Yarden maintenance schedule for March

Earlier today I was reading a thread and folks were talking of what they are doing in their gardens currently with the mainly nice and semi-warm enough for garden work weather we are having.

Once upon a time I had a monthly garden maintenance calendar which told month by month what folks were generally during during each month. I haven't been able to find the website with in on it now that I am looking for it and thought that I would start a discussion here and see if I can get some ideas of the types of things I should be doing whenever I have some time for gardening.

I have never known the proper times for pruning trees and shrubs and so I would like to hear of any general types of rules that folks reading perform during this time of year to insure that the plants do their best when their growth and bloom times come. If anyone knows of a website, might even be one here somewhere that breaks things down month by month or season by season that a simple minded person such as myself could follow, I would appreciate a link or a website name.

If this discussion proves the be helpful maybe we can begin doing it with each month. Someone please tell me if this idea has already been addressed and where I might the info. Having attended plant swaps with many of you, I know that there must be gads of good information out there that has enabled so many to grow such beautiful plants such as the ones that you all share at the swaps.

Here are a few of the shrubs, bushes and trees that I can think of off the top of my head that I would like pruning information for:

Butterfly Bushes
Hibiscus
Sea Grasses
Forsythia

This is not to stick to the topic of pruning necessarily, but any ideas of proper garden maintenance tips would be great. Thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge.

Ruby

Ruby----

There is a simple formula when it comes to pruning flowering Shrubs....

Shrubs that bloom in the Spring are blooming on last year's growth. Makes sense?
These kind of shrubs can be pruned back right after they bloom--to allow the new growths to develop
and set buds for the following year.
Examples are:----Azaleas--Rhododendrons---Lilacs---Forsythias--etc....

Shrubs that bloom in late summer are blooming on current year's growths.
These shrubs can be pruned back in early Spring. Then they will make new growth on which to bloom...
Examples are: Butterfly Bushes--Snow Ball Bushes--Viburnums---Mock orange shrubs---etc...

Hibiscus--the perennial type---is late to emerge. Like--end of May. You do not prune it at all!
IF you are talking about the Tropical Hibiscus---and IF you have been successful in overwintering it in your house--
you can prune it just before you put it back outside to make it bushier. Tropical Hibiscus is an annual around here....

Sea Grasses???? I have never grown any--but Grasses are, usually, perennial. Cut them back to the ground
in early Spring. You may need a chain saw to accomplish this.....
NOT in Fall-as Grasses provide a lot of "Winter Interest" on the landscape....Also food for the birds.

Ruby! I have a question for you....and PLEASE do not hate me for it.....

IF you have plants in your garden that you have bought and planted----WHY do you not know what
the needs of those plants are????? Whenever I get a new plant for my garden--I make sure I read up on it all I can.

If you are not sure--go to PF and check out the bloom times of the Shrubs you are interested in....
Or--check out the needs of all, and any, plants you are acquiring....It just makes sense to me to do so.
Besides--you SELL plants. What do you tell your customers when they ask about the plants you are selling????

You belong to DG! USE IT! It has priceless information on every plant available in PF.

I don't mean to sound harsh--but I just think that knowing all there is to know about plants you have
is what defines the expression of a "GREEN THUMB"....There is NO magic!!! All it is----is knowledge!

Gita

Ruby,

Some quick notes on pruning the plants in question:

Forsythia
Blooms on old wood. Prune mid-spring after flowering to thin out the interior of the shrub, remove dead wood and balance shape. Renovate in winter or early spring, cutting oldest third of growth to the ground three years in a row.

Hibiscus (Rose Of Sharon)
Blooms on current season’s wood. Prune in late spring to remove die-back and excessive growth, and to improve shape.

Butterfly Bush
Blooms on new wood. In late winter you can renovate by pruning hard, cutting all stems back to about one foot. It will put out vigorous new growth and grow as much as 6 feet and bloom the same year. Otherwise, prune out dead wood, old framework stems and unruly growth in late winter or early spring

Don;t know anything about sea grasses

Hope this helps.,

David

We have had some really beautiful weather this winter but it was so wet that even on days that were warm I didn't do much work. But finally it has dried out and I have started cleaning by flower beds. With this odd winter there are a lot of weeds still growing out there. I agree go ahead and cut that grass down. If you have a large round patch of grass you can core the center out of it and it will grow back in and rejuvenate the patch.

