‘THE SAGE’-Klein’s Online Newsletter—JANUARY 2025
Klein’s Floral & Greenhouses
3758 E. Washington Ave.
Madison, WI 53704
608/244-5661 or info@kleinsfloral.com
THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Houseplant Happy Hour: Fridays thru January 31, 4:00-6:00
January/February Yoga/Workout Classes at Klein’s
UW Extension’s Green Thumb Gardening Series Coming in January
About Klein’s Famous Homegrown Calla Lilies
14 Gardening Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Our ‘Mad Gardener‘ and ‘Houseplant Help‘ Are Ready for Your Questions
Klein’s Favorite Seed, Bulb & Plant Sources
You Asked About a Stressed Money Tree
Plant of the Month: Japanese Aralia (Fatsia japonica)
Klein’s Favorite Quinoa Recipes
Product Spotlight: Microgreens Seeds from Botanical Interests
Notes from Rick’s Garden Journal—From December 2024
—The Mourning Dove…Wisconsin’s Symbol of Peace
—Creative Christmas Tree Recycling
—Most Common Seed-Starting Mistakes
January in the Garden: A Planner
Gardening Events Around Town
Review Klein’s @: Yelp, Google Reviews or Facebook Reviews
Join Us on Twitter
Follow Us on Facebook
HOUSEPLANT HAPPY HOUR @ KLEIN’S
Please join us for Houseplant Happy Hour on Fridays, from January 3 thru January 31, 4:00-6:00 p.m. with 20% Off All Houseplants!
Please note that our potting table and free potting service will not be available during this event.
Delivery is not available for plants purchased during Houseplant Happy Hour and must be taken at the time of purchase.
THE 2025 KLEIN’S CALENDARS ARE STILL AVAILABLE…
…and new for 2025 Klein’s gorgeous custom-designed calendars are loaded with not only beautiful garden photographs, but also month by month gardening tips AND and a matching coupon for in-store savings…a different money-saving coupon for every month of the year!
JANUARY/FEBRUARY YOGA AND WORKOUT CLASSES
Join us for yoga/workout at Klein’s during the month of January. Nothing is more beautiful than being in our cozy and warm greenhouses on a sunny and bitter cold winter morning. We are offering a variety of class options with a variety of instructors throughout the month. See our January calendar @ January Events for info, dates and times or visit our Facebook page for all upcoming events at Klein’s.
HAVE YOU MOVED RECENTLY?
If so, we ask that as we go into the busy spring season, you update your new address in association with Klein’s Rewards Program so you continue to receive all possible benefits.
In addition to occasional coupons, we’ve been mailing out birthday month postcards with an added gift during the past year or so and find that many are being returned with an invalid address. We don’t want you to miss out!
If your address has recently changed, please send your new information to info@kleinsfloral.com and please include your name and your old address as reference.
THE MAD GARDENER
Madison’s Firsthand Source for Expert Gardening Advice
Ask any of your gardening questions by e-mailing them to us at madgardener@kleinsfloral.com. Klein’s in-house Mad Gardener will e-mail you with an answer as promptly as we can. We’ve also posted a link on our home page and in our contacts for your convenience. Your question might then appear in the “You Asked” feature of our monthly newsletter. If your question is the one selected for our monthly newsletter, you’ll receive a small gift from us at Klein’s.
Sorry, we can only answer those questions pertaining to gardening in Southern Wisconsin and we reserve the right to leave correspondence unanswered at our discretion. Please allow 2-3 days for a response.
KLEIN’S ‘HOUSEPLANT HELP’
You can contact Klein’s in-house indoor plant experts by emailing to houseplanthelp@kleinsfloral.com for sound information and advice regarding indoor tropicals, succulents, blooming plants and so much more.
For many years, customers’ indoor plant questions have been directed to Klein’s Mad Gardener. Now you have the opportunity to contact our indoor plant experts directly. We’ve posted a link on our home page and in our contacts for your convenience. Your question might then appear in the “You Asked” feature of our monthly newsletter. If your question is the one selected for our monthly newsletter, you’ll receive a small gift from us at Klein’s.
We reserve the right to leave correspondence unanswered at our discretion. Please allow 2-3 days for a response.
JANUARY STORE HOURS:
Monday thru Friday : 9:00-6:00
Saturday: 9:00-5:00
Sunday: 10:00-4:00
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
January 1–New Year’s Day. The store is closed. HAPPY 2025!
January 3–Houseplant Happy Hour @ Klein’s, 4:00-6:00
January 4–Greenhouse Yoga @ Klein’s with Jess Winkler, 8:00-9:00. For more details and to sign up visit Greenhouse Yoga with Jess Winkler. Space is limited!
January 5–Greenhouse Yoga @ Klein’s with Hayley Homburg, 9:00-10:00. For more details and to sign up visit Greenhouse Yoga with Hayley Homburg. Space is limited!
January 7–Orthodox Christmas
January 10–National Houseplant Appreciation Day
January 10–Houseplant Happy Hour @ Klein’s, 4:00-6:00
January 11–Greenhouse Yoga @ Klein’s with Cass Hanson, 8:00-9:00. For more details and to sign up visit Greehouse Yoga with Cass Hanson. Space is limited!
January 12—Barre District Madison @ Klein’s, 9:00-10:00. For more details and to sign up visit Barre District Madison Workout. Space is limited!
January 13–Full Moon
January 14–Orthodox New Year
Mid-January–Seeds begin arriving for retail sale. Believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking about spring planting. Klein’s carries an extensive seed selection from Seed Savers, Botanical Interests, Livingston, Olds and more.
January 17–Houseplant Happy Hour @ Klein’s, 4:00-6:00
January 18–Greenhouse Yoga @ Klein’s with Cass Hanson, 8:00-9:00. For more details and to sign up visit Greenhouse Yoga with Cass Hanson . Space is limited!
January 19–Greenhouse Yoga @ Klein’s with Jess Winkler, 9:00-10:00. For more details and to sign up visit Greenhouse Yoga with Jess Winkler. Space is limited!
January 20–Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 24–Houseplant Happy Hour @ Klein’s, 4:00-6:00
January 25–Greenhouse Yoga @ Klein’s with Cass Hanson, 8:00-9:00. For more details and to sign up visit Greenhouse Yoga with Cass Hanson. Space is limited!
January 26—Barre District Madison @ Klein’s, 9:00-10:00. For more details and to sign up visit Barre District Madison Workout. Space is limited!
January 29—Chinese New Year
January 31–Houseplant Happy Hour @ Klein’s, 4:00-6:00
Throughout January–Have you ever thought about working at a garden center? Perhaps now’s the time to explore the possibility.
January is the perfect time to apply @ kleinsfloral.com/employment/. By early March we try to have most of our hiring in place for the upcoming spring.
We’re always in need of temporary, part-time counter help in the spring and greenhouse production swings into gear during March and April. If you’re interested, ask for Sue or Megan about retail positions or Michael for the greenhouse. Benefits include flexible hours, a generous discount on all purchases and a stimulating and fun work environment. Join our team and experience first hand how we make the magic happen.
February 1–Greenhouse Yoga @ Klein’s with Amanda Hagen, 8:00-9:00. For more details and to sign up visit Greenhouse Yoga with Amanda Hagen . Space is limited!
February 2–Greenhouse Yoga @ Klein’s with Megan Reed, 9:00-10:00. For more details and to sign up visit Greenhouse Yoga with Megan Reed Space is limited!
February 7-9—PBS Wisconsin’s Garden and Landscape Expo at the Alliant Energy Center. One, Two and Three Day Tickets are now available at Klein’s. Details available at www.wigardenexpo.com.
