It's Spring - Let's get this party started!

Hello Friends,

It's Spring! Our 13th Spring owning Wingard's! There's nothing like Spring in the Garden Center business. We feel like we're in the movie Top Gun, "going Mach 2 with our hair on fire, " trying to meet all your needs for the Spring planting season. So that's why this note will be short and sweet. Let's get this party started!

Wally & Delores Steinhauser

Save the Date - 2018 Spring Fling

Saturday, March 17 | All Day

Come join us for a day of beautiful spring color.

Gates open at 8:30 and for the early birds come enjoy FREE breakfast starting at 8:00 AM, featuring local suppliers; Loveland Coffee, Krauss Orange Juice, Sylvan Sausage, and JoAnn's Kitchen's Biscuits. Tavi's will be here mid-day, sampling various ways to use his special Four-in-One Sauce/Glaze/Marinade/Dressing.
Check out Tavi's appearance on Making It Grow here.

Specials throughout the day:

50% off one item - first 100 customers
25% off all trees & shrubs
15% off birdseed
75% off in the Gift Shoppe tent sale
and so much more...

More details

Garden Dollars on Sale
$50 VALUE - YOU PAY $25

Don't Wait - Buy Now - While Supplies Last

"If you didn't get yours, we still have some available."

You must be a member of our Rewards Club to purchase. But no worries if you're not, you can sign up for Rewards and buy your Garden Dollars at the same time.

There's a limited number, so hurry in before
they're all gone!

Some stipulations apply:

Must come in to purchase.
Limit 1 per rewards member.
You can begin using them on March 19th, 2018.
Last day to use them is December 22, 2018.
Must be used in one transaction, no cash back, no carry-overs and not replaceable if lost or stolen.
Non-transferable. May be used by purchaser only.
Excludes: Pine straw, delivery, installation, sale merchandise, gift certificates and event tickets.
May not be combined with any other discount or promotion.

What You're Seeing in Your Yard

March is the beginning of the great Spring Migration for birds so we will begin to see birds like 1-Yellow-throated Warblers, 2-Purple Martins, 3-Scarlet Tanagers, & 4-Baltimore Orioles pass through our yards in the Midlands.

What's new at Wings & Things

"Birdie Bell"
Enjoy watching your birds build a nest! The Birdie Bell is an all weather bell shaped holder filled with all the nesting materials that birds need to build a nest. Simply hang the birdie bell and watch your feathered friends go to work.

Help us support the SC Audubon Society

Build a Native Plant / Bird Friendly Garden at the Governor's Mansion in Columbia

If you would like to donate a birdhouse or native plant to this project, contact [email protected]. He will give you the details on how you or your organization can contribute to the materials needed for this project. All donors, partners, and contributors will be included on a GIS story map they will put together. The Audubon Society is also looking for volunteers to work on planting the garden on April 10.

To volunteer to help, register here.

Tips for Spring Gardening

One day it's gloomy, bleak, and cold, and the next it's warm
and sunny. With the sunshine, you start thinking about
spring gardening, but you didn't prepare as you should have.

Spring gardening can be a fun and relaxing activity, especially if it's done correctly. By following these simple tips, you will make the most out of spring gardening.

Read More

Did you know?

A 25-foot tree reduces annual heating and
cooling cost for typical homes by 8-12%.

We carry a wide array of landscape trees just waiting to be planted to help you reduce your home's energy needs. Plus a large tree will provide the perfect spot to enjoy a cold glass of
sweet tea on a hot South Carolina day!

How NOT to Crape Murder

Our Trees & Shrubs Manager, David McNinch, teaches you how to properly trim Crape Myrtle Trees in your yard. There's a popular slogan that refers to the improper trimming of Crape Myrtles known as "Crape Murder." Don't be Crape Murderers.

Please note: While we recommend pruning crape myrtles in January, it's not too late to do it now, before new growth emerges.

For a complete list of Wingard's TV Garden Educational Videos
please visit: wingardsmarket.com and click on the tab "Wingard's TV."

Garden To-do List

Are you itching to get out in the garden? Will March come in like a lamb and go out like a lion? It's always hard to tell here in the Midlands. In some places throughout the county, we still have to worry about a late frost so watch the skies and keep tuned to your weather forecasts if you put out those tender vegetable plants.

