Category — Monthly Garden Tips

Summer officially arrives this weekend. In the garden there are a lot of things in bloom the Asiatic lilies are about to burst out of their buds in to full glory as well as the daylilies popping color everywhere. Everything is so nice and green and of course that is due to all the rain we have been getting lately. This also has produced an abundant crop of weeds as well.

This is a good time to put down a little extra mulch to keep the roots cool and moist but also to help keep weeds at bay. The annual flowers can do with a good bi-weekly fertilizing and pinch off the dead blooms to encourage new flowering. Hedge and shrub trimming should be taking place now to encourge good shape and fuller growth.

Remember if the weather is dry lawns need an inch of water a week to keep growing and long soaking encourages deep root growth. You should also be setting your mowing height at 3 1/2 inches to help shade the soil and give the grass plants a chance to develop deeper roots.

Have a great weekend and get out in your gardens. Me I have 2 pond cleanings scheduled so at least I will be nice and cool.

Mothers day is the unofficial start for most summer gardens here in the Chicago area. Everyone is chomping at the bit wanting to get there vegetables plants and summer annuals in the ground. Most cool season vegetables have already been planted or should be in the next week or so. I would like to give you some good advise on getting the soil ready.

Before planting all those vegetables in the garden it is important to get them off to a good start. Loosen the soil to a depth of about 12 inches. Next spread 3 to 4 inches of well rotted compost over the entire area and work it in well. Be sure to mix it in thoroughly. This will help to build your soil and give your new plants a great start and allow there roots to penetrate deep into the soil.

When ever I plant pepper or tomato plants I like to take a coffee can and punch several holes in the sides about two inches up from the bottom. I dig a hole about 6 inches from the plant and  place the can in the hole leaving the top 2 inches above the soil. I fill the can about half full of well rotted manure. Then when ever I water I simply fill the can with water let the nutrient rich manure tea seep slowly down to the root zone of the plants.

Another trick I like to use with tender vegetable plants is to cut the bottom out of 5 gallon plastic pales and place the pale over the plants. This protects young plants from critters, cold winds and makes them easier to cover in case of a late frost. There is also the added benefit of keeping the air around the young plants warmer giving a bit more early growth.

A great idea for hanging baskets of annual flowers is to hang them on bungee cords. When you water the weight of the water will pull the bungee cord down and as the water evaporates the bungee will shorten up letting you know it is time to water again. Latter in the season be sure to check your baskets ever day. During warm summer days your baskets may need to be watered everyday.

Have a great week and I hope some of these ideas will be helpful to you. Get out this week and enjoy your gardens.

This coming Sunday will be Mothers Day. This is the time when most of our plant nurseries are going nuts with hundreds of people getting their annual flowers and vegetable plants for the summer garden . Everyone is in a rush. And it is usually a mad house. I have placed my order foe the summer annuals and expect them early next week. I will be cutting down on the numbers this year because of the staff reduction and also the amount of beds I have to plant.

The best advice I can give on summer annuals is to prepare your beds well with a lot of organic compost. Also mulch the beds to keep down the weeds and be sure and water well the first few weeks. I like to use a liquid fertilizer ever two weeks at half strength to keep the flowers blooming all summer. Another good habit to get into is to dead head the spent blooms. When ever you are out in the garden be sure and pinch off the spent blooms in order to encourage new flowers.

May is the time to put in the effort to get your summer garden in shape to do all the prep work to enjoy a beautiful garden during the lazy hazy days of summer. Get out in your gardens this week and enjoy the great Spring weather!

As you know I am a big proponent of making lists. That is one sure fire way to frustrate yourself to death. The more you look at the list the larger and unsurmountable it seems to grow. There is only one thing that is more frustrating than looking at that list, Loosing The List.  All that hard work all that time spent worrying about how you can accomplish all this stuff and then suddenly it is gone!

Not to fear if the list disappears there is always a great new opportunity to start a brand new list. That is not to hard 10 minutes with a pad and pen and you will probably be able top walk around and gather at least a months worth of work. True as this is it really is not about getting the list done. The list is a reference point . Nothing more nothing less.

Gardening is not something that can be done by a written instruction sheet. Gardening is about working with the ever changing conditions and manipulating what you have and what you are given to achieve an outcome and a result that not only pleases you but gives you a sense of accomplishment as well. The list is really nothing more than a guide post. A way to prioritize to keep track of things and to see where you were and where you are at. My list can change 5 or 6 times in a day but those things that were important enough to get on the list are there and can be referred back too or even removed all together as plans change. I do need my list because sometime I get orders to do something so I need to write it down the be sure it is marked so that I know that there is something that needs attention at a certain time or date. Also it is invaluable when planning the upcoming weeks work.

I do believe one of the best garden tips I can give you is start a list. It will amaze you at how quick you can fill one. What will amaze you more is how it will help you stay on track and accomplish more because once you have accomplished a task you cross it off and you still have a guidepost to help you move on to the next project. Best of all as a bonus you will have an unending list of ideas and projects that will help you satisfy your need to go out and get your hands dirty.

In the dead of winter there is not a whole lot going on outside in the garden in northern climates. That is not to say that gardeners are not thinking about gardening. Lots of gardeners are still busy working on garden plans or busy looking through garden catalogs and checking for new things to try when spring finally breaks.

Sometimes it is hard not getting cabin fever at this time of year for the avid gardener. But there is some hope. If you live near a botanical garden there is always a field trip to the conservatory. Many garden clubs and societies hold lecture series that are open to the public. Another good thing is a trip too the bookstore to check out the latest selections. There are always some good ideas to be found there.

A really great way to beat cabin fever is to join several garden forums . Due to the great expansion of the internet it is now possible to find lots of forums about gardening. The great benefit is that you can meet and talk with gardeners from all corners of the earth. Imagine exploring the gardens of someone in the middle of summer while you look out your window to a cold snow covered landscape. I have found some of the most beautiful gardens while visiting the forums and realize that it is so exciting being able to visit places all over the world and enjoy the gardens and never leave the living room. I think the greatest thing of all is to be able to share experiences and informations with others who have the same interests as I do. I have meet a lot of new friends and it is really a great way to spend and evening.