February 14–Valentine’s Day. Order early for guaranteed delivery. We deliver throughout Madison and most of Dane County.
‘THE FLOWER SHOPPE’:
If ever you’ve received a floral arrangement from Klein’s during late winter and early spring containing a large, perfectly shaped, white and slightly fragrant calla lily, it’s quite likely one of Klein’s very own famous Zantedeschia aetheopica. Beginning in late December and early January, the Klein’s calla lilies begin putting on a show that will last for months to come, producing hundreds of long-stemmed tropical and provocative blooms.
The Klein’s callas have a long history. In fact, the tuberous rhizomes are generations old, stemming back from a time when the Klein greenhouses themselves supplied many of our flower shop’s fresh cut flowers. The actual variety has long been forgotten, but thankfully the means to get them to rebloom reliably from year to year has not.
During the productive winter months, we store the huge potted plants in our back greenhouses where temperatures are kept winter-long at a cool 50 degrees. Though callas generally require liberal watering, we keep them rather dry in these cool conditions in order to control stem and root rot. In addition, the cooler temperatures keep the vigorous foliage more controlled and the flower stalks shorter. This added stress, as with most plants, also stimulates better blooming.
Once temperatures inside the greenhouse warm up in the long days of late spring, the flowering slows and the foliage becomes long and spindly. At that time we also need more space to grow our spring annuals. It’s in mid-April that the large tubs of callas are moved our of the way in an unused location to spend the summer. During May and June we cut back drastically on the watering in order to send them into complete dormancy. During the summer months they are left bone dry. During this time the foliage will have withered away and been removed.
In late August the cycle begins anew. We split and transplant the rhizomes into new tubs and top dress them with a layer of composted manure or rich soil. We then move them back into their winter home and start watering them as normal. Within weeks, dense, bright green foliage emerges from the seemingly lifeless pots and a few months later the plants send up their hundreds of gorgeous blooms.
Though expensive, each bloom grown at Klein’s is still less expensive and of far superior quality than those supplied by our wholesalers that have been shipped in from far away countries. In fact, we sometimes supply some of our floral wholesalers with our overstock each season, perhaps appearing in one of our competitors’ bouquets.
YOU ASKED. . .
My money tree plant thrives outdoors all summer. It’s kept in semi shaded area and fertilized 2x a month and watered weekly. It’s in a south window for the winter, dropping some mature leaves which have large brown spots on the perimeter. Also, some newer small leaves are drying up and dying off. Is this normal or what should I do to help it out? Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
Plants that spend their summers outdoors nearly always take a nosedive once brought back indoors. It’s not harmful to the plant. With the low light levels (short days and inherently less light indoors…even in a south window) they simply don’t need all of the foliage that formed during the warm, bright summer outdoors. That said, plants relish being outdoors during the summer and are much healthier and more vigorous in the long haul.
Once brought back indoors, the watering regimen changes drastically. Money trees like to be consistently moist, but never soggy. They need to be deep watered when they are dry to the touch. During the winter it’s most common for people to overwater their plants. Plants aren’t wanting to grow during the dead of winter and, therefore, require less frequent watering. On the other hand, people are afraid to deep water, fearing overflowing a plant’s saucer and causing damage to floors and furniture. If you’re afraid to deep water, water your money tree in a bathtub or utility sink and then place it back in its saucer.
The drying tips on new leaves could be a humidity issue. Money trees prefer a humid environment. Those conditions are difficult to achieve in our dry homes…especially in winter with the heat running and fireplaces burning.
Thanks for your question,
madgardener@kleinsfloral.com, houseplanthelp@kleinsfloral.com
DID YOU KNOW. . .
. . . that the ever-popular UW Extension Green Thumb Spring Gardening Series begins again this January?
The Green Thumb Gardening vegetable series will help you to keep your kitchen garden thriving! The series covers many aspects of vegetable gardening for a robust background in vegetable production. UW-Madison Extension educators and UW specialists will provide in-depth, practical information for the novice to the experienced gardener. Classes are recorded (except Vegetable Diseases) and handouts are provided for your further review after each session.
All classes are Thursdays 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Register for the complete class series at a discounted price ($110.00) or individual classes ($12.00) according to your interests.
Full Vegetable Series – All classes are live; recordings are sent to registrants after the event (vegetable disease management is not recorded).
Visit dane.extension.wisc.edu/events/gt-veg-winter-2025-1/ for further details and to register.
January 9: Planning the Vegetable Garden
January 16: Soils and Fertilizers
January 23: Seed Starting
January 30: Vegetable Garden Crops and Special Techniques
No Class February 6 Due to Garden Expo @ the Alliant Energy Center
February 13: Composting
February 20: Vegetable Disease Management (this class is not recorded)
February 27: Vegetable Insect Management
March 6: Weed Management
March 13: Cover Crops for the Garden
March 20: Succession Planting, Companion Planting, and Season Extension
March 27: Seed Saving, Harvesting, and Storage
Please contact Lisa Johnson @ 608-224-3715 or johnson.lisa@countyofdane.com with questions or for more information.
Or visit: Isthmus Calendar of Garening Eventsfor this and many garden related events in the Madison area.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT—Each month we spotlight some product that we already carry or one that we’ve taken note of and plan to carry in the near future. Likewise, if you would like to see Klein’s to carry a product that we don’t currently, please let us know. Our goal is to be responsive to the marketplace and to our loyal clientele. If a product fits into our profile, we will make every effort to get it into our store. In addition, we may be able to special order an item for you, whether plant or hard good, given enough time.
Not only does Klein’s sell a vast assortment of microgreen (and sprouts) seed choices from Botanical Interests (Please visit Botanical Interests Microgreensfor their complete assortment), but we also sell a variety of kits with everything you need to get started. That said, one of our Kleins associates grows batch after batch of delicious microgreens year round in his basement using a few readily available, inexpensive seed starting supplies, a few light fixtures and a timer. His growing technique below was inspired by a Better Homes and Gardens magazine article from March 2022.
What Are Microgreens? Learn How to Grow These Superfoods
By Marie McCartan
Microgreens are a popular culinary trend because of their intense flavor and extraordinarily high vitamin content (a USDA study found that microgreens have five times more nutrients than mature plants). They’ve been used for years in high-end restaurants, but microgreens have become increasingly familiar to home cooks thanks to how quickly and easily they grow.
Even if you lack space for a garden, growing microgreens indoors near a sunny window (or under a grow light) is a snap. Within a few weeks, you can go from seeds to a crop of tiny, tasty edibles ready to snip and eat. Here’s how to start growing microgreens yourself.
So, what are microgreens? Microgreens are vegetables and herbs grown from seeds and harvested at the seedling stage when they have only their seed leaves before their true leaves develop. Even though they’re small, these plants pack a big, bold flavor. And it’s that fabulous flavor that attracts cooks to microgreens. Broccoli microgreens taste like broccoli, only a bit stronger. Chives in microgreen form taste a little zestier than their mature selves. Cilantro microgreens have an even brighter flavor than full-grown cilantro leaves. Among others, Klein’s carries a Umami Asian Blend, a Jazzy Mix, a Mellow Blend and a Basil Blend, all from Botanical Interests.
Don’t confuse microgreens with sprouts, even though they look similar and both are seedlings. Microgreens are grown in soil, typically eaten fresh, and we eat only the seed leaves and stem. Sprouts are often grown without soil and eaten roots and all. (Klein’s also carries a wide variety of sprout choices.)
