The greens arrived from up north today, and we’ll begin making blankets next week.  If you haven’t seen our blankets, stop in toward the end of the week and we’ll have some of all the sizes made up that you can take a look at, or buy if you want to place the blanket yourself. 

We make a blanket in straw on a sturdy wooden frame rather than on styrofoam as some garden centers do.  This makes the blanket heavier, helping to prevent it from flipping over in the wind, and the straw absorbs rain and snow to help keep the greens fresher longer.  We deliver the blankets and pillows to the local cemeteries at no charge; delivery to outlying cemeteries may incur an additional charge.  We also make less expensive sprays that are intended as a cash and carry way to go, but they can also be delivered locally for an additional charge.

This year we also have an expanded selection of Christmas-themed artificial sprays on easels.  These can be viewed on our feature wall to the right of the side door.

The landscape crew is still doing installations, as long as the weather cooperates.  And when that ends, Dawn will still do We Plan/You Plants for next year’s DIY’ers or for installs in 2009.  So call and make an appointment ASAP!

Locavore  (loh-kuh-vohr)- noun.  A person whose diet focuses on foods grown and produced nearby, typically 100 miles.

I am compiling information about sources for foodstuffs (fruits, vegetables, honey, jams and jellies, syrups, meats, cheeses, eggs, wine) that are grown  or produced in our Ohio Valley area (within 100 miles or so of Ferda’s Garden Center).  I am putting together a web site that locavores or potential locavores can use to find sources of local foods and beverages.  If you know of any farmers who sell their produce, meats or cheeses locally, or vintners who produce local wines, or restaurants that use local ingredients in their food, please help me out by letting me know about them.  Or if you know someone who would know about these sources, please share that information.  You can phone me at the garden center (740-546-4467) or email me at lynn@ferdas.com or fax me at 740-546-3241. 

Grave blanket letters are going out in a week or so– watch your mail for an order blank if you’ve ordered with us before.  You can order by mail, phone or fax as usual.