Welcome to the Thayer Nursery Blog
October 4th, 2010
Fall seeding is a great way to repair damaged areas in your lawn created throughout the summer, or start and establish a new lawn. Actually, fall is a better time for germination and lawn development due to better weather conditions. Not only is the air temperature cooler in the fall, but the soil temperature is actually warmer than it is in the spring. This allows the grass seed to develop into a mature plant much faster.
Once you’ve decided to go do a fall seeding, there are a few things you should do.
1. Test the pH of your soil
Before you begin, it is always a good idea to test your soil pH to make sure it is between 6.0 and 7.5. If your soil reads below 6.0 you will need to add lime to make it more alkaline, and if it reads above 7.5 you can add Espoma® Organic Soil Acidifyer to make it more acidic.
2. Remove any large rocks and roots
This includes any that may be protruding or are just beneath the surface of your soil.
3. Top-dress your soil with compost
Come in and ask us about our AllGrow Compost. For best results the compost should be tilled into the existing soil.
4. Amend the soil
This is the stage where you would add any lime (if needed), peat moss, and starter fertilizer (do not try to spread by hand or mix together in spreader since different rates are needed for each). We recommend using Jonathan Green New Seeding Lawn Fertilizer or Jonathan Green Winter Survival. If you’d like to go organic, we also sell Jonathan Green Organic Lawn Fertilizer! Once you’ve spread your soil amendments with a spreader, use a steal rake to rake them into the top inch of soil.
5. Spread the grass seed
It is important to set your spreader to the correct opening and to spread the seed as evenly as possible. As far as type and amount of seed, we carry an extensive line of Jonathan Green Grass Seed Mixtures that come in many different size bags. Be sure to consult with one of our knowledgeable staff members about which seed is best for your lawn prior to purchasing your seed.
6. Rake in the grass seed
Using a plastic leaf rake, flip it upside down and make short light strokes to make sure that the seed gets turned in slightly but is not redistributed over the soil.
7. Water
This is by far one of the most important factors in the germination of grass seed. Water the entire newly seeded area evenly with a sprinkler once you are done seeding. For the first 10-14 days after, it is best to water two to three times daily for five to ten minutes each time. This ensures that the seed stays moist but is not drenched or washed out.
For seeding over existing lawns, you can follow the same basic steps except where it involves tilling or turning your soil. In its place, it is a good idea to thatch and/or aerate your lawn first before spreading amendments and seed. Following these steps ensures your lawn has the best chances possible to look its best. And of course, if there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us by posting a response, calling our store (617)698-2005, or stopping by!
September 27th, 2010
Isn’t all firewood the same?
Absolutely not. In fact, even all kiln-dried firewood is not the same and here’s why.
Firewood must be seasoned before you can use it. When wood is first harvested it’s green, with very high moisture content. It doesn’t burn well and it may smoke, or sputter. It also can produce creosote, a black oily accretion that builds up inside chimney flues as a result of wood that doesn’t burn completely. Creosote can clog up your chimney. Seasoning dries the wood.
Kiln-dried firewood has been seasoned by drying in a kiln. With this method, as opposed to leaving the wood out to season in the elements, the firewood is placed in kilns and essentially baked at 200 degrees for three days, which forces the moisture out. The wood is then completely dry. Complete dry wood will burn more cleanly and efficiently.
So, why use Thayer Nursery kiln-dried dried firewood?
- It is guaranteed insect and insect -larvae free
- It is guaranteed disease free
- Thayer firewood is all hardwoods
- The wood is oven dried at 200 degrees for three days so moisture content is less than 25%
- It has been kept completely under cover in a wood barn on a concrete floor for its entire life – all season long
Safe and dry in the Wood Barn
You can trust that Thayer kiln-dried firewood is bug and bug-larvae-free, so it is safe to store it in your garage or basement. You can be sure that each piece will burn clean and longer, cutting down your trips to the wood pile, and you can trust that since it burns completely with very little ash and less creosote build-up, you will have less chimney cleaning to do.
Come up to the Nursery and we’ll take you on a tour of the wood barn. See for yourself how we take care of the wood that will take care of you this winter.
September 18th, 2010
Starting September 24th and going through October 1st, ‘Boston Fashion Week has served as a fertile proving ground for fashion talents and now is the ideal time of year for locals to explore new ideas and express themselves.’
This season, the Thayer Nursery Fall 2010 collections include:
Conservative Glamour: ‘return to quality and classic style- that have real staying power. streamlined simplicity in a muted color palette.’
Echinacea ‘summer skies’, Pennisetum ‘karly rose’ &
Heuchera ‘marmalade’
Eccentric Ladylike: ‘not afraid of color — lots of bold ones paired together in seemingly off combos that as a whole work wonderfully. quirky combinations with mixed prints. mixing of patterns …and pulling together disparate motifs. A perennial muse who, even in the most minimal of moments, pops up somewhere unexpectedly.
Rudbekia ‘indian summer’, Aster ‘henry 1’ & Dryopteris ‘autumn’
Bohemian Rhapsody: ‘like a posh Stevie Nicks minus the frayed edges. flowy, flowery frocks. an artier take on boho with tons of froth, frills, layers and anything that will flutter in a light breeze.’
Buddleia ‘pink delight’, Hibiscus ‘brandy punch’, Lavender ‘munstead’ & the fairy Rose
Urban Warrior: ‘prefers minimal to more, and who definitely loves a little luxe.’
Pennisetum ‘maudry’, Heuchera ‘Beaujolais’ & Echinacea ‘fatal attraction’
stop by and check out our Newest Arrivals and
make your garden one of this falls Best Dressed.
September 9th, 2010
Every season has its stars in the garden, and fall flowering perennials are some of the brightest performers in the cast. Often stately and tall, fall bloomers tend to show off the tones of the season, deep purples, burgundy, red and gold. Here are some sensational stars for your garden in the fall.
Chrysanthemums
The ringleaders of the fall colors, these “mums”, come in many shades of purple, pink, red, yellow and white and grace every doorstep, doorway, and garden in NE right about now.
Sedum
Sedum looks good all year, requires minimal attention and attracts few problems. Then it throws us this wonderful encore in the fall with a brilliant display of color.
Asters
Asters start popping open in late August and continue doing so until frost. You can see them in shades of pink, purple, blue and white and these airy daisy-like blossoms are truly charming.
Our fall collection has arrived, so if you want to see these beauties, and other fall show offs, stop by the nursery and say hello.
August 27th, 2010
Outdoor furniture has come a long way from the white wicker chairs, porch rockers, canvas sling chairs, folding plastic lawn chairs, sand chairs and metal gliders that once were the standard for lawn, beach and porch.
But those icons started it all, made us think, hey, how much can we bring outdoors? And when in New England, where there is a small 10 week window of outdoor-living-friendly weather, it’s all about maximizing that time and being comfortable.
So let’s make that backyard, that patio, that lawn, the most inviting, engaging and comfortable space that we can.
Let’s expand the footprint of our house, just for a little while, and let’s eat lunch, sip cocktails, chat with friends, serve dinner or read, in a special space outside, and on and around furniture that is comfortable, and unique.
Maybe it’s teak, maybe aluminum, or perhaps steel, but whatever it is that feels right to you, if you want more choices, stroll around and check out what we have at the nursery.
« Older Entries•Home•Newer Entries »
