April 21, 2011 by Nevia.

The snow is all gone and the ground is almost dry, of course now we have April showers but the grass is green and the birds are singing. For me there is no happier time of the year then welcoming the spring. The air is still chilly, but the rebirth of everything that has been dreary and dormant for such a long time is  such a miracle. Just watching these daily transformations gives me tremendous pleasure. Oh, and I forgot the sky is blue again… One takes these little things in life for granted but after our long gray winter  the sound of ducks returning, the chirping and singing of  happy birds, sunny days and blue skies brings everything back to a wonderful life.  Spring is here and we will have plenty to do. Here are just a few suggestions to stay ahead of the workload and have time to enjoy the beautiful weather which is coming. 

Here is what Master Gardeners suggest doing in the Northeast , as soon as the snow is gone and the ground warms up.   

Starting seeds:
Good luck planting peas for St. Pat’s Day. You’ll have better luck if you wait for the soil to get warmer and drier.  It is time to start tomatoes, lettuce, petunias, marigolds and many other flowers and vegetables from seed. Start the seeds indoors, in the home, a greenhouse, or in a sun window or on a sun porch. By starting seeds indoors in March you will get a thirty to sixty day jump on the gardening season, because you will have young starter plants to set-out when the weather warms up later this spring. Some annuals, such as verbenas, snapdragons, and petunias, take 70 to 90 days to bloom. They should be started indoors in early spring or purchased as greenhouse grown transplants. Seeds can be started in pots, trays, egg cartons or any yogurt containers you have on hand.

Get the beds ready as soon as weather permits and the soil thaws. You can start planting some cool season plants as early blooms-primrose, pansy, English daisy, poppy, allyssum, snap-dragon. You should be able to find these in the garden centers near you. I know we are all anxious to start planting but even though the weather is warming up we have to be patient. We could still get a frost, therefore, for us in the Northeast, it’s better to wait until the middle of May. The tulips are out and I hope you did protect them with Deer Defeat Repellent. All the hosta are just coming out so make sure you spray them as they grow.

Just a tip to save your Rhododendrons from this winter’s constant ice storms:  

I have noticed this year a lot of damage on Rhododendrons that were exposed to the open areas and ice storms. Unless they were protected by the house or growing on the south side, their leaves are turning brown. If you did protect them with Deer Defeat Repellent they were less damaged because the repellent coats the leaves and protects them from the cold weather. However all the Rhododendrons and Azaleas can use some pampering especially this spring! I suggest that during these rainy days you give them some aluminum sulfate and spray the leaves with miracle grow. Little care and tlc… can still bring them back to life.   Please keep spraying, during growing season every 6 inches of new growth. For instruction go to Home page and click on Spring use of Deer Defeat Repellent. While there check out our new videos.

You will enjoy your beautiful flowers when you protect them with all natural Deer Defeat Repellent.

Happy Easter.  

Nevia   

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April 2, 2011 by Nevia.

Honestly, I could not believe the weatherman last night when I heard that we will receive more snow. Come on now…I have been living in upstate New York for 34 years and I don’t ever remember such a long winter. Enough is enough…global warming my foot.

Because of the weather we been having, yes there is still time to prune and transplant…. weather permitting. I know if you live in warm areas you cannot imagine snow in April, so just for you I have few cute pictures with snow almost gone and its return. The birds are definitely confused…

Planting & Pruning

Right now is one of the most convenient times for planting new fruit trees, roses, berries and other deciduous plants. All kind of roses can be pruned this month. Check the web site for specific details on how to prune various roses.

Buy and plant shrubs and perennials as soon as they are available in the stores, the sooner the better. It gives more time to get their roots established before the heat which is much more  of a killer than winter cold. Be careful not to disturb still dormant perennials, though, so if you are not sure where things are, wait.

And if, you like to rearrange plants, early spring is a great time to do that.  The more time they have to get settled into their new location before it gets hot, the better.

For instant color in the house:

For beautiful early display force some spring blooming trees and shrubs like forsythia, pussy willow, quince and crab apples. You will enjoy the early blooms of these branches. It will remind you that warmer weather is almost here.

Sweet memory:

April 1^st brings to mind one cute incident with my son during his school years. This was the only day he missed the school bus. He thought I was joking when I told him the bus was waiting for him. I could see the bus in the front of the house waiting and the more I urged him to hurry up…. the slower he moved. He proceeded with tying up his sneakers with calmness and snail speed… and mocking me with “sure Mom…sure…sure…ha…ha…” until the bus left. Oh well, the bus was there and left by the time he realized this was not an Aprils Fool day joke. He is a grown man now and we still remember that day with affection.    

Enjoy the pictures:

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