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Organic and Heirloom Vegetables

March 23, 2017/in Garden Center, Gardening Tips, Nursery/by Brian

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 convenient 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.

Are 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’ pepper (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).

With 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!

Snow Removal Contractor – New Richmond WI

March 22, 2017/in Uncategorized, Winter/by Brian

5 Things to Look for in a Snow Removal Contractor – New Richmond WI

Living near New Richmond, Wisconsin we all know how fast the weather can change from the near-perfect weather of the summertime to the cold that starts to come in the Fall and proceed through the Winter. Inevitably snowfall comes with the winter season. This change in the seasons, in turn, gets people once again thinking about Snow Removal and De-icing services for their driveways, parking lots and sidewalks. Well, if you don’t have the equipment needed to remove the snow and ice then you have to find someone to do it. How do you know what to look for in finding a Snow Removal Contractor? This article was created for both Residential and Commercial customers to discuss this very subject in detail. I will go through 5 Things you should Consider when finding a Snow Removal Contractor.

The first subject to touch on is 1.) Experience. The contractor that your considering should have a good reputation in the field with both word of mouth and website presence. Ask around, do you know anyone who uses the contractor? Do they have only good things to say? Also, the type of their web presence may help to determine if they are the professional contractor you’re searching for. Do they have a Snow Removal/ Snow Plowing Page? Do they have online reviews on Facebook, Google or perhaps Testimonials on their web page? Web Presence can help prove their credibility because typically only an older, more established company will likely have one in great detail with lots of credibility in the form of reviews. If they do have a web page, look for the quality of the different pages. Does it look genuine? Look at the photos on the various pages. Are they real or photo-shopped, it is often easy to spot the difference? How about wording? Are there lots of spelling errors and wording that doesn’t make sense? An elaborate website may prove they care a lot about their reputation and show the level of detail the contractor provides to their customers. Have you tried reaching out to them? Try giving them a call, sending an email or possibly reaching out to them via Social Media, such as Facebook. Also, you may want to find out how long they have been in business to help prove both their credibility and reliability. We here at Lake Kountry, Inc. have been in business for over 29 years serving our customers. We have been providing Snow Plowing and Snow Removal Services to our Customers in New Richmond WI for almost 20 of those years.

The company you consider should also have 2.) Professional Employees, people that will perform the work needed in an efficient, yet safe manner. Imagine you have just received a large snowfall in the middle of winter and you’re watching the company you hired plowing the snow in your driveway. They come up your driveway at a high rate of speed and then turn around and back into your garage by accident because they were in a hurry, weren’t paying close attention and don’t really care about you the customer. Unfortunately, some businesses have employees that can be careless like the example I used. Find out as much as you can about the snow removal contractor’s employees. Once again, through word of mouth. You could also talk to the owner of the company. Ask who will be doing the work and how long have they been with the company? These details should be comforting to hear and shouldn’t make you nervous going into the winter season. Also, consider the number of employees the snow removal contractor has. Do they have enough people, so that when that big 12 or 16-inch snowfall comes they have the people needed to perform the work? You probably don’t want to be stuck at home or unable to open your business because your contractor hasn’t shown up yet. We at Lake Kountry, Inc. hire only the best employees, so that every one of our customers get the work performed in a safe and efficient manner.

Both the Contractor’s Snow Removal Experience and Employees lead into the next consideration 3.) Trustworthiness. Do you trust the business to get the snow removal performed at the correct time at the quality you desire? For example, you are a business and open at 8 am. It has snowed overnight and you need to have both your parking lot and sidewalks clear for business before 8 am, do you trust your contractor to perform the work in the middle of the night so you can open on time? What about quality – is there still snow left on the parking lot or sidewalks that could cause one of your customers to fall and possible sue you for injuries? You may not think of the liability when it comes to snow removal, but it is very important and comes back to the subject of trust between you and your snow removal contractor. With all the talk about liability, have you thought about the insurance of your contractor? Having a Fully Insured Snow Removal Contractor is something you can never regret and give you piece of mind if something were to happen. Lake Kountry, Inc. is Fully Insured to help our customers feel safe and secure.

