Here at Ace of Gray, “holiday shopping” is almost synonymous with Ladies Night Out. Ladies Night Out gives women in Gray the opportunity to get a jump on great deals, beat the Black Friday crowds, and enjoy an evening out with their mothers, sisters, and friends. If you love good food, great company, and unbeatable holiday shopping, don’t forget to save the date for the event of the season!

Good Food

Ladies Night Out isn’t only about exclusive deals on Christmas gifts. Each year we work hard to create a true holiday experience. Women in Gray are invited to stop and shop while enjoying savory snacks, Christmas treats, and adult beverages at Ladies Night Out. We’re also thrilled to announce that Ms. Johnnie Gabriel, cousin of Paula Deen and owner of Gabriel’s Restaurant and Bakery in Atlanta, will be signing cookbooks at our Holiday Ladies Night Out this year! While you enjoy good wine and tasty holiday treats with your friends at Ace of Gray, you can also get holiday cooking tips from one of the greatest cooking gurus in the South!

Unbeatable Sales

If you’ve been to Ladies Night Out in the past, you know there’s no better day for great savings on holiday gifts and decor. Knock out your Christmas list in a single evening with incredible sales on toys, clothing, tools, accessories, and more. Our Ladies Night Out deals will include:

• 10% OFF power equipment, power tools, grills, building materials, and ammo
• 20% OFF all other full priced merchandise
• A free holiday tote bag with each purchase
• Free paint samples – interior half pint of Clark & Kensington or Valspar
• Free food samples and wine
• Book signing by Ms. Johnnie Gabriel
• Free product samples from various vendors

Ready to save big and have a blast? Mark your calendar for Ladies Night Out, November 20th from 4-8pm.

With the first risk of frost creeping into Gray this weekend, it’s a good time to step back and assess fall home maintenance. Fall lawn care, planting perennials, and decorating for Thanksgiving are only a few of the items that should fill your home maintenance checklists this year. Make sure you’re ready for cooler weather by crossing outdoor home maintenance off your fall checklist while the weather’s still nice.

Outdoor Home Maintenance

The outside of your home will withstand a lot over the coming months: frost, wind, freezing rain, and maybe even another Georgia ice storm. Prepare your home exterior for winter by checking off these maintenance tasks:

• Clean and maintain your gutters.
• Remove dead or injured branches from trees. Check your property for at-risk limbs that may be damaged during winter storms.
• Check the roof for damage, and replace loose or disrepaired shingles.
• Look for weather damage along home siding, wood trim, window sills, and other vulnerable places outside your home.
• Check walkways and handrails for damage and repair any issues that could cause injury.

Fall Lawn and Garden Care

Fall offers a bounty of gardening opportunities to those of us blessed to live in the South. We can explore vegetable gardens and gourd decor, fresh pansies and mums, and planting new trees, shrubs, and sod well into November. But some fall landscape maintenance is easily overlooked. A few key items to remember this November:

• Loosen the soil and remove thatch buildup in the fall.
• Plant perennials like pansies and violas several weeks before the projected first frost.
• Don’t prune trees and shrubs unless you’re 100% certain you should. Most woody plants require pruning in January or February, while summer-blooming bushes and trees (like crepe myrtles) should be pruned immediately after losing their flowers.
• Raise the height on your lawn mower or risk damaging dormant grass.
• While you’re at it, winterize your lawn mower and yard equipment.

Ready to get cracking on your fall home maintenance checklist? Stop by Ace of Gray’s home improvement store and garden center to get the supplies, tools, and expertise necessary to keep your property in tip top shape.

photo from flickr

With Halloween just a little over a week away, parents in Gray are feeling the heat. Standout Halloween costumes are selling out, and it’s getting harder and harder to find your daughter’s favorite Disney princess dress at the rental shop. If you simply haven’t had the time to go Halloween shopping yet, there is hope. Find Halloween costumes for your kids with these 3 tips from Ace of Gray.

