to the long lasting, high quality Stockton Heath long handled spades, shovels and forks (around $70). We even have a nice selection of children’s tools and accessories for that “budding” gardener in your life.
•  Still available (but not for long!) are the long time favorites, the Amaryllis Bulb Gift Kits.  These all-inclusive sets come in a sturdy wooden box, making them easy to wrap or ship.
• While we cannot guarantee, at this point, the exact arrival date, our bare root fruit trees are coming back soon!  Choose from over 100 different varieties, including the hard-to-find 3-in-1s!  Imagine the bounty that will be gathered from a tree bearing three different kinds of fruit!
• Speaking of fruit trees, an essential tool for any harvest is the Long Reach Fruit Picker.  This handy tool extends to add almost 10 feet of reach to get those hard to reach apples and pears.

On anything you order, we can include a personalized, hand written greeting card for just $2.49.  Choose from 11 different styles, or trust us to pick one for you.

As always, if you have any questions in picking out that perfect gift, just give us a call.  We are all happy to help, and we always love receiving Christmas and Chanukah cards from our loyal customers…we always have a wall full of well wishes.  We love getting to know our customers on a more personal level!

Happy Holidays from the Peaceful Valley family!