10 Reasons to Shop at Schaefer's for Valentine's Day 2011

With Valentine's Day 10 days away, here are the top 10 reasons to shop at Schaefer's!

1. Schaefer's now carries Speaking Roses! We can personalize any floral order by embossing a rose with your special message to your Valentine!


2. Everyone loves to receive flowers! It's been proven - a study at Rutgers found that fresh flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on moods. In fact, all participants in the study smiled when they received a beautiful bouquet of flowers.


3. We personally deliver flowers to the Aurora, Naperville, Oswego, Montgomery, Sugar Grove and Yorkville areas, and we'll be delivering every day leading up to Valentine's Day, even Sunday! If you have big weekend plans, we'd be happy to surprise your Valentine early!


4. By shopping at Schaefer's, you are supporting a locally owned business. Your money stays in our community via taxes, wages, and services.


5. We have flowers and gifts in every price range. Whether you're on a budget or whether the sky is the limit, we're here to create something special for you!


6. We've been in business over 80 years with 4 generations of experience. That's hundreds of years of expertise in Valentine love and romance!


7. We proudly stand behind our satisfaction guarantee. Our flowers are the freshest in town!


8. In addition to our beautiful flowers, we also have wine, chocolates, cookies, jewelry, candles, teddy bears, balloons, cards and everything you need to wow your Valentine!


9. Got roses? Our gorgeous Columbian roses are a Valentine favorite and a traditional symbol of love and affection. Choose from vases of 1,2,3,6,12, 24 or more - available in a beautiful array of colors! We never raise our prices around Valentine's Day just to take advantage of our customers.


10. When you call Schaefer's, you can speak to a live person. We can answer your questions, make suggestions and take the fear out of ordering flowers. It's easy to order flowers from Schaefer's!

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year from Schaefer's! We've been away from our blog from a few months, but now we're back! And we have lots to share with you. Stay tuned ...

Butterflies

It's easy to attract butterflies to your garden!

Our Plant of the Week is the Butterfly Bush - Buddleia, and Schaefer's Garden Center carries them in a variety of colors and sizes. Lo & Behold "Blue Chip" Buddleia is a Schaefer favorite! This variety features long lasting fragrant purple flowers and grows 24-36" in height. It's also easy to maintain and grows in full sun.

ALL Butterfly Bushes are now 25% off!

Additional plants that attract butterflies include Purple Cone Flower, Joe-Pye Weed, Phlox, Liatris and Lilacs. Butterflies especially like red, orange, yellow and purple flowers.

This summer, enjoy butterflies in your garden by adding a few simple plants to your landscape!

Summer Sale

It's officially summer! Time for backyard barbeques, outdoor birthday parties and family picnics! Add vibrant color to your landscape with Schaefer's Summer Sale and impress your friends and family!

SAVE 50% on annuals and perennials! Choose from hundreds of gorgeous plants, including our geraniums and hanging baskets.

SAVE 25% on nursery stock, including trees, shrubs, rose bushes and evergreens!

Celebrate Roses

June is National Rose Month! It's time to celebrate our national flower! Here are some Fun Rose Facts -

• The rose became the official flower of the United States in 1986.
• Roses are native to North America.
• Roses have been around for about 35 million years.
• 60% of the roses grown in the United States are grown in California.
• 150 million rose plants are sold to gardeners around the world each year!
• The rose symbolizes love and beauty.

How to Celebrate National Rose Month -

• Plant a new rose bush in your garden.
• Send roses to someone you love. Roses are the perfect way to say "I love you."
• Treat yourself to a colorful bouquet of roses.
• Relax in a bubble bath filled with fragrant rose petals.
• Visit a local rose garden or simply take time to enjoy your own rose garden.

The Meanings of Various Rose Colors -

• Red - love, true love, beauty, desire, respect, courage, unity
• Deep Red - admiration, embarrassment
• White - spiritual love and purity
• Yellow - joy, friendship
• Lavender - love at first sight, enchantment
• Light Pink - grace, gentility, sympathy, admiration
• Dark Pink - thankfulness
• Peach - immortality, modesty

If you're looking to celebrate National Rose Month by planting a rose bush in your garden, Schaefer's has a beautiful selection for you! Roses are easy to grow and add an elegant look to any garden.

How To Plant a Patio Pot Container Garden

Every year, Schaefer's plants up hundreds of beautiful, custom patio pots. The photos above show the pots planted by Adriena and Kandy for the Village of Montgomery Beautification Project.

Decorative patio pots add a splash of color to patios, decks, entrances and landscapes. You can create a masterpiece of your own by following these simple steps.

• Select a container - Consider color, weight and style. A larger pot will hold more moisture. Also, if the pot does not allow drainage, be sure to drill holes in the bottom of the pot.
• Choose plants based on color scheme and sun exposure (sun vs shade plants) - Select a tall grass or spike for center of pot, medium sized plants next and trailing plants near the edge of the pot. Schaefer's has hundreds of annuals, and we're here to help you with your selection. Placing the plants in the container before planting will help you see how many will fit into the pot. Remember that the plants will grow, so do not overfill the pot.
• Fill pot with potting soil. Water the pot along with all other plants (in their individual pots) to prevent root shock.
• Time to plant! Start in the center of the pot and work your way outward. Remove each plant from pot and softly loosen roots. Place in pot and firmly pack the soil around each plant.
• Water pot thoroughly
• Fertilize - Use a slow release fertilizer after planting, and then use a water soluble fertilizer for the rest of the season.

Remember to water your beautiful patio pot often!

To watch Adriena plant the custom patio pots for the Village of Montgomery, follow this link -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcYHjqpvs7E

Vegetable Garden Tips

It's time to plant your veggie garden! By growing your own vegetables, you not only save money on expensive produce at the store, but you also enjoy the distinct, delicious taste of the freshest fruits and vegetables from your own garden. On average, a $50 investment in vegetable seeds and plants can yield up to $1250 worth of groceries at the local supermarket!

Some of the produce that ends up on our dinner table comes from other continents. We really don't think about where our food comes from, how it was grown or how long ago it was harvested. When you grow your own vegetables, you can take pride in knowing that you're helping the environment and providing your family with the freshest produce available!

Growing a vegetable garden is not as difficult as it seems. Here are a few simple guidelines.

Select a location with at least 6 hours of sun each day. Mix the soil with mushroom compost (for nutrients) and peat moss (to lighten the soil for root growth).

Decide which crops you'd like to plant. Follow labels on seed packets and pots for proper distance between crops. If you're first timer and looking for something easy, try tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, radishes and green beans. Also try tasty herbs like chives, parsley, cilantro and thyme. We're here to help with your selection!

If you don't have much space for a vegetable garden, you can grow veggies in patio pots or even in small groupings around your pre-existing landscape.

Be sure to water regularly. Pick ripened crops frequently to encourage more production.

Soon, you'll be harvesting delicious produce from your own garden. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for progress on our employees' veggie gardens! More tips to follow!