1. Get creative. Is your son sick of being a pirate? Are you tired of reusing that same old superhero spandex year after year? There are plenty of opportunities to get creative with this year’s Halloween costumes. Feeling brave? Recreate film noir masterpieces with black and white costumes and grayscale makeup. Down to crunch time? Paint an “S” and “P” on white and black t-shirts for simple salt and pepper shaker costumes.
2. Get involved. What’s better than one awesome Halloween costume? A festive group costume! If you’re going trick or treating with your little ones this year, keep the family together with a group costume. Go as Minions, a family stuck on a roller coaster, or Pacman and his ghostly followers.
3. Get shopping. Not sure how to DIY a princess crown? Is spandex fabric just too hard to work with? Your favorite Gray gift center still has plenty of options left for an unforgettable Halloween costume. Whether your little princess wants to be Aurora, Rapunzel, or Snow White, we have the ball gown, accessories, and little feminine touches she needs at Ace of Gray.

Stop by the Ace of Gray costume shop and gift center for all your Halloween needs.

With the chill in the air, Halloween just a few weeks away, and Christmas creeping into our gift shop, it’s finally starting to feel like fall. Gardeners are getting excited about planting mums, pansies, and fall color perennials. But there’s more to fall landscape maintenance than establishing cool-weather blooms and planting spring bulbs.

Fall Lawn Care

If you’ve aerated and overseeded your fall fescue, you’re on track to preparing your yard for the dormant season. Rake fallen leaves from your yard to prevent wet foliage from smothering your new shoots and encouraging fungal growth. Grass stalks grow more slowly as the weather cools, and grass roots establish much more quickly in the fall. Fertilize your lawn so your roots will have nutrients as grass growth slows. Autumn is prime time for weeding, so clear your yard of unwanted vegetation before it gets a nutrient boost from your fall fertilizer. Set your mower blades to 1.5 in or higher for your last fall mow to ensure your lawn is insulated for winter.

Fall Garden Maintenance

Whether you’re caring for spring bulbs or planting cool-weather perennials, fall is the time for flower maintenance. Divide and replant overgrown perennials, prune damaged stalks before the weather gets too cool, and fertilize your fall flowers so they’re fed for the winter. If you didn’t aerate your flowerbeds with your lawn, mid-autumn is a good time to loosen the soil. If your dirt gets too compacted, the roots of your plants won’t get sufficient sunlight, water, oxygen, and nutrition. Begin winterizing your shrubs and trees in early November to protect them from early frosts.

Stop by the Ace of Gray garden center for lawn maintenance tools and tips.

photo from flickr

We’re lucky enough to live in the South, where “fall gardening” means less preparing plants for the shock of cold weather and more planting fresh flowers. Mums, pansies, and violas are just a few of the beautiful flowers that bloom well into the holiday season down South. But there are a few fall gardening dangers we can’t avoid, even south of the Mason-Dixon line. It turns out the biggest threat to your fall landscape is you . . . and your pruning shears.

Dangers of Fall Pruning

Put down the pruning shears!

A shocking amount of garden and landscaping blogs fall prey to the old assumption that fall is the time for sprucing, pruning, and prepping next year’s blooms. The reality of the matter is that fall pruning damages plants and makes them less likely to bloom in the spring. Here’s why fall pruning is a bad idea:

• It stimulates growth as plants enter the dormant season,
• It makes plants more vulnerable to frosts and temperature drops
• It confuses trees, flowers, and shrubs about when they should bloom each year
• It removes buds, resulting in fewer, more vulnerable flowers in the spring

The best time to prune woody plants is January-February when plants are fully dormant. Prune plants that bloom in early spring just after they finish blooming.

When to Prune Your Plants

While there are a few varieties of shrubs that should be pruned in the fall (most notably butterfly bushes, knockout roses, crape myrtles, and gardenias), wait to prune the majority of your landscape during the winter. If you must prune trees or shrubs due to damage or disease, limit fall pruning as much as possible.

