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Lawn & garden supplies for independent retailers.
70+ years of industry experience, knowledgeable support & dependable service. Let’s grow together.

10/31/2026

🎃 Happy Halloween from Foster’s! 👻

Whether your day is filled with pumpkins, costumes, trick-or-treaters, plenty of candy—or a little bit of everything, we hope you have a frightfully fun Halloween!

From all of us at Foster’s, thank you for being part of our lawn & garden community. We appreciate our customers, vendors and friends and hope your Halloween is filled with more treats than tricks!

🧡 Happy Halloween! 🖤

10/29/2026

🍂 Should You Cut Back Your Perennials This Fall?

As the growing season winds down, it may be tempting to cut everything back—but not every perennial needs a fall haircut!

For perennials that benefit from fall cleanup, the best time to cut them back is generally after the foliage has yellowed or browned and the plant has gone dormant, often after a hard frost. At that point, the plant has had time to move energy back into its roots for next year.

✂️ Cut back: Remove dead, damaged or diseased foliage and clean up plants that become messy as they die back.

🌾 Consider leaving some standing: Coneflowers, ornamental grasses and other sturdy perennials can add winter interest while providing seeds, stems and shelter for birds and beneficial insects. These can be cut back in late winter or early spring instead.

🍃 One important tip: If foliage shows signs of disease or pest problems, remove it rather than leaving it in the garden over winter—and avoid adding diseased material to your compost pile.

A little fall cleanup can go a long way, but you don’t have to clean up everything!

Knowing what to cut now and what to leave until spring can help create a healthier garden while providing valuable winter habitat.

10/26/2026

❄️ Frost Is Coming — Is Your Garden Ready?

As fall temperatures begin to dip, overnight frost can quickly bring the summer growing season to an end. Warm-season favorites like tomatoes, peppers and other tender annuals are especially vulnerable when temperatures approach freezing.

Now is the time to keep an eye on your local frost forecast and make a plan for what’s still growing.

🍅 Harvest ahead of frost. Pick mature tomatoes, peppers and other tender vegetables before a hard freeze threatens.

🌿 Protect what you can. Frost blankets and other plant protection can help extend the season through lighter cold snaps.

🪴 Bring tender plants indoors. Move container plants and tropicals inside before temperatures become too cold.

🍂 Know when to call it a season. Once a hard frost arrives, it may be time to clean up spent annuals and start preparing beds for winter.

Those chilly nights are a sure sign that the seasons are changing. A little preparation now can help protect plants, save the last of the harvest and make fall garden cleanup easier.

10/22/2026

🍂 Fall Planting: Roots Today. Beauty Tomorrow.

Spring may get all the attention when it comes to planting, but fall is one of the best times to get trees, shrubs and perennials in the ground!

The combination of cooler air and warm soil creates great conditions for root development. With less heat stress, newly planted trees and plants can focus their energy below ground—establishing roots before winter arrives and getting a head start on next season.

🌳 Plant trees and shrubs for a stronger start

🌼 Add perennials for seasons of color

🦋 Include native and pollinator-friendly plants to support bees, butterflies and other beneficial wildlife

Don’t put the garden tools away just yet! There’s still plenty of planting season left.
Plant this fall and give your landscape a head start on a beautiful spring.

10/20/2026

🌱 Growing Food. Giving Back.

The growing season may be winding down, but community gardens and food donation gardens are still making an impact.

Late-season crops like leafy greens, carrots, beets and other root vegetables can continue producing well into the cooler months. Across our communities, volunteers and local organizations are harvesting these crops and helping turn garden-fresh produce into much-needed donations for area food pantries.

It’s a great reminder that gardening is about more than what we grow—it’s also about what we can share. 💚

If you have an abundant late-season harvest, consider checking with a local food pantry or community organization to see if they accept fresh produce. A few extra vegetables from one garden may not seem like much, but together, those donations can make a meaningful difference.

Keep growing. Keep sharing. Keep supporting your community.

10/16/2026

🌧️ Too Much of a Good Thing: When Fall Rain Becomes a Problem

Rain is essential for healthy gardens and crops—but too much moisture can create challenges, especially as temperatures begin to cool.

Following periods of heavy late-summer and early-fall rainfall, some gardens and fields may experience waterlogged or overly saturated soil. When soil stays wet for extended periods, plant roots receive less oxygen and vegetables can become more susceptible to root problems, splitting, rot and disease.

🥕 What should gardeners do?

If mature vegetables are still in the garden and more wet weather is expected, consider harvesting vulnerable crops sooner rather than later. Keep an eye out for standing water, soft or damaged produce, and signs of disease.

For retailers, this is also a great time to remind customers about harvesting supplies, garden tools, gloves, storage and other end-of-season essentials.

A little attention now can help gardeners protect what’s left of their harvest and finish the growing season strong.

10/14/2026

🍰 Happy National Dessert Day! 🍪

Today is the perfect excuse to enjoy a little something sweet! Whether your favorite is a slice of cake, a warm cookie, a scoop of ice cream, a piece of pie—or something completely different—we hope you take a moment to treat yourself.

From all of us at Foster’s, enjoy your favorite dessert today. You deserve it!

What’s your go-to dessert? Tell us in the comments—we’d love to know!

10/12/2026

🌷 Spring Color Starts This Fall!

Before the ground freezes, there’s still time to get spring-blooming bulbs in the ground!

Tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths and other spring favorites need the cold winter months to prepare for their spectacular spring show. Planting this fall gives bulbs time to establish roots before winter and gets gardens ready to burst with color when warmer weather returns.

Remind your customers: Don’t wait until spring to think about spring! 🌱
Keep fall planting going by stocking the bulbs and planting essentials your customers need now.

Plant this fall. Enjoy the color next spring.

10/09/2026

🌿 Empowering Women. Building Connections. Growing Together. 🌿

What an incredible gathering of women at the Midwest Women in Horticulture event, hosted by Nelson Nursery in Zimmerman, MN! 💚

From a little friendly competition during the wreath-building challenge to an inspiring presentation by Kat Perkins, the evening was filled with creativity, encouragement, laughter, and meaningful conversations.

Kat shared a powerful message about mental health, overcoming hardships, chasing your goals, and finding the courage to be FEARLESS! 💪

The inspiration continued as these amazing women broke into small groups to discuss real challenges and opportunities within our industry. From engaging the next generation in horticulture to finding that ever-important balance between work and life, the conversations were honest, insightful, and empowering.

🌸 The biggest takeaway? When women in horticulture come together, we do more than share ideas. We build relationships, lift each other up, and help our industry grow stronger.

A huge thank you to Nelson Nursery, Kat Perkins, and all the wonderful women (and men) who made this event so special!

Here's to growing together, supporting one another, and being FEARLESS in everything we do! 🌱💚

Nelson Nursery/Garden Center of Zimmerman, MN Kat Perkins

10/09/2026

🍂 Fall Is for Planting Perennials!

Cooler temperatures don’t mean planting season is over. In fact, fall can be one of the best times to plant many perennials.

Cooler air temperatures help reduce stress on newly planted perennials, while soil often stays warm enough for roots to continue establishing. That means plants can spend less energy battling summer heat and more energy developing a strong root system before winter.

Encourage your customers to keep planting with cold-season perennials and fall planting essentials from Foster’s.

🌱 Fall planting tip: Plant early enough to allow roots time to establish before the ground freezes, and add a layer of mulch to help protect new plantings through winter.

Keep your garden center stocked for every season. Contact your Foster’s sales representative or shop our online ordering portal.

Address

1235 Peters Drive
Waterloo, IA
50703

Website

http://www.fostersinc.com/

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