GARDEN EXPERT SHARES SECRETS FOR GETTING THE
GREENEST LAWN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Stew Leonard’s Announces Free Saturday Morning Gardening Clinics

NORWALK, Conn., February 21, 2006 – Gardening novices and old hands alike will have the opportunity to grow their green thumb by attending one of Stew Leonard’s Norwalk store’s free Saturday morning clinics, taught by gardening expert Jeannie Mortensen, a.k.a., "the garden Jeannie."

The one-hour clinics kick off on Saturday, April 8 at 9:00 A.M. and run every Saturday through August 26, excluding holiday weekends. Classes will be held in the Garden Center, and there is no advanced sign up required to attend. The first clinic is titled "Make your Neighbors Green with Envy" and covers lawn care and maintenance tips, such as when and how often to mow and water. Attendees can bring a sample of soil from their yard to determine what fertilizer works best for their lawn, or they can learn how to test their soil from home. A complete list of seminar topics is available here.

This is the second year Stew Leonard’s Norwalk store has offered the free gardening clinics, which built a loyal following. Returning customers who bring a friend to one of the first five classes receive a free six-pack annual. Garden Shop Rewards customers also earn five points for every class they attend.

"At the beginning of last season, a customer came into our first class who had never gardened before. She was so thirsty for information, but by the end of each class, she could not wait to dig into her garden and get her hands dirty. It is great being able to give the customer confidence to do something they previously had avoided or were afraid to try," said Jeannie Mortensen, who has been working at Stew Leonard’s Norwalk Garden Center for five years.

"One of our most popular clinics is "Planning for Perfect Perennials" because they are the most challenging to select, plant and maintain a continuous bloom – you have to time it just right," said Mortensen. "There is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ perennial plan, and in this class, offered on June 10, we’ll develop a personalized perennial plan and learn about bloom times, division and progressive planting for a continuous bloom and season-round color."

Ask the Garden Jeannie
Throughout the month of April, customers will have their very own gardening expert on-call with a new web feature on stewleonards.com called "Ask the Garden Jeanie." Customers can e-mail Jeannie their gardening questions, and Jeannie will personally respond, while frequently asked questions will be posted on the site.

About Stew Leonard’s Garden Centers
"Stew Leonard’s Garden Centers have really grown in the last 10 years. We used to sell just pumpkins and Christmas trees, and now in addition to offering annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, we sell a full line of furniture and gardening accessories," said Tom Anrico, Executive Director of Stew Leonard’s Norwalk store, who just returned from the annual Garden trade show. "Stew Leonard’s Garden Centers officially open on March 15, just in time for the first day of spring, March 20. Let’s hope Mother Nature cooperates." The Garden Centers, onsite at all three Stew Leonard’s store locations, are open daily from 7:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. and close on November 1.

About Stew Leonard’s
Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned and operated grocery founded in 1969, has three stores in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, NY. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine’s "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" for the past five consecutive years. For more information, visit Stew Leonard’s website at www.stewleonards.com.