These daisies started blooming last week. Just in time for the beginning of June.
The warmer temperatures are definitely here to stay. After reviewing the almanac for the entire month of June, it appears that it is a wonderful time to share with y’all all of the information for you to get growing this Month in June. No, it’s not too late to plant! We still have plenty of warm days ahead to begin seeds, and enjoy flowers all summer long.
Stop by and pick up a few more seeds! We have a small bundle of these gardening guides left. Stop by to pick one up soon!
June Gardening Guide
June 1-2 Planting DaysJune 3-4 : Harvest Days These lettuce seeds were planted in May and almost ready to harvest! June 5-6 : Plant root crops, prune to encourage growth June 7-8: Destroy weeds, and harvest crops . Wilkes County Hardware has a wide selection of weed control products… sprays and concentrate. June 9-10: plant, transplant, prune to encourage growth, apply organic fertilizer. Black Wonder composting soil now back in stock!
June 11-12: Harvest crops
June 13-14 : plant, transplant, prune to encourage growth
WCH Recommends: Baccto potting soil
June 15-17: destroy weeds, harvest crops
WCH Recommends: A 2-4D concentrate will not harm your grass but targets the existing weeds.
June 18-19: plant, transplant, seed beds, prune to encourage growth, apply chemical fertilizer
By mid June your garden should be in full bloom!
June 20-24: Barren signs means a great time to do weed control. Never plant during a barren sign… slow to no growth. Never trim bushes or trees during a barren sign.
June 21st Marks the first day of Summer!
June 25-29: planting days resume. June 28-29 are good days to seed beds, apply chemical fertilizer.
June is a good time to address any emerging issues that you might have with your roses. Be proactive, and shop early to prevent any damage.
June 30th: Prune to discourage growth
No matter what you grow this year… flowers, vegetables or maybe both… just enjoy your surroundings. Happy Planting!
The garden centers in May see a frenzy of activity. The Spring season has brought enough warmth and heat to keep those blooms beautiful. Do you find yourself buying the same annuals or planting the same flower seeds each year??? At the hardware store, our flower seeds are selling quickly as well as potting soil.
WCH Recommends: Using a composting soil builder along with a great potting soil mix creates a fantastic base for growing plants and flowers. WCH Recommends: Zinnias bloomed all summer long with butterflies abounding! Stop by to pick up some seeds now for blooms later this summer.
I began to think about this the other day, my personal connections to flowers and what I plant is deeply rooted… linked to my personal life experiences and memories of those who I love and those who are no longer with us.
Hydrangeas are a favorite flower memory. I have a large snowball hydrangea that I planted several years ago based around my childhood home. These beautiful blooms here are from my granny’s garden.
I have a few favorites that I love to plant each year. The striking colors, the scents, the aesthetics, and durability(long lasting nature) of the plant definitely impacts my purchasing decisions. But, many of the reasons why I pick the same type of flowers each year is due to my associated memories with these flowers.. past celebrations, or memories of strolling through family gardens.
Aunt Mary and Pat always had their window boxes full of red geraniums every year. I always try to have a couple of red geraniums each year.
If you and I did a walk through in my garden areas at my home, it would be a definite literal story of sharing plants.. who gave them to me to transplant, or maybe the why I chose the blooming beauty for my garden and the personal connection to each flower. My question to you today, do you relate and link flowers that you plant to your cherished loved ones too?
My mom always had beautiful roses at home. I love this ketchup/mustard variety in my front garden area. Many of the varieties I have chosen are as a result of our conversations about the care of rose, heartiness of the variety. WCH Recommends: If you have roses, this is a great product to use!
My final thought to share with you today, flowers hold power… not only the outward beauty for your home, hope, resilience to bloom even in difficult circumstances.., and cherished memories of those you love. Let’s get planting!
April 25th is National Hug your Plumber Day. When you need a plumber, you usually need one ASAP!! I would say that a good chunk of our customers that walk into our hardware store are seeking help with some type current plumbing issue or seeking a replacement plumbing fitting. That being said, this might be a “fitting” blog post to “plunge” into today.
The plumbing aisle is usually a busy place on most days of the week inside our hardware store. Plumbing issues can become time consuming and can be expensive, especially if you lack the equipment and expertise that a plumber has.
As we all know, Home maintenance is ongoing, and can get expensive. Being proactive with your maintenance tasks, can give you an opportunity to move forward with other projects.
No worries y’all, just following these tips could add to your existing knowledge base about plumbing 🪠 so let’s plunge into the tips!
