Quotation of the Week: "One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides." — W. E. Johns

A Lazy K Easter Tradition

Old Fashioned Sugar Easter Eggs

Handmade by our friends the Piazza Family

These charming creations are lovingly crafted one at a time by Jackie and her daughter Cathy with father Phil hand-carrying them to our door. Now a Lazy K Easter tradition. Come by and start your own collection today.

Winter Dreams

Double Fantasy	Elegance White	Ericsmithii
Hellebores have always been a staple in the winter perennial border with distinctive foliage and incredibly long lasting flowers. However, we are often disappointed when the blossom is not quite the exact color we were envisioning when it was planted. This is because hellebores have always been propagated by seed and this results in "seedling variation." Winter Dreams to the rescue! This new line of hellebores are cloned by tissue culture guaranteeing that the color will be identical to the parent plant. This enables the gardener to choose from a broad palette and be assured the colors will be stable. And what a wonderful array of colors!
Picotee	Yellow Spot	Ruse Pink
Hellebores prefer shade or part shade, regular water and well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter worked in. Plant these sturdy perennials where you want them to stay as they don't enjoy being moved and they will reward you for years with a long winter bloom season. Hellebores are also deer and rodent resistant.
Ruse Rose	Ruse White	Valentine Green
Our first shipment of these lovely plants disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived. The next shipment of Winter Dreams Hellebores will include four more colors ( ten in all ) including a much sought after dark, almost black variety called "Ruse Black."
Ruse Black
They all should arrive the week of March 13. Hurry on down!

Cryptanthus

Cryptanthus (Earth Stars)

Cryptanthus are terrestrial and native to Brazil. There are approx 25 species and several hundred hybrids. The name Cryptanthus (crypto+anthos means hidden flower). Cryptanthus are prized for their colorful foliage and leaf patterns. The genus belongs to the sub-family Bromeliaceae and is related to the pineapple. These are small plants up to 7-8 inches and usually in pots 4-6 inches. An excellent coffee table plant.

Light: Bright light, but not direct sun. The better the light, the more colorful and interesting the foliage.

Water: Keep evenly moist. Soggy plants will rot; becoming too dry will cause the plant to shrivel and die. Misting only provides humidity; the leaves on the cryptanthus do not absorb moisture or nutrients.

Temperature: 60-85 degrees is optimum, however they are very tolerant of temperatures even higher provided they have adequate humidity.

Fertilizer: Feed your plant at every watering with a diluted liquid fertilizer or use 14-14-14 Osmocote timed release.

Humidity: Many varieties enjoy high humidity. In your home this can be increased by placing your plant on a tray of pebbles over water.

Pups: Cryptanthus bloom once in their lifetime. Once the plant matures its typical cycle is to bloom and produce “pups,” new plants at the base of the mature plant. When the “pups” mature, they will drop off the mother plant and can be planted. The “pups” need a humid environment to grow roots.

Mark Your Calendars!

Our Annual Citrus Tasting and Tomato Tutorial Saturday, March 18th

Tomato Tutorial - From 10 am to 12 noon Our tomato & vegetable supplier, Ginger McMahon from Suncatcher Harvest, will be here discussing all the different varieties of tomatoes and veggies she supplies us with and she'll share helpful hints for bumper crops this summer.

Citrus Tasting – From 11 am to 1 pm Try before you buy! Taste the difference between the many varieties of citrus fruit we carry and discuss the cultural requirements of growing citrus in our area.

All in all, this is an opportunity you don't want to miss!

What You'll Need: 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 can (4-oz) chopped mild green chiles, drained 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 yellow onion, diced 2 cans (15-oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 cup chicken broth 1 tsp. ground cumin Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro 4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4-inch strips 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 Avocado, peeled, diced and tossed with lime to prevent browning (optional) Juice of 1 lime (optional)

Step by Step:

Place chicken in slow cooker Combine the chiles, garlic, onion, tomatoes, chicken broth and cumin in a small bowl. Pour mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for 6 hours until chicken is tender. Remove chicken; use 2 forks to shred the meat and return to slow cooker. Adjust seasonings. Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro to slow cooker. Stir to blend. Serve in soup bowls topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. If desired, top each serving with diced avocado and a squeeze of lime juice. Yield: 6 servings