Don't be fooled by the warm weather we've experienced lately. Watch for frost/freeze warnings between now and April 15. It never fails; there's always one! Buy a frost blanket now, so you don't get caught short-handed when the forecast comes with short notice! We have 12' X 10' frost blankets for $14.99. Better to be safe than sorry.
Wait to fertilize trees and shrubs until April 1 to avoid pushing excess new growth which might get hurt by a late cold snap.
Wait to fertilize daylilies until April 1.
Prune evergreen shrubs mid- to late-March.
Prune flowering trees and shrubs immediately after blooms fade.
Apply in mid-March, Fertilome 2-in-1 Systemic to protect plants from insects and fungus for six weeks. Or,for insect control only, apply Fertilome Systemic Insect Drench, which protects plants from insects for one year.
Plant cool weather vegetable bedding plants. Available now.... lettuces, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale. Wait until late March to plant warm weather veggie plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, etc.
Plant trees and shrubs.
Spray apple and pear trees with Fertilome Fire Blight Spray while they are blooming.
Leave foliage of daffodils until it turns brown to provide a food reserve for next year's flowers.
Wash crape myrtle limbs, which are covered with black sooty mold, with mild soap and warm water. Spray with Fertilome Horticultural Oil (if the temperature is below 85 degrees) to prevent re-occurrence this year.
Attack wood borers. These pesky insects are lethal to ornamental trees. They are particularly fond of dogwoods, ornamental cherries, redbuds and purple leaf plums. We no longer recommend systemic insecticide because the wood borer is now immune to it. It now requires a chemical called Pyrethrins (organic because it comes from the Chrysanthemum flower), which must come in contact with the wood borer in order to kill it. This chemical is found in a product we carry, called Fertilome Triple Action. Don't wait until you see wood borer damage, because then it will be too late. Spray it right on the trunk of the tree (from the ground up to about 5-6') about once a week from late March to mid-May, in hopes of catching these pesky insects in the act.
DO NOT fertilize your lawn until the grass has "greened up" and you have mowed actual grass (not just green weeds) twice.
DO NOT prune spring blooming plants, such as azaleas, until after they bloom.
Plan your Spring projects now!

Landscape Design Service - Now's the time to get your design done while the designer is not so busy. If you wait until Spring to request a design, you will likely have to wait weeks for an appointment. Do it now, so you can get your plants in the ground well before summer.

It's time for STEP #1 of the Lawn Care Program - Step 1 is applied between February 15 and March 15. Wait until the daytime high temperature is above 65 degrees for four days in a row before you apply. March 15th is the latest you should apply STEP 1.
- FOR ALL GRASSES APPLY: Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper - This product prevents listed weeds from coming up. It will also stop Crabgrass from germinating and destroys the weed during the first five weeks of growth. For a more thorough weed control, spray visible weeds with ferti-lome Weed-Free Zone 10-14 days
- Click here to figure out how much product you'll need for your yard:

What's In

If you're itching to get started on your butterfly garden, our perennials are starting to arrive. Pictured above are Scabiosa and
Echinacea.
We're already bringing in colorful annuals. Here's a big pot of geraniums for your front door or patio. Don't forget to protect them if temps drop into the 30's.
Trucks, trucks and more trucks full of trees and shrubs! Come see all the fresh, new plant material. We've reorganized to make your shopping easier. Foundation shrubs are now grouped by height - low, medium and tall growing. Look for the new signs.

What's Blooming

EVERYTHING! Well maybe not everything, but it sure seems like it! What's not blooming now will be blooming soon. We even have hanging baskets. Enjoy Spring!

Looking for something special?

Add it to our Wingard's Wish Book in the Gazebo

The Wish Book is a listing for customers who are looking for plants that we do not currently have in stock. They might be plants that we normally carry, and you just want us to call you when they come in. Or they might be hard-to-find plants that we don't carry and you are hoping that we will find some for you. In either case, we try to call you if and when they come in. If your name is in the Wish Book for something and you haven't gotten a phone call, feel free to call or email
to check on its availability.

Please note that putting your name in the Wish Book for something we don't normally carry doesn't mean that we are ordering it for you. It means that if we happen to find it and can get it in, we'll let you know.

Interested in Wingard's Special Order?
Let's say you know you definitely want something that we don't have in stock and you definitely want us to get it. If we can find it and put it together with an order we have coming in, we will order it for you. HOWEVER, you must pay in full in advance for things we don't normally stock. AND you may not refuse to accept the product when it arrives.

Returns of special orders are not accepted, however our standard plant guarantee applies.