Just because you can’t prune doesn’t mean you can’t plant. Stop by the Ace of Gray garden center for fall veggies, mums, and other winter-hardy plants for your Gray garden.

photo from FreeDigitalPhotos

It’s easy to think that autumn’s arrival means the end of seasonal gardening, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. After all, Southerners don’t call fall “the second spring” for nothing. Fall affords Georgia gardeners amazing opportunities for vegetable gardening, establishing grass lawns, and planting fresh flowers. It’s also an excellent time to delve into the world of container gardening. If you’re looking for a simple splash of fall color, outfit your Gray home with a fall window box.

Container Gardening 101

Container gardening is a great way to get beautiful fall color with a fraction of the effort. If you’re new to container gardening, follow these tips:

• Choose the right pot for your plant
• Make sure your container has adequate drainage
• Place your containers where the plants will get adequate sunlight
• Decide whether to start from seed or purchase plants from the Ace of Gray nursery

Window Boxes for Fall

If you’re not one for fall gardening (or you just want an extra pop of fall color), window boxes are an excellent way to cultivate a fall atmosphere around your home. If you don’t already have windowboxes, install them on windows in front of the house, by the kitchen, and anywhere else you want a burst of color. Decide whether you’ll be planting flowers or simply arranging fall decor in your window box. This will determine if you need adequate drainage, good soil, and space for plants to grow. Here are a few fall window box ideas to get you started:

• Brightly colored mums
• Autumn gourds and pumpkins on a bed of vines
• Gold, red, and yellow leaves dotted with pinecones
• A combination of mums, succulents, and decorative fall vegetables

Want a fresh take on classic fall gardening? Ask the experts at Ace of Gray’s garden center about our favorite floral selections for fall.

photo from flickr

Don’t get distracted from home repairs.

It’s hard not to get excited about fall gardening. After a season of standing back and watering flowers, Georgia gardeners have another chance to dig in the dirt. Fall is the perfect time to plant cool-season vegetables, aerate the yard or install new sod, and cultivate autumn flowers like mums. But fall isn’t just a time for landscaping and garden maintenance; it’s ideal for home maintenance as well. Before you throw away your to-do list, make sure you’ve checked off these fall home improvement projects.

Outdoor Home Maintenance

Gardening isn’t all planting flowers and cutting blooms for the holiday table. Landscape maintenance is the key to cultivating a beautiful, lush yard. While you’re waiting for your mums to bloom, take care of the items on our fall garden checklist for homeowners in Gray.

• Aerate and overseed the lawn
• Keep leaves from stifling the grass by raking or leaf blowing each week
• Plant spring-blooming bulbs
• Maintain the vegetable garden
• Keep the soil well-watered
• Clear the garden of organic debris
• If necessary, amend the soil with compost or fertilizer (do this early in the season to prevent stimulating plant growth before winter)
• Raise the height on your lawn mower blades
• Cut and divide perennials

Indoor Home Improvement

Before the temperatures drop too far, Gray homeowners should prepare their houses for cooler weather with these basic fall home maintenance tasks.

• Cleaning out the gutters
• Touching up cracked or peeling paint
• Insulating, weather stripping, and caulking windows and doors
• Pest-proofing the home and garden
• Making any necessary home repairs (patching the roof, etc)
• Covering outdoor living equipment like grills and patio furniture for the winter

Need supplies to complete your fall home upkeep checklist? Stop by Ace of Gray for landscaping and home maintenance supplies.

photo from flickr

It’s been a long year since open season. We’ve missed crisp mornings in fall forests, the peace of early morning excursions, and bonding with our brothers, sisters, and grandfathers over the thrill of the hunt. It’s time to break out the camo and dust off the hunting blinds: it’s hunting season in Georgia.

Georgia Hunting Season

It’s been a long summer, but fall hunting season has finally arrived. Before you set your sights on the prize kill, refresh your mind on Georgia hunting season dates and regulations.

• Dove season closes on September 31 and reopens October 11-November 3 and November 27-January 15
• Opossum, racoon, and grouse season runs October 15-February 28
• Rabbit, quail, and snipe season is November 15-February 28
• Archery season for deer and Northern Zone bear runs September 13th-October 10
• Firearm season for deer is October 15-January

Hunting Equipment in Gray

The world’s cutest hunting partner: not included.

