Refresh Yourself and Your Garden with Three-season Color

Finally the hot brutal summer is behind us and much-needed rain and cooling temperatures have arrived. Time to pull out those scraggly annuals and plant some fall color.

With their myriad colors, our second and third crops of pansies, violas (smaller than pansies, but typically more hardy), and panolas (a charmer combining some of the best points of both) look fantastic. If you are a "transplant" to the Knoxville area or new to gardening, you might not realize that pansies, panolas, and violas planted this fall not only survive our winters but actually bloom off-and-on throughout the winter, into late spring and early summer. Their little smiling pansy "faces" are a real lift to see out your window when nothing else is blooming on our cold February days.

To brighten the autumn and Thanksgiving seasons, our Fall Magic Proven Winners varieties are bred to perform beautifully and consistently in cool-weather conditions. Whether you use them for containers or in beds, many of these plants will flourish till the first frost. Every Fall Magic plant offers something special: a color change brought on by cool weather, an unusual texture, or a blooming habit that opens a whole realm of fall garden design possibilities.

If instant gratification is your goal or you need a gift or centerpiece, our container designers have completed a number of stunning flowering and foliage plant arrangements in many sizes. Alternately, if you have a container or want to choose from our large selection, one of our talented designers will be happy to plant it to your color and design specifications.

At Stanley's we feel fortunate to be a part of the greening of our city through the continuing vitality of our downtown, renewal of some of our lovely older neighborhoods, establishment of the Knoxville Urban Wilderness, and Suttree Landing Park near us here in South Knoxville. When Suttree Landing broke ground four years ago, it was Knoxville's first new park in 10 years. Suttree Landing includes eight acres along the Tennessee River as part of our city's South Waterfront Development project. Along with the continuing great work of South Knoxville's Ijams Nature Center, these efforts are just a few reasons why Knoxville continues to be a great place to live.

If your home and garden could use a little greening of its own, we have a large selection of trees, shrubs, and perennials to give your yard the curb appeal that is not only aesthetically pleasing but increases the value of your property. Strategic, fast-growing shade-tree placement can also decrease your air conditioning bills in summer. Our tree and shrub manager Amber Houser and her friendly, knowledgeable staff look forward to helping you make the best selections.

Ever wonder why some yards always look the best? The secret is probably in soil preparation and "nutrition", and fall is the perfect time to improve the condition of your soil. We sell Fafard soil and container mix--the same soil we use for growing our plants at Stanley's. We also sell the finest organic products that enrich your plants naturally: the wonderful Happy Frog line of soil conditioners, Espoma plant foods and potting soils, Black Kow composted cow manure, mushroom compost soil conditioner, and earthworm castings. All are tried-and-true performers that improve your garden's beauty and productivity.

So get away from your indoor cares and responsibilities, take a deep breath of fresh outdoor air, and refresh yourself as well as your garden with fall color!

-- Monte Stanley