I’m not the athletic sort, so forgive me for mixing metaphors when I say that we gardeners have to learn to roll with the punches when life throws us curveballs. Whatever word picture you prefer, the heat and sun we experienced late last month was a curveball we’ll talk about for a long time. As you clean up damaged plants and try to help your garden recover, here are some [...]
Just in time for spring break to be over, nice weather has arrived—and timing notwithstanding, what a welcome sight to see so much sun and pleasant temperatures in the forecast! As the ground begins to warm, tulips burst into bloom, and spring-flowering trees steal the show, now is the time to enjoy spending time planting in the garden. Let’s dig in! First, the early days of warm spring weather can [...]
The phrase “April showers bring May flowers” has never seemed to ring so true as this year. After a roller coaster spring that started late due to February’s bitter cold, then raced ahead during a warm, pleasant March, only to grind to a halt with a cool, wet April, it’s finally time to enjoy blue skies and great weather for planting just about anything. As you spend time outside [...]
Although it’s the shortest month of the year, this February just as well could have been the longest, with seemingly endless wind, snow and bitter cold putting a hard stop to most outdoor activities. Now, with spring weather here, it’s time to get on with early spring tasks around the yard and enjoy some fresh air and the warmth of sunshine on your face. First, if you haven’t already, [...]
As a gardener, I’ve come to appreciate that gardening is never really finished. Sure, we mark the Last Mowing of the Year with pride and admire the look of a freshly-raked yard free of leaves for the (hopefully) final time, but if you’re anything like me, the satisfaction of a season finished is all too quickly replaced by the longing for spring upon the arrival of the first seed catalog [...]
