Arrival of Spring

Finally, it feels as though spring has arrived.  The sun is stronger and warmer.  The days are definitely longer and I heard my first robin singing away.  We are all anxious to get out into the garden, but we are still surrounded with lots of snow.  Slowly it will melt and put much needed moisture back into the ground.  Some of the tasks that need to be done once you can get into your garden include:  pruning of trees and shrubs before buds break (check with each species to confirm that it is the right time to prune), cutting back ornamental grasses and other perennials that were neglected in the fall to about 4 inches, cleaning up dead plant debris that might be harboring diseases or insects, adding compost to your perennial beds, spraying horticultural oil on shrubs that have had scale or mite problems before buds break (check instructions as to temperature application) and dethatching and aerating lawns.   Please note that if your bed or lawn is too wet, do not attempt any work until it dries up somewhat otherwise you will be compacting the soil.

Of course, there are tasks you can begin indoors, such as starting your seeds. A word of caution, however, not to start your seeds too early inside.  You want to time it so that as the seed germinates, you will be able to put the plants outside slowly soon after to benefit from better light and the hardening off process.  Most of my garden vegetables, will be sown directly into the ground once I can work the bed.  With respect to my Canna Liliy tubers that I have overwintered, I will plant them directly outside in their containers once the risk of frost has passed.  They will take a little longer to mature, but will catch up quickly if we have a warm summer.   Now the fun begins.