Thanks folks. A lot to retain. I will return later and make notes. I don't know, being fairly new to gardening, say about seven or so years now, there is very, very much that neither John nor I know.

Gita, to answer your question in regards to how we garden, I do follow seller's instructions, but that often doesn't insure a plant will live or thrive. It would really take a lot of the fun out of what we are doing if we felt we needed to be walking encyclopedia's in regards to the plants we sell. We have other lives beyond gardening and the gardening is done for pleasure and not stress which I would find reading about plants to be if I felt I needed to learn the botanical names and all there is to know about something. I also feel that may be off putting to some customers too if I were to come across as a know it all.

I believe that sometimes Gita, you take things I say as being very literal instead of the fun or exaggeration I may often put in to my writing and you see problems when there are no real problems. Little did I know when asking a simple question yesterday that I would once again be told to study, I prefer chatting and hearing how others do it and then trying for myself and then returning to tell of my success or my failure.

Holly, we too have had lots of moisture this year and that has meant a couple of times before my grandchildren come in the house upon arriving here, the first thing they have to do is change clothes from having muddy pants and shoes after riding their bikes in the back yard. My sweet sprout Issac, who will turn two years old the thirty first of this month is proving that he is going to do what he did last summer and have to pull blooms off of any pretty things he sees. Between him and the rabbits eating my crocus out back, things are looking less than ideal. I don't know how many day lilies Isaac ate last year. He was drawn to them and would often pinch off a piece and directly in the mouth it goes.

Oh gosh, we have several spreads of Zebra Grass that are very tall and huge. They will need the power saw to cut down. The other grasses are much smaller and can be handled with shears most likely. Now that I am thinking about it, I have seen over the past few weeks that I have been out to make assessment of what needs to be done, I realize that there is a lot to be done. And here I sit, writing and talking about it rather than doing any of it. hahaha

David, thanks for your input. You and Pat grow some very lovely and unusual things and I believe that you truly do live up to your chat name. I am really looking forward to visiting you two later this month. I am not coming for outside gardening interest so much as to see the wonderful house you live in and to pick up the house plants that you two have been caring for this past month or so. Very appreciative.

After I told John I had started this topic yesterday he told me that we have a month by month calendar in one of the gardening books we have. He hasn't yet had time to find it for me but hopefully that too will give us a place to start. I am raring to get going soon. I might forget the things I wanted to do indoors today and mosey out with a pair of clippers and see what kinds of damage I can do. hahaha A few weeks ago I was able to mostly clean up the front flower bed which really looked horrible at summer's end last year and wasn't addressed. I hear you on the weeds Holly, they are running rampant here too. I guess it is a good thing about the moisture in the ground in that it will make weeding less of a chore.

Anyway, am going to check on the Forsythia and Butterfly Bushes later and see how they are doing. I noticed a neighbor's Forsythia starting to bloom yesterday. Can't see ours from the drive way, so need to actually walk out and take a look see.

Thank you all for the input and advice on what I need to be currently addressing. I will report in after making any progress.

Ruby

Good morning Ruby!

I like your idea of helping us all remind each other what we can be doing right now. I just did my Butterfly bush yesterday.

General perennials- I am still going around and cutting odd dead stems, down to promising looking new growth ( if there is any seen.)

Sea grass is probably the Northern Sea Oats that we've all gotten from Gita. Cut off any dry stems now and try to gather any seeds still stuck on them too. They self sow too easily. Other ornamental grasses also should be cut off now. I think the new growth will be coming up very soon, if not already, in the center. Also divide those grasses now if you want to divide this year. (I have some I intend to.I did one in fall just to see if it lived.)

Hey Gita--pardon me but that did sound a bit harsh. People who have not ridden with you, may not understand that you are an emphatic speaker and that you write just that way. Excess punctuation can seem overboard- they way some people hate use of "all capitals"

Hello Miss Sally.....thanks for writing. I decided a bit ago that after all this talk of what to do in the garden, I am going to do exactly that.....I am headed out the door with clippers in my hand, and my gardening apron tied around my waist with all the other things necessary to spend a bit of time feeling as though I am being useful. I have lots of indoor chores, but going to pretend they don't need my attention. From the weather forecast, it sounds like a week of good gardening opportunities too.

