Feed rosebushes once they have leafed out and buds swell. Special fertilizers are sold for this purpose, but an all-purpose will work as well—follow the application directions. Bury banana peels around the base of your rosebushes to eliminate aphids without the use of sprays or pesticides. Attack weeds early before they develop big root systems. They are easier to pull or hoe after rain or a good watering. Deadhead spring blooms promptly…Your displays look nicer and the plants won’t spend energy going to seed. Feed actively growing plants following the label. After daffodils and tulips bloom, deadhead, but leave them alone so that foliage dies down naturally. The leaves send starch reserves down into the bulbs to fuel next year’s show. Plant food is more effective when applied over or scratched into the soil near plant roots. Check on your vines, clipping out damaged or dead growth and training new growth with ties or stakes. Install stakes adjacent to tall plants while they are smaller and accessible. Add a couple of inches of mulch around your perennials… to retain moisture and keep weeds at bay. Prune and shape spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming. Don’t wait too long or you will destroy next year’s display. Remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches and fallen leaves to discourage pests and disease. 

Fill a window box. First, remove last year’s remains, then scoop in fresh plant mix. Arrange little pots of plants on the surface to make a pleasing arrangement. Once you are satisfied, pop them out and plant them. A useful method for recycling paper egg cartons is to place them in the bottoms of containers. They retain moisture at the roots, which saves watering time. Soak them overnight and break them up into chunks before adding them to your pots. 

Plant herbs in pots, in light, well-draining soil mix, and in a sunny pot. Harvests should be ready for summer meals. You can dig and move spring flowering bulbs now if their foliage has died. It is easy and safe to transfer them to a new home now. Also plant your summer bulbs now—dahlias, glads, etc. Provide them with a spot in ample sun and well-drained soil. Plant heat-loving annuals like petunias, salvia, and lantana now. Water well and often until they get established. Don’t forget your hanging plants…. Soak them in the mornings and apply an inch or so of moisture-retaining mulch to the surface of the soil mix. Make a mini water garden in a kettle or a tub. Deeper, larger containers can host a miniature water lily. Smaller ones can be filled with other aquatics—there are many intriguing and attractive choices. This is the time to load up on cacti, succulents, agaves, and palms. These can go in the ground now or into pots…Get out with a trowel or a shovel and broadcast a few inches of compost around your plants. It generates some heat when it decomposes, which hedges against late-spring temperature swings. Plant annuals while you wait for your perennials to come into full bloom.

If you use natural mulch, try grass, straw, hulls, shells, and wood mulch—these can be spaded into your soil next fall. Always be planning for tomorrow and next year. Hope you are having a great time in your garden!   JB