T’WAS THE LAST TIP BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WHEN ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE,

SOME CREATURES WERE STIRRING (MAYBE A MOUSE?)

THE FRUIT FLY TRAPS WERE SET BY THE FRUIT BOWL WITH CARE,

IN HOPES THAT THE FRUIT FLIES SOON WOULDN’T BE THERE.

THE MOUSE BAIT WAS PLACED, JUST STRATEGICALLY SO,

TO ENSURE THE MICE NESTING ALL WOULD GO,

WE WANT THEM ALL TO HEAD BACK OUT INTO THE SNOW!

HOUSEPLANTS WERE ALL NESTLED INTO BED

WITH ALL SEASONS OIL TREATMENT (NO SCALE OR MEALYBUGS TO DREAD!)

WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, IN THE CUPBOARD I HEAR A FLITTER FLATTER

AND I WITH MY PANTRY PEST TRAP SPRANG TO THE KITCHEN TO SEE WHAT WAS THE MATTER

WHAT WAS THAT RUSTLING OUT IN THE SNOW

IT WAS THOSE DEER EATING MY ARBORVITAE

THAT’S WHY THEY NEVER GROW!

OUT THE DOOR, I FLEW LIKE A FLASH

TO QUICKLY APPLY MY DEER SCRAM IN A DASH

THE MOON ON THE BREAST OF THE NEW-FALLEN SNOW,

GAVE THE LUSTER OF TUNNELS FROM MOLES AND VOLES BELOW

WITH A LITTLE RED BAG OF MOLE & VOLE REPELLENT I RAN

TO APPLY THAT MINTY SMELL THAT CRITTERS CAN’T STAND

AND THEN WITH A HAMMERING, I HEARD ON THE ROOF,

A WOODPECKER USING HIS BEAK LIKE A TOOTH

TO GET MY REFLECTOR TAPE, I TURNED AROUND

AND UP THE LADDER, I WENT WITH A BOUND

NOW, WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN, THOSE PESKY OLD DEER

“NOW ELAINE, NOW DARLENE, NOW RYAN, BILL, WILL, AND JASON!

TO THE EDGE OF THE GARDEN! TO OVER THE STONE WALL!

NOW DASH AWAY! DASH AWAY! DASH AWAY ALL!

TWAS A GREAT 2019 WITH ALL OF MY FELLOW EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS

WE CAME UP WITH MANY SOLUTIONS AND DID LOTS OF WORK,

TOOK LOTS OF BUG SAMPLES (THEY REALLY ARE SUCK JERKS!)

YOU PICKED UP LOTS, FROM FERTILIZER TO PRUNERS, TO MAYBE EVEN A HOSE

DON’T FORGET TO PLEASE JOIN US NEXT YEAR (TO PICK OUT THAT PERFECT ROSE)

FOR NOW, I SPRING TO MY LITTLE RED ELEMENT AND TO MY VAN WILGEN’S TEAM GIVE A WHISTLE

AS I DRIVE OUT OF SIGHT, THEY’RE SO RELIEVED THEY DODGED A KISS UNDER THE MISTLE (TOE)

BUT THEY HEARD ME EXCLAIM, AS I DROVE OUT OF SIGHT,

“MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!”

Christmas is just around the corner! If you’re still on the prowl for plants to decorate with or give as gifts, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite festive houseplants just in time for this holiday season.

•Stephanotis (Jasmine) – this is an outstanding plant any time of the season. It has beautiful white star-shaped fragrant flowers against dark green vining leaves, which makes a great decoration this time of year and an even better gift. (Bright light)

•Frosty fern – This tiny but cute little fern gets its name because the new growth has a frosted tip appearance. It has quickly become the favorite plant this year among our shoppers. It’s just too cute. (Indirect light)

•Lemon cypress – This is one of my favorites. Who doesn’t like the scent of citrus around the holidays? This plant has a yellow/green color that stands out and adds the perfect bright pop of color you need and has the traditional Christmas tree shape. You can even add some small ornaments to make it extra festive. (Bright indirect light)

•Norfolk Island pine – A houseplant Christmas tree you can keep out all year long. This tree is a tropical plant so it can’t tolerate the colder temps we have here in CT. Have fun decorating your Norfolk pine, then enjoy it the rest of the year. (Bright light)

