Footprints of Carbon?

Yesterday, CFC Enterprises, along with many other Marylanders, had the opportunity to become “greener” by trading in some old gas guzzling mowers for brand new battery powered electric mowers. This trade was not free, but at a significantly reduced price and sponsored by Maryland Department of the Environment and Clean Air Partners. It’s a small step in what we feel is part of our mission, to create a beautiful landscape and preserve the earth for future generations. The Great Maryland Lawn Mower Exchange of 2010 was a big hit with lots of Marylanders, meeting in the parking lot between our stadiums. As many already know just by looking at them, gasoline powered mowers release harmful compounds into the air. While we are not 100% electric power, we know this small step is in the right direction.

So if you see out guys out in the lawn trimming with very quiet green machines, know that your lawn and air are cleaner for being greener!

Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs...

Now is the time to start thinking about what you would like to see blooming next Spring. I know it seems far away, especially now that we are truly in the dog days of summer but if you want your garden popping with those first signs of life, now is the time to plan! Here are some of the bulbs we have available for Fall planting. Call (410)239-2561 or email (chris@cfcenterprises.com) for a full list!

Crocus alert us that Spring is imminent with their lovely purple and white blossoms often poking straight through the winter’s last snow.

The next bloomer would be daffodils - the appeal of daffodils lies in their beauty and durability.

These aren’t your mother’s daffodils as they have been cultivated to produce wonderfully diverse flowers and a variety of vibrant colors, depending on your preference.

They bring the spark of life to the early-spring landscape. And they ask little in return.

Planted in a sunny location where the soil drains well, most daffodils are willing to come back year after year, their clumps increasing in size over time. Perhaps best of all, deer and rodents leave daffodils alone.

Big and bold or diminutive and demure, there's a tulip for every taste and every situation.

For spring fragrance, hyacinths are in a class by themselves. Their sweet, penetrating scent wafts through the garden on even the faintest breeze. Hyacinths look best when planted in clusters toward the front of a border or massed in a formal bed. Their flower heads are at their largest and fullest the first spring after planting; in subsequent years, they tend to be smaller and looser, which gives them a more natural look.

Lastly, the ornamental alliums are a diverse group. There are tall growers with dense globes of starry flowers and ground huggers with loose clusters of cup-shaped blooms. Yet, another deer and rodent resistant bulb that will add a graceful height to your garden.

No matter what you plant, bulbs bring a breath of fresh air after a cold and dreary winter. Plan them out carefully or just put them in any where you feel like it and you will literally reap what you sow - a gift of Spring from nature...