Watering with military precision...

Welcome to our blog! We're finally getting up and running with this 'online' thing, so I hope you enjoy seeing more of Lovely Manors from the comfort of your computer....you will soon be able to shop online, but don't forget to come in and see us still!! We're really going hi-tech now. The staff are all equipped with a walkie talkie radio each....though some of us are having trouble getting the hang of using them; we've very much enjoyed trying them out, resulting in much laughter and cries of "can you hear me yet.....how about now.....NOW, over *more laughter*, over and OUT". On a more serious note they should help us to communicate better around the shop and gardens.

Summer is certainly here and it's hot out. Really hot. The shade cloth is up, the plants are looking beautiful, and we're watering, watering and watering some more. It's an important, nay, crucial job; and is undertaken with military precision so that we can keep the plants looking great and growing well. It takes at least two hours per day to get round all the plants we have here on site....some like it dry, some like it damp....there are watering cans dotted everywhere, and hoses coiled and ready. I'm taking the employees round the center for a lesson in how to water properly, and am encouraging them to treat every plant, large or small, with great care. I've stopped short of asking them to talk to the plants too, as I've heard that Prince Charles does with his plants over in England! Apparently it's supposed to make them grow more quickly. If it's good enough for British Royalty....maybe we could make it work in Maryland?  I've heard that farmers who talk to their cows and give them names have cows that produce more milk. Does 'annual' count as a name?!

Watering can be quite an onerous task....though it seems there are more volunteers to set up the sprinkler out in the front garden. I should explain...the sprinkler is fairly fancy, with dials to make it spray in this direction, and a button to make it turn this way and that. It's a great (and very necessary) piece of equipment, but owing to its complex system of dials and levers, it is VERY easy to get a soaking when it is first turns on. When it's this hot, nobody seems to mind...

Many customers come into the store asking for advice on how to properly water their plants. My recommendations are:

• Water in the morning when the plants are in less sun. This helps the plants get through a hot day quenched, and also keeps them looking good.
• Check plants in smaller containers more frequently...they can dry out more quickly in the sun.
• Take care that you have watered adequately...you might have to go back and add more water to a plant once the soil has absorbed the water you initially put in. Sometimes the soil can form a 'crust' which the water runs off rather than sinking in immediately. Take care to make sure this isn't happening.
• Water carefully, making sure you get to every plant in your container/bed.
• Check the tags on your plants! Some plants need to dry out between waterings, and will rot if overwatered.
• Water slowly and well. The water needs to get deep down to the roots of your plant. We leave the sprinkler on our beds for 1 1/2 hours every few days when it's hot and dry out.
• Keep your hoses covered when not in use; they can get really hot and your plants will not like to be scalded with warm water!

After you've done all this, you might need to hop into the shower or if you're lucky enough, a pool, to cool off after all your efforts...or you could just run under your sprinkler whilst it's watering your beds and blame a hose malfunction!

We'll be back soon with more from the store...in the meantime come and visit us...