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Organic and Heirloom Vegetables

Search no more for healthy and environmentally friendly grown plants to jazz up your garden this year! Lake Kountry, Inc. is offering your favorite Organic and Heirloom Vegetables. We are continuing to offer locally grown vegetables and herbs from Rush Creek Growers. They employ only certified organic products in their pest control endeavors.  Alongside them, we also continue to offer our Neo-Nic free grown vegetables and herbs.

We have some new compact varieties of Vegetables perfect for small space gardeners, such as ‘Tiny Tim’ (Pictured Right) which produces Red Cherry Tomatoes in abundance on a 12” determinate bush. We also have “Cherry Cascade” in a Organic and Heirloom Vegetables - Tiny Timconvenient 12” hanging basket! Imagine walking out onto your deck or patio and popping these delicious ripe treats into your mouth! What about other Vegetables? How about zucchini grown in a container! Yes, it’s possible with the ‘Buckingham’ zucchini which produces tasty gold fruit best picked at 6”-10”. The container gardening trend was a big hit last year for our “Patio Snacker” cucumber grown in biodegradable rice pots and “Lunch Box Mix” sweet pepper plants, which are back again for this year. We thought you would appreciate a compact pickler to go with your slicer this year, so we will have the “Pick a Bushel” cucumber as well.

Organic and Heirloom Vegetables - Cucumber PlantAre you a dedicated canning gardener? Check out our new ‘Super Sauce’ tomato. It is a recent hybrid that produces giant meaty, Roma-type fruit with great flavor, disease resistance and long term fruit set. With sauce on the mind don’t forget to pick up a ‘Sriracha’ pepper plant so you can create that iconic spicy chili sauce. Tired of blight destroying your hard work? We are so excited to also offer you the first ever blight resistant hybrid rightly named ‘Defiant’.  With deep red medium sized fruits it has a firm texture and a flavorful balance of acid and sweetness. We also have some of your favorite, well known tomatoes like ‘Bonnie Best’, ‘Brandywine’, ‘Cherokee Purple’ heirlooms, ‘Sun gold’, ‘Early Girl’, ‘Better Boy’, ‘Big Boy’ and ‘Supersteak’ to name a few.

Life’s too short, pass the chocolate! I mean you really should try our ‘Sweet Chocolate’ Chocolate Pepperpepper (Pictured Right) and our ‘Chocolate Mint’ herb. If you’re not salivating yet, we can keep going with our ‘Berries and Cream’ or ‘Variegated Pineapple’ mints. Our ‘Golden Lemon’ thyme also smells amazing. What about ‘Cheddar’ cauliflower, an early cauliflower with good heat tolerance and a lovely orange-sherbet color?Last, but not least, some other hard to find veggies we will be offering for 2017 are Sweet potato ‘Beauregard’, Edamame soybeans ‘Chiba’, Pac Choi ‘Mei Qing Choi’, Tomatillos, Shallots and a ‘Red Genovese’ and ‘Pesto Perpetuo’ Basil.  You will also find ‘Goddess’ Cantaloupe, ‘Sugar Baby’ Watermelon, and many varieties of kale, lettuce and the colorful ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss Chard (Pictured Below).

Misc. VegetablesWith our thoughtful selection of Organic and Heirloom Vegetables, this season you are sure to find something unique and delectable. If you’re looking for what’s new in annuals, click the link below!

Click here

And if we don’t have what you are looking for, let one of our friendly staff members know and we will try our best to accommodate! Here’s to a tasty and healthy garden. Bon appetit!

 

LAKE KOUNTRY INC., HAS A COMPLETE NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER LOCATED JUST MINUTES FROM NEW RICHMOND, AMERY, SOMERSET AND OSCEOLA, WI.  WE CARRY A FULL SELECTION OF ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, SHRUBS, TREES, WATER PLANTS, TROPICALS PLUS EVERYTHING YOU’LL NEED FOR ALL YOUR GARDENING NEEDS IN NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN!

