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The Kerby's Nursery E-Newsletter
March 4, 2021
Sand-Balls
by Joey Bokor
by Joey Bokor
I love spring. Everything is fresh, flushing, and filled with flowers. Each morning when I wander around my yard,
I find a new set of blooms on one of my fruit trees. The mango and avocado are loaded with buds,
the jaboticaba and lychee are just starting to flower, and I even saw the first blooms ever on the olive tree.
On one of my morning meanders, flowers weren't the only thing I found. The star fruit tree has been fruiting all winter and as I headed over to pick a few, I saw these:
Very suspicious. Over the last month, there has been a lot of talk about snow and cold, and of course Abby and Maddy are always jealous that everyone around the country gets to play in snow except them. I, for one, am glad to not have to deal with it, but they don't know any better. So, I assume that they are planning some sort of sand-ball fight and I just hope that I am not the one who gets attacked. Every now and then, when it gets quiet outside and I can't see where the girls are, I wait to hear a projectile launched in my direction.
But I was afraid for nothing, as it turns out. I was informed in a most matter-of-fact way that what I saw are actually dragon eggs. The girls are tending to them and hoping that they will hatch soon. Apparently, a flock of hens and a cute little puppy are not enough pets for them. So now we are going to be dragon parents. They couldn't quite answer when I asked where the dragons would sleep, but I guess having a dragon around would be good for starting fires, excellent for security and probably a great help at digging holes for new plantings. So, come on dragons, hatch! There is work to be done in the garden.
And remember that some of that garden work is done by pollinators. When I look closely at the flowers on my fruit trees, I am amazed at the variety of insects gathering pollen. It isn't just bees, either. Moths, butterflies, beetles, and flies all play a part in moving pollen from one flower to another. Without these precious pollinators, our fruit and veggie harvests would be severely diminished. The article below gives you a few tips for making your yard more friendly for pollinators. And with spring in full swing, there are tons of beautiful flowers at the nursery that are perfect for a pollinator party. Come see us to get it started.
On one of my morning meanders, flowers weren't the only thing I found. The star fruit tree has been fruiting all winter and as I headed over to pick a few, I saw these:
Very suspicious. Over the last month, there has been a lot of talk about snow and cold, and of course Abby and Maddy are always jealous that everyone around the country gets to play in snow except them. I, for one, am glad to not have to deal with it, but they don't know any better. So, I assume that they are planning some sort of sand-ball fight and I just hope that I am not the one who gets attacked. Every now and then, when it gets quiet outside and I can't see where the girls are, I wait to hear a projectile launched in my direction.
But I was afraid for nothing, as it turns out. I was informed in a most matter-of-fact way that what I saw are actually dragon eggs. The girls are tending to them and hoping that they will hatch soon. Apparently, a flock of hens and a cute little puppy are not enough pets for them. So now we are going to be dragon parents. They couldn't quite answer when I asked where the dragons would sleep, but I guess having a dragon around would be good for starting fires, excellent for security and probably a great help at digging holes for new plantings. So, come on dragons, hatch! There is work to be done in the garden.
And remember that some of that garden work is done by pollinators. When I look closely at the flowers on my fruit trees, I am amazed at the variety of insects gathering pollen. It isn't just bees, either. Moths, butterflies, beetles, and flies all play a part in moving pollen from one flower to another. Without these precious pollinators, our fruit and veggie harvests would be severely diminished. The article below gives you a few tips for making your yard more friendly for pollinators. And with spring in full swing, there are tons of beautiful flowers at the nursery that are perfect for a pollinator party. Come see us to get it started.
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Happy Gardening, The Kerby's Nursery Family 
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The Weekly Special
Pentas are the perfect flower to make your garden the most popular on the block with all the neighborhood butterflies. Whether you like the classic Tall Pentas, or new compact varieties like the Lucky Stars or Beebrights, all are on sale this week, 3 for $20.
6" Pots, Regular Price - $7.99
Expires 3/10/2021
Pollinators are important. They are the reason you can grow great harvests of fruits and
vegetables. The food on your table? It's all because of bees and other insect pollinators.
Below are some things that you can do to make sure your garden is the place for pollinators to bee
(pun intended).Plant for Access - There are some gorgeous flowers with double and even triple layers of petals. And as pretty as they are, when it comes to bees and other pollinators, they can't always easily get to the pollen they are after. Make sure some of the flowers in your garden have a simple single layer of petals.
Plant for All Season - Keep pollinators fed all year long by planting flowers that bloom in different seasons or that bloom throughout the year.
Limit or Eliminate Pesticide Sprays - Pesticides kill bugs, and sometimes plants in your yard will get an infestation that needs to be controlled. However, pollinators are bugs too and pesticides are not selective enough to kill some bugs and not others. Take care never to spray plants that have active bees and plan to reduce the amount of pesticide used around your gardens, lawn and house. The pollinators will reward you with great garden harvests.
Create Habitat - If your yard is too neat and tidy, there may not be enough areas for pollinators to find nesting materials, shelter and forage. Even if you can't let everything go wild, try to keep some spaces that are a little overgrown with a little fallen brush or old tree branches. These small bits of habitat can help keep pollinators around.
New Arrivals |
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Avocado Trees
 New Shipment, Just In 10" Pot - $59.99 |
Double Knockout Roses Color All Year 10" Pot - $29.99 |
Scotch Bonnet Pepper Plants Bring the Heat 6" Pot - $12.99 |