How to Grow Microgreens
There are a few methods that home gardeners use to grow microgreens. The most popular and easiest way is to grow them indoors. You can create a simple setup if you don’t want to purchase a microgreens kit. Here’s what you’ll need to grow microgreens:
(….all available at Klein’s)
—Shallow garden 10×20″ growing tray with drainage holes
—Shallow garden 10×20″ growing tray without drainage holes
—Organic seed starting mix or light potting mix
—Seeds
—Spray bottle filled with water
—Damp paper towels or clear acrylic seed-starting cover or dome
Add moist organic potting soil to the tray with holes to a depth of about one-and-a-half inches. Gently pat down the soil, breaking up any lumps. Sprinkle seeds liberally on top of the soil. Because microgreens are harvested when the plants are still tiny, they don’t mind being crowded together. Edible gardening expert Barbara Damrosch recommends sprinkling seeds evenly over the tray with a colander. Top with just enough soil to cover the seeds.
Use your spray bottle to thoroughly dampen the soil and settle it around the microgreens seeds. The gentle mist won’t disturb seeds or soil. Cover your seed tray with damp, bleach-free paper towels or a plastic garden dome. Place the tray of seeds in the tray that doesn’t have drainage holes to prevent leaks onto your counter or table. Set in a sunny (preferably a south-facing) window. An east-facing or west-facing window will work, but a north-facing window won’t provide enough light.
Remove the paper towels or dome when sprouts start developing (around day three). To keep the soil moist, continue to mist several times a day or as needed. You also can water from below by removing the tray containing the seedlings, placing water in the bottom tray (or a bigger pan), then returning the seedling tray to soak. Fertilizer is not necessary.
Your microgreens are ready to harvest when plants reach about 2 or 3 inches tall. Use a sharp chef’s knife or scissors to cut the seedlings about a half-inch above the soil. With a chef’s knife, you’ll get a bigger handful and do the job faster. Rinse the microgreens in cool water and blot with cloth or paper towels. You also can use a salad spinner to remove most of the water. Place the rinsed greens between paper towels and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last about a week.
You can get up to three harvests from a seed bed, depending on the type of microgreens you’re growing. However, the third crop may not be as tasty as the first two harvests, and the plants may be leggy. Damrosch also suggests flipping over the entire root-filled mat of potting mix and sowing more seeds on the newly exposed surface. After you harvest your last crop, toss your old potting mixture in your compost bin. Wash your seed trays well before starting a new batch of microgreens.
If using a lighting system and a timer, 13 hours on and 11 hours off is optimum.
Source: https://www.bhg.com/
NOTES FROM MY GARDEN JOURNAL–Tips and Observations from My Own Garden by Rick Halbach
ENTRY: DECEMBER 9, 2024 (The Mourning Dove…Wisconsin’s Symbol of Peace)
My many birdfeeders bring an abundance of wildlife and activity to the backyard during the winter months. Among the most common visitors are fairly large flocks of mourning doves that visit the feeders numerous times per day.
About Mourning Doves
The mournful cooing of the mourning dove is one of our most familiar bird sounds. From southern Canada to central Mexico, this is one of our most common birds, often abundant in open country, along roadsides and in backyards. European settlement of the continent, with its opening of the forest, probably helped this species to increase. It also helps itself, by breeding prolifically: in warm climates, mourning doves may raise up to six broods per year, more than any other native bird.
The mourning dove was named the state symbol of peace in 1971.
Mourning Doves are named for their familiar song, a low moaning “cooah, coo, coo, coo.” The males and females look very similar, but the males can be larger and more colorful with a bluish cap and a pink chest. Mourning Doves measure about 12 inches with a slim body, grayish-brown backs, buff-colored undersides, black spots on the wings and behind the eye, and white feathers in the tail which can be seen in flight. Look for their small head and a long, pointed tail. Listen for their wings to “whistle” as they fly.
These doves are one of the most abundant and widely distributed birds in North America, and Wisconsin. Listen for their cooing as the sun goes down and look for them on telephone wires, on at your bird feeder and in forested areas throughout the year. These doves are more abundant in the southern two-thirds of the state.
The mourning dove breeding season is long, from April to September, but most nesting happens from May until August. Doves build a platform of loose twigs and grass in trees or shrubs at about 10-30 feet above ground. In wooded areas, elms and maples are preferred and in open areas, they like lines of coniferous trees (spruce trees) and windbreaks for nesting. Mourning doves lay two white eggs per clutch (a nest of eggs) and raise between two and five clutches per year. Both parents take part in incubating the eggs and caring for the young. In the first weeks, mourning dove hatchlings are fed crop milk or “pigeon milk,” which is secreted by the crop lining in both the male and female. It is extremely nutritious – more than cow’s milk! Young doves, or “squabs,” hatch without feathers and grow fast, increasing their weight by 14 times within 15 days of age. Young can survive on their own at five days after leaving the nest and most leave the nest area within two to three weeks of fledging. Mourning doves usually do not live long and may not survive for more than one year because of predators, disease, accidents, hunting and weather extremes.
Doves like weed seeds such as pigweed, foxtails, wild sunflower, and ragweed. They also like grains that include corn, sorghum and millet. Insects are also a side dish in the dove’s diet. Doves will travel two to eight miles for food.
Wisconsin has two sub-species of Mourning dove that look almost alike. Some of them migrate to wintering grounds and others stay in Wisconsin all winter.
This bird species is currently hunted in Wisconsin, along with many states. They have been hunted for many years throughout the United States and continue to be one of the most abundant birds in North America.
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ENTRY: DECEMBER 26, 2024 (Creative Christmas Tree Recycling)
With Christmas over, it’s time to think about disposing of the family Christmas tree. The city of Madison and many of the surrounding communities offer curbside pick up. In Madison, round one for pick up begins Monday, January 6, 2025 and the second and final round begins Tuesday, January 21.
To avoid damage to their equipment, the city asks that you follow these guidelines:
—Place trees at the street edge only.
—Remove and discard tree bags.
—Remove all tree stands, ornaments, lights and other metal objects.
—Trees that are not properly prepared will NOT be collected.
As an alternative to having your tannenbaum sent to the landfill, consider the following:
- Mulch With the Pine Needles. Pine needles dry quickly and decompose slowly, making them an excellent moisture- and mold-free mulch for ground-covering crops, such as strawberries, to rest on.
- Create a Bird Sanctuary. Place your tree in its stand outdoors. Fill bird feeders and hang them from the boughs, or drape the tree with a swag of pinecones coated with peanut butter.
- Insulate Perennials. Cut off boughs and lay them over perennial beds to protect them from snow and reduce frost heaving.
- Edge Your Borders. Cut the trunk into 2-inch discs and set them into the soil to edge flower beds or walkways.
- Shelter Fish. If you live near a lake or have a pond, and your tree’s chemical-free, toss branches into the water to provide sheltering habitat for overwintering fish. (Get permission from town officials if needed.)
- Set a Stage For Your Potted Plants. Saw the trunk into different lengths and use the pieces as flowerpot risers for a dramatic group display.
- Make Coasters and Trivets. Cut thin slabs off the trunk, sand them smooth, and apply a thin coat of polyurethane to keep the sap off tables and glassware.
- Chip It. Rent a chipper (get a few neighbors together to split the cost) and feed the tree through it. Next spring, spread the wood chips under shrubs; they’ll suppress weeds and, as they decompose, add nutrients to the soil.
- Feed Your Fire Pit. It’s fine to use a few of the quick-to-ignite branches to start an outdoor fire pit—but never in an indoor fireplace, where creosote build-up is a hazard.
- Stake Your Plants. Strip small branches and use the remaining twigs to support indoor potted plants or stake leggy seedlings.
