The Kerby's Nursery E-Newsletter
April 2, 2020
A Few of
My Favorite Things
by Kimberly Bokor
by Kimberly Bokor
I walked into the kitchen earlier this week and was pleasantly surprised to find our girls cheerfully
putting away the dishes while belting out 'My Favorite Things' from
The Sound of Music. I happened to
walk in on the chorus:
The lyrics hit a little close to home. I had to quickly walk out of the room so they didn't see the tears
in my eyes.
So this week I took some advice from this favorite family musical and went back to the very beginning, because it's a very good place to start. Don't worry, I'm not about to start singing Do-Re-Mi, trust me, nobody wants to hear that. But I am remembering fond times from my childhood and trying to recreate some of them for Abby and Maddy.
Together, we have carefully peeled corn and saved the husks to make dolls, planted sunflower seeds, watched movies while sharing a big bowl of popcorn, harvested collards from the garden, put together puzzles and dusted off some board games that we often don't have time to play.
One of my favorite things we did was make sun tea. I remember my mom had a special container used specifically for this purpose. It had a bright yellow lid and Sun Tea painted in big letters on the side. If you grew up in the 80's, there's a chance you remember this pitcher, too. The girls were quite curious when they discovered a large glass jar sitting on our patio. They kept checking on it and repeatedly asking if it was ready yet. It was a fun treat for everyone when we finally got to drink our iced sun tea after working in the garden all afternoon.
Although I feel like I could be spending some of this time organizing a closet or cleaning out the garage, I don't want to. Instead, I'm choosing to relive some of my childhood memories with our children. This has helped keep me grounded. While things feel uncertain, I want to remember a few of my favorite things, because then these times won't feel so bad.
When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad.
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad.
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad.
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad.
So this week I took some advice from this favorite family musical and went back to the very beginning, because it's a very good place to start. Don't worry, I'm not about to start singing Do-Re-Mi, trust me, nobody wants to hear that. But I am remembering fond times from my childhood and trying to recreate some of them for Abby and Maddy.
Together, we have carefully peeled corn and saved the husks to make dolls, planted sunflower seeds, watched movies while sharing a big bowl of popcorn, harvested collards from the garden, put together puzzles and dusted off some board games that we often don't have time to play.
One of my favorite things we did was make sun tea. I remember my mom had a special container used specifically for this purpose. It had a bright yellow lid and Sun Tea painted in big letters on the side. If you grew up in the 80's, there's a chance you remember this pitcher, too. The girls were quite curious when they discovered a large glass jar sitting on our patio. They kept checking on it and repeatedly asking if it was ready yet. It was a fun treat for everyone when we finally got to drink our iced sun tea after working in the garden all afternoon.
Although I feel like I could be spending some of this time organizing a closet or cleaning out the garage, I don't want to. Instead, I'm choosing to relive some of my childhood memories with our children. This has helped keep me grounded. While things feel uncertain, I want to remember a few of my favorite things, because then these times won't feel so bad.
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Be Well, The Kerby's Nursery Family 
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Get the Best Harvests from your Victory Garden
As we get well into veggie season, many of us are looking to our Victory Gardens to provide food for the table. To make the most out of the upcoming harvests, follow the tips below. Pretty soon you'll be filling your table with fresh veggies, right from your backyard.
1. Water, Water, Water - We just left behind the driest March on record. Hot, dry conditions mean little plants dry out quickly. For brand new gardens, water daily in the morning (always in the morning) for the first 30 days. After that decrease watering to every other day. Missing just one or two days (especially in a row) with new plants can weaken them to the point that they don't recover and produce plentiful harvests.
2. Feed your Plants - Great water and good food are the combo veggie plants need. Fertilize monthly with Garden Tone fertilizer and weekly with Foxfarm's Grow Big for amazing results. Keeping up with the monthly and weekly schedule keeps a consistent amount of nutrients available to the plant and that is the best way to maximaize harvests.
3. Watch for Bugs and Disease - The best way to check on your garden is to scout it daily. The early morning is ideal, because it is when bugs are still active. Check leaves (undersides too), stems and dirt for signs of insects trying to move in or for disease issues. Identifying a problem early allows for early treatment and a quick recovery for the veggie plants.
4. Treat Early - If you identify a problem, make a plan for treatment. Spraying for insect or disease should occur in the evening when the sun is starting to go down and not shining intensely on your garden. For insects, spray Neem Oil or Espoma's Organic Insect Spray. For disease issues, spray Copper Soap Fungicide. Treat problems as soon as you see them starting to keep them from turning into an unmanageable problem. And don't forget if you are ever in need of a diagnosis, come by the nursery with a picture or piece of your plant or send us a picture at admin@kerbysnursery.com.
5. Now Enjoy - Find a great recipe, harvest some fresh veggies and cook them up. Better yet, enjoy a plump, juicy tomato or tasty pepper picked in the afternoon sunshine. There is no better taste in the world
