Hello everyone –
You may not realize it but you don’t have to wait for mother nature to get serious about warming things up to begin planting. Some veggies like it cold. Kale, Chard, Spinach, and all sorts of lettuce greens can be started right now outside. They’re not fussy about where you make their beds either. In planters or in your garden.
As for cleaning up, you can trim your rose canes, just till you see the green. Be sure to cut the canes on an angle. This is a great time to trim your dogwoods and viburnums before they become full with green and flowers. It is much easier to see the small sucker branches and the water shoots, and you don’t have to fight the greens or any critters that enjoy your bushes as much as you do. Also be sure to cut your perennial grasses as far to the ground as you can. Clear the brown beauties like stems of your Sedums, to the ground as well. Lastly, if you raked your leaves over your garden before putting them to bed last fall, be sure to pull those leaves off your beds as soon as danger of frost has passed. We just had snow here last week, but it is now in the sixties. So one more week of this and I will be sure to do that. If I don’t the slugs and grubs will move in.
Spring is also time for Pansy and Johnny Jump Ups. Johnny Jump Ups (violas) will come back each year if you choose to plant them in your garden. Both flowers are lovely in containers and will give you that color fix until the about June, when the heat gets to them. If you have planted them in containers you can cut them back, put in your summer flowers, and when September comes they should be perky again, just when your petunias are looking spent.
If you haven’t already started your seeds indoors, it is not too late.Seedlings will sprout quickly if you put plastic over them such as Glad’s press n seal. Put them in a sunny window and you will be surprised how quickly they will sprout. Some kits also come with plastic covers for the trays, which works very well, giving the seedlings a warm, moist environment and room to grow.
Good luck everyone and Good Growing!