Source: www.thisoldhouse.com
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ENTRY: DECEMBER 27, 2024 (Most Common Seed-Starting Mistakes)
I spent much of the afternoon today inventorying and ordering seeds from catalogs and online for this upcoming spring. After all, the slow-to-germinate and slow-to-grow annuals and herbs are started in just a few short weeks.
Seed starting can be very fun and rewarding…but there can also be many disappointments…many of which can be avoided.
Most Common Seed-Starting Mistakes
Seeds are magic to gardens. Tuck them in soil, add a little water and you’re on the way to a beautiful bloom or tasty harvest. Start seeds indoors to jump-start your garden.
Whether or not you have experience starting seeds, you’ll improve your success by avoiding these common errors.
Seed-Starting Mistake #1: Catalog Hypnosis
It’s tough to resist the beautiful pictures and glowing words in seed catalogs. Even experienced gardeners struggle to resist the allure. That’s the first mistake most seed starters make: ordering too many seeds.
A simple secret to success with seed-starting is exercising self-restraint. If you’re new to the practice, don’t start too many different types of seeds. Stick with simple ones, such as tomato, basil, zinnia or cosmos.
Seed-Starting Mistake #2: Starting Too Soon
In many regions, sowing seeds gives you a chance to get your hands dirty when it’s too cold to garden outdoors. Don’t start your seeds too soon. Most plants are ready to shift into the great outdoors in four to six weeks. Read the seed packets. Establish your planting date on a calendar and work backwards from that point.
Seed-Starting Mistake #3: Planting Too Deep
Read seed packets carefully, for detailed information about how deep to plant seeds. The rule of thumb is to plant seeds at a depth equal to two or three times their width. It’s better to plant seeds too shallow than too deep. Some seeds, such as certain lettuces, petunias or snapdragon, need light to germinate and shouldn’t be covered at all.
Seed-Starting Mistake #4: Not Labeling Trays
Once you start sowing seeds and get dirt on your fingers, you won’t want to stop and make labels. Before planting, prepare labels and add them to containers as soon as the seeds go into soil. Otherwise, it can be tough to tell seedlings apart. Be sure to include sowing date on your labels.
Seed-Starting Mistake #5: Soil Isn’t Warm
Seed packets specify the temperature seeds need to germinate – soil temperature, not air temperature. Most seed germinate at 78º F. You’ll have sure success if you use a waterproof root-zone heating mat. Once seeds germinate, aim to keep soil temperature in the 65- to 70º range.
Seed-Starting Mistake #6: Too Little Light
In the warmest regions of the country, there’s enough ambient light in a south-facing window to grow stocky seedlings. In northern areas where winter brings persistent cloud cover, you’ll need supplemental lights. Purchase or build an illuminated plant stand to start seedlings. For stocky, healthy seedlings, provide 14 to 16 hours of light daily. Suspend lights 2 to 3 inches above seedlings. Fluorescents work as well as ‘gro-lights’ for this purpose.
Seed-Starting Mistake #7: Water Woes
For seeds to germinate, you need to keep the growing soil damp but not too wet. Many seed starters cover the container to keep soil moist until seeds germinate. Once seeds sprout, don’t miss a watering. Unlike established plants, seedlings don’t have an extensive root system they can rely on for vital moisture. At the same time, it’s important not to overwater and let seedlings sit in water.
Seed-Starting Mistake #8: Not Enough Pampering
Seedlings are delicate creatures. They need daily attention and lots of tender loving care, especially when they’re young. If you can’t monitor seedlings daily, checking on germination, soil moisture, temperature, and lights, you’ll definitely reduce your chances of success. Seedlings don’t survive neglect.
Source: www.bayeradvanced.com
KLEIN’S RECIPES OF THE MONTH—These are a selection of relatively simple recipes chosen by our staff. New recipes appear monthly. Enjoy!!
“While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom.”
That was the pronouncement of researcher Philip White, in an obscure 1955 article on “Edible Seed Products of the Andes Mountains.” While very few people may have read White’s original article, in the last few years his words have been repeated on countless websites and in articles in newspapers and magazines, as quinoa has been rediscovered.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, or goosefoot) is in fact not technically a cereal grain at all, but is instead what we call a “pseudo-cereal” – our name for foods that are cooked and eaten like grains and have a similar nutrient profile. Botanically, quinoa is related to beets, chard and spinach, and in fact the leaves can be eaten as well as the grains.
Quinoa grows on magenta stalks three to nine feet tall, with large seedheads that can be almost any color, from red, purple and orange to green, black or yellow. The seedheads are prolific: a half pound of seed can plant a full acre, yielding 1200-2000 pounds of new seeds per acre. Since nutrient-rich quinoa is also drought resistant, and grows well on poor soils without irrigation or fertilizer, it’s been designated a “super crop” by the United Nations, for its potential to feed the hungry poor of the world.
Over 120 different varieties of quinoa are known, but the most commonly cultivated and commercialized are white (sometimes known as yellow or ivory) quinoa, red quinoa, and black quinoa. Quinoa flakes and quinoa flour are increasingly available, usually at health food stores.
Sacred to the Incas, quinoa was referred to by them as chisaya mama, or the mother of all grains. Legend has it that each year, the Incan emperor would sow the first quinoa seeds, with much solemn ceremony. Although it’s estimated that Bolivians in the Lake Titicaca area began to cultivate quinoa at least five thousand years ago, quinoa came close to disappearing after 1532. That’s when Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish explorer, destroyed the quinoa fields to undermine the Incan culture, built as it was on ceremonies that almost all involved quinoa. Only small pockets of wild quinoa at high altitudes survived, and quinoa was largely forgotten until its “rediscovery” by the outside world in the 1970s.
It’s not surprising that quinoa supports good health, as it’s one of the only plant foods that’s a complete protein, offering all the essential amino acids in a healthy balance. Not only is the protein complete, but quinoa grains have an usually high ratio of protein to carbohydrate, since the germ makes up about 60% of the grain. (For comparison, wheat germ comprises less than 3% of a wheat kernel.) Quinoa is also highest of all the whole grains in potassium, which helps control blood pressure.
What’s more, quinoa is gluten free, which makes it extremely useful to the celiac community and to others who may be sensitive to more common grains such as wheat – or even to all grains in the grass family.
Source: wholegrainscouncil.org
HOT QUINOA BREAKFAST WITH FRUIT—A great gluten-free hot dish that’s ready in just 5-10 minutes. A family favorite on a cold morning! From Food.com.
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup thinly sliced apple
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer. Add the quinoa to the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the apples, raisins and cinnamon and simmer until the water is absorbed. Serve with your milk of choice and sweetened with honey or rice syrup if desired. Makes 2-3 servings.
QUINOA SALAD—A delicious and super easy salad from AARP Magazine.
2 cups quinoa
4 cups vegetable stock, water or a combination thereof
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup diced tomato
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 of a seeded jalapeño, chopped
6 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS. fresh lemon juice
In a saucepan, combine the quinoa and stock/water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 10-15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Let cool completely. In a large bowl, toss together the cooled quinoa and the rest of the ingredients. Cover and chill. Serves 8.
QUINOA PILAF—Another out of this world recipe from the pages of the Willie St. Co-op monthly newsletter.
2 cups water
2 TBS. tamari (Japanese soy sauce)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 cups quinoa
4 TBS. olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 large carrots, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup toasted chopped almonds
1 cup thawed frozen peas
1 large bell pepper, diced
1 TBS. tamari
In a saucepan, bring the water, 2 TBS. tamari and turmeric to a boil. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat and cook 15-20 minutes until the quinoa is tender and the liquid absorbed. Cool to room temperature. Combine the cooked ingredients with the almonds, peas, bell pepper and 1 TBS. tamari in a large bowl. Can be eaten warm or cold. Serves 6-8.
MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA SALAD—An amazing and easy salad for any get-together. It came to us from The Wisconsin State Journal in 2014.
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1/3 cup jarred apricot or mango chutney
1/4 cup lime juice
2 TBS e.v. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1x diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup red onion, minced
2 TBS fresh chopped parsley
2 TBS fresh chopped mint
pepper to taste
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the quinoa and bring it to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 12 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, covered. Fluff and allow to cool.
Whisk together the chutney, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Stir it into the cooled quinoa. Carefully stir in the rest of the ingredients. Cover and chill. Serves 6. The salad doubles easily for large get-togethers or for leftovers.
QUINOA AND CRANBERRY SALAD—NUM!! A beautiful salad recipe from Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin. The vinaigrette is the star in this salad!
1 cup red quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 red bell pepper in small dice
1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded, in small dice
1/4 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 heads butter crunch lettuce torn into large pieces
Tomato Vinaigrette (see below)
Rinse the quinoa and place in a saucepan. Add the water and bring to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce to low and simmer per instructions until the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a platter to chill quicker. Refrigerate to chill completely. Once cooled, toss all of the ingredients in a large bowl and dress with the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired. Serves 6.
Tomato Vinaigrette:
2 medium, ripe heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 TBS. Dijon mustard
1 TBS. red wine vinegar
4 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
Puree all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Season as desired with salt and pepper. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
QUINOA GREEK SALAD—Yet another winning recipe from the pages of Cooking Light magazine.
2 cups quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
2 TBS. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh mint, minced
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced radicchio
1/2 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup seeded, chopped cucumber
1/3 cup crumbled feta
3 TBS. chopped kalamata olives
1 TBS. minced onion
Rinse quinoa. Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, cover, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature. Combine the oil, mint, zest, juice, vinegar and salt in a large bowl with a whisk. Add the cooled grain, tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Toss well. Serves 8.
NATURAL NEWS–
14 Gardening Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Gardening is one of life’s simplest pleasures, offering a unique sense of satisfaction and joy as you watch your plants grow and thrive. Whether you’re new to gardening or have years of experience, every gardener faces challenges. These can range from pest infestations to soil issues, and even the most experienced gardeners make mistakes from time to time.
Learning from these common garden mistakes is essential for achieving a thriving garden. Understanding what can go wrong and how to fix it can save you a lot of heartache and help you enjoy a more bountiful harvest.
Mistake 1: Overwatering Your Plants
Overwatering is one of the most common gardening mistakes that both novice and experienced gardeners make. While it might seem like giving your plants plenty of water is beneficial, too much water can actually harm your plants more than it helps them.
Overwatering can lead to waterlogged soil, which suffocates plant roots and prevents them from absorbing the nutrients they need. This is particularly problematic for plants in containers where drainage might be limited.
To avoid overwatering, it’s important to understand the water needs of your specific plants. Different plants have different requirements, so always check the plant tag for guidance.
Mistake 2: Not Understanding Your Soil
Understanding your soil is fundamental to successful gardening, yet it’s a step that many gardeners overlook in their eagerness to get plants in the ground. Conducting a soil test is essential as it acts like a health check-up, revealing the nutrient levels and pH balance of your soil.
This information is crucial because different plants thrive in different soil conditions. For instance, blueberries love acidic soil, while most vegetables prefer neutral to slightly acidic soil. Knowing your soil’s pH can help you choose plants that will naturally flourish or guide you on how to amend the soil to suit your plants’ needs. Additionally, soil tests can highlight nutrient deficiencies, allowing you to address them before they impact plant health. A well-balanced soil pH ensures that nutrients are available for plant roots to absorb, preventing common garden issues like yellowing leaves and stunted growth.
Without this knowledge, you might end up planting in soil that is too acidic or too alkaline, leading to poor plant growth and wasted effort.
Mistake 3: Planting in the Wrong Location
Plants have specific needs regarding sunlight, wind exposure, and air circulation. Placing them in the wrong spot can lead to poor growth and make them more susceptible to pests and diseases.
Before planting, observe your garden throughout the day to identify areas that receive different amounts of sunlight. This helps in placing each plant where it can get the light it needs.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Plant Spacing Requirements
One of the most common mistakes gardeners make is ignoring the recommended spacing on plant tags. It might be tempting to pack plants closely together to maximize your garden space, but this can lead to several issues that ultimately harm your garden.
Plant tags provide essential information about how much space a plant needs to grow properly. These recommendations are based on the mature size of the plant, including its root spread and height. By following these guidelines, you ensure each plant has enough room to access the nutrients, water, and sunlight it needs. Ignoring these recommendations can lead to overcrowded conditions where plants compete for resources, resulting in stunted growth and poor yields.
Mistake 5: Neglecting to Mulch
Mulching involves covering the soil around your plants with a layer of organic or inorganic material. This layer helps to retain soil moisture by reducing evaporation, which means you’ll need to water less frequently. It also suppresses weed growth by blocking sunlight from reaching weed seeds, thus reducing the need for frequent weeding. Additionally, mulch helps regulate soil temperature, keeping roots cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which is crucial for the health of your plants.
Mistake 6: Planting Too Early or Too Late
Every region has a specific growing season determined by its climate. The growing season is the period between the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall. Knowing this timeframe is essential for planning your garden. The USDA Hardiness Zone Map is a valuable tool for determining the growing season in your area. Planting too early or too late in the growing season can spell disaster for your plants, as they are highly sensitive to temperature and environmental conditions.
Soil temperature is crucial for seed germination and plant growth. Many seeds won’t sprout in cold soil, and frost can severely damage or even kill young plants. Therefore, it’s essential to wait until the soil has warmed up sufficiently before planting.
Planting tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers too early can lead to frost damage or death. On the flip side, planting too late can mean your crops don’t have enough time to mature before the first frost in the fall. Timing is everything in gardening.
If you plant too early, seeds might not germinate, and young plants could be wiped out by frost. If you plant too late, your crops might not have enough time to produce a full harvest. Balancing soil temperature and frost dates ensures your garden thrives.
Mistake 7: Not Rotating Crops
Planting the same crop in the same spot year after year can lead to depleted soil nutrients and an increase in pests. Crop rotation is a time-tested practice that involves changing the types of crops grown in specific areas of your garden each season. For example, if you planted tomatoes in a plot one year, try planting beans or peas there the next. This helps maintain soil fertility, as different plants use and replenish different nutrients. It also disrupts the life cycles of pests and diseases specific to certain crops, reducing their presence in your garden.
Mistake 8: Overlooking Pollinators
Pollinators like bees transfer pollen from one flower to another, enabling fertilization and the production of seeds and fruits. A garden rich in pollinators will generally yield more bountiful and diverse harvests. Without sufficient pollinator activity, plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash might produce fewer fruits.
Mistake 9: Using Too Much or the Wrong Fertilizer
Over-fertilization can cause fertilizer burn, where the high concentration of salts dehydrates plant roots, leading to scorched leaves and stunted growth. It can also lead to excess nutrients leaching into groundwater, causing algal blooms in water bodies. These blooms deplete oxygen, harming aquatic life and disrupting ecosystems. Moreover, too much fertilizer promotes rapid but weak plant growth, making them more susceptible to pests and diseases.
Mistake 10: Neglecting Weeds
Weeds are opportunistic and can quickly outcompete garden plants for essential resources. They have aggressive root systems that can absorb water and nutrients faster than your plants, leading to nutrient deficiencies and water stress. This competition can stunt the growth of your plants and reduce yields. Weeds can also harbor pests and diseases that can spread to your garden plants, compounding the problem.