WCH Recommends … every home should have a plunger. Now, Let’s “plunge” into these great tips!
1. Know where your main water shutoff is located. Enough said! If you don’t know where your water shutoff is located, then make it your mission to find out ASAP! A water issue can be controlled much easier when you know where the main shutoff is found. Instead of a looming disaster with water everywhere inside your home, you can divert the danger by immediately turning the water off.
A very kind plumber who came to our home several years ago on a small plumbing project took the time to show me where our main shutoff is located. I value and appreciate his expertise and friendship .
2. Don’t use bleach to clean with regularly if you are on a septic tank system(Think about the toilet bowl drop ins and cleaning chemicals you are using the most often.) . The bleach can kill off the good bacteria in your system. When the good bacteria are destroyed, your tank won’t be able to break down waste effectively, meaning a clogged septic tank could be inevitable. 😳
Always available at Wilkes County Hardware!
3. What goes in must come out… and everything is not flushable! Yes, to most folks this is common sense. But everyone doesn’t know that baby wipes, Q-tips, grease, feminine hygiene products, diapers, paper towels, tissues are not flushable or acceptable for drains! Yes, even coffee grounds can clump up as well as cat litter and can lead to a clog. All of these items can reek havoc on your pipes/toilets and cost you a small fortune in order to get rid of a massive clog!
This 🧻 Decomposing at a faster rate! A camping & boating essential! Now available at WCH!!
4. When you do have a clog, deal with IT effectively. Using a Plunger or a snake is your first line of attack against a clog.Powerful Chemicals are secondary… especially if your plumbing lines are older. The harsh chemicals can break down your current, older plumbing lines even more quickly. 😳 AND if you have to use a chemical agent, read the directions and use it as directed!!! Be safe!
WCH Recommended item: if you need to deal with a clog, this is a good, safe option and eco friendly.
5. Check out your Insulation around water lines in basements and crawl space. If you don’t like what see, it is a good idea, especially during the extremely cold months to add insulation. Don’t forget to also check your Well pumps and pressure tanks, they should also have insulation around them too.
We stock essential homeowner necessities for plumbing….Glues, tape, fittings, insulation wrap, CPVC, and more!
6. Disconnect your water hose at the end of the growing season and cover your outdoor faucets. Outdoor faucets will freeze and create greater problems for you!
WCH Recommended item: These are great to have in hand before the first frost hits at the end of the long hot summer.
7. Do a bit of Reconnaissance work as a homeowner… a visual inspection of your plumbing . It is necessary as a homeowner- check your whole house water filters, look for any leaky hoses, or visible water around base of toilet( this can become a costly repair) are your toilets flushing properly, do you see leaks around hot water heater, visible water under your sink??? The small cost of a roll of plumbers tape is definitely worth the investment to add to your home toolbox. Lastly, Some leaks are not visible… pay close attention to your water bill each month to examine any spikes in your monthly costs. If you see a noticeable increase, definitely get this checked out!
WCH Recommends: A roll of plumbers tape is good to keep on hand at home for quick fixes.
8. Know when to call in an expert. Even the best DIY homeowners often know their limits and will call in the professionals when necessary.
That’s all folks! These tips are based on my own personal experience. Your experiences are uniquely relevant as well. I hope that you find this information helpful and useful as a homeowner.
If you are inside shopping at our hardware store, you will probably hear the phone ring ☎️. We field lots of questions each and every day of the week. Here’s a list of the top 5 most popular questions that we address on the phone and in personal conversations with our customers
1. What time ⏰ do you close today ???
AND along the same lines…
Are y’all still closing early on Wednesday afternoons? NO! We have regular store hours on Wednesday and have had normal store hours on Wednesday afternoon for about 7 years now.
Old newspaper research… came across this ad that may help explain why businesses closed early on Wednesday in our small town so many years ago.
2. Can I park in the back parking lot and come in the back door? 🚪Yes! Absolutely! The lot is public parking and parking is also available on 10th Street in front of our store.
The back door is used by our staff as an entrance and many of our regular customers. You don’t have to use the front entrance on 10th Street if you’re having a hard time finding a parking spot.
3. Is it possible for you to order this item for me???💻 Yes! I’ll be glad to check our current inventory and get a price on that item for you.
We have added several new inventory items over the last few years BUT if you can’t find it quickly, ask us if we can order it for you.
4. Can you make me a key?🔑 If you have an existing key, then we probably can… no key, call Bill, the locksmith next door.
