How To Care For Pansies

If you’re needing a show-stopping flower that will give your dull looking landscape some color, then you need some gorgeous Pansies. Not only are they easy to care for, but they will brighten up your landscaping view and leave you with beautiful, colorful blooms lasting for Autumn, Winter, and even into Spring!

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Did you know…

that pansies are edible? That’s right! You can eat them in salads (or whatever you desire). To add some beautiful color and a slightly minty flavor to your next recipe, chop them up and make it unique and full of taste.

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HOW TO CARE FOR PANSIES

Pansies are beautiful heart-shaped flowers that can add color to your garden beds, ground cover, or beautiful pots. Follow these easy instructions below to keep them thriving all season long:

Where

Plant in full or partial sun and your pansies will thrive.

When and How

Pansies do not like heat, so plant when the temperatures start to cool down. If local to North Carolina, we recommend planting your pansies in the Fall so that you can enjoy them all Autumn, Winter, and Spring! (If planting in beds, place them 7-12 inches apart to allow for room to spread)

Soil

Plant in moist, well draining soil.

Watering

Water only a few times a week because too much can drown them and cause root rot.

Pruning

Remove any dead blooms and cut them back regularly before they become “leggy”. This helps to keep them healthy and full of vibrant blooms.

WE WANT TO KNOW…

have you ever grown pansies? If not, will you get some this year? We have plenty to choose from at all of our locations. Let us know in the comments below. You can also share your Pansy pride with us by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram. We can’t wait to see!

#gardenvalleyfarmersmarket @gardenvalleyfarmersmarket

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. If you’re wanting to earn rewards and be easily connected with us, download our new App. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

A Stroll in the Market

The day was perfect as Haylie and Ben strolled through our market with Iced Lattes from The Blend & Co., a local coffee shop located in downtown Burlington. The lattes made the perfect addition to an afternoon filled with all things plants and fresh produce. As they strolled through the aisles, holding hands and carrying a gorgeous Apolis bag, it truly was the perfect setting for a peaceful and joyful evening. Through the recent global health pandemic, one thing has remained constant in it all… Garden Valley Farmers Market is always a place you can feel at peace, and at home. And this evening perfectly reflected that. DiPrima Photography flawlessly captured the essence of this beautiful couple in this peaceful setting. With her light filled images, it truly reflects how the Light of our Savior is in Garden Valley, and we hope that you feel this Light as well when you visit with us.

We highly recommend you enjoy this tune by Andrew Laparra while scrolling through these gorgeous photos. Available on Spotify and iTunes.

The Talented Team

Jeans- Madewell
Shirt- Garden Valley Farmers Market
Market Bag- Apolis
Photography- DiPrima Photography
Venue- Garden Valley Farmers Market
Iced Lattes- The Blend & Co
Models- Ben and Haylie Abele from Our Balanced Bowl
Song- “You’re Gonna Be Okay” by Andrew Laparra

5 Reasons to Support Local

Whether you're wanting to add some color to the pots on your front porch steps, or wanting to plant those juicy tomatoes in your garden, there are many places you could buy these plants. But where is the best place to go? Sure, you could turn to your mass merchant store, but maybe this time, think more locally. If you have a local garden center, like Garden Valley Farmers Market, often times they offer a very wide variety of amazing plants/produce. So, without further ado, here are five reasons why we think you should support your local garden center:

1. Knowledge

Local garden centers, like Garden Valley Farmers Market, have a passion for all things gardening. Whether that's with the choices/varieties of colorful petunias that are hand picked by our owners, the fresh zucchini we just got in stock from our local farmers, or the tropical Hibiscus that's just perfect for North Carolina summer heat, knowing and learning what each plant’s needs are is very important to places like ours. Local garden centers tend to stay up to date on local weather and the specific climate zone they are located, which helps give you the accurate information that sets you up for a successful year. We can help you in deciding which flowers, shrubs, and vegetables to plant that will not only bloom, but thrive here in central North Carolina.

2. Quality

Quality is most important to us, and here’s why:

You get what you pay for. Local garden centers like Garden Valley invest in quality products, materials and supplies, which can sometimes be a bit more expensive for you, the consumer. But the phrase, "you get what you pay for", could not hold truer for us. There is much time and investment given to the plants and produce, including regular fertilizing of the plants and a constant pruning/dead-heading of the flowers in order to keep the plants healthy and at their prime.

Unique Selection. Local garden centers can also provide unique materials that would not normally be found at a mass merchant store. These items are hand picked by our owners in hopes that you will enjoy them just as much as they do.