Effective weed control involves a combination of prevention, physical removal, and sustainable practices. Mulching is one of the best preventative measures, as it blocks sunlight and prevents weed seeds from germinating. Regularly pulling weeds by hand or using a hoe can keep them from establishing deep root systems.
Mistake 11: Ignoring Pest and Disease Management
Keeping your garden healthy requires vigilant pest and disease management. Common
garden pests like aphids, spider mites, thrips, and whiteflies, along with diseases such
as powdery mildew, blight, and rust, can cause significant damage. This damage ranges
from stunted growth and leaf discoloration to the complete death of plants.
Regularly inspecting your plants for signs of pests and diseases allows you to take
action before issues become severe. Look for symptoms like yellowing leaves, distorted
growth, and visible pests. One tip would be to keep a garden journal to help you track
recurring issues and plan preventative measures, ensuring you stay ahead of potential
problems.
Mistake 12: Not Pruning and Deadheading
Regular pruning removes dead, diseased, or damaged branches, promoting healthier
and more vigorous growth. It allows plants to focus their energy on producing new
growth and flowers rather than maintaining old or damaged parts. Deadheading, or
removing spent flowers, prevents plants from wasting energy on seed production,
encouraging them to produce more blooms instead. These practices enhance air
circulation, reduce disease risk, and improve your garden’s overall appearance.
Mistake 13: Storing Tools Improperly
Tools left exposed to the elements can quickly become rusty and dull, making your
gardening tasks much harder. Leaving tools outside or in damp environments leads to
rust and corrosion, which weakens the metal and makes it harder to cut through soil and
plants. Wooden handles can crack or split if exposed to moisture, making them
uncomfortable and unsafe to use. For instance, a rusty pruner won’t make clean cuts,
damaging plants and making them more susceptible to disease.
To keep your gardening tools in top condition, store them in a dry, sheltered place like a
garden shed or garage. Hang tools on hooks or store them in bins to keep them off the
ground and prevent moisture buildup. Regularly clean and dry your tools after each use
to remove soil and plant residue that can accelerate rusting. Applying a light coat of oil
to metal parts can also help prevent rust. Proper storage not only extends the life of
your tools but also ensures they are always ready and effective when you need them.
Mistake 14: Planting Too Much of One Crop
Planting too much of one crop can lead to a significant portion of your harvest going to
waste, especially with perishable vegetable garden staples like lettuce, zucchini, or
cucumbers, which have a short shelf life. Overproduction can also attract pests, as
dense plantings create ideal conditions for insects and diseases to spread rapidly.
Source: www.lostcoastplanttherapy.com/
JANUARY’S PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Japanese Aralia (Fatsia japonica)
Fatsia japonica, like the species name suggests, is native to Japan and also Korea. It is an evergreen shrub and is a pretty tough and forgiving plant in outdoor gardens, but it is also possible to grow fatsia indoors. Your potted fatsia inside may not get flowers, but you will still be able to enjoy the exotic foliage given proper indoor culture.
Growing Fatsia as a Houseplant
In nature, these plants grow in shaded to partially shaded areas. It is important that you don’t give your fatsia too much direct sun. In most locations indoors, an eastern exposure window would work very well for these plants. This is not a plant to place in the sunniest window that you have; otherwise, the foliage will burn.
This is one plant that isn’t too picky about the type of soil that it grows in. Regardless, be sure to provide this plant with good moisture levels. Never let this plant completely dry out. At the same time, you don’t want this plant to sit in water either. You may want to reduce watering a bit in the winter as growth slows down or comes to a halt.
Fertilize regularly with an all-purpose fertilizer throughout the growing season. Reduce to eliminate fertilizer during the winter months depending on if the plant has slowed down growth or completely stopped. Resume again in the spring when new growth starts again.
These plants grow best if you can provide warmer conditions throughout the growing season, but cooler (not cold) conditions of 50 to 60 degrees F. (10-15 C.) during the wintertime. Be careful not to place this plant in any area indoors that has cold drafts. If you live in a cold climate, don’t place this plant near any doors where it might receive drafts.
These plants can get quite tall, so don’t be afraid to cut your plant back. You can do this at the time of repotting, or anytime that the plant is getting too big for your liking. By cutting your plant back, you can propagate the tip cuttings, but at the same time, your original plant will respond by becoming bushier.
If you can follow all these things, you will certainly have success growing fatsia in a container indoors.
Klein’s currently has gorgeous full Japanese aralias in 10″ pots.
Source: gardeningknowhow.com
AROUND TOWN:
For neighborhood events or garden tours that you would like posted in our monthly newsletter, please contact Rick at (608) 244-5661 or rick@kleinsfloral.com. Please include all details, i.e. dates, locations, prices, brief description, etc. Events must be garden related and must take place in the Madison vicinity and we must receive your information by the first of the month in which the event takes place for it to appear in that month’s newsletter.
Nature Hike @ the Arboretum
Sunday, January 5, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Learn about the land, plants, animals, fungi, phenology, and ecology. Geared for adults, these longer walks may cover some sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Family Nature Walk @ the Arboretum
Sunday, January 5, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
This walk is a fun, fascinating way for families with children elementary age and younger to explore the natural world. Adults must attend. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Nature Hike @ the Arboretum
Sunday, January 12, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Learn about the land, plants, animals, fungi, phenology, and ecology. Geared for adults, these longer walks may cover some sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Oak Origins: From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life @ the Arboretum
Thursday, January 16, 10:00 – 11:30
A Winter Enrichment Lecture
Andrew Hipp, Director of the Herbarium, The Morton Arboretum. Hipp’s new book, Oak Origins: From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life, delves into 50 million years of oak evolutionary history. Hipp will explore current worldwide oak genome research to understand the movement of genes between species and the evolution of oaks in real time. The talk will also consider how oak evolution shapes forests today and how it may shape them in the future. Fee: $10. Register by January 12.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Nature Hike @ the Arboretum
Sunday, January 19, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Learn about the land, plants, animals, fungi, phenology, and ecology. Geared for adults, these longer walks may cover some sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Family Nature Program: Winter Water @ the Arboretum
Sunday, January 19, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
This program is a fun, fascinating way for families with children elementary age and younger to explore the natural world. Nature walk: 1:30–2:30 p.m., activities: 2:30–3:30 p.m. Adults must attend. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Scenic Stroll @ the Arboretum
Sunday, January 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
This gently paced stroll through the gardens is well-suited for a multi-generational outing. Learn about plants, animals, and fungi; phenology; and ecology. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks take place rain or shine, except in unsafe weather. Routes are wheelchair accessible when weather allows. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Saving Our Songbirds Together: Three Ways to Help at Home @ the Arboretum
Thursday, January 30, 10:00 – 11:30
A Winter Enrichment Lecture
Lisa Gaumnitz, Coordinator, SOS Save Our Songbirds. Thirty percent of North America’s birds have vanished since 1970, and warblers, finches, sparrows and blackbirds suffered the biggest losses. Gaumnitz will focus on three simple steps we can all take at home to help songbirds. She will also provide a display and giveaways to help people take those steps at home. Fee: $10. Register by January 26.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
36th Annual Orchid Quest 2025 @ Monona Terrace
Saturday, February 1, 10:00-5:00
Sunday, February 2, 10:00-3:00
ORCHID QUEST has something for everyone! It is the Upper Midwest’s largest orchid show and sale, featuring thousands of exotic orchids on display and for sale to the public. The event showcases individual plants and group exhibits designed by orchid clubs from Wisconsin and neighboring states that are judged at the national level by the American Orchid Society. Klein’s Floral & Greenhouses is a sponsor of this event.