6 Things to Consider when Purchasing Fruit Trees

With the increasing cost of fruit and the overuse of chemicals in some orchards, many people are choosing to “take control” of what they consume by planting their own fruit trees. The low initial cost of a single fruit tree will pay for itself over and over again by providing bushels of fruit over the years, provided the tree is well maintained. Before purchasing your fruit trees, we at Lake Kountry, Inc. have created a list of 6 Things to Consider when Purchasing Fruit Trees:Treeyard

1.) Where are you planning on placing the tree? Make sure your fruit trees will get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. Although fruit trees are adaptable to a wide range of soils, it should be a well-drained site. Soil can be amended at the time of planting to ensure an environment high in organic matter. Fertilizer stakes can also be used to give your trees a “boost” when they need it the most! It is also recommended after planting that the diameter around the tree be mulched to hold moisture and prevent weeds. After all that work, don’t forget to protect the bark from rabbits with a tree protector/wrapping. Fencing may also be required to protect the tree from possible deer damage depending upon your exposure. Our Garden Center has everything you need to be sure your tree grows happy and healthy!

2.) What about your Climate? The survival of a newly planted fruit tree is widely dependent on the climate and zone where you live. Here in northwestern Wisconsin we are in Zone 4, which means that anything Zone 5 or higher will probably not produce an adequate amount of fruit and also may not survive.  The fruit trees that we sell at Lake Kountry, Inc. are hardy in Zones 3 or 4. For example, a Granny Smith Apple or a Bing Cherry tree are recognized as hardy in Zones 5 and above so they would not be a good choice.

3.) Think about spacing. Spacing is yet another item to consider as you contemplate your fruit needs. Typically, dwarf varieties should be placed approximately 15-20’ apart from each other. Standard varieties, if they are not going to be pruned to maintain a smaller stature, should be placed a minimum of 25’ apart. Dwarf trees reach a height of approximately 12’ where a standard is typically around 18’. Since the dwarf trees have a smaller root base in the ground and a wider area above the ground they can sometimes be susceptible to “tipping” and not growing straight if your property has prevailing strong winds. In this case, choosing a standard tree might be a good idea as they have a larger root base which helps to support the tree. By pruning when the tree is dormant (winter months) you can achieve the same effect as the dwarf tree, making harvesting of the fruit easier.

4.) Think about Pollination. In order to get the greatest yield of high quality fruit, pollination issues need to be considered. If you live in a more densely populated area where other properties are in close proximity containing existing fruit trees you already have an “upper hand” with pollination.  Apples and pears require another variety, plums with a few exceptions require ‘Toka’ to pollinate, and cherry, peach and apricot trees are fine all by themselves. Common sense rules that if there are many pollinator plants on your property you will naturally attract more bees, thus rewarding you with a greater yield.

5.) To spray or not to spray? This is a personal decision that should be decided before your tree purchase. We carry organic sprays which are safe and very effective, but the key to spraying lies in the timing so be sure to follow directions EXACTLY – bees can be harmed if done during pollination! There are other products that can also be used such as “sticky traps” – just make sure you wait until after pollination time!  (A simple “old-time” solution is to hang an empty plastic milk jug in your tree with a small amount of molasses on the bottom to catch bugs and make it impossible for them to escape!) Remember, any of these practices must be implemented after the pollination process!!!

6.) Now for that all-important question…what fruit trees do I want? Again, this is a personal decision based on the type of fruit you like and what you’re planning to do with it! Apple trees can be used for fresh eating, pies, sauces and baking so it is also important to consider storage life when choosing apple varieties. The most sought-after newer varieties right now include Frostbite, Honeycrisp, Snowsweet and Zestar.  Our newest one is KinderKrisp – many of the same great qualities of Honeycrisp and the other U of M introductions, but with this one you may see a good amount of fruit the 2nd year! Most of the other apples are typically 3-5 years with dwarf varieties producing slightly soon than standards. Many of the older varieties remain a staple here at the nursery including Connell Red, Cortland, Fireside, Haralson, McIntosh, State Fair and Sweet Sixteen to name just a few. Plum, Cherry, Apricot, Peach and Pear trees are generally eaten fresh, but can also be made into jam/jelly or dried. We have provided a chart below to help you find the type and variety of fruit tree you want.

