Top 5 Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Carefully curated for mom, here are

Garden Valley’s Top 5 mother’s day Gift Ideas

1. hanging baskets

With so many colors, textures, and light options, hanging baskets make the perfect gift for any mom. She’ll be looking at these every time she pulls up the driveway into her home, and, of course, will be reminded of how amazing of a child you are for gifting her these.

Some of our favorites…
For sun, we love the classic Petunia or Million Bell hanging baskets. The more sun, the better! All they need is an occasional dead heading to encourage new bloom growth. But don’t forget to water!
For shade, we love Fuscia! They thrive in those shady places that don’t receive any sun, and their unique blooms easily bring joy to the hearts of those who witness them.

You can read more here about keeping your hanging basket beautiful.

2. houseplants 

If you want your mom to enjoy a plant every second of every day… get her a houseplant. They’re easy to care for once you learn their needs, and make a great option for the mothers who don’t have a lot of outdoor space. Our staff at Garden Valley LOVE houseplants and would be happy to help guide you in picking out the perfect one.

3. pottery

Speaking of plants… Your mom is going to need something to put those gorgeous plants in. We hand select our pottery pieces every year, and they will make such a beautiful addition to your mom‘s home. Go ahead and get her the piece she’s been eyeing but not buying. She’ll love it, trust us.

4. Hibiscus

This year‘s hibiscus crop has been absolutely beautiful! They’re healthy, vibrant in color, and would make the perfect addition to your mom‘s summer plant collection! Plus, they thrive in warm, humid conditions, making them the perfect selection for North Carolina Summers.

5. a shopping spree

If you REALLY want to make your mom happy… treat mom to a yummy brunch/lunch, and then surprise her with a shopping spree to Garden Valley. We have so many gorgeous things at our stores that will put a huge smile on your mom’s face. But what really makes the moment special is the time spent together walking through the stores and having those easy, fun conversations. Because no matter what physical gift you get your mom, the memories and little moments like that… those are what she really wants.

*BONUS*

Gift certificate

We do offer gift certificates as well, so if you’re completely stuck on time, this is a great option! Maybe with this, she can finally buy that item she’s been saving up for!

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Thank you so much for joining us here. We offer a huge selection of pottery, plants, produce, and soil, making it a one stop shop for you this Mother’s Day! 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, Instagram, or Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
With love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

How to Care for Million Bells

How to Care for Million Bells

Million bells (Calibrachoa) are so amazing because they form excellent colorful ornaments for gardens, wonderful bedding plants and gorgeous hanging baskets. And because their long stems spill and cascade so beautifully over their containers, they make great additions in any pot, mixed container, or window box.

What’s the difference between a Million Bell and a Petunia you ask? Well, the Million Bell’s blooms are smaller than the Petunia’s, and they do not require as much fertilizer to keep them vibrant and thriving all spring and summer long. They also LOVE those North Carolina hot and humid summers, so we highly recommend these if you’re wanting a flowering plant.

Care Requirements For MILLION BELLS

LIGHT - Full Sun – Million Bells are considered to be full sun plants. They can do best when placed in direct sun for at minimum of 6 hours daily. If plants do not get enough light they may look tired and blooming will decrease and the plants will begin to stretch. This is an indication that the plant needs to be moved in a location where it gets at least 4-6 hours of direct and filtered sun in a day.

FERTILIZER - Regular Liquid Fertilizer – Lighting is important to a bright, eye-popping, color display Calibrachoa provides. But fertilizer is also very important. Heavy blooming the entire summer means heavy demands on plant nutrition. To keep plants strong, fertilize every other week with a liquid fertilizer. Fertilization is the key for blooming your calibrachoa throughout the season well.

SOIL – Well Draining - Most in-ground gardening soils do not have the best drainage. This is why Million Bells are normally found growing in containers. Plant them in a well draining container with good quality potting soil and you will be just fine!

WATER – Soak but Let Soil Dry - Million Bells needs generous amount of water for “soaking” the roots. However, the soil needs to be given time for drying out until the next watering cycle. When watering, water the soil thoroughly and allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry before watering again. Soggy soil lead to plants rotting.

PRUNING - Regular Trimming - When plants start looking tired or non-vibrant, it signals for trimming. Trim your Million Bell from the bottom up (1-4 inches) in mid-summer time. Trimming stimulates root growth, which allow more blooms to produce and will pick up in about a week or two. You do not need to dead head Million Bells either, as they are a self-cleaning plant. Blooms will automatically drop and be replaced with another gorgeously vibrant bloom.

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FROM GARDEN VALLEY:

Hopefully these tips will help keep your Million Bells look stunning all season long! And we hope that they also help keep you planting better, eating better, and living better.

We would love to see how you place your Million Bells at your home! Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok! We can’t wait to see! @gardenvalleyfarmersmarket

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

Growing Gigantic Monstera Deliciosa

If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly house plant that’s large and in charge, then we recommend the Monstera Deliciosa. This gorgeous plant has beautiful green foliage, uniquely shaped leaves, is easy to propagate, and will leave you wanting one in every room of your house. Here’s how to take care of them and keep them happy for many years to come:

L O C A T I O N

Place your Monstera in a spot where it can receive bright to medium indirect light. If they get too much direct sunlight, this can cause the leaves to burn. But the opposite condition, too little light, will eventually cause the leaves/plant to droop and die off. Let’s keep them happy by placing them near a window that may receive a few minutes of direct sunlight, but mostly will be exposed to indirect sun.

To note- Monstera do like humid conditions, so if you have a bathroom with plenty of space and a window, this a great location to place them. Also, we would be very jealous if you did.

S O I L

Monstera Deliciosa are basic and okay with good ole’ indoor potting soil. Nothing special. To encourage a faster growth rate, you can repot them every spring into another pot that’s an inch or two larger in diameter. This gives them ample space that will encourage new root growth, which means you will get a plant that will become bigger and healthier.

W A T E R I N G

Watering your Monstera is not super tricky. A weekly watering should do the trick for them. If you notice that the top layer of soil is still wet, maybe hold off on watering for a day or two and then proceed as normal.
And as we mentioned before, they do like humid conditions, so if you have a humidifier and don’t know where to place it during the winter months, then we recommend placing near your giant Monstera.

P R O P O G A T I N G

…using stem cuttings, which is the most common method.

1. Find an aerial root on your stem that has a node and, ideally, two healthy leaves.
2. Cut 1/2 inch below the aerial root with sharp scissors at a 45 degree angle.
3. Place cutting into a jar of your choice that’s filled with enough water to cover about 1/4 of the entire stem. (Be sure that your jar is able to keep your stem in an upright position)
4. Change out the water every 2 weeks, and be sure that the cutting is placed in INDIRECT sun.
5. You should begin to see roots growing in about three weeks, but we recommend waiting about one to two months before transplanting into soil. For the first month of them being planted in new soil, make sure to water it every few days to encourage root attachment.

WE WANT TO KNOW…

do you have a Monstera Deliciosa? If not, will you get one? We have plenty to choose from at a few of our locations. Let us know in the comments below. You can also share your Monstera moments with us by using #gardenvalleyfarmersmarket on Facebook or Instagram. We can’t wait to see!

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