DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?

Spring/Gardening season traditionally starts on April 21st but as always, you must ask yourself, “Do you feel lucky?” Is it really safe to plant tomatoes or peppers, begonias, impatiens or geraniums? Most likely it is not the time for plants that could be damaged by frost or worse yet, freeze.

But gardening season really is here and there is plenty to do, especially this year since it has been fairly dry.

Get that garden soil tilled and prepare the flower beds by turning the soil and adding some composted materials such as cow manure, old leaves from last fall (not from walnut trees), peat moss or mushroom compost. And by the way, it is perfectly safe to plant pansies any time you can find them. They can tolerate frost, light freeze and even snow! It is also safe to plant cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and onions. Starting plants from seed is also safe for many plants such as peas, radishes, carrots, beets and lettuce. Not yet but soon, you can plant seeds of beans and corn.

Get the mulch re-applied and consider the application of weed-and-feed lawn fertilizer for your yard. It is best to get this job done before you plant any flowers or vegetables so that you do not have to be so careful. Finish pruning trees and shrubs, even though they are now blooming. Most likely there are enough blooms that the elimination of a few branches will not matter that much and go after those hydrangeas.

Click to advertise on this website

Your hydrangea plants from last year are probably real tall and have growth from top to bottom. Get out there and cut them down right now, today. Only leave two feet or less, from the ground so that your hydrangeas are not “crazy” big this summer. If you do not trim them back, they will have so much growth that they will probably never bloom this year and it makes it even harder to trim them next year. In this case, more is not better. Most varieties of hydrangea blooms on this year’s growth, not last years, so get them cut back.

But why haven’t I talked about planting tulips, hyacinths and daffodils? They are everywhere and absolutely beautiful. People have been asking for the bulbs for weeks, just as they do every year at this time. Sorry folks, you must plan ahead for these beauties. The time to buy and to plant spring blooming bulbs is in the fall…September, October and November. These bulbs are not available during the spring season.