I believe I will have my cleaning lady help in the yard this week versus in the house. That way a lot of progress can be made and things be prepared for the little sprouts trying to push through currently. A real feeling of delight rushes over me with each bloom that I see and each little green sprout I see trying to pop through. I imagine the beauty that is to come.

Anyway...I hope that everyone will take advantage of the warm week coming up.

Ruby

We had a pretty good discussion on what to do with our euonymous bushes this time of year on the thread started by Ladyschweig http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1244832/

I'm reminded that many of the things we "trim" this time of year can be stuck or propagated for new plants. I'm particularly interested in any of you alls experience with propegating Knockout Roses.

One of the todo nows is trim back my Liriope. Usually I forget as it still looks pretty good about now, but when new growth begins in earnest shortly it will quickly go downhill and become a chore to trim back without damaging the new growth.

I have only one clump of ornamental grass that needs trimming down. When I went to cut it back on Fri I found 5 preying mantis egg cases on it! These I will relocate around my yard incase they are all viable. That particular clump has always had an egg case for the last 15 years.

The common daylily buds and flowers are edible rawor lightly steamed (taste like asparagus to me} and the flowers can be battered like squash blossoms. Looks like you have a gourmond on your hands Ruby! Maybe some one has a good quick link for plants and flowers, etc to be wary of with little ones around???

http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/edibleflowers.htm

Outside again, catch you all later.

coleup- Yesterday I cut a lot off my Knowckout roses. I might get out there, trim them up and stick them into some pots. THat won't happen soon enough to tell you if its likely to succeed though.

You're right on about the Liriope I noted one year I trimmed them about the time forsythia bloomed and that was pretty good timing. Which is very soon now.

I found I have saved blades from an old electric carving knife and I think they'll be awesome for trimming grasses. Cross your fingers to save all MY fingers though. Must wear gloves must wear gloves must wear gloves....

Oh, large pots might be planted with some salad greens for an early container salad garden. I did Mache and two lettuces.
I've also sown spinach and it has just emerged. With the mild winter, I'm feeling sure that lettuce, spinach, peas could all be sown.

OK! Once again my passion for all things gardening has taken a wrong turn. And--I apologize!
Deep down--I do not feel that i have to--but I have to.......

Ruby--I am sorry if you felt put off. That was not my intent....
I am not an Encyclopedia nor do I know any Botanical names of any plants either. Common names is good enough for me.
In my job at HD--I have never felt that educating people about any aspect of gardening and care of plants
has created a"put off" . Most people thank me for all the information I can share.

"Harsh" may be too harsh a word. Passionate about knowing things about all things gardening
and trying too hard to convey all I know, and frustrated if it is not accepted the way it was intended,
makes me feel slighted also.
I am NOT a know-it-all! But I do know a lot.....and I think you know that. Mostly from experiences learned
in in all my jobs at Garden Centers and Greenhouses I have held for about 25 years.
It has been a slow, permanent education. Etched forever in my brain.

You asked--and I replied. You did not like my suggestions and opinions-- That is OK too! I will take note and
try not to say all I want to say any more.....Being outspoken has always been one of my flaws. It can be good--it can be bad...
I will have to watch what i say and to whom I say it. Also one of my flaws. People that really know me understand
this aspect of me.

Seems--sometimes I find myself between a rock and a hard place. I try to offer advice and
my opinion on things--and it is taken the wrong way. Don't shoot the messenger....it is the only way I know
how to get the information across. Saying what I mean and meaning what I say.

No need to get defensive, Ruby. I have always helped you out when you asked something or other about plants.
Sorry if it came across the wrong way and I am sorry you had to spew at me because of all this.
I did not like that either...

OK! I am now going to shut my mouth and hope that it eases all the tension....
I do not want to destroy any "relationships" I have here on DG. They all are very precious to me.

