Gardening in the Days of COVID-19

Such a crazy time! Most of us are staying home and being safe.  That can make a person stir-crazy if you’re not used to it.

Well, here’s something to keep you busy for a while.

If you have a garden, now is the time to do some spring maintenance.  Being outdoors will get you some fresh air and maybe a new outlook on the situation.

It’s time for spring maintenance and planning.

First, do you already have a garden?  It’s time to remove leaves and other debris from your yard and garden.  Be careful with your rake so you don’t damage any new growth below the leaf litter.  Deadhead any plants that need it.

It’s also time for fresh mulch.  Be sure not to mulch over your existing perennials that haven’t popper up yet. You don’t want to bury them so they can’t come up out of the ground.

Now that your garden is tidy, you can plan for this year’s garden.  What new plants would you like to add?  There are loads of annuals with bright colors, perennials for multi-year interest, shrubs and trees as well as a vegetable garden.  And don’t forget to include herbs.  There’s nothing like fresh herbs when you are cooking.

Some of this gardener’s favorite vegetables are Brandywine or Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes, chili peppers, tomatillos, All Blue or Yukon Gold potatoes, sorrel, peas, Blue Lake beans, leaf lettuce, arugula, rhubarb and zucchini. Must-have herbs include oregano, basil, parsley, sage, thyme, tarragon, lemon grass, chives and rosemary. 

For more information, check out Burpee for vegetables, Richter’s Herbs for herbs and Proven Winners for all other plants.

Remember, landscapers have been deemed an “essential business” so we are here to help.

Earth Day 2020

Welcome to Earth Day! Since the first Earth Day in 1970, we have been celebrating this day on April 22nd in an effort to support global environmental protection. This is a day to practice activities that protect the environment.

Layered Hedge

Today’s topic is privacy plantings.

Living in suburbia doesn’t give us much privacy in our yards and fencing can be quite expensive.  A better, more environmentally-friendly alternative is a hedge.

 Besides avoiding synthetic materials, you can make your hedge into just about any shape and size you’d like.  You have the option of a natural hedge or a trimmed, shaped one.

Hedges can consist of a single variety or multiple ones.  They can be a single height or “layered” where you plant shrubs in order of height from front to back.

 Use your imagination and enjoy yourself!

April Flower: Sweet Pea

This fragrant flowering vine is a natural as an accent flower in our area.

It was developed by a Scottish nurseryman in the late 1800s.  After winning an award from the Royal Cultural Society for his first plants, he developed several other varieties.

Flowers are usually pink, purple, blue or white in single colors or combinations. 

While it is related to the peas that we eat, this plant’s pods can be toxic.

Give it a trellis or other structure and it can grow over 6’ tall.  It is a perennial in our area.  The leaves are as pretty as the flowers with their oval shape and soft appearance.

Deer tend to avoid them.  They prefer full sun and well-drained soil.  Because they are a vine, they don’t take up much space.  Consider adding these to your garden.

Plants Associated with Easter

Nice weather is truly coming soon!  Meanwhile, brighten your home with some flowers for Easter on April 12th.

The plant we most associate with Easter is the Easter Lily.  This white beauty symbolizes the purity and holiness of Jesus.  The single bloom rising from a single bulb is also symbolic of his resurrection.

The Calla Lily is similar to the Easter Lily with similar associations.  Unlike the Easter Lily, the Calla Lily comes in several colors.

During this time of the year, everyone sells spring-blooming bulbs including Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinth, Narcissus, Muscari and more.  Tulips represent love, passion and forgiveness.  Daffodils and Narcissus in their cheerful whites, yellows and oranges represent rebirth and fresh beginnings.  Hyacinths and Muscari represent peace and forgiving

Palm fronds traditionally stood for victory and the good found in humanity.  They were laid along Jesus’ path as he walked to his crucifixion.  Churches pass them out so we remember to be grateful.

Have a wonderful Easter celebration.

Plants Associated with Passover

Passover this year runs from sundown April 8th to sundown April 16th.  During Passover it is traditional to give gifts of white and blue flowers.  Bouquets of spring white lilies, daisies, pussy willow and carnations mixed with blue violets, iris and hyacinths brighten the Seder table.

To honor Jewish law, either present the flowers before Passover or order them for delivery.  They should already be in a glass vase with water to last through the 16th.

Flowers symbolize beauty, growth, freedom and love which are core values celebrated at Passover.

Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach.

March Flowers: Jonquil, Daffodils & Narcissus

Spring is here and so are the early spring flowers.  It’s so nice to see some color when you go outside.

First, what’s the distinction between these three flowers?

Narcissus is a genus of about 13,000 varieties and both daffodils and jonquils are in that genus.  That means you could call any of them a narcissus and be correct.

What we normally call Narcissus are the smaller flowers.

These are perennials that are deer and rabbit-resistant.  They are usually planted in clusters in the fall so they will bloom in the spring.

While you normally think of them as being yellow and white, but you'll also find orange, salmon, peach, apricot, pink, green, and even red.

There are so many colors and shapes, you will need lots of time to pick the right ones for you.

Honeysuckle

Tomorrow is the start of the Zodiac sign of Aries.  The flower symbol of Aires is the Honeysuckle.

Honeysuckle is a vine or shrub used in landscaping and also common in the wild.  The sweet aroma brings hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators from quite a distance.

There are approximately 180 varieties.

When I was young, we would pick the flowers and suck out the nectar.  It was delicious!

Flowers come in pink, orange, white and yellow as well as combinations of these.  The native varieties typically have white and yellow flowers.

They are fairly easy to grow as long as they don’t have “wet feet” and get several hours of sunlight per day.

St Patrick’s Day

What else but the Shamrock?

St Patrick’s day will be here next week and people will be “wearing the green” and decorating with Shamrocks

The Shamrock is the plant that people most often associate with St. Patrick ’s Day.  However the shamrock is not a specific plant.  It refers to a few plants, typically, Oxalis, Clover or Wood Sorrel.  The symbol referred to as the Shamrock always has three leaves.

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland allegedly used the shamrock to represent the Holy Trinity. 

The Oxalis, Clover or Wood Sorrel often have leaves growing in groups of three but the mutation that causes 4-leaf varieties are considered to bring special good luck. 

Four-leaf clovers represent Faith, Hope, Love and Luck.  Even better, a 6-leaf clover brings Faith, Hope, Love, Extra Luck, Money and Good Fortune.  If you find a plant with 4 or more leaves, they say you will be able to see the fairies.

Keep a lookout for shamrocks and fairies and enjoy your day!