April 2015 - Waiting for Sping

Is This Spring?

As I was preparing this newsletter, it occurred to me just how much often gardening includes waiting... waiting for the rain to stop; waiting for the seeds to sprout; waiting for the plants to mature. In our world of instant-downloads and instant-access, gardening provides a fresh respite of quiet, patient waiting. As the perennial plants poke up through the soil and the crabapple trees bloom with very little help from me, I am filled with that spring sense of renewal - and a renewed determination to be patient. To everything there is a season. --Ecc.3:1 Let me confess, though, that I'm really looking forward to a warm evening on the patio and some garden fresh tomatoes!

Thank you to everyone who contacted me after the last newsletter and scheduled your planting. Spring Planting Service for container gardens begins on May 13th this year (weather permitting). I still have space on the calendar. If you're not scheduled already, contact me to pick a date!

Don't forget, refer Patio Plants Unlimited to a friend, you'll get a $25 discount on your spring planting service.

What I'm doing in my yard...

Biding my time and enjoying the rain. I'm really thankful for this much-needed moisture!
Pulling weeds - removing little weeds is much easier than pulling big weeds. I especially pick the dandelion flowers so they can't reseed.
I started tomato and brussels sprouts seeds in the basement a couple of weeks ago. Now I'm watching them grow. Next week the tomatoes will need to be transplanted into bigger pots.
When the rain stops, I'll plant the cold-tolerant vegetables like peas, lettuce, spinach and radishes. I sow these seeds directly in the garden soil.

What I should be doing in my yard...

Dead-heading the daffodils. Although I will wait for the leaves to turn yellow before removing them, the spent flowers should be removed.
Core aerating the lawn. A few days after the rain stops would be the ideal moment to core aerate the turf grass. Because the soil here is heavy clay, the grass appreciates this process of loosening the soil. The soil plugs left behind don't need to be removed. This is a job I hire out.
Turning/harvesting the compost pile. For me, the compost pile is more about waste diversion (keeping organic material out of the landfill) then it is about producing good compost. However, from all the clean-up work I've been doing in my yard, the compost pile is really full. Turning it would promote a quicker break-down of the materials and I'm sure there's some good compost in there if only I could get to it.
Dividing perennial flowers. Some of my clumping perennials could use dividing. They're greening up now and the roots are softening so it's a good time to divide and replant. I'll wait until fall to divide the Iris so I don't miss their blooming period.

If you have questions about what you're doing or what you should be doing, ask me! I won't pretend I have all the answers, but I always like to talk about plants!

--Stephanie