Hint: It’s Not Consignment. Did you know that most local garden centers actually own the materials on the lot. It's bought and paid for, not purchased on consignment where it can be sent back if it doesn’t sell like in a lot of other bigger retail companies.

We want you, our neighbors, to succeed. Remembering that your success equals our success, is what makes the quality of the plants much higher at a local garden center. And it’s what makes our relationship with our community that much more important.

3. Customer Service

Shopping at local garden centers, like Garden Valley Market, can also mean that more personal attention is paid to the customer. Personal relationships are made and "regulars" become part of our gardening family. Locals can often provide the best tips and tricks as well, allowing us to learn more and share with our local customers. And we, at Garden Valley, LOVE the relationship and trust that is built between you and us.

4. Local Economy

Supporting local also means supporting your local economy. It's choosing to allow your funds to stay in your local community. And when you're purchasing your plants and produce from your local farmers market, you're purchasing and supporting your local farmers and growers in North Carolina too. We can't think of a better way to support your neighbors, friends and family.

5. Unique Community

One of the best parts of supporting local is something that you, the customer and consumer, can really enjoy. You get to keep a one-of-a-kind business, well, in business. And in return, you can experience the unique character that it brings to your local community. This can also increase your community’s tourist attraction, which means more money for your local economy. And, it's just plain FUN to go and get lost in the plants, get to know your gardeners, and enjoy the unique community that it brings to your life, and those around you.

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Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. We also offer free online produce ordering and pickup for NC locals! If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest.
We’d love to have you join us in our journey of
planting better,
eating better, and
living better.

Love, Garden Valley Farmers Market

5 Ways To Attract Pollinators To Your Garden

The birds, the bees...

and the butterflies: these are just a FEW of the many pollinators on this earth that serve such a secretly beneficial and beautiful purpose on this earth. But why do we need to make an effort to attract them to our gardens? Because pollinators are responsible for three-quarters of the world's food crops and many of the foods that we enjoy on a daily basis would not be existent without them. Because plants can not exist without the process of pollination. And plants are what's responsible for the air that we breathe and the food that we eat. So yes, pollinators are extremely important, because without them, our life as we currently know it, would not be. 

Did you know…
+ that some bees travel up to 3 miles just to visit your flower garden?
+ that hummingbirds can visit up to 1000 flowers each day?

Crazy, right? And with all of this work that they do, they need our help, and there are some things that we can do to give them an extra boost to their day.

So here are five tips on how to attract
pollinators to your garden:

p l a n t a n a t i v e g a r d e n

A native garden is basically just a garden filled with plants that are naturally found growing in your region. For example, honeysuckle is a naturally occurring shrub/bush that grows here in North Carolina, so adding that to your garden this spring/summer would greatly benefit your pollinators!

Also, some bees are what's called "specialists", meaning that they can only feed their larvae the pollen from a specific native plant. So without these plants, the bee colony would not survive.

If you're wanting to attract more hummingbirds, aim for tubular and long shaped blooms with your flower choices, something like Daylillies or Petunias.

c h o o s e t h e c o l o r

Did you know that these hard working species are actually attracted to certain colors?

To attract bees… bees LOVE purple and blue flowers. Some great options, that we do carry at Garden Valley Market, would be Lavender, Petunias, and Verbena. 
To attract Hummingbirds + Butterflies… we recommend colors of red, yellow, pink, and orange! Butterflies LOVE Lantana, and Hummingbirds love Petunias, Fuscia, and Lillies!

p r o v i d e w a t e r + r e s t

With how hard working these pollinators are, you better believe that they need a place to rest and refuel, and providing these places for them to do so is going to keep them coming back! They all need a place of still water to drink from. You can add some pebbles to a bird bath to make a great landing place for the insects so they won't drown.

a v o i d i n s e c t i c i d e s

Did you know that insecticides actually kill pollinators? KEEP So you might be TRYING to kill those pesky bugs eating your plant, but you're actually harming those beautiful butterflies and busy bees in the process. And insecticides are one of the reasons that the bee population has decreased to greatly!
So instead of going to insecticides first, try and google some natural alternatives and see if those work first. (There are also great organic options online that are safe for the environment, as well as pets and humans.)

k e e p t h e w e e d s

It’s early spring and we’re super excited to get our lawns looking fresh and green again… but maybe think twice about removing those dandelions and other weeds growing! Because these weeds are often the first flower that the pollinators source from when not many blooms have started yet! Instead, let them grow a tad bit longer until your garden starts coming along.

Let us know how you attract pollinators to your yard by commenting below!

We have MANY varieties of flowers for you to choose from at our stores, and a unique and beautiful selection of different shapes and colors. So come get your beautiful flowers grown just for your pollinators at home.

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team