The next consideration has to do with the tools they use to do their job, 4.) Equipment. Have you ever seen the contractor’s equipment that you are proposing to use? This can tell you a lot about them. Do they have equipment that’s bent, rusty and leaking oil? This could be a sign you are looking at a snow removal contractor that may not reliable. The company may not take care of their equipment or have employees that don’t care about the equipment they use or whether or not they cause property damage. What about the types of equipment they have? If you just need a driveway plowed this may not be as important to you as it is for a business. Does the Snow Removal Contractor just have a few Snow Plowing Trucks or a complete fleet of equipment? Big equipment may be needed to remove the snow in a timely matter and can even be cheaper with additions like a snow-pusher. Also, it may be nice to know that when that massive snowstorm hits your business or residence that your contractor can clear it. We at Lake Kountry, Inc. pride ourselves on our equipment. We maintain and service our equipment regularly so that when it snows we are their clearing your lots, not broke down unable to perform the work. We have the heavy equipment it takes to efficiently remove snow or move snow piles back for the next big snow storm. Along with considering their equipment, what other types of snow services do they offer? This brings me to the last point.

Lastly, consider 5.) Additional Snow Removal Services. A Full-Service Snow Removal Contractor will be able to perform all other desirable snow removal duties to keep your property or business clear of snow. Do you or may you have a need for salting or salt-sanding of a parking lot or driveway? What about sidewalks, do you or may you need to have sidewalks shoveled, snow-blown, swept and/or salted? A Full-Service Snow Removal Contractor will be able to perform these services for you to ensure you have a clear driveway, parking lot and/or sidewalk. The Contractor should have all the specialized equipment needed to perform these duties for you, such as large capacity salters and salt-sanders for their trucks. They should also have snow-blowers, sidewalk brooms and sidewalk salters to keep you sidewalks safe in the winter months. One thing I failed to mention was the consideration of snow relocation. You may have the need to move snow from one area of your property to another or even completely off-site because of space or visibility restrictions. Think about this important point before hiring a snow plowing contractor. Wouldn’t it be nice to use just one company for ease of convenience of all things snow removal? Check to see if the business has dump trucks, loaders and experience in moving snow.

Considering all the points I have made, I hope you feel much more informed about the process of searching for the best Snow Removal Contractor. If you pay close attention to the contractor’s experience, professionalism of employees, trustworthiness, appearance of equipment and the additional services they have you should be on track for picking the best suited Snow Removal Contractor. Lake Kountry, Inc. offers our customers the best in each of these key points. Come Experience Lake Kountry, let us take care of your Snow Plowing/Snow Removal, Salting, Salt-Sanding, Sidewalk clearing /De-icing and/or Snow Hauling needs.

LAKE KOUNTRY, INC. IS A FULL SERVICE SNOW PLOWING/ SNOW REMOVAL CONTRACTOR. LOCATED JUST MINUTES FROM NEW RICHMOND, WI , SOMERSET, WI , OSCEOLA, WI , AND AMERY, WI . WE PROVIDE SNOW REMOVAL SERVICES TO OUR CUSTOMERS INCLUDING; SNOW PLOWING, SNOW-BLOWING, SALTING, SALT-SANDING, SIDEWALK SNOW REMOVAL, SIDEWALK DE-ICING, SNOW HAULING, BULK SALT AND BULK SALT-SAND. PLUS WE HAVE A FULL SERVICE NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER AND PROVIDE LANDSCAPING/EXCAVATING/IRRIGATION SERVICES. COME EXPERIENCE LAKE KOUNTRY!!!

6 Things to Consider when Purchasing Fruit Trees

March 20, 2017/in Garden Center, Gardening Tips, Nursery/by Brian

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:

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 2^nd 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

March 20, 2017/in Garden Center, Gardening Tips, Nursery/by Brian

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!

Multi-purpose Plant Cage (Folded)

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’!
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!