Commercial vendors include specialty orchid nurseries from across the USA and overseas, artists, and businesses selling a variety of orchid growing supplies for the greenhouse and home grower. Raffles and a silent auction take place both days and a free plant check is available. Educational lectures and demonstrations are included with admission and feature professional orchid growers sharing their experience and knowledge. Orchid Ambassadors are on site both days to answer all your orchid related questions and enhance your show experience; there is even a children’s area with fun games and prizes for the kids!
Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for students. Children under 5 are free. Parking is $5 at Monona Terrace, but there is street parking and city ramp parking available nearby.
Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center
1 John Nolen Dr.
Madison, WI 53703
Orchid Escape @ Olbrich Gardens
February 1-March 2, 10:00-4:00 daily
Orchid Escape is an annual exhibit in the tropical Bolz Conservatory, featuring hundreds of orchids including specimen from Olbrich’s collection. The 2025 exhibit theme reveals the secrets of the canopy!
Admission:
$10 – General Admission
$6 – Child (ages 6-12)
FREE – Ages 5 & under
FREE – Olbrich members (adult/child)
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3330 Atwood Ave., Madison
608/246-4550 or www.olbrich.org for details.
Nature Hike @ the Arboretum
Sunday, February 2, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Learn about the land, plants, animals, fungi, phenology, and ecology. Geared for adults, these longer walks may cover some sloping terrain. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Family Nature Walk @ the Arboretum
Sunday, February 2, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
This walk is a fun, fascinating way for families with children elementary age and younger to explore the natural world. Adults must attend. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather and insects. Walks canceled for unsafe weather or trail conditions. Free, no registration required. Meet at the Visitor Center.
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888 or arboretum.wisc.edu
Dane County Late Winter Farmer’s Market
Saturdays, January 4 thru April 5, 8:00-noon
The Garver Feed Mill behind Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3241 Garver Green (access off Fair Oaks Ave.)
The Late Winter Market runs each Saturday from January 4th until the beginning of the outdoor season. Get your market fix all year long. You will still find many of your favorite Dane County Farmers’ Market members, as well as a full array of fruits and vegetables, cheeses, hyper-local meats, honey, bakery items, and many specialty items.
For details visit www.dcfm.org
JANUARY IN THE GARDEN-–A checklist of things to do this month.
___Place your used Christmas tree in the garden for added wildlife protection.
___Inspect stored summer bulbs like dahlias, cannas and glads for rotting.
___Check for and treat for pests on plants brought in from the garden.
___Begin forcing stored elephant’s ears at the end of January.
___Keep birdfeeders full. Clean periodically with soap and water.
___Inventory last year’s leftover seeds before ordering new ones.
___Order your seeds. By ordering early, there are usually freebies & discounts.
___Start certain slow-growers like lisianthus, geraniums, pentas and bananas.
___Shop for summer bulbs like begonias, caladium, calla and elephant’s ears.
___Use the winter days to plan next summer’s garden.
___Check your garden for any plant damage from weather or rodents.
___Have trees trimmed–it’s often times cheaper and easier to schedule.
___Visit Klein’s—it’s green, it’s warm, it’s colorful—it’s always spring.
Some of our very favorite seed and plant sources include:
For seeds:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds @ www.rareseeds.com or 417/924-8887
Burpee @ www.burpee.com or 800/888-1447
Harris Seeds @ www.harrisseeds.com or 800/514-4441
Johnny’s Select Seeds @ www.johnnyseeds.com or 207/861-3901
Jung’s Seeds @ www.jungseed.com or 800/247-5864
Park’s Seeds @ www.parkseed.com or 800/845-3369
Pinetree @ www.superseeds.com or 207/926-3400
Seeds of Change @ www.seedsofchange.com or 888/762-7333
Seed Savers @ www.seedsavers.org or 563/382-5990
Select Seeds @ www.selectseeds.com or 800/684-0395
Territorial Seeds @ www.territorialseed.com or 888/657-3131
For bulbs:
Brent & Becky’s Bulbs @ www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com or 877/661-2852
Colorblends @ www.colorblends.com or 888/847-8637
John Scheeper’s @ www.johnscheepers.comor 860/567-0838
For plants:
High Country Gardens @ www.highcountrygardens.com or 800/925-9387
Logee’s Greenhouses @ www.logees.com or 888/330-8038
Plant Delights Nursery @ www.plantdelights.com or 912/772-4794
Roots and Rhizomes @ www.rootsrhizomes.com or 800/374-5035
Wayside Gardens @ www.waysidegardens.com or 800/213-0379
White Flower Farm @ www.whiteflowerfarm.com or 800/503-9624
BEHIND THE SCENES AT KLEIN’S—This is a sneak peek of what is going on each month behind the scenes in our greenhouses. Many people are unaware that our facility operates year round or that we have 10 more greenhouses on the property in addition to the 6 open for retail. At any given moment we already have a jump on the upcoming season–be it poinsettias in July, geraniums in December or fall mums in May.
IN JANUARY:
—This is the quietest month at the greenhouse. All 10 greenhouses in our back range are usually shut down to save on energy and prep them for all the spring plants that start arriving in February.
—Thousands of geranium cuttings arrive for our 5″ pots and we begin planting up our geranium hanging baskets and flower pouches.
—We begin stepping our tropicals into larger pots for spring sale. This early jump gives you larger and more vigorous plants than many of our competitors.
—We spend much of our time ordering and checking in product for next summer, from plants to pottery to garden ornaments and sundries.
—We begin to access our needs for spring staffing and try to have the new people in place and trained by March 1. March and April are the busiest months behind the scenes in the greenhouse and we rely on a dedicated, hardworking team to have everything ready for the customer come May 1 and the spring onslaught.
PERMANENT FEATURES–
KLEIN’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Have our monthly newsletter e-mailed to you automatically by signing up on the top of our home page @ kleinsfloral.com . We’ll offer monthly tips, greenhouse news and tidbits, specials and recipes. . .everything you need to know from your favorite Madison greenhouse. And tell your friends. It’s easy to do.
THE MAD GARDENER–“Madison’s Firsthand Source for Expert Gardening Advice”
Ask us your gardening questions by e-mailing us at madgardener@kleinsfloral.com. Klein’s in-house Mad Gardener will e-mail you with an answer as promptly as we can. The link is posted on our home page and in all newsletters.
We can only answer those questions pertaining to gardening in Southern Wisconsin and we reserve the right to leave correspondence unanswered at our discretion. Please allow 2-3 days for a response.
KLEIN’S ‘HOUSEPLANT HELP’
You can contact Klein’s in-house indoor plant experts by emailing to houseplanthelp@kleinsfloral.com for sound information and advice regarding indoor tropicals, succulents, blooming plants and so much more.
For many years, customers’ indoor plant questions have been directed to Klein’s Mad Gardener. Now you have the opportunity to contact our indoor plant experts directly. We’ve posted a link on our home page and in our contacts for your convenience. Your question might then appear in the “You Asked” feature of our monthly newsletter. If your question is the one selected for our monthly newsletter, you’ll receive a small gift from us at Klein’s.
We reserve the right to leave correspondence unanswered at our discretion. Please allow 2-3 days for a response.
TO WRITE A REVIEW OF KLEIN’S, PLEASE LINK TO
Yelp, Google Reviews or Facebook Reviews
Follow Klein’s on Facebook where we post updates and photos on a regular basis.
Join Klein’s on Twitterwhere we post company updates and photos on a regular basis.
SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT
We offer a 5% Off Senior Citizen Discount every Tuesday to those 62 and above. This discount is not in addition to other discounts or sales. Please mention that you are a senior before we ring up your purchases. Does not apply to wire out orders or services, i.e. delivery, potting, etc.