Gita

Ruby, I have some variegated grass, not sure what variety it is but it spreads by runners and doesn't have that nice round habit that some grasses have. I quite often burn it off in late March. It is a good way to clean up the old grass. I usually use the weed eater to knock it down and run a rake lightly over it to get most of the taller grass off then burn it. It really grows back in nicely all the old dead grass gone and nice new growth comes in a a week or so. As you can see there are quite a few Iris that grow in with the grass but the fire flares and goes out so quickly that it doesn't hurt the iris. Some time the new growth look a little singed but that clears up in a week or so and they grow beautify. Burning your garden isn't something that works for everyone or everyplace but I do it to this patch every year.

Oh, I'm so glad you're talking about trimming your liriope.

I got a few variegated liriope at the fall swap last year (thank you to the person who offered it to me; I'm terrible at record keeping!).

For some reason, the leaves have been falling flat on the ground, instead of upright like I see everywhere else. And the leaves are so long! Maybe more than a foot. How do I get the leaves to be more upright?

And how much do I trim off? Some online sources say to run a lawnmower over it (not possible in its present location) or to cut off dead leaves. But there are no dead leaves from this warm winter we had! :-)

ssg -

The liriope leaves are lying flat as they are declining and will be replaced by robust, erect new growth. Since you have just a few plants, use a good pair of scissors for pruning off the old growth now before the new growth gets in the way. First take a rake and rake through the foliage, removing all the dead leaves and other debris in the plants.

Ruby,

Here is the link to a VA pruning guide by the month for shrubs.

http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-462/430-462.html

I had no idea it was out there, so thanks for asking.

By the way, I saw no "spewing" in your posts and thought Sally was right on target. I rarely post and would like to feel safe to ask a question without regretting it.

Pat

Thanks, greenthumb!

Also, if anyone in MD is looking for timelines for yard work, I've found this UMD website to be very helpful:

http://hgic.umd.edu/content/lawns.cfm

Unfortunately, it's not a very good website design. You have to hover your mouse over the "timely tips" box on the upper left hand side, and then click on the topic, and then the correct month.

It looks like the VA site is much more user friendly.

What is that the little Keebler Elf used to say when refereeing a football game, "Whoa, time out. Time out." My brother used to say that often when he had imbibed in a few drinks, and I still laugh when recalling that. Shoot, it may become my new thing to say.

Gita, I didn't mean to spew, and like you don't recall that I did spew. Any of us who have been around the computer for as long as most of us have, are aware that the capital letters are a way of yelling. I didn't feel as though I had asked anything that require I be yelled at.

As I said, I will often ask things in order to get another person's thoughts on the subject, not so much because I am not capable of doing an online search, but as you have been asking for some time now, where is everyone and why aren't they posting......I decided to post. Again, never believing I would be yelled at for doing so.

This is definitely not the first time that I have felt that you blasted me out or lambasted me for lacking gardening knowledge, but until now, I have always just let it go....I do not play games, nor do I like contension and as I said, as fast as my lame legs will take, I run the other direction with the hint of distress. I don't have the time or space in my life for it. I visit the computer as a social outlet, first and foremost and at the hint of contention, I am out.

I left Dave's for a couple of years and returned two springs ago because I remember the goodness and kindness of most folks here. The few I had issues with are now history. I think very highly of you Gita, and my house plant and garden collection is full of plants that you have very graciously given me over the years. I have just grown tired of being treated as a wayward child that grew to hate getting yelled at. I don't know of anyone who likes getting yelled at come to think of it.

I appreciate those of you who have come to my defense and I also appreciate those of you who are doing as I usually do and ignore the elephant in the room. I did not re-read what I wrote yesterday, but my intent neither was to upset the apple cart.

As far as I am concerned, this issue is now over and done with. I appreciate the input I have received here. I don't know, for some reason I wanted to talk about what folks are presently doing in their gardens. Due to health issues and the experience from the past two summers, later when the heat of the summer sits in, I won't be outside doing much, but will be sitting inside in the cool air conditioning, thinking of wanting to get outside, but knowing that it isn't a good idea to do so.

To clear up another matter in regards to all of this. I don't see any of our buying clientel face to face usually. John is the one who sits up at the Farmer's Market on Thursdays and Saturdays. I stay home and pot up things for him to take with him. At Christmas time we had customers from last summer invite us to their home for an open house and the joke was that I was indeed a real person, because this couple had seen John over and over during the summer months, but never met me, as I no longer am the social Susie I once was running all over creation, because just getting me out the door and in a car to go somewhere is strenuous and I often pay for day's afterwards for attending gatherings or participating in activities that healthy folks take for granted.