Click on the Link Below to View Chart of Fruit Varieties and Their Uses:

2017 Fruit Chart

We’re ready to help make your “fruit dreams” a reality! We’ll literally “walk” you through the process of purchasing the perfect trees and promise to send you home with everything you’ll need to be successful! Remember that our trees are guaranteed for one full year so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

 

LAKE KOUNTRY INC. OFFERS A COMPLETE NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER FOR ALL YOUR GARDENING NEEDS JUST MINUTES FROM NEW RICHMOND, WI , SOMERSET, WI , AMERY, WI , OSCEOLA, WI AND ALL OF WESTERN WI! WE CARRY A FULL SELECTION OF ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, SHRUBS, TREES, WATER PLANTS AND TROPICALS!

Garden Center Products – New Richmond WI

FUNCTIONAL AND DECORATIVE GARDEN CENTER PRODUCTS FOR YOUR HOME – INSIDE AND OUT!

Spring is upon us and the rush begins to undo all the adverse effects from winter and transform our bare spaces into beautiful living areas.  Lake Kountry, Inc. has the products you need for to beautify your surroundings both inside and out!

  • Gardening Tools, Pruners, Sprinklers, Plant Supports: Time to roll up those sleeves and get a little (or a lot) dirty!  Treat yourself by buying a new BOND or WOLF GARTEN Pruners, a new RADIUS Garden Trowel (this one minimizes hand and wrist stress), a BLOOM kneeler and garden bag for debris and you’re ready to get to work!  For your watering needs check out our colorful line of DRAMM products for watering wands, lawn sprinklers and watering timers!  As your healthy plants begin to grow, don’t forget plant supports from GARDMAN.  We also have a brand new “Super Duty” tomato cage that folds when not in use…it’s our favorite new product for 2017!
Garden Center Products - Plant Cage

Multi-purpose Plant Cage (Folded)

Garden Center Products - Plant Cage

Multi-purpose Plant Cage (Ready to Use)

  • Garden Stakes/Night Lighting: So many to choose from!  Perfect for adding a finishing touch to your containers, accenting a flower bed or even lining a walkway/patio/pool area.  We have a brand new selection of solar and glow-in-the-dark lights and stakes so you can even “light up” your patio umbrella or favorite top-grafted tree if you’d like!
  • OLDS Garden Seeds: If you’re ready to plant the garden we’ve got the seeds for you including traditional, heirloom and organic varieties.  Don’t forget the easy to grow seed potatoes and onion sets!
  • Fertilizers, Weed Preventers, Repellants: Many brands to choose from here including Miracle-Gro, Preen, Ortho, Bayer, Bonide, Round-Up, Liquid Fence – many organics available and we’ll help you choose what’s best for your particular application!
  • Bird & Bee Supplies, Habitats and Food: Houses, feeders, seed/suet and everything in-between is at your disposal to help you care for our feathered (and buzzing) friends!
  • Ceramic Containers, Cedar Planters, Bird Baths: We carry a huge selection of styles, sizes and colors to fit any décor or outdoor application.  We’ll help you put together a unique and beautiful combination!
  • Cemetary Urns/Stands, Memorial Items: We are here to help you with a meaningful selection of memorials perfect for family and friends.  We also offer a planting/delivery service to local cemeteries, including Christmas wreaths.
  • Flags, Welcome Mats, Door Décor: Make your home inviting by decorating the outside of your home…so simple, fun and uniquely YOU!!!  We like to think of it as the ‘Greeting Card of Your Home’!Garden Center Products
  • Decorative Home Décor/Signs: Themes abound here including dog/cat lovers, farming, lake/cabin life, family, friends, man cave, coffee, wine and just plain funny!  Great gifts for that special someone or yourself!
  • Something for the Kids: We’d never forget the “little ones” at Lake Kountry, Inc.!  We carry the gardening line featuring ‘Melissa and Doug’ – great products at awesome prices!
  • Expanded FAIRY GARDEN Offerings: Due to popular demand, we’ve done our research and now offer even more ways to enjoy Fairy Gardening.  Great project to do with the kids/grandkids!