In response to your many requests, we will be carrying
Super Sod for your yard beginning early- to mid-April.
You will be able to buy it by the piece and carry it home. Or, you will be able to order it by the pallet and have it delivered. More details to come!

50% - 75% off

We're clearing out select trees & shrubs that suffered some winter damage, to make room for fresh, new plant material. Apply a little TLC, and they'll be as good as new. Find them in the dirt parking lot by the Produce Market.

What's new in the Gift Shoppe

1 - Goat's Milk Skin Care products from Bates Family Farm. Marine Corps veteran and cancer survivor, Joe Bates, found solace in raising goats. With too much milk on their hands, he and his wife Shannon began making skin care products. Handmade in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, all natural and divinely moisturizing!

2 - "Write It Down!" Journals - For gardeners, bird watchers, recipe collectors, wine lovers, bucket list makers, password keepers, restaurant frequenters, and many more!

3 - Super Sparkly Safety Stuff Designed For Women:

Glammer Emergency Escape Hammer for the Car - Cut the seatbelt, break the window, get out!
Blingsting Pepper Spray - in a pretty bling case to keep on your key ring; so cute, it hurts!
Ahh!-larm - Super-loud Personal Alarm - Make a huge scene!

What's new in the Produce Market

Have you been wondering what we sell in the produce market other than fresh fruits and vegetables?
If so, here is a short list of the some of the
locally fresh, family owned products we carry.

JoAnn's Kitchen - Fresh Homemade Baked Goods (Lexington)
Adam's Edibles - Apple Butter (Lexington)
Bee Trail Farms - Raw Honey (Lexington)
Roots & Leaves - Elderberry & Honey Tonic (Aiken)
Loveland Coffee (Irmo)
Keisler's Grits and Cornmeal (Gilbert)
Sylvan Farms Sausage and Beef (Saluda)
Krause Brothers Orange and Grapefruit Juice (Greenville)
Trail Ridge Farm and Dairy - Goat Cheese (Aiken)
Countryside Creamery - Whole Milk (Pomaria)
Holstein Farms - Free Range Eggs (Cameron)
Clemson University - Blue Cheese (Clemson)
Little Mountain Homestead Farms - Bibb Lettuce (Little Mountain)
Blenheim Ginger Ale (Hamer)
Sallie's Greatest Herbal Jellies (Cameron)
Nellie T's Nut Butters & Pimento Cheeses (Simpsonville)
Belly's Chicken Salad (Lexington)
Faithful Foods Soup and Dip Mixes, (Lexington)
Grey Ghost Bakery (Charleston)
Charleston Tea Plantation (Wadmalaw Island)
Rogers Brother Farms - Produces Gillespie Peanuts (Hartsville)
Yoders Good Health (Fair Play)
Mother Shukers - Sauces (Columbia)
Tavi's, LLC - Marinade, glaze and dipping sauce (Irmo)
Fat Man's Candies - Peanut Brittle (W. Columbia)
Agape Chocolates (Graniteville)

Basic Landscape Design Workshop

Saturday, March 10 | 10:00 AM

Do you have some questions about landscape design
for your home? No problem!
Join us as we cover landscape design basics.

There is a $10 fee for this workshop, and you will receive a $10 coupon to use at Wingard's. Register online or call 803-359-9091.

More Details

Gardening for Wildlife Workshop

Tuesday, March 20 | 6:30 PM

Come learn about the South Carolina Wildlife Federation's Garden for Wildlife Program, which helps people restore habitat and wildlife populations to our cities, towns, and neighborhoods.

The cost is $10 You will receive a $5 coupon to use at Wingard's, and $5 will go to support SCWF. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. Register online or call 803-359-9091.

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Limited Space Vegetable Gardening Workshop

Saturday, March 24 | 10:00 AM

If you have a small yard and an even smaller amount of spare time, you'll love learning about limited space vegetable gardening.

There is a $10 fee for this workshop, and you will receive a $10 coupon to use at Wingard's. Register online or call 803-359-9091.

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Limited Space Vegetable Gardening Workshop

Saturday, March 24 | 2:00 PM

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Saluda Shoals Bird Walk

Saturday, March 24 | 8:00 AM

Walk the trails with our wildlife specialist, Zach Steinhauser, who will point out various species and discuss habitat, migration patterns, and answer any questions you may have.

Directions to meeting place will be emailed to you upon registration. $15 fee person, includes entry and parking at Saluda Shoals; must register in advance; space is limited, so please register early. Children 15 & under free; must be accompanied by a registered adult.

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