I bring up my health issues quite often I realize, not as a means of getting attention or to gather pity for myself. Both of these are the very last things that I want attention for. Who in their right minds would choose illness in order to get attention.....not an ill person, believe me. I would give my right arm to be the healthy and robust go getter I once was, but won't happen in this life time I am afraid. For now, I do the best I can to make good of a bad situation. I have now watched three generations of my family deal with a nasty disease that attacks in what should be our prime, and take away many of our abilities that had defined us before our muscles began to atrophy.

Anyway.......so the air is hopefully cleared.... by all who wanted to have their say. Let's get on to happier and more pleasants thoughts. I plan to. I am getting ready to open a package that was delivered last week and I haven't had the time yet to open it. I believe it to be two metal detectors with all the bells and whistles that are on those things these days. This is my early father's day gift for John and we plan to follow Judy and Bob Shower's footsteps in digging for precious metals. Who am I kidding, a race horse would have a hard time keeping up with Judy. hahaha

I am leaving here with a smile on my face, I hope that each of you are also.

Ruby

I cross posted with you Terri. Thank you for the link to the Maryland gardening time line. I will see if I can find the one for Virginia. This is the type of thing I was looking for. Thanks for all the links, will let you know how I get along with them.

Ruby

Holly- I wish I could burn more of my garden. I only cautiously did that in my vegetable garden in a small area. I hoped to burn the seeds off the bittercress but it wasn't very effective or thorough.

Small quick fires must have been Nature's way to help get rid of too much dry junk, and we don't allow it anymore, around here. So then we get brush fires every spring, on windy days usually. I'd love to burn out the dry leaves under the hedge but I know that could get away from me and be disastrous. Instead, it's hours of raking and bagging -arrgghh

ssgardener I trimmed my liriope yesterday with a sharp sissors I use for garden work. I put my hand at ground level around the base of each clump gathering all of the leaves into my hand like a bouguet and then made a cut just below my hand. Yes, they do look ridiculous! The liriope version of a 'bowl' cut...To soften the effect, I spread the trimmings around the base as a 'mulch'. Be careful not to cut off those new green erect shoots. The variegated ones are much more well-behaved than "monkey grass' .

Where I have monkey grass ( a way less desirable form of liriope) growing down a bank that ends in a paved culvert, I don't do anything to at all. Some years I do rake it to get all of the leaves pointing in the downhill direction. I fancy it looks like a cascade that way (and in my dreams it is a cascade of that japaneze forest grass I'd love to have!). I also use the technique of raking all of my 'vining' ground covers like variegated vinca and wintercreeper in the same direction and then trimming the edges or spillovers to keep in check. The Virginia creeper that I've trained to grow along the top of an old wooden privacy fence gets a hair cut on both sides of the fence.

I do have three sweet autunm clematis vines on trellises but have never cut them back (out of fear ). With the mild winter much of each of them stayed green, leaves and all. Any tips or advice on these?

Sallyg, I've found that a folding saw we take on camping trips works well for trimming grasses. I tried old electric knife blades but the serrations kept hanging up in the dried stems. I use it to divide up clumps of stuff, too. Yes, definitely save those fingers as there is no good grip on just the blades! Thirty five years ago, an old timer told me the time to plant peas around here was Valentines Day...gets them up and growing and harvested pre our heat spells. Also, a bit of succession planting maybe a week apart extends the harvest and they are done long before warm season crops like corn, melons etc go in...Nothing like fresh local salad and so easy!

On the Knockout Roses, I'm reminded that they are still under patent. Also, several sites say they do not need the same sort of pruning yearly as regular roses. So, just wondering why you trimmed yours back other than that I know you and the rest of us try to grow more plant than the space available will allow! Evidently, this year should be a big year for Knockout Rose trees! If the trunks the Knockouts are grafted onto high up prove to be hardy may give some very interesting possibilities for some space challenged gardeners to have blooms higher up above existing landscape...hmmm.

http://www.gardeningblog.net/2011/08/13/knockout-rose-tree/



Just a reminder to us all that Mid Atlantic covers USDA Zones 5 to 8 which is a great variation in timing for planting or pruning etc. I'm lucky in that I get to see a thousand yards in my area each day on my paper route to compare what is happening or needs to be done in my yard.