•Orchids – The ever-popular orchid! This exotic, colorful flowering houseplant favorite requires minimal care. Don’t be afraid it really is as easy as 1,2 3. (bright light)

…and found a pantry pest

“Fa la la la la…la la la la”, Mother Hubbard was happily singing a Christmas song as she went to her cupboard to pull out the secret ingredients for her famous Cranberry bread. As she was mid-tune, with mouth wide open, something awful happened. “Fa la la la… gasp, gulp, cough”. Mother Hubbard rushed to the sink in hopes of extracting what she had accidentally swallowed. What was that horrible thing that flew into her mouth, interrupting her jolly Christmas melody?!

Poor Mother Hubbard was terribly flustered but managed to pull herself together and make her way back to the cupboard. Very slowly, she creaked open the door in hopes of not being taken by surprise again. 1, 2, 3, out they flew. Mother Hubbard screamed. Her cupboard had been invaded. She wondered what those terrible pests could be?! She mustered up her bravery and looked one more time. She saw the pests fluttering around but she calmed when she saw they were just innocent moths…or are they?

Poor Mother Hubbard’s cupboard was infested with pantry pests, most likely Indian Meal Moths or Mediterranean Flour Moths. They are not that innocent. They come into your home on unsuspecting groceries and have a party in your pantry. They hitchhike on dried goods, grains, flour, pasta, cereal, cornmeal, rice, crackers, nuts, dried fruit, powdered milk, nuts, and even our precious chocolate. They also like pet food and birdseed. Mother Hubbard has another project ahead of her besides making cranberry bread. She now has to go through every product in her cupboard and search for these little critters. If I was visiting with Mother Hubbard I would tell her to look for certain signs of infestation such as; webbing inside of the food, on the lids, and the sides of boxes. Another unpleasant thing to search for is the maggot larvae. They look like little grains of rice. Once the inspection is done and critters are found, it is time for Mother Hubbard to throw out all infested foods into a sealed plastic bag and get it to the dump.

Mother Hubbard’s inspection is not over yet. She needs to search for the adult moth. They are grayish to coppery brown, often banded, small, and very narrow. They can be seen fluttering at night in a drunken, zig-zag pattern or tucked into the corners of the cupboard ceiling and walls. Clean the ceiling, walls, and shelves with bleach and warm water to eliminate any hiding adults or pupae.

Now that Mother Hubbard’s cupboard is sparkling clean and all the infested foods have been thrown away, Mother Hubbard needs to place The Pantry Pest Trap by Safer in her cupboard. This all-natural trap uses powerful pheromones to lure the adult moths to it. She will need to replace the traps every 3 months. This will help to keep her cupboard pest-free.

Mother Hubbard did not get to make her famous cranberry bread today but at least she does not have to worry about swallowing any more pantry pests. She went to the grocery store to buy all new ingredients for her Christmas bread and belted out a holiday song the entire way. “Tis the season to be jolly. Fa la la la la la la la la”.

Come see us at Van Wilgen’s. We would love to help!

We know holiday gift shopping can be tiring. If time is tight, you might see gift cards as an attractive go-to option. But if you’re looking for something a little more meaningful, we’ve got you covered. We’re offering a few pre-assembled gift card options for the gardener or plant lover in your life. Make shopping easy with our Gardener Kit which contains, a flower seed packet, work gloves, plantable pots, and a trowel all inside a handy holiday planter. Pair it with a gift card (value of your choice) for a meaningful gift anyone will love. We also have 6″ Poinsettia plants in self-watering containers, already assembled with a gift card for a bright gift that keeps on giving. Stop by and pick one up today. It’s that easy!

Each year we gather a few of our favorite things together in an effort to help you find your loved ones the perfect gift!

This year our list includes:

A unique custom basket for the person who loves to decorate for the holidays.

A locally made, soy, wood-wick candle with pine needles to make any home smell festive and fragrant.

A custom holiday planter containing poinsettia plants, frosty ferns, and a tree-shaped rosemary plant.

Fun, festive, light-up snowman decorations.

A gardening trowel with a built-in beer opener.

Or a compact, collapsible shovel for easy storage (perfect for emergencies).

For more ideas stop by the Garden Center and we’ll help you find the perfect gift!

You can also check out these recommendations in our video.