“Annual” News Report 2016

March 14, 2016/in Gardening Tips, Latest posts/by Brian

Exciting new annuals are at Lake Kountry, Inc., just in time for the 2016 Spring planting season! We are introducing many unusual varieties sure to peak your interest and put a smile on your face as you “score” a few to take home!

Of course, we’ll continue to offer all your old favorites such as Geraniums, Petunias and Marigolds. But have you ever seen a Yellow Geranium? How about Bi-Colored Petunias and Calibrachoas that look like an artist had hand-painted them just for you in colors that only your imagination could come up with? Everyone knows about how easy Marigolds are to care for, but did you know there is a delicious variety meant to adorn salads?

Speaking of delicious annuals to eat, we have a colorful mix of Nasturtiums, ‘Garden Mixer’ and ‘Rainbow Lacinato’ Kale and ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss Chard. If you’re new to consuming “flowers” you’re not alone…we invite you to expand your horizons and give them a try!

In addition to the new Yellow Geranium, we’ll again be offering many different Geraniums with Variegated Foliage. And remember the Scented Geraniums that were so popular ten or so years ago? Yep, they’re back, along with a ‘Citronella’ variety which is ready to ward off those pesky mosquitos! Additional annual varieties will also help to deter those little biters…Lemon Grass and Lemon Catnip!

Ready to dive into the huge and growing Herb Market? As usual, we offer the standard varieties but WAIT! How about some great Mints including ‘Berries and Cream’, ‘Chocolate’, ‘Mojito’ (perfect for those summer drinks), and let’s just add in ‘Variegated Pineapple’ for fun!!! Of course we carry Oregano, but let’s add a Variegated Version. Rosemary is a standard, but what about ‘Barbeque’ Rosemary…just right for those grilling parties!!! So many more to talk about like the Basil, Sage and Thyme families – let’s just say it’s worth the short trip here to choose your favorites before they’re gone!

Now let’s just touch on the new Veggies for 2016. Lots of Peppers like ‘Ghost’ (if you dare) and ‘Lunch Box Mix’ which are, of course, perfect for the kids. New Tomatoes that are sparking lots of interest and promising to provide big results include ‘Amish Paste’, “Black from Tula’, ‘Chef’s Choice Orange’, ‘Heirloom Marriage Big Brandy’, ‘Tiny Tim’ and others. The super great bonus on some of these, like the Cucumber ‘Patio Snacker’, is that you can grow them in containers or hanging baskets with amazing results! How cool is that!!!

Twist and Twirl – Coleus (Proven Winners)

The popularity of “fillers” has created a whole new revolution of awesome annuals! Coleus is one of them and we have well over a dozen new ones to choose from! You simply won’t be able to resist some of our favorites which include ‘Flame Thrower Spiced Curry’, ‘Lemon Twist’, the ‘Stained Glass Series’, “Swinging Linda”, ‘Twist and Twirl’ and ‘Under the Sea Bone Fish and Gold Anemone’!

Holy Moly – Calibrachoa (Proven Winners)

Our Hanging Baskets remain our “calling card” and we simply can’t find the words to describe how beautiful they truly are! All we can say is that our Loyal Customers know they need to Shop Early to get the Biggest and the Best!

We also carry a great variety of Tropicals, including some really unusual ones that are hard to find locally!
We are also proud to carry Proven Winners Annuals, Perennials and Shrubs, guaranteed to give you great color and performance with a minimum of care! Don’t you just love the mystical colors of ‘Holy Moly‘?

Many of our customers choose to “pre-order” their annuals, then let us know when they’d like to pick them up. From flats to hanging baskets, just let us know your needs and we’ll set them aside in our SOLD area and take great care of them until you’re ready to plant!

We also offer a service where you can bring in your container(s) and we’ll help you plant them up and really make a statement. This usually works better during the week when we have more time to individually help you – there is no charge to you except the cost of the soil and plants! We also welcome you to get a group of family or friends together and make it a “planting party” (advanced notice is required, and this can be done after hours if needed)!

We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!!! Happy Spring to All!!!