DELIVERY INFO
Klein’s Floral and Greenhouses delivers daily, except Sundays, throughout all of Madison and much of Dane County including: Cottage Grove, Deerfield, DeForest, Fitchburg, Maple Bluff, Marshall, McFarland, Middleton, Monona, Oregon, Shorewood Hills, Sun Prairie, Verona, Waunakee and Windsor. We do not deliver to Cambridge, Columbus or Stoughton.
Current delivery rate on 1-4 items is $9.95 for Madison, Maple Bluff, Monona and Shorewood Hills; $10.95 for Cottage Grove, DeForest, Fitchburg, McFarland, Sun Prairie, Waunakee and Windsor; and $11.95 for Marshall, Middleton, Oregon and Verona. An additional $3.00 will be added for deliveries of 4-10 items and $5.00 added for deliveries of more than 10 items. For deliveries requiring more than one trip, a separate delivery charge will be added for each trip.
A minimum order of $25.00 is required for delivery.
We not only deliver our fabulous fresh flowers, but also houseplants, bedding plants and hardgoods. There may be an extra charge for very large or bulky items.
Delivery to the Madison hospitals is $5.95. Deliveries to the four Madison hospitals are made during the early afternoon. Items are delivered to the hospital’s volunteer rooms and not directly to the patients’ rooms per hospital rules.
There is no delivery charge for funerals in the city of Madison or Monona, although normal rates apply for morning funeral deliveries to Madison’s west side (west of Park St.). Our normal rates also apply for funeral deliveries in the surrounding communities at all times. Although we don’t deliver on Sundays, we will deliver funeral items on Sundays at the regular delivery rate.
Morning delivery is guaranteed to the following Madison zip codes, but only if requested: 53703, 53704, 53714, 53716, 53718 and Cottage Grove, Deerfield, DeForest, Maple Bluff, Marshall, McFarland, Monona, Sun Prairie, Waunakee and Windsor.
We begin our delivery day at 8:00 a.m. and end at approximately 3:00 p.m. We do not usually deliver after 4:00 unless specific exceptions are made with our drivers.
Except for holidays, the following west-side zip codes and communities are delivered only during the afternoon: 53705, 53706, 53711, 53713, 53717, 53719, 53726, Fitchburg, Middleton, Oregon, Shorewood Hills and Verona.
During holidays (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.) we are able to make morning deliveries to all of the above areas. We are not able to take closely timed deliveries on any holiday due to the sheer volume of such requests.
It’s best to give us a range of time and we’ll try our absolute hardest. Orders for same day delivery must be placed by 12:30 p.m. or by 2:30 p.m. for Madison zip codes 53704 and 53714.
DEPARTMENT HEADS: Please refer all questions, concerns or feedback in the following departments to their appropriate supervisor. Phone: 608/244-5661.
Horticulturalist & General Manager–Jamie VandenWymelenberg jamie@kleinsfloral.com
Floral Manager—Sarah Somson floral@kleinsfloral.com
Houseplant Buyer, Newsletter Coordinator—Rick Halbach rick@kleinsfloral.com
Purchasing—Megan Johnson megan@kleinsfloral.com
Owner, Floral Designer & Purchasing—Sue Klein sue@kleinsfloral.com
RELATED RESOURCES AND WEB SITES
University of Wisconsin Extension
1 Fen Oak Ct. #138
Madison, WI 53718
608/224-3700
Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic
Dept. of Plant Pathology
1630 Linden Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
http://www.plantpath.wisc.edu/index.php
Insect Diagnostic Lab
240 Russell Labs
1630 Linden Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/
U.W. Soil and Plant Analysis Lab
8452 Mineral Point Rd.
Verona, WI 53593
608/262-4364
American Horticultural Society
Garden Catalogs (an extensive list with links)
also http://www.mailordergardening.com/
Invasive Species
http://www.invasiveplants.net/
Community Groundworks
3601 Memorial Dr., Ste. 4
Madison, WI 53704
608/240-0409
http://www.communitygroundworks.org
Madison Area Master Gardeners (MAMGA)
Wisconsin Master Gardeners Program
Department of Horticulture
1575 Linden Drive
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Madison, WI 53706
608/265-4504
The Wisconsin Gardener
Allen Centennial Gardens
620 Babcock Dr.
Madison, WI 53706
608/262-8406
http://www.allencentennialgardens.org/
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3330 Atwood Ave.
Madison, WI 53704
608/246-4550
Rotary Gardens
1455 Palmer Dr.
Janesville, WI 53545
608/752-3885
University of WI Arboretum
1207 Seminole Hwy.
Madison, WI 53711
608/263-7888
University of Wisconsin-West Madison
Agricultural Research Center
8502 Mineral Point Rd.
Verona, WI 53593
608/262-2257
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/westmad/
PLANTS POISONOUS TO CHILDREN:
Children may find the bright colors and different textures of plants irresistible, but some plants can be poisonous if touched or eaten. If you’re in doubt about whether or not a plant is poisonous, don’t keep it in your home. The risk is not worth it. The following list is not comprehensive, so be sure to seek out safety information on the plants in your home to be safe.
•Bird of paradise
•Bull nettle
•Castor bean
•Chinaberry tree
•Crocus
•Daffodil
•Deadly nightshade
•Dieffenbachia (dumb cane)
•Foxglove
•Glory lily
•Hemlock
•Holly berry
•Indian tobacco
•Iris
•Jimsonweed
•Lantana
•Larkspur
•Lily of the valley
•Marijuana
•Mescal bean
•Mexicantes
•Mistletoe
•Morning glory
•Mountain laurel
•Night-blooming jasmine
•Nutmeg
•Oleander
•Philodendron
•Poison ivy
•Poison sumac
•Pokeweed
•Poppy
•Potato
•Privet
•Rhododendron
•Rhubarb
•Water hemlock
•Wisteria
PLANTS POISONOUS TO PETS:
Below is a list of some of the common plants which may produce a toxic reaction in animals. This list is intended only as a guide to plants which are generally identified as having the capability for producing a toxic reaction. Source: The National Humane Society website @ http://www.humanesociety.org/
•Aconite
•Apple
•Arrowgrasses
•Autumn Crocus
•Azaleas
•Baneberry
•Bird-of-Paradise
•Black locust
•Bloodroot
•Box
•Buckeye
•Buttercup
•Caladium
•Carolina jessamine
•Castor bean
•Chinaberry tree
•Chockcherries
•Christmas berry
•Christmas Rose
•Common privet
•Corn cockle
•Cowbane
•Cow cockle
•Cowsliprb
•Daffodil
•Daphne
•Day lily
•Delphinium (Larkspur)
•Dumbcane
•Dutchman’s breeches
•Easter lily
•Elderberry
•Elephant’s ear
•English Ivy
•European Bittersweet
•Field peppergrass
•Foxglove
•Holly
•Horsechestnut
•Horse nettle
•Hyacinth
•Iris
•Jack-in-the-pulpit
•Jerusalem Cherry
•Jimsonweed
•Lantana
•Larkspur
•Laurels
•Lily of the valley
•Lupines
•Mayapple
•Milk vetch
•Mistletoe
•Monkshood
•Morning glory
•Mustards
•Narcissus
•Nicotiana
•Nightshade
•Oaks
•Oleander
•Philodendrons
•Pokeweed
•Poinsettia
•Poison hemlock
•Potato
•Rhododendron
•Rhubarb
•Rosary pea
•Sago palm
•Skunk cabbage
•Smartweeds
•Snow-on-the-mountain
•Sorghum
•Star of Bethlehem
•Wild black cherry
•Wild radish
•Wisteria
•Yellow jessamine
•Yew