Spring is here!
Spring Means Projects – How Will You Get Your Hands Dirty?
The sun is shining, birds are chirping, paint is peeling, and trees need trimming. We all know that Spring means projects and projects mean getting your home and yard in tip-top shape for the upcoming outdoor season. While we’re thinking about all of the great things the summer will bring, there are a few projects that will get your garden and yard off to a great start. Late April and early May are prime-time for gardeners looking to sow directly outdoors. If you’re one of the lucky ones that started seeds indoors this winter, you have a few more weeks of waiting. Follow these tips to get your yard and garden ready for fun, food, and family!
Tidbits for Spring Gardeners
- Can’t remember when to prune your roses?
A little trick to jog your memory – forsythia! When those beautiful shrubs are ablaze with yellow flowers, it’s time to prune the roses. - Leave those leaves alone!
Many beneficial insects overwinter in the dead leaves and mulch in your flowerbeds. They become active when perennials begin to bud, so the longer you wait to clear our your perennial beds, the better! - Don’t disturb garden soil until you absolutely have to!
Repeated raking, mixing, digging, trampling – all of these things actually damage the soil structure, compacting the soil and compromising its ability to hold water and nutrients. Resist the urge to get your hands dirty until you’re absolutely ready. - Put your used coffee grounds to work!
Sprinkle coffee grounds around the base of acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, gardenias, and blueberries to keep them happy all summer long! Coffee grounds and loose-leaf tea are also great additions to the compost pile. - Next time you steam or boil vegetables, don’t throw out the water!
Let it cool and use it to water patio plants. The nutrients in the water make potted plants look (and feel?) great!