This message was edited Mar 12, 2012 10:39 AM

This message was edited Mar 12, 2012 10:42 AM

Coleup Beautiful pictures. I have some vines that didn't go quite dormant in this warmer weather. One of my Butterfly bushes has had green leaves all winter long.
It sure is beautiful today. I have been working in the Veggie Garden this afternoon. Ric cleaned off the Asparagus bed and I am composting it. Doing some weeding, they are growing so fast.

Planted peas today.

Jan, the thundering sound you hear is all my bunnies running up over there to wait for your peas... Last year my whole row of peas got eaten. I quit! Do you know that you can also eat the tender leaves of peavines?

coleup- funny you mention raking the vinca and then trimmng, I was saying mine needs to be trimmed or thninned out or something, maybe. Maybe I said it here...My crocus are barely above the vines of vinca.

Those grasses can be very tough., A serrated kitchen knife can cut them. I'll see what happens with my elec blades. If I find a use for them I could screw them onto a piece of wood for a handle.

The KNockouts were a littel bigger than I wanted. I assumed (Hope!) that they will send out some new growth from the base.

I bet that farmer was right about the peas, cuz I used to do mid march and they always get into hot weather.

Sally--

I cut my Knockout Rose back to--just the tips of the branches and the spent blooms.
It is a matter if the space it is growing in. Have to try to contain it a little bit.
I also do not like the sprawled look in my small garden. It is good where it is planted....

Today--I went to "Egypt Farms"--a soil--mulch--sand--rocks by the cy, etc kind of a place.
I called and asked if people could come and buy smaller amounts for themselves (Not delivered).
She said "Yes! You can bring trash bags, tubs, buckets or whatever and a shovel and fill them all yourself.

"Egypt Farms"
11412 Pulaski Hwy. (Just South of the Landfill entrance).
410-335-3700.

So--I got 4 crates and put yard-sized trash bags in them and off i went...shovel in hand!

There was this mountain of Mushroom soil! The man on the Forklift "roughed it up" a bit for me and I
filled the 4 bags about 1/3 full. That is all I could lift into the car. AHHH! (emphasis on this word) The aroma!!!

The way they decide the cost is:
--You drive your car onto this weight station (like trucks use) and they record the weight.
--When you are done--you do the same thing. Then they charge you for the difference in weight.--eg--what you dug out.
--My weight came to 200lbs. Not all that much--as the 'shroom soil was quite wet.

I was wondering how much that was going to cost me??? It was $3.54!!! Mamma Mia!!!!
I was bracing for $20 or something. She said that a full scoop (c.y.) costs $44.
If one has a truck--that would be quite a bargain--as Mushroom Soil in bags goes for about $6-$7.

I will be going back again and again. Once you start spreading it out--it does not go all that far.
So far, I just did my front-of-the-house two beds and went through 1 1/2 of the bags.
Planted Pansies and a couple of primroses.
Luckily---"Egypt Farms" is only about 5 mi. from my house. I can see many trips coming up......

OH! I just hope my back holds out.

Gita

Great haul, Gita! I n e e d mushroom soil. Will have to look locally.

Sally, I am hoping that our bunnies are well behaved and allow us to have some. Heehee

Thanks for the info on trimming the liriope. I always wonder about them. Got mine planted last fall. So I will trimming them tomorrow morning.

Roses were done this evening, next is fertilizer, forsythia was done in the fall,.But i am sure I could cut more off.

Need to cut back the butterfly bush, did not know that.

My Buddleia Blue Chip, does that get the same type of trimming?

Read that with trimming carpet Roses, have no fear, just prune away.

I think every Buddleia gets the same butterfly bush trim.- Maybe greenthumb knows for sure.

Gita what a great haul!!! I'll keep that in mind.

Blue Chip is one of the dozens of cultivars of Buddleja davidii, your classical "Butterfly Bush", all of which prune the same.