 

LAKE KOUNTRY INC. OFFERS A COMPLETE NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER FOR ALL YOUR GARDENING NEEDS JUST MINUTES FROM NEW RICHMOND, WI , SOMERSET, WI , AMERY, WI , OSCEOLA, WI AND ALL OF WESTERN WI! WE CARRY A FULL SELECTION OF ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, SHRUBS, TREES, WATER PLANTS AND TROPICALS!

 

 

10 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Landscaper

10 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Landscaper

Finding the right professional contractor for any type of work to be done on a home or business is tough. That can even include finding a professional landscaper. We have heard from many people over the years who have hired companies to perform landscaping but fail to meet their expectations. These people tell us the reasons vary from a lack of knowledge and experience to a wide variety of other reasons. I’m sure you can think of an experience in which you wish you would have done more research prior to hiring for a professional service. This article focuses on how to avoid making that same type of mistake when hiring for landscape projects. Whether your project is a paver patio, fire pit, retaining wall, steps, deck, outdoor kitchen, pond, waterfall, planting bed, lawn seeding, etc. I have put together a list of 10 things you should consider before pulling the trigger with a landscaper.

Let’s start with the basics 1.) Have you heard of the company before? A company’s reputation is often easy to find out these days, whether it be by word-of-mouth or a click of the mouse in the form of online reviews. Just simply ask friends or family if they or anyone they know have dealt with the company. Chances are they have word-of-mouth knowledge that will assist you in your decision. Another thing to explore is the length of time they have been in business. You can once again ask friends or family for this information or turn on the computer and do some research online. Look at their website, assuming that they have one. The absence of one could tell you they are a newer company and maybe aren’t the one you want to take a chance with. There are other sources you can use such as google to find this information. Make sure that you pick someone with at least 15-20 years of experience. This should help to minimize any nuisances that may occur during the completion of your project.

Another thing you may want to consider is the other services offered by the company. This brings me to 2.) What sort of services do they offer? Many people choose a landscaper that does just landscaping. While that may be fine for small jobs, larger jobs could be a problem. Are they going to know about proper drainage techniques to keep water away from your house? I have seen way too many jobs that were performed that have water issues after the work is completed. If the company being considered doesn’t perform excavating as one of their services, they probably don’t know the importance of this for the longevity of both your home and the landscaping being done. Drainage is the most important part of landscaping in my opinion. You want the water to go far away from your house to avoid filling your basement with water or possibly even washing mulch away in your beds during a spring thaw, or a rainfall event. Another thing to consider, do they have enough knowledge in fixing your grass after the work is completed? Many times during the “tear-out” process of landscaping lawns can be ripped up, depending on the severity of the job. You want someone who is going to know how to get seed, sod or hydro-seed to grow quickly in disturbed areas before a rainfall has a chance to wash away your new turf. Choosing a full service company may also be cheaper if they can offer you all the services you are looking for especially for new construction. If you’re looking for excavating, landscaping, seeding and irrigation for a new home it will often be much cheaper to use one company. Plus, you will only have to deal with one person during the completion of the project and not have to be in contact with many companies.

Consider who is doing the actual work on your property or business. Is it 3.) the actual company you are hiring doing the work. Many times the company who is hired is actually just subcontracting the work out to another “guy” or small company. The company you are hiring gets to pocket the extra money while paying the other “guy” less and your more than likely getting subpar results in your project. Hiring a company that actually does the work also benefits you in communication. If you don’t like the way something is getting done or want something changed you can easy change it when the company you hired is on site. If subcontracted out, they will have to contact the contractor and get approval for changes. This could cost you both time and extra money for the completion of your project.

Once you have found a company that doesn’t subcontract the work out, ask yourself 4.) Are the owners involved directly in your project? If you are able to choose a landscaping company where the owners are directly involved in the project, more than likely your project will be a success. They are going to have knowledge and care the most about exceeding your expectations. This is especially true if they have been in business for a long period of time. They may catch something that they don’t like on the project, such as drainage concerns, design concerns, etc. They would then let you know and be able to make corrections quickly and efficiently without going through a long chain of individuals.

