On Wednesday, April 16th, Garrett Graham, owner of the Needham Garden Center, generously took the time to put together and present a wonderful program about organic gardening to the Kalmia Garden Club at the Needham Library. Garrett, who grew up in Needham, and lives here now with his family, has owned the Needham Garden Center since 2001. Garrett mentioned that this business was originally established in Needham in 1939 by the Marsilli family, and this year is celebrating its 75th year!
Topics covered during the presentation included organic weed control, fertilizers, insect control, lawn care, & disease control. Garrett brought a variety of the organic products sold in his store with him, which were available for members to look at. He also discussed a variety of solutions that minimized potential garden problems, such as inhibiting fungus diseases in plants by ensuring good air circulation and not watering at night.
Garrett described how organic fertilizers work differently from chemical fertilizers, by feeding the microbes in the soil, which can then make the nitrogen available to the plants. It’s a much more natural process than chemical fertilizers, which actually kill the microbes in the soil. He pointed out that the organic method sometimes can take longer than using traditional chemicals, but the results are worth it. Garrett and his associate Tom McLaughlin, a chemist who worked for Polaroid, then answered a wide variety of questions raised by Kalmia members.
The Needham Garden Center is a very unique small business and Needham is very lucky to have them. They have a good selection of both organic & traditional garden products, which are competitively priced, and they are very knowledgeable about their products. They also have some new products this year that are worth checking out.
So, visit the Needham Garden Center at 53 Chestnut St. in Needham center (behind the Learning Express) to discuss organic solutions to your gardening problems – your children and pets will thank you! And check out the Garden Center’s website – http://www.needhamgardencenter.com/home.html – there’s a “News & Tips” section, and a Newsletter is in process.