Sallyg, I'm sure you know this but you can trim variegated vinca the same way as liriope. Just pull all those long unsightly runners up into a pony tail around each mother plant and snip off. This is a good time to take the opportunity to thin out or fill in some ares as any little rooted places along the runners are easy to pull up and will become new plants if you need them. I save a few of mine for use in large containers as 'spillers'. They overwinter quite well in containers as does Hermans Pride or regular yellow archangel, icelandic ivy, and several other creeper types that can get out of hand if not 'contained'.

Reminder to those of us with wilder places in our surrounds to do a quick check with nippers in hand of all trees/shrubs to nip back any encroaching vines like honeysuckle, etc. Also house or outbuilding foundations/perimeters. are easier to assess pre leafing out and active growth of whatever.

Peas, please. Just read a thread on 5gal bucket gardens where someone was planting peas in them! Might be a good way to foil those rascally rabbits a bit.

Hostas are easier to divide now as they are emerging than when they leaf out. I dig up a clump, use a high powered spray on my hose to wash away as much soil as possible and then start teasing out individual pieces as without the soil, the mat of roots at the base come apart more easily.

Later you all, Judy

There is some really great information being shared here. Thanks everyone. I love Liriope but John doesn't and thus, the only two pots of it have sit in the garden for two or three years now, unplanted!!! Hey, I have some help coming today, maybe those two pots will get planted after all.

Holly, I had to giggle a bit when reading of your burning off garden areas. I am sure it is the chosen way for some folks, but we have never had a large enough area to ever do anything such as that, so it always strikes me funny that you and Ric do that to some areas quite often it seems.

Now that I think about, there are some small areas, which burning might be the chosen way to go. Places in which Lamb's Ear and Artemesia have all but taken over might be places to start.
Heck, I might have so many dead stalks and other debris after today's clean up that they won't fit in the compost bin and a fire might have to be the way to get rid of them before they lay stacked and then get wind blown again, only to have to be gathered back up again.

Anyway folks.....I will address the Liriope today.....that is one thing I hadn't thought of until reading about it here. Again, thanks for any and all input.

Ruby

It is another beautiful day, Ric is out pruning the Apple Tree. Really it is rather late to do it with all this warm weather we are having. He has been working to get the GH set up. As soon as I finish emptying the car I will probably join him out there doing weeding someplace.

I walked around both front and back yard a bit earlier. Yes indeed, gorgeous out there today. My friend and I picked up some of the larger sticks and things in the yard and will work over the next few days to clean out the separate beds. Good thing we have three compost bins because I have a feeling we are going to need them. hahaha

In the front I noticed the Crocus have gone bye bye for the year, but have been replaced with some other short white bloomed lovely which I am not familiar with. Will take a picture later and show you guys and get a name for it if anyone knows. I will probably feel really silly when I learn of the name. Whatever it is, I don't recall planting it.

I didn't plant the Liriope today, but see that I have three pots of it and will try to get that done in the next few days while I am concentrated on getting things cleaned up a bit. I am also happy to say that I was quite delighted to see some unplanted, but still potted, swap plants in bloom. I believe Holly and Ric gave me a Forsythia plant and that is in bloom still in its pot. I will have to choose a place in the back yard for it, because my other two Forsythia are in the front, where I can't see them very often.

The patch of Capanula from David and Pat are poking through and look healthy. It will be nice when the clean up is done, and I can enjoy the plants without the debris around them. I know it won't last long, but I will enjoy while I can.

I am going to go and do some research on pruning Hibiscus, because I have several that need attention. Hope this is the right time to do them. Will report back with what I learn.

I have a question about Caladiums. Is it too early to plant them yet? I am going to plant in pots so they can be brought inside if we have frost warnings or do you folks think I would be smarter to wait a bit on it?

First shift of my day has gone well and I feel as though a good amount was done. Hope that second shift will prove the same.

Ruby

Ruby--- FYI -Gita wrote earlier on this thread

"Hibiscus--the perennial type---is late to emerge. Like--end of May. You do not prune it at all!
IF you are talking about the Tropical Hibiscus---and IF you have been successful in overwintering it in your house--
you can prune it just before you put it back outside to make it bushier. Tropical Hibiscus is an annual around here...."
Which kind are you looking for info on?