Before you pack up the truck and head off to your lucky hunting spot, stop by Ace of Gray to stock up on hunting equipment. We have everything you need to take down the prize specimen. Stock up on heavy hiking boots, camo hunting gear, and protective eyewear. Get your hunting license at Ace of Gray and restock your ammo supply while you’re here. If last year’s hunting blind didn’t survive the season, get a large or small camo blind at Ace of Gray.

Get ahead of the pack by stocking up on ammo and hunting gear at Ace of Gray’s sporting goods store.

When people talk seasonal gardening, fall can get a bad rap. As summer ornamentals begin dropping their blooms, many gardeners shift into “vegetables-only” mode. But as much color as fall vegetable gardens bring to the landscape (and the holiday table), there’s one bright spot in the sea of orange and green: mums. Fall mums add a pop of color to cool-season gardens, balancing foliage-rich, winter-hardy plants and adding to the impact of warm-hued pumpkins and gourds. Get your gloves and spades ready, because fall mums are coming to garden centers in Gray.

Tips for Planting Fall Mums

Mums make beautiful additions to the garden, whether you’re planting them as perennials or simply adding to your annual aesthetic. Fall mums – especially those planted in late autumn – don’t always establish a deep enough root system to survive the winter. Mums are inexpensive, though, making them easy to replace each year with fresh varieties and colors. Give your mums a chance to flourish in your garden by following our fall planting guide for mums.

• Choose a place in the garden that gets at least six hours of sunlight
• Plant mums in rich, well-drained soil
• Make sure your garden has proper irrigation
• Don’t fertilize mums in the fall
• Keep mums well-watered, but don’t overwater fall plants (the soil should be damp, not wet)

Make an Impact This Autumn

• Choose florist mums to cut for the table or hardy mums to plant in the garden
• Pick a style of mums that suits your garden: anemone, pompom, single quilled, semidouble, regular incurve, or spider petaled
• Make a bold statement by grouping mums
• Stick to one or two bright colors, or plant various shades of the same basic color for a gradated effect
• Plant mums next to early blooming fall plants for beautiful color all season
• For an extra burst of color on the porch, plant mums in containers

Is your green thumb itching to add some color to the fall garden? Stop by Ace of Gray and ask about our selection of fall mums in the nursery.

photo from flickr

As the school season picks up speed, homeowners begin to prepare for the coming autumn. September is prime time for planting fall vegetable gardens, tidying summer flower beds, and preparing grass for fall. If you have cool season turfgrass, it’s time to plan fall aeration and overseeding.

Why Aerate and Overseed?

As kids play in the yard and summer leeches moisture from the earth, Georgia soil compacts. Compacted soil prevents moisture and nutrients from reaching plant roots, stunting the growth of turfgrass and other vegetation. Aeration removes plugs of earth, allowing plantlife essentials to reach the roots of your grass. Overseeding scatters those holes with fresh seed, rejuvenating brown, trampled, or bare patches in the yard. Yearly aeration and overseeding gives cool-weather lawns a burst of life, preparing them for fresh fall growth.

Aerating and Overseeding Georgia Lawns

Sick of manual aeration? Rent an aerator from Ace.

Landscaping experts recommend aerating and overseeding Georgia lawns between mid-September and early October. There are two types of aerators: core aerators and spike aerators. Core aerators use hollow tines to remove small plugs of earth, allowing oxygen and water to reach the roots of the grass. Spike aerators insert narrow metal prongs into the earth, creating a narrow hole without removing any of the compacted soil. Studies show that core aerators are more effective in encouraging new grass growth than spike aerators. Aerate your lawn using an aeration machine or a push aerator. If you don’t like the plugs of earth left behind, gently rake the yard to remove them from the lawn. After aerating your lawn, overseed sparse areas to cultivate fresh grass.

Ace Equipment Rental

An aeration machine reduces the time and effort necessary to aerate your lawn. Rent landscaping equipment like aerators, tillers, sod cutters, and lawn rollers at Ace of Gray. Rent a lawn aerator at just $10 for 4 hours or $25 for 24 hours.

photo from flickr