This item is a best seller! Hiding a key 🔑 so you don’t lose your new key!
5. How’s business going? 🛍️We need your support each and every day. We appreciate your loyalty and making purchases inside our small business so that we can continue to add new products, staff and grow our economic community in Wilkes. We want to be here for YOU years down the road. When you shop local, your money stays in our community. Please support all small businesses( retail, restaurants, and service providers) in our two towns. They need your continued support always! Local supports local!!!
Thank you for your supportas we approach year 8 in the hardware business!
The Spring season is a burst of activity in our natural world after the winter weather thaw. New life begins to emerge in front of our eyes. Spring weather can be ever changing. One day we can experience beautiful blue skies and sunshine, the next day, can bring cooler temperatures and a blustery wind.
Spring mornings tend to be cooler, but the afternoon sun brings warmth after the cold winter season.
Spring is a beautiful reminder of how wonderful nature can be! I hope that you will enjoy my pictorial review of Spring.
Meteorological Spring begins in March. The first official day of Spring is March 20th. First signs of Spring, blooming crocus Do you have any of these sweet flowers? Blooming Lenten rose arrives just in time for the beginning of Lent each year. Forsythia never fails to add beautiful color to the spring season. Tiny leaves begin to emerge on our favorite Weeping Willow on the Greenway. Piper and I always look forward to seeing this each Spring. Spring blooming trees show off their unique colors and beauty in Downtown North Wilkesboro. This year the Tulip trees have been gorgeous! The March brisk winds and rains often create a beautiful storm of petals reminiscent of the glorious days of springtime. Spring, Live life in full bloom! Do you call them Daffodils or Buttercups? Daffodils are one of the first flowers to burst onto the scene after a few warmer days of spring like weather. Joy was extremely curious about the blooming daffodils her first Spring season with us. Birds chirping their glorious spring songs. Our birding section is always a busy area inside the hardware store. If you don’t see what you need, ask us about ordering it for you. The bees begin to work on the pollination process… not so much fun for allergy sufferers in the spring. Have you already spotted the pollen coating your car or outdoor surfaces yet??? Gone in 30 Seconds Outdoor cleaner and Wet and Forget works great to get your outside surfaces clean and clear of the grime of the wet and yucky winter season. The tiny, bright green leaves emerge bringing a new sense of life to trees and our natural world. The grass begins growing like crazy! The winter lull of lawn care is now over and the mowing season begins. Mowologists, are y’all ready? Check out my blog post on Mowing Grass. Our Lawn and Garden section has been completely updated. Stop by to pick up your chemicals, OR if you have questions on where to begin for the Spring season Lawn Care Maintenance. I have a few blog posts that may help as you begin the spring garden season, check out Pulling Weeds on the blog. New lawn care items inside our store! I’m excited about this one for your lawn. Easy steps for each season! Then comes Tulip season! Cookie smelling the tulips and daffodils. She loves the tulips 🌷! Last spring she would stop by and smell my tulips at the back door every single time. I added a new set of tulips at the front door this year. Just a little too cute! Spring is time for bright colors Each of these Blue Door Houses are uniquely designed. Robin egg blue! Iconic spring color 💕April often brings the Easter Bunny! Time to shop for a new Easter Basket! Grilling season heats up! Stop by to pick up grilling sauces, rub, Traeger pellets or even a new grill. Yes! We can order you a Blackstone Grill too! All sizes are available. March 12th is Daylight Saving Time, meaning more hours of daylight. Daylight Saving Time was first enacted during World War I to save energy and resources . Enjoy the beautiful spring sunshine! And the Spring morning sunrises. April showers bring May Flowers… peonies are almost ready to bloom in this beautiful Spring memory. May brings strawberry season! I love my metal dishpan from Wilkes County Hardware. I use it for gathering, harvesting, prepping garden beauties each spring and summer. Gardening season begins in the spring! Some folks start seed indoors in the early months of spring, while others wait. Whenever the frost of early May dissipates, the gardening season goes into full swing. Does your garden soil need a boost? Use this locally sourced soil builder to get some amazing results in your garden this spring. The best potting soil hands down! Love this stuff! Gardeners, At the end of the day, shouldn’t you smell like dirt during Spring ???? Gardening by the signs. Do you know how to read an almanac? I plant by the signs each year in order to get the best results. Flowers planted in the spring brings joy for the coming summer season. “BEE” happy it’s Spring y’all!
Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 