Too Many Santas Just when you thought all is finally well at the North Pole and Santa is as charged up as ever for his Big Night, a new and somewhat unusual problem has developed. There are too many Santas. WHAT? Don’t get me wrong, we all know there is truly only one “Big Guy.” However, since he can’t be everywhere leading up to the Big Day taking requests and making kids of all ages happy, he has designated stand-ins who have gone through a vigorous training program. There’s the problem…with all the malls closing down and other usual locations cutting back, the supply has far exceeded t ..read more

S.O.S All was not well at the North Pole. With the Big Day fast approaching, everything should have been moving at full speed ahead. But something just wasn’t right. IT WAS SANTA. He didn’t seem to be “into” his job this year. He should have been moving constantly; making out lists and checking them twice; and just making sure everything was running on schedule. BUT NOT THIS YEAR. He was down. Santa had convinced himself that he was no longer needed. “Gift giving has changed,” he said, “With all this online stuff, my jolly Ho Ho Ho on the rooftop has been replaced with a big smile stoppin ..read more

It Will Soon Be Christmas – Wanna Bet? While toymaking is still the elves’ major job, it doesn’t take up the entire year. Also, there are some elves that just aren’t mechanically inclined and thus are poor toymakers. So for these reasons, the elves decided to open The North Star Palace – the first casino at the Pole. With more and more tourists interested in visiting, in part as a result of my reporting, the elves wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Being first allowed them to take some chances, which they did. First they decided to make the currency of The North Pole Palace Bit ..read more

Christmas Trivia: ◊ What is Santa’s favorite Broadway musical? Answer is below. Wall-O-Ribbon Anybody who has visited Herbein’s Garden Center during the holiday season has seen it converted into a Christmas Wonderland and has seen our vast selection of holiday ribbon. It covers such a large area that we call it the “Wall-O-Ribbon.” On it is all the holiday ribbon that is available for your wreaths, swags, blankets, decorating, or to just purchase for your personal use.  I will confidently say that a person will be hard pressed to find a larger and more diverse selection any where in t ..read more

Garden Trivia: ◊ Why did the race track plant cherry trees? Answer to follow The Big 5-0! Can you believe it? Herbein’s Garden Center is turning 50! What started as John Herbein’s vision of having a place where customers could come and find quality products with experienced service to match; has grown through hard work into arguably the finest garden center in the Valley. As a property caretaker, John was often frustrated in his inability to find those unique items with the quality he demanded. So, in 1974 John started his own business based on quality and service. From that first year to ..read more

Garden Trivia  ◊ How is a gardener like a gossip columnist? Answer is below Ryegrass, Bluegrass and Fescues, Oh My! Curious about the title? These are the types of grasses that most people have in their lawns in this area and in most of PA and the Northeast. They are known as “cool season” grasses as they thrive in the cooler spring and fall weather and go dormant during summer’s hot and dry conditions. Okay, but what’s the difference and which is best for my lawn? There are many similarities and also some important differences to consider when deciding which to use. Let’s see, Perenn ..read more

Garden Trivia ◊ Why was the oak in pain? Never in October!! When can I fertilize my lawn in the fall? My response is almost always September or late November but “NEVER IN OCTOBER.” Why? The reason is because October is the month that plants start to shut down and prepare to survive the winter. Being light sensitive, plants including grass, know that as daylight hours get shorter, growing season is coming to an end and the time to add new growth is over for this year. On the other hand, fertilization is intended to stimulate new growth, so an October application sends a confusing message t ..read more

Garden Trivia ◊ Why do grapes make poor card players? Find the answer below. Proceed, Succeed, Overseed Can I overseed my lawn now? While patching small areas can be done most anytime, I don’t recommend putting down seed over a large area past about the first week of October. With winter dormancy approaching by mid-November, (grass stops growing above ground) there may not be enough time for the new grass to develop strong enough roots which may not allow it to survive a harsh winter. Also, the type of grass seed used can affect this time frame, the longer the germination time, the less ti ..read more

Garden Trivia ◊ Why did the cleaning crew take the evergreen into work? Find the answer below. The Strength of Iron Iron is a very versatile mineral. Our bodies need it. I take an iron supplement every day. People my age probably remember the commercials for Geritol for iron-poor blood. Likewise, iron has an important role in the plant world. Depending on its intended purpose and the amount used; iron can be very beneficial or quite detrimental. Let me explain the “good” and the “bad” uses for iron. Chlorosis, or the yellowing of plant leaves, is often a sign of a lack of iron. Applying a ..read more

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