Green Thumb
Gardening has been a lifelong passion for Wende and she’d like to share her passion with her readers. Follow her as she writes about her gardening adventures, lists tasks to do depending on the season, and gives easy to understand gardening advice.
Ideas for Container Gardening
Now that Spring is here (almost) I'm sure the gardeners reading this are starting to dream of beautiful flowers blooming in their yards. It's also the time for gardening catalogs showing up in mailboxes, sales flyers for Steins and coupons from smaller greenhouses. I always treasure The Gardener's Idea Book from Proven Winners that comes in the mail. I got on their email list a few years ago and they automatically mail it out. http://www.provenwinners.com/ Proven Winners are particularly hardy annuals, perennials and shrubs and are available at several outlets. Their website will search for retailers near you. If you are a beginning gardener, they have lists of the easiest plants to grow and will make you look like a star if you follow their advice and water and feed your plants correctly.
Seeds 101
It's time to start some seeds indoors if you are the type that likes to do this. It's not for everyone, but if you have the time it can be really rewarding. I find it really helps pull you out of the winter doldrums most of us gardeners have as it gets us actually "doing" something garden-like instead of just dreaming about it!
A Little Pruning Can Be Done Now
Now that February is coming to a close, some shrubs and trees can be pruned. This is an especially good time to do this because the leaves are not in the way and you can see where branches are rubbing on each other and causing weak places where insects and other diseases can get in. Here's information from the Steins Gardening Calendar:
What Can a Gardener Do In the Middle of Winter?
This is from Stein's Gardening Calendar. I plan to try this for my kitty!
Fall Gardening Tasks
There's still time to plant fall bulbs - the ground doesn't really freeze until about Thanksgiving. Water them well and mulch after planting for great results in the spring.
