gardeningwithroni

Last week it’s 80 degrees today it’s 34 and possible snow flurries. I love New England. We had very little snow this winter and our landscapes are suffering from it. If we don’t have rain or snow, water any of your specimen plants as they may need a good soaking by now. Water deeply by leaving the hose on trickle for an hour, and water in any fertilizer or lawn care item you apply now.

I’ve noticed some fat robins in my yard, pulling at worms, and frantically searching for nesting spots. Some of my birds are actually fighting over bird houses, crazy. Continue to feed the birds, put out your bird baths and add nesting materials like cut up pieces of yarn, leave old twine in your garden for the birds to pull apart. It’s great fun to listen to the peeps of hatchlings in the late spring. 

My lettuce seed sprouted in 2 days with the warmer temps and the pea seed should show it’s head in about a week. If we do have snow it’ll be good for the peas. Next to go in my garden are swiss chard and radishes.

If you’re new to gardening or just want to try something new consider a raised bed garden. Choose a site that gets atleast 6 hours of sun and plant a mixed up variety of veggies, flowers and herbs. Add a trellis for vertical planting, saving even more space. Raised bed gardening is easy on your back, allows you to use the best soil available, saves on tilling, reduces weeds and helps control pests.

Plan to plant this spring, add color to your lanscape with a pjm rhododendron, soon to bloom a gorgeous, purple and looks great with yellow forsythia and early daffodils.Consider adding evergreens to your  foundation plantings, they make a great background for any plant or flower that comes up later in the season. 

Distribute compost liberally to gardens in preparation for a great gardening season. Happy gardening!  

We’re all enjoying this unusually warm spring, where many of  our spring bulbs are up all at once…daffodils and scilla, crocuses and snow drops. Don’t get me wrong I love it, but am just a little concerned with how dry things are. I did get my sugar snap peas planted close to St. Pat’s day, and a lettuce bed. I’m keeping the seeds moist until they sprout. I’m looking forward to adding more cool weather crops to my garden this weekend; swiss chard and spinach. 

I am planning on despersing 10-10-10 general purpose fertilizer on my shrub borders and flower beds and if we don’t have rain this week-end I will water it in well. I also am a fan of Jonathan Greens Mag-I-cal, fast acting calcium and lime, perfect timing. Prune all dead, diseased and broken branches of your trees and shrubs now. Do not prune any early spring blooming shrubs as you will cut off flowers. Do prune rose of sharon and butterfly bush as well as pee gee hydrangea now. Cut back grasses if you haven’ already to 6″ or to where you can see new growth. Dig and transplant perennials like day lily and sedum, catmint and yarrow, move to a different spot in your yard or share with friends.

Clean up your fish pond now and put your pump back on-line, pond water is already warm so circulation is important. Don’t feed your fish until the temps are consistently in the 50′s.

I’m at the Gardeners Choice rte 53 in Pembroke, MA, today come in and talk gardening or call with questions 781 826-4010. And Happy Gardening!