Product Spotlight

• Why Grow Grafted Tomatoes?

  This year we introduce “Grafted Tomatoes” from Burpee Home Gardens.
  They took a tasty heirloom variety and grafted it on a hybrid rootstock,
  producing twice the fruit of a normal heirloom variety.

  

  Grafting has been around for centuries. We’ve been grafting certain desired traits in trees onto hardy rootstock, tender roses onto a hardy rootstock, and now our vegetables onto a more vigorous root system. This was initially done to allow fruit production in regions that could not support normal growth, areas of periodic flooding or low rainfall became productive regions.

  Now grafting has been taken on a whole new meaning and for our gardens. Vegetable gardening has seen ever increasing numbers the past couple of years. As we venture forth into grocery stores, the disappointment in the quality and flavor of the fruit and vegetables that we buy has allowed us to try vegetable gardening for the first time, and we haven’t seen this kind of interest since the 1970’s.

  Be sure to plant the grafting scar one inch above the soil line. Typically we tell you to plant them as deep as possible. If you do, they will produce roots off the heirloom stem, bypassing the hybrid rootstock, reverting back to normal heirloom growth, and lower fruit production.  But this is the only requirement. They will feed and need water as normal.

  Posted on May 18, 2013

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• Proven Winners® Top Picks from our Staff

  Ever wonder what the professionals choose in their gardens?

  This week we take a look at a few of the Proven Winners® plants that Linder’s staff find special and plant consistently each year. We admit, there are lots to choose from and everyone has special qualities in their own right, but each year they make sure to grab these Proven Winners^® varieties first!

  Our President, Dave Linder, is first on the list and his plant of choice is Supertunia Vista Bubblegum. Dave says “Simply the best petunia you can plant. A single plant can get up to 2 feet wide.”
  	From our Vice President, Lill Linder, comes her favorite in Lobularia Snow Princess. Lill states “It’s very showy, vigorous, and great for ground planting and containers. It is heat tolerant and thrives all summer. I plant it all over my yard in the ground and containers.”
  Our Product Identification Director, Gabriella Heath, loves King Tut Cyperus Papyrus. To her “It’s versatile, great in landscapes, and does really well by the pond. It looks like a Dr. Seuss plant.”
  	The Marketing Director, Mark Armstead, is partial to Colorblaze Coleus. Mark says “I love the Colorblaze line of Coleus! The size and color patterns to the foliage are a true standout in my garden.”
  And finally, at the St. Paul Garden Center, General Manager, Craig Corby’s favorite is Luscious Berry Blend Lantana. Craig states “Super easy to take care of and loves the heat. It’s also extremely drought tolerant.”

  
  

   

   

  Posted on May 6, 2013

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• Pondering Pansy Planting?

  Discover the best deal in town on Pansies right here at Linder’s!

  Pansies are one of the few flowering plants that can brighten an empty spot in your landscape during the cooler temperatures of early spring. Their cheerful flowery faces shine brightly in your direction every moment of the day and provide the earliest color to our gardens. But you can’t just buy pansies and plant them directly outside.

  All pansies are produced in greenhouses to protect them from inclement weather of winter. They were seeded back in January and transplanted into their final containers in February. During this time the greenhouse environment is kept warm to ensure proper growth. But the temperatures outside right now don’t exactly match the ones they had during growth. Pansies can take some cold temperatures, there is no doubt, but they need to be acclimated to those colder temperatures slowly.

  By all means place them outside during the day, but as temperatures begin to drop at sundown, be sure to bring them inside. If you do this over a week’s time, they should be adjusted to what Mother Nature has to dish out…to a point. Pansies can take temperatures down to 28 degrees, they can even take a snow cover without much damage, but a continuous freeze they cannot.

  Click here to see our Pansy Specials

  Posted on May 5, 2013

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• Combo of the Week: Velvet Skies

   

  Three popular plants on their own will be even more popular when combined to create Velvet Skies. Chosen as the 2013 National Combination of the Year, Velvet Skies is a delightful blend of three popular and colorful annuals from Proven Winners® Blushing Princess™ Lobularia Supertunia® Mini Silver Petunia Supertunia® Royal Velvet Petunia and is a combination that is sure to appeal to gardeners.   Available at our Garden Center and 53 Flower Marts this week.

  
  

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  Linder's 2013 Combo of the Week Program
  

  Given the spectrum of colors available, do you sometimes have trouble deciding on a color scheme? What did you plant last year that worked and what didn’t? Most times it’s hard to decide on a color scheme for your garden or a plant recipe that will complement each other as they grow throughout the season. And what about the different planter sizes that you have at your disposal? Linder’s is here to help!

  We spent the time looking over all the different container recipes to develop a foolproof schedule of Proven Winners recipes. You can be ensured success and peace of mind knowing that Proven Winners will grow and thrive in your gardens.

  This season we offer those combination recipes in a full range of pot sizes to complement your outdoor space, from hanging baskets to container planters, a finished product to started combinations in smaller starter sizes. Every week we are featuring a new combination alongside other Linder’s fabulous creations. Each week we feature a different design.

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  Here are the previous week's combos still available:

  “Above & Beyond”. This week’s combination combines three Proven Winner Supertunia varieties for a pastel mix of pink colored petunias. The combination of Supertunia Vista Bubblegum, Vista Silverberry, and Vista Fuchsia create a massive ball of color that just keeps getting bigger and better all summer. This one is aggressive, be sure to fertilize weekly using Proven Winners water-soluble fertilizer. Be sure to apply a second application of Proven Winner time-released fertilizer in July, this is one hungry combination!
  “Sweet Tart Punch”. It combines Grape Punch Calibracoa, Sweet Tart Calibracoa, and Babylon Deep Pink Verbena to spark your taste buds. This combo thrives in full sun and cascades down to fill your vertical space. Be sure to fertilize weekly with Proven Winners Time Released and Water Soluble fertilizers. The plants will often run out of energy as the end of July approaches.
  "Bermuda Skies" This combo is a beautiful pastel mix of salmon petunias, yellow superbells, and blue lobelia. It loves a sunny position where the sun shines for 6 or more hours each day. Supertunia® Bermuda Beach Petunia hybrid Superbells® Yellow Chiffon Calibrachoa hybrid Laguna™ Sky Blue Lobelia erinus

  
  

   

  Posted on May 5, 2013

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• Combo of the Week: Sweet Tart Punch

  Given the spectrum of colors available, do you sometimes have trouble deciding on a color scheme? What did you plant last year that worked and what didn’t? Most times it’s hard to decide on a color scheme for your garden or a plant recipe that will complement each other as they grow throughout the season. And what about the different planter sizes that you have at your disposal? Linder’s is here to help!

  We spent the time looking over all the different container recipes to develop a foolproof schedule of Proven Winners recipes. You can be ensured success and peace of mind knowing that Proven Winners will grow and thrive in your gardens.

  This season we offer those combination recipes in a full range of pot sizes to complement your outdoor space, from hanging baskets to container planters, a finished product to started combinations in smaller starter sizes. Every week we are featuring a new combination alongside other Linder’s fabulous creations. Each week we feature a different design.

  This week’s feature is “Sweet Tart Punch”.

  It combines Grape Punch Calibracoa, Sweet Tart Calibracoa, and Babylon Deep Pink Verbena to spark your taste buds. This combo thrives in full sun and cascades down to fill your vertical space.

  Be sure to fertilize weekly with Proven Winners Time Released and Water Soluble fertilizers. The plants will often run out of energy as the end of July approaches.

  

  Posted on May 1, 2013

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