Dig This at Market Square invites you to a special Holiday Home Decor Open House on Thursday, November 29nd from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Our store is stocked full of beautiful items for the Holiday Season - everything from great gift ideas for your garden-loving friends to sensational table linens and decor to make your home warm and inviting to friends and family. Take advantage of our in-store ‘Specials’ offered on this night only.  And better yet, everything is 10% off that evening only.

Joining us will be three other great Market Square stores:  Muffet & Louisa, Bespoke and New England Square.  We'll all be open that evening and if you visit each store you have the chance to win a $1000 shopping spree.  You can't beat that!

So please join us for food, music, great values and a chance to win!

Mark your calendars for November 29th. This is an event you don't want to miss.

Don't worry, we have two more open houses where you can be inspired by the wonderful items Dig This has for Christmas, save 10% on everything you buy, plus enter to win gift certificates!

Thursday, November 30th at Dig This Nanaimo from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Thursday, December 6th at Dig This Oak Bay from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Back by popular demand, we are carrying the Still Life leaf ornaments again this season.  Each ornament is made from a real leaf coated in 24 karat gold, silver or copper.  They are simply exquisite.

We have a new supply of brass and aluminum sundials.  These quality sundials are beautifully made and just perfect for the gardener on your list.

Tip:  to orient a sundial, take it outside, check your watch, and orient the sundial so it reads the correct time!  Adjust as needed during the year.

I love finding statues and other figures in a garden.  Situated correctly, they can add a touch of surprise or set a tone.   My own little happy Buddha makes me smile every time I pass him on my way in and out.  Another great gift idea!

At Dig This, we have searched hard for quality, natural soaps, lotions and other products to sooth your hands after a day in the garden.  Our criteria?  Natural ingredients, moisturizing effects, scents to soothe the soul, and beautiful wrapping.

Right now, we have several personal care lines that meet these criteria.

Pictured here is a soap and hand towel set printed with gorgeous amaryllis blooms. 

We also carry the French-made Pre de Provence line and a new made in Quebec line of olive oil based soaps and hand creams.

You deserve this after a day in the garden.

We saw the first real frosts of winter this week, so it is a good thing that the new frost covers have arrived at Dig This.  Available in three sizes, these Frost Covers can be popped over containers, hanging baskets and tender shrubs. They let in light and air, and protect against frost, just like remay or crop cover, but are so much easier to use.

No more running out with the old table cloths when frost threatens!

• Protect tender plants with remay, or our new Frost Covers, or move into a greenhouse for the winter.
  
• Rake up leaves and other debris to eliminate hiding places for slugs and other pests.
  
• Strip leaves from rose bushes and dispose in the garbage.  Do not put into your compost.
  
• Prune any long branches on trees and shrubs which might be damaged by winter winds.
  
• Drain your sprinklers and put away hoses for the winter.
  
• Weed your perennial beds and mulch.
  
• Empty bird baths and fountains, and either cover or turn the bowls over so rain water doesn't collect and freeze in the bowls.Make sure you haven't left any pots out that might collect rain water and freeze.  They are sure to break.
  
• Plant indoor bulbs for the holiday season.  You can grow Paperwhites in stones and water, but Amaryllis do better in soil.

How can I get my Amaryllis to rebloom next year?

The technique recommended for years has been growing the plants on through the summer outdoors, and then inducing dormancy by stopping watering in the fall and placing them in a dry cool spot indoors for 10 to 12 weeks.
The reason for this is to try force blooming for a specific period, usually Christmas.

However, for bigger, healthier plants, some experts recommend allowing the bulb to continue growing vigorously as long as possible, so it will reward you with better blooms in January or February.

To encourage your bulb to rebloom the way the cultivar 'Charmeur' (shown above) has done, just follow these six steps:

• Once the flower is finished, cut off the stem just above the bulb nose. Give amaryllis bright light on a sunny windowsill or under plant lights.
• Feed and water. Apply a standard water-soluble houseplant fertilizer at half the recommended strength every two weeks.
• Keep bulb in a pot sized "just right". As the bulb grows and the pot fills with roots, move it up to a bigger pot that's just slightly larger than the bulb. I like to use tall, narrow clay pots.
• In summer, move the pot outdoors into a sunny spot and treat it like a container plant. Continue fertilizing until the middle of August. Don't allow the soil to dry out, but avoid keeping it soggy.
• In fall, before there's a chance of frost, bring the plant inside and place in a sunny window or under plant lights. The leaves may yellow and die off by late December. During this time, keep the plant moist, not wet; most importantly, don't let the pot dry out. The buds for the new flowers should appear in January or February, but sometimes they bloom as late as March.
• After flowering, resume feeding and keep the pot in a sunny window or under plant lights until it can go outdoors again. Big vigorously growing bulbs will produce offsets – little baby bulbs – which you can pot up to grow to flowering size in a couple of seasons.

Now that we've just about finished putting the garden to bed for the winter, it's time to put our feet up and dream about next year.  Inspiring garden books, new seed catalogues, sketches and plans!  I love this time of year to reflect and think about what I'll do differently next year.

All of us at Dig This hope you enjoy our newsletters.  Please let us know if you have topics you'd like us to cover!  In the meantime, happy dreaming!

The Dig This Team