Gardening - It’s that time again!
Don’t wait until spring time comes. Any time is a good time to start planning your next season’s crops or gardening designs.
To enjoy springtime blooms plant various bulbs throughout the landscape. This is by far the easiest place for beginning gardeners to build their gardening skills. Bulbs are preferably planted in the fall and lay dormant during the cold winter months, but its fine to plant them in early spring, as long as they are exposed to some cold weather first. .
Perennials, plants that return every year are a good gardening investment. Plant them once and you’re all set. Some will even reseed, giving you even more plants the following year. Some perennials for shady gardens are bleeding hearts, hostas and ferns. These will start to bloom once the flowering bulbs have faded.
Rose gardening can be used throughout your landscape. They make a perfect hedge or border and a beautiful addition to your landscape. Give them full sun and a well drained spot with good air circulation and they will thrive with very little care.
Annuals, both vegetables and flowers that only last for one season, are readily available in most stores, so you can save the time and effort of planting from seed if you prefer. But if you have a large garden area, or farm, planting from seed is the best gardening method. Seeds can be started inside in peat pots or trays very early in the season. I start planting my seeds in trays during February and cover them with plastic to keep the soil moist until they germinate. I include the warm weather crops, such as cantaloupe, cucumber, sweet peppers, and tomatoes that benefit from a longer growing season. These crops are very sensitive to frost, so they are best put out after the ground has completely warmed up and all danger of frost has past.
All plants, no matter what kind will benefit from a thick layer of mulch. This gardening essential will keep the weeds away and lessen the need to water as much on hot summer days. Mulching is best done in early spring before the weeds get a chance establish their roots.
As a seasoned gardener, I usually throw the how to gardening books aside. I am usually content browsing the home and garden magazines to try to get some fresh ideas.