Summer is the perfect time for lounging outside with your favorite book, and what is more relaxing than reading in a hammock? Luckily our Relaxation Hammock is available to you for only $29.00! To help you get out of your reading slump, our staff has come up with a list of great reads. Enjoy!

George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series has become a big hit on TV and in our office. Be prepared to get lost in a complex world that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of landscape plants, then Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants is the book for you!

For the tenderhearted person in your life, Paw Prints in the Moonlight by Denis O’Connor is the purrfect book to curl up with. It is a whimsical tale of a man and his pet cat who form a heartwarming friendship.

We also would suggest a great classic; The Hobbit  by J. R. R. Tolkein. Recently made into a blockbuster film, this book follows a timid hobbit on his quest to help restore the homeland of a clan of dwarves.

These next two suggestions come from our co-worker, Nick:

“I just read The Martian by Andy Weir the other day. It’s about an astronaut who is accidentally left on Mars without any functioning communication equipment, figuring out how to survive with the resources and equipment he still has. It’s a fun book that hangs on to your attention, and fits right in with any classic marooned on a desert island story….except the desert island is IN SPACE.

Earlier this year I read Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and its sequel Blandings’ Way. These are about a 1940s New York advertising executive who decides he wants to escape the city and build his dream house out in the peaceful countryside. Unfortunately for him, building a house is much more involved (and expensive) than he ever anticipated. I grew up watching the Cary Grant movie, so it was a lot of fun to finally read the book, especially because I did so while my parents were building their new house.”

If you’re interested in YA reads, the final installment of the Shadow and Bone (The Grisha) trilogy by Leigh Bardugo was recently released. Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising take you through an epic journey of a teen orphan who discovers a gift she never knew she had. There is plenty of action and adventure packed into these novels, and they are definitely page-turners.

Finally, if you’re looking for a book that holds a historical feel, mystery and romance; check out one of Milwaukee’s own authors. Jenny Benjamin’s book This Most Amazing tells the tale of a young woman who is about to leave to teach writing in Italy. It is an excellent story of love and enlightenment.

Take some time for yourself this weekend! Pick up a good book and enter a different world.  Happy reading!

In order to get the beautiful blooms we do each year, flowers need to be pollinated by our friendly neighborhood bees. Contrary to popular opinions, bees are very important in our ecosystems and are not a pest. There are over 4,000 different species of bees in the United States, but we are mainly going to focus on the Mason Bee and the benefits of bees everywhere. Mason Bees do not live in a hive and work for themselves. Male Mason Bees do not sting and female Mason Bees only sting if they’re threatened. This is what makes them a good neighbor to have in your garden; they will pollinate your flowers but not pose any threats. A good way to attract and keep these friendly pollinators is to keep a Mason Bee Home close to your garden. Another important pollinator is the hummingbird. These small, beautiful birds are so smart that they will remember every flower and how long it will take to get a full meal from it again. Most plants depend on hummingbirds to pollinate them. Hummingbirds pollinate flowers by brushing their forehead and face on each flower while drinking nectar. A hummingbird will, on average, visit around 1,000 flowers a day. The most popular way to attract these fast-moving beauties are hummingbird feeders. Check out our cute hummingbird feeders and add one to your yard!   Let us know what your favorite type of pollinator is!