I'm beginning to be loopy on liriope , but of all the garden stuff to do Ruby, I wouldn't worry one fig about planting your pots of them as they will be no worse for even another season in those pots...just add a little fertilizer sometime between now and fall. They are a very easy care plant and don't mind waiting. My guess is you will find that they have also multiplied too, enough to create a "border" when you get around to it

.



< At long last
there is a sufficient
supply of these invaluable
items for each of us to have
one of our very own. Guard it
with your life. These tuits have
been hard to come by, especially the
round ones. This is an indispensable
item. It will help you to become a
more efficient gardener . How many
times have we had to say, “I’ll do
it as soon as I get a round tuit ?"
Now that we have a round tuit
of our very own, many things
needing to be done will all
get done properly and in
due time>










This message was edited Mar 13, 2012 6:09 PM

This message was edited Mar 13, 2012 6:12 PM

English ivy at the foundation can creep up underneath vinyl siding. It yellows out and dries but seems like a bad thing to have that making more access for bugs.

It was all round when I previewed it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Evidentaly "Sticking Tuits" round or not, are still in somewhat short supply this early in the season, but are just as valuable for gardeners.

Oh those round tuit's are pretty hard to find around here. LOL
Ruby, I will start my Caladium Pots in April they can't be outside with temps lower than about 50 or 55. They need the heat to start growing once it is warm enough for them they pop up pretty quickly. Since you are more south and warmer earlier that I am you should have a good head start on me.
I put up threads for the Spring Swap.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1246741/

Well, I learned an important lesson today!

I love ornamental grasses so much that I left them standing over the winter. I was going to cut them down in April, because I heard that miscanthus was late to emerge. Oops! Well, there was green growth almost as a foot tall, so I had a difficult time trying to cut down the dead brown leaves without cutting up the new growth. Now I know!

You can always cut your grasses. It won't hurt them if you cut them back. Last year about half way thru summer mine were just so tall that I could hardly see the flowers behind them. Ric took the weed whacker to them and knocked them back by about half. They looked a bit hacked for about a week or two and then they looked just fine.

I too learned some things while outside gardening yesterday too Terri. One thing is that one corner of my yard is a disaster area if you get close enough to really look. I did some online research for spring pruning and had a few hours day light left so moseyed on out and thought I would have a go at some of the bushes and shrubs I had just read about. Good Grief Charlie Brown.......there is some sort of vine that was strangling my butterfly bush and beginning to grow in to some other things too. In the past whenever I mention things I want to address, I have this voice tell me, oh wait, I am going to spray that. Only thing about this voice and his spraying, is that he doesn't come along afterwards and clean up the dead debris. I was really fighting thick vines and lots of briars in this particular corner of my yard. I eventually walked away from that because it will needs a mans touch and ended up sitting on my behind and clipping away at some thick, almost ornamental grass thickness of a Russian Iris spread. They need dividing this season for sure.

Anyway.....my garden help will be back for the next two days and I left a lot of limbs, sticks, briars and other piles for her to move elsewhere today. Temperatures are supposed to be in the low eighties today, so that will certainly make things challenging.

I believe that Pat answered my question about the small white bloomers by mentioning Trillium. I just don't remember planting them in the spot they appeared. Thanks Holly in regards to the Caladium, I too will wait even though I did get soil in one of the pots I plan to plant some of them in.

Thanks Cole for pointing about the specifics on Hibiscus pruning. The research I did says to prune if shaping needs to be done and there is one out front that will definitely need attention because last year it grew outwards rather than upwards.

Happy gardening to all........thanks too Holly for starting the swap thread. So looking forward to getting together once again.

Ruby

snickering about the voice---
But that points out, that pruning is half the job, getting rid of the waste is easily another half. That can be taxing. I saved myself a lot of time by putting large hunks of forsythias into a fire instead of wrestling them into bundles, or bags.

I think I have rats, or maybe the world's largest voles, under my old compost. THose burrows looked too big for voles! It has rotted way down, so I can go with a shovel and a 'bread tray' from behind the old closed convenience store, dig it up and roughly sift out the big pieces and the rats...

Sally, You could have wood rats. They are rather nice as rats go and can be endangered in some areas. Having wood rats is a good thing.