Blue Tree Garden Center

Orchid cacti have some of the biggest and most beautiful flowers of the cactus family, but they don't look like orchid flowers. The name actually comes from having the same growing habits of orchids. Both have aerial roots that catch drips from the high branches of trees where they grow.

Gardening is a great way to enjoy a healthy diet. Doctors recommend a variety of vegetables and fruits every day, and there is no better way to have them than to grow them yourself. Plus, you get the satisfaction of a job well done at the same time.

One more beauty.....

We are ready for you this weekend! We have hundreds of large and medium mums, cabbage and kale, gourds, pumpkins, pansies and houseplants awaiting your arrival. Cabbage and kale are some of the best we have ever had! Lots of great fall decorating essentials ready to go home with you....

25% OFF PUMPKINS if you mention this Facebook post!! Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc. 5 hrs · Does pumpkin season have you thinking about growing your own? Instead of loading up a wagon at the local pumpkin patch, start a new fall tradition by growing them in your own garden. Pumpkins are hardy crops will flourish just about anywhere with the right care. The best time to plant your seeds is after the last frost. Your seed packet will likely tell how long they will take to reach maturity, but, if you wanted them to ripen just before Halloween, then plant them about mid-July.

Worth reading! Melinda Boucher June 10 at 1:09 AM · Two Choices, What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice? At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning..' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt.. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. Athe pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day! AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces. If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process? A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them. You now have two choices: 1. Delete 2. Forward May your day, be a Shay Day❣️❣️❣️🌎❤️ BE KIND!!!!(bawling)!!!!!

Hope to see you this weekend! We have a great selection of pumpkins, gourds of many colors, sizes and shapes, mums, cabbage, houseplants, pansies, flags and pottery to beautify your home. Our shrubs and perennials are 25% off this weekend. A few of our new Christmas items have been put out to help you get a jump on your shopping. Come on in!

Just because last year's garden wasn't a complete success doesn't mean you have a black thumb. Even master gardeners have tales of plant peccadillos from time to time. In fact, many plant enthusiasts believe you don't really understand a plant until you've experimented with it -- for better or worse.

Aphids are small plant eating insects that cluster on the new growth of small plants. They secrete a sticky honeydew that promotes the growth of black sooty mold. They can be controlled by ladybugs or by sprays.

MESSENGER Blue Tree Garden Center updated their business hours.

When you think of grass, it's easy to think of the kind of grass used for lawns, but ornamental grasses are totally different. You should water them more like a groundcover plant rather than a lawn, and cut them back every one to three years to rejuvenate their growth.

Crazy Trivia: Apple, potatoes and onions have the same taste. To test this scientifically proven fact, eat them with your nose closed! Our sense of smell determines 80% of what we taste when we eat food.

Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc. November 16 at 4:39 PM · Here's your 'Tip of the Week' from Coast of Maine! Winter weather and freezing temperatures can make it harder for native critters to find food, water and shelter. A great way to help them (and a great activity for kiddos!) is to throw a festive feast! 1. Make a fruit garland by stringing together popcorn with dried + fresh fruit. 2. Make a bunch of ornament feeders! Gather fallen pine cones and tie long strings around each of their top ends. Spread peanut butter over the cones and roll them in a birdseed mix. Next, simply hang them on tree limbs and in different spots around your yard. Black oil sunflower seeds are a big favorite to MOST birds, but you can also try adding peanuts, millets, suet or fruits for an even more special ornament. 3. Pull up a table! Squirrel picnics became a hit during COVID quarantine, and for good reason. Critters love hanging out at these gathering places. We've even seen photos of different breeds coming together to break bread.

This is a great cause headed by a great woman who used to work at The Blue Tree. Please consider helping those in need. Thank you! GOFUNDME.COM Eta Relief Fund for la gente de Pipiles, Guatemala, organized by Jessica Munson

What is the difference between annual and perennial plants? Annual plants generally will live for about a year while perennials will live for more than two years. Some perennials can also be grown as annuals in cold climates.

Different flowers will bloom at different times of the year, something you want to keep in mind when you select your plants and plan your garden. A garden expert can help you find the right flowers, so your garden looks good all year round.

Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc. Yesterday at 11:58 AM · #gardeningtip Timing is everything when it comes to starting your seeds! What to start when, is based on both the last spring frost date, and the seed's specific germination timing. For example, onions should be started now (8-10 week head start required) vs. watermelon which should be started in late April (3-4 week head start required). #bonustip Use this amazing seed-starting calculator by @johnnys_seeds to absolutely nail your seed starting! https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/seed-planting-schedule-calculator.html

Birds & Blooms Magazine Yesterday at 10:04 AM · Photo of the day! Birds & Blooms reader William Friggle of Denver, Pennsylvania says of this photo, “As I made my way down to a trail, I spotted this red-bellied woodpecker barely peeking out of its hole. When I shifted to the side of the tree, it finally emerged to check if I was still there.” Here's everything you need to know about red-bellied woodpeckers: https://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/bird-species/medium-sized-land-birds/red-bellied-woodpeckers/

Look at all that color! GARDENGATEMAGAZINE.COM A Clematis for Every Garden Garden Gate Magazine February 4 at 10:01 AM · Find out which clematis is best for your garden.

Garden Gate Magazine February 4 at 10:01 AM · Find out which clematis is best for your garden.

What a design..... Fine Gardening February 4 at 11:43 AM · It’s Throwback Thursday! Looking through back issues of FG , I am reminded of this spectacular garden designed by Sharon Nyenhuis in Sequim, Washington. It is a perfect example of how a layered look makes everything appear full. Although the first things you notice are the blooms, the array of heights and the deliberate placement of the various plants make the bed lush. — Stephanie Fagan, Executive Art Director #spring#color#gardendesign#gardensofinstagram#perennialgarden#gardenstyle#plantingdesign#

Wild Delight February 5 at 10:00 AM · Did you know that hairy woodpeckers feed heavily on insects that harm crops, forests and fruit trees? Attract these fascinating birds to your backyard by offering Wild Delight’s® Woodpecker, Nuthatch N’ Chickadee® mix. www.wilddelight.com/products/woodpecker-nuthatch-n-chickadee/ #wilddelight #welcomewildbirds

Move indoor tropical plants outdoors during the summer to create a tropical landscape on your patio or porch. They may need more water if you move them outdoors, so check them often.