Do you feel that 5.) the company is passionate about what they do? A company that is truly passionate about beautifying your outdoor space through landscaping will give the best results. Passion should start with the owners of the company. They should have been very compassionate and eager to transform your space into your vision during the estimate phase. Passion from owners is typically “contagious” to the employees of that company. If you feel that after receiving the estimate, the bidder truly understood and was genuinely excited about completing your project, that should say a lot about the company and its employees. Passionate owners and employees will go out of their way to exceed your expectations. Companies that lack this important trait are going to give rise to less than desired results. They are not going to go out of their way to make sure you get everything you want and more at the completion of your landscaping project.

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Another thing that seems to tie all of the previously mentioned considerations is 6.) Do they have a physical location? Are they operating out of a garage or storage unit or do they have a Nursey and/or Garden Center. If the company has a Nursery and/or Garden Center, then visit it before hiring the company. You can find out some of the previous things I have mentioned so far in a short period of time. Are the owners there operating the business? Do you see the owners working alongside of their employees? Do you see passion from the employees? Talk to the employees and ask questions to understand how knowledgeable and passionate they are. How about the cleanliness of the place? Is it clean, neat and very well organized? If the Nursery or Garden Center is all of those things, they are likely going to give you top-notch work on your landscaping project.

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While you’re visiting the Garden Center and/or Nursery, if they have one, 7.) find out what sort of supplies they offer. Do they have professional grade supplies? Look at the supplies that will be used during your project, whether that is edging, plastic, fabric, plants, topsoil, mulch, rock, etc. You want to make sure they aren’t supplies from “big box retailers” since these supplies are often very poor in quality, especially edging, plastics and fabrics. If they don’t have a Garden Center or Nursery, then you will either need to use their website if they have one and hope they list supplies on it or talk to them personally. The importance of the product grade comes down to longevity and maintenance. For instance, edging that is Professional “High-Test” is going to resist movement in winter freeze-thaw and be able to take a beating from a lawn mower due to its design and thickness. Fabric and Plastic used under mulch and rock, respectively, also needs to be professional grade. Profession grade will be thicker and be harder for holes to get put in them during both installation and after project completion. A thick product will also prevent weeds under the bed from growing through and making your nice planting bed into a weed bed in the coming years.

Yet another thing to look at while visiting the property or possibly from pictures they may have on their website 8.) how does the vehicles and equipment they own look? How well a company takes care of their vehicles and equipment can tell you a lot about the company. If you can tell that they are kept clean and look to be in great condition. Then they must have pride in not only their vehicles and equipment, but also the work they perform.Excavating_Equipment

 

Can you find information out easily on the internet? 9.) Do they have a great website? Since the invention of the internet, this has been one of the best sources of information for all information, this includes landscaping. Once you find the website, if they have one then start with basic information. Look at how the company started, who are the key players, etc. Then you should be able to have access to previous work they have done, whether that be from pictures or testimonials from previous customers. You should also be able to see the other services they provide and products they use. While websites can be a great source of information, just remember that the company can put anything on them. You may have to trust your instinct when it comes to deciding if the pictures and information are genuine.

The last and most important consideration: 10.) Do you feel 100% comfortable with the company after reviewing all the above information? You need to have total trust in the company that is going to be performing the landscaping work on your property or business. When you leave for work or leave the house for the day while they are working, do you trust that they can provide you with no headaches when you return home? No one wants to come home to see their new blacktop driveway damaged by an untrained and unsupervised employee attempting to use a piece of equipment or debris and supplies scattered all over your lawn, street and driveway. When the landscaping project is complete, hopefully you will have found this article to be very useful in assisting in your decision to choose the best landscape professional in the area.

 

LAKE KOUNTRY INC., IS A FULL SERVICE LANDSCAPE COMPANY.  LOCATED JUST MINUTES FROM NEW RICHMOND, WI , SOMERSET, WI , OSCEOLA, WI , AND AMERY, WI . WE CARRY A FULL SELECTION OF LANDSCAPE SERVICES AND LANDSCAPE SUPPLIES, PLUS A FULL SELECTION OF ANNUALS, PERENNIALS, SHRUBS, TREES AND GIFT ITEMS AVAILABLE FROM OUR NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER.