May Is Full of Color

red carpet roses in a vase

hydrangia blooming early

May is almost over, but it has been a busy garden month with nice, spring weather and rain showers some afternoons, which helps keep things watered.  We haven't had that for quite a few years.  The summer flowers are starting to go crazy, along with the poison ivy!  So be careful of the "leaves of 3, let it be!"  Make sure you know what it looks like so you can avoid it.

pepper plants in the garden

May Activities:
    ·         Plant summer annuals and herbs
    ·         Fertilize established flowers every 2 months
    ·         Pick strawberries
    ·         Mulch all beds for summer, so it is 2-4 “ deep
    ·         Put out hummingbird feeder; oil wire to deter ants
    ·         Mist houseplants frequently during this month
    ·         Cut back established mums by 1/3 and fertilize
    ·         Divide hostas
    ·         Start regular watering schedule
·         “Dead-head” (pinching off spent flowers) on most flowering plants
·         Can  still plant summer vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, squashes, cucumbers, etc.  Plant  on a cloudy day, so they are less stressed by heat.

purple heart, lantana & yarrow

Some Easy-Care Plants and Combinations

If you have lots of sun but don’t like to water often:

·               Ornamental grass, coneflowers and lantana(P:Perennials- come back year after year)

·               Yarrow(P), purple heart(P) and zinnias(A:annual)

·               Liatris (Bulb), Coreopsis (P), Verbena(P & A)

·              Blackeyed susans (P), Red-hot poker plant (P) and Ice Plant(P) or        Sedum (P & A)

·               Ornamental Grass,  Purple Coneflower(P), Sedum (P), and Blanket Flower(P)

·               Gladiolus(bulb), Irises (rhizome) and Daylilies(P) & Creeping phlox(P)

shasta daisies, gladiolus, yarrow

If you have afternoon shade and water moderately:

·         Shasta Daisies (P), Sages(P & A) and Petunias (A) (Supertunias can take more)

·         Roses(P), daylilies(P) and begonias(A)

·         Hydrangeas (P), marigolds (A)

·         Gardenia Bushes, Hibiscus (P)

·         Porch plants:  Asparagus fern, spider plant & begonias

 potted caladiums and elephant ear

If you have mostly shade:

·         Impatiens(A), Coleus(A), Hostas (P)

·         Ferns( A), Lenten Rose (P)Caladiums (annual bulb)

Basic Plant Care for Southern Gardens: 

1.      Mulch beds and pots well. 

2.      Water deeply (at least an inch) every week for the best flower production. 

3.      Pinch off faded flowers, to produce more flowers. 

4.      Feed with 3-month fertilizer granules when planting, or apply plant food added to water every other week.

herb pot

some carrots just pulled

Vegetable and Herb harvesting:  The more often you pick the fruit and vegetables, the more it will produce.  For instance, green beans, try to pick every day or two, refrigerating till you have enough for serving.  Harvesting in the morning or evening is best.  For Herbs, pinch off tips/ends to use leaves, like oregano, basil, etc in the morning before the heat of the day.  This will give you the best flavor and also encourage branching.  

birdbath with daylilies and gerbera daisies

Plant Care during your Vacation: If you can find a neighbor gardener that works with their own plants, then you should be set.  If you don’t have that option, here are a few ideas:

·         Place potted plants under tree cover or in afternoon shade, having a drip hose on a timer that will drip into the pots. 

·         I have also placed a 2 liter bottle with lid (add a nail hole to the bottom) into my pot to slowly drain into the soil. 

·         For Beds, a soaker hose on a timer is best, setting it for the morning hours.

flowerbed along back fence

     TIPs for Curb Appeal:  To make the most of the front of your house (and backyard)

1.      Focus on texture and foliage for a lush-looking all-season garden.  Flowers come and go, but starting with an ever-green background will carry it through all seasons. 
2.     Then punctuate with color.  This can be leaf-color, just as much as flowers.
3.  Repeat color to unify.  If you like blues, use plants with blues and purples.  If you like bright contrast, pick yellows, purples and reds.  Same with pastels.
4.      Plant flowers in groups of 3-5 plants, like in a triangle or group, rather than straight lines for more impact and interest.
5.  For less work and cash over time, use low-maintenance perennials to fill out beds, adding a few annuals.

Red carpet roses around Welcome sign

April has been interesting weather, cold fronts with overnight lows, then swinging to summer-like days.  Crazy!  But  I have been taking advantage of being outdoors to work in the garden, also sitting in the yard to enjoy the view and what it is becoming.  I think that is a good reminder for life.  Sometimes things are happening so fast that if we don't take the time to be present, in the moment, we will miss it.  When you think of your garden, relationships or spirituality, be present, in the moment, so you experience life to the fullest.

Wild honeysuckle over my fence

The April activities have kept me busy.  Our last expected frost date is April 10, but we had an overnight low an evening or 2 later that made everyone put tender plants under cover.  We have started scrubbing the birdbaths and trying to keep up weekly cleaning for our feathered visitors (and to keep the mosquitoes to a minimum, which seem to be bad already.)  Spraying & dusting plants with 7dust  that look like they are being snacked on.  Pruned the butterfly bush to a foot and already it is back up to 4 feet!  Sprayed and fed roses.  Hardening off plants/seedling before planting them in the garden.  Pinching back mum tips to promote bushiness (and to push back their blooming to Fall, when I want the color).  Still need to apply azalea/camellia fertilizer now that they are done flowering.

carrots growing

On April 21, I had 7 ladies come to my backyard for our Backyard Gardeners Workshop.  We talked about having the ground of your vegetable garden tilled up and amended a month or so before you want to start planting.  If the ground is extremely dry, water a few day before tilling.  A good way to tell if the ground is perfect for tilling: take a handful of dirt and squeeze into a ball.  Rub the thumb and fingers together.  If the ball crumbles apart, it is right for tilling.  If it stays a sticky clump, it is too wet to till, and will produce what is called "hard-pan"( no air pockets for good plant growth).

strawberries for my cereal

When planning your vegetable garden, you need to decide if you are planting in rows(a furrow, then cover over the seeds or square-foot gardening ( packing the plants/seed in one hole at a time).  I told the ladies how much stronger my tomatoes plants were when I took to heart burying all of the plant up to the top few sets of leaves.  Just gently curl the stem around into the hole.  Another thing I read was to fertilize when flowering, which will boost tomato producing instead of just plant growth.  One of the ladies asked what was the easiest veggies to grow.  I told her my preference is tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and green beans.  With the squashes you have to watch for pests, like squash borers.  But herbs are also easy-care plants, that do not need extra fertilizing.

a chickadee feeding

Another woman asked how much do you water.  Here in the Atlanta area, we tend to have rainy Spring and Fall, but dry Summers. I have found it is better to water once a week, deeply, then a little bit everyday.  I read where you can put a pie tin out where your sprinkler is.  Keep watering as long as it takes to fill up the pie tin.  This inch of water should be enough for that bed for the week, if you have mulch in place.  You can time how long it took to fill the tin and use that as a measure of how long to leave the sprinkler on.  I really encouraged the women, if nothing else, mulch your flowerbeds and gardens before summer temperatures start to bake things.  It will help you water less and keep things from stressing so much.

Red gerbera daisies, lavender irises and yellow daylilies

I was asked what my favorite flowers are.  I listed about 10 low-care perennials which come back year after year) that I love:  Shasta daisies(spread to fill in spaces, though droop a bit in the afternoon southern heat), gerbera daisies, coneflowers (Drought tolerent, for when we have water restrictions here in ATL), irises, daylilies (if they can handle the conditions on the side of the roads here, they can handle my minimal maintenance), mums and sedum (for Fall color), lantana and Homestead verbena( for drawing hummers and butterflies in summer heat) and lavender (draws the pollinators for my veggie garden).

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The Anatomy of a Pot:

1. Cover the drainage hole with a broken terracotta shard.
2. Layer the bottom of a big container with something other than potting mix, like pinecones or packing peanuts (uses less soil and container will not be as heavy to move)
3. Layer soil and compost mix about 2/3 up the sides of pot
4. Add thin layer of water absorbing crystals
5. Add a bit more soil if need be
6. Add plants: Thrillers (about as tall as the pot), Fillers (bushy plants that fill around taller plants) and Spillers (plants that spill over the side).
7. Top with mulch
8. Keep watered.  The smaller the pot, the quicker it will dry out.  If in full sun, it many need watering every day.  Feed as needed.

For Hanging Baskets:

red petunias, yellow calorbrachea, swt pot vine

1. Line basket with cocoa liner or moss.  I personally like the cocoa liner.
2. Add a plastic liner, cutting a few drainage slits.  I used black plastic bag pieces.
3. Add bio-degradable sponge in the bottom, which will hold moisture.
4. Add soil and compost mix to bottom 1/3
5. Add plants, filling around with more soil/compost mix.
6. Water with a fine spray.  Top with mulch.  Hang and feed as needed.

A word about fertilizing:  Some of the soil bags have fertilizer in it.  If is doesn't, add feed pellets that feed for up to 3 or 4 months, that way you don't have to try to remember to add Miracle-grow to your water.  But plants in pots may need a boost fertilizer in the middle of summer to look their best.

Nana Russler's irises in the garden

So, as we move into May, watering will become a regular routine and keeping those weeds from taking over.  Enjoy the last of Spring, because Summer is coming!

March happenings in the Garden

My Kawanza Cherry tree in bloom.

Creeping phlox

We are on the next wave of blooms here in North Atlanta: Kawanza Cherry and dogwood trees, Indian hawthorn and azalea bushes, with Homestead purple verbena and creeping phlox.  It is so colorful, but the yellow film of pollen all over everything is the price we get to pay.

 

We had our Backyard Gardener's Workshop #2 on March10th,  where I demonstrated how to re-pot your tomato seedlings after 6 leaves appear.  Have new container ready.  Use a fork to gently lift the sprout out of container, de-tangling the roots.  Gently place in a new container, burying the stem up to the leaves, adding soil to fill in around it.  This will make a stronger root system, and ultimately a stronger plant. Water gently. In the 1st or 2nd week of April, move the seedlings outdoors to a sheltered area for a few house each day, gradually increasing the amount of time.  This is called hardening off and will acclimate the seedlings to wind and stronger sunlight.  Watch closely so as not to let them dry out and bring indoors if frost threatens.

I also demonstrated how to re-pot houseplants.  Look up the requirements for the specific plant you want to re-pot.  Some lie to be root-bound, others do not.  Usually, you re-pot if the plant has outgrown the container, or looks like it is wasting away in Spring when it should be showing signs of new growth.  Have the plant watered a few days before re-potting, but not soggy.  Tap the bottom of the pot or squeeze the plastic pot around the sides, gently loosening the plant around the edges. Untangle the roots.  If multiple plants, pull or cut roots apart to divide.  Have a new container ready: 2 sizes bigger, if leaving plant whole.  If dividing, have a second pot.  Put plant in pot, gently adding soil up to where the soil line was before.  Resume watering , fertilizing once a month through the growing season (Spring and Summer).  You can give your houseplants a vacation when days and nights are warm.  Water with a dose of fertilizer and set them outside in a sheltered place for a while.  Before bringing them back in, apply bug spray, so you won't bring bugs into the house.

Spike, yarrow & Homestead purple verbena

We have had mild enough weather, that I have started to set out the plants that I wintered over.  I want to make sure that I have something bright and blooming April through September to draw the humming birds.  Flowers that draw hummers are tubular-shaped, like honeysuckle vine, cardinal flowers, sages, verbenas, snapdragons, nicotiana, petunias and calibrachoa.  To draw butterflies plant asters, butterfly bush, lantana, fuchsia, heliotrope, iris, nasturtium, blanket flower, marigolds, verbena, sweet alyssum hollyhock, cone flowers and phlox.

I "layered" some hydrangea branches this past month.  I take a throw-away plastic pot and make a slit down one side to the a hole at the bottom.  I pull that slit back and put the branch of hydrangea, up through the hole in the pot. Then I add soil around the branch, covering at least 2 nodes(places where leaves would come) on the stem and water gently and regularly.  In a month or so, the buried nodes should produce roots instead of leaves.  After this happens, you can sever the branch below the new roots and have a new bush started!  Pretty cool.  You could do this with many different bushes.

mums, Shasta daisies & garden girl

This past week I started watering the filled pots and beds.  Things were starting to get a bit droopy with the absence of rain and warmer temperatures.  I also dug up some Shasta daisies that were out-growing their space and crowding other plants.  I try do this every 2 or 3 years if they need to be contained.

volunteer cilantro

  I added some more herbs to the herb garden, lemon thyme, dill (for make pickles out of the cucumbers) and Texas tarragon.  These are new for me, so we will see how they do.  I have been harvesting the cilantro that came up volunteer (fallen seeds from last year) and drying it with my dehydrator.  I just trim the side leaves with scissors. Love having cilantro on hand for all the Mexican meals and salsa that we like.

Strawberry flowers, soon to be strawberries

I dug up the stray strawberry plants and put them in the patch where there were holes. They are flowering and will have berries to eat in a week or so. So excited!  Nothing like strawberries straight out of the garden.  In the South it is good to mulch them with grass clippings or straw so that they don't burn out over the summer.  Keeping them well-watered and picked every day will produce the most strawberries.




My next Backyard Gardener's Workshop will be April 14th.  I will demonstrate how to plant summer vegetable and herbs in the ground, and talked about the anatomy of healthy pots and hanging baskets.

March is Here

 My Garden activities for March:

Violas in pot

• Re-pot tomato starts after 6 leaves appear, pinching of cotyledons.  
• Enrich melon patch
• Start feeding Blueberries
• Divide and take cuttings of yarrow.
• Plant  starts of lavender, mint, oregano & cilantro when ground is cool.
• Divide Shasta Daisies as shoots appear
• Fertilize honeysuckle as new growth appears
• Apply car wax to outdoor furniture and do paint touch-up.
• Re-pot house plants is needed or top-dress with new soil.

Cedar waxwings flocking to fountain

It is March here in North Atlanta and the Spring flowers are in full bloom: tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, grape hyacinth, forsythia bushes, camellias, and  flowering trees. We had a huge flock of cedar waxwings hanging around our yard last week!  They were in and out of the trees, eating the berries off of the hollies and would flock down to my front water fountain.  I think I took 250 pictures trying to get a fantastic one.  But we don't usually have these birds in our yard.  Then this week they were gone!  They must have been migrating through.  It was fun to watch them.

onion sprouts in garden

A week ago, I tilled up the garden with the tiller- I was so sore afterwards,  but I love doing the work.  We took down the chicken wire fence that needed help.  I got my younger girls out there and we planted the onion and garlic sprouts.  I re-seeded the cool-season vegetables.

summer bulbs by back fence

This week I tried to do a gardening activity every day.  I have been moving around some flowers that wintered over, dividing yarrow and cosmos.   I started an new bed of extra cannas, gladiolas, irises and lilies behind the vegetable garden.  These taller plants, hopefully will give some color to the back fence till the vegetables get going.

ornamental sweet potato tubers

I also emptied some hanging baskets that I had in the greenhouse.  I threw the dried up and dead stuff in the compose pile.  Finding the sweet potato vine tubers, I took them inside, laid them in an ice cream bucket with soil and placed it in the kitchen window.  So, hopefully, I won't have to buy any sweet potato vine this year!

Red verbena in greenhouse needs trim

I have been trimming the starts that overwintered in the greenhouse, like verbena, so they will be more compact when I plant them in my pots.  I hate cutting off the flowers buds, but I know it will make for better looking plants.

I started some coleus seeds and "Little Sprite" zinnias.  I love coleus for its leaf color in pots, so that you don't have bland spots when other flowers fade.  I was looking for a zinnia that I could us in hanging baskets, so hopefully this will fit the bill.

tomato sprouts

pepper sprouts

And the peppers, tomatoes and basil are coming along.  The tomatoes are getting tall.  So after their are 6 leaves, I will re-pot them in the containers so more of the stem is under the dirt. 

February seeds are growing

daffodils

It's February and I'm getting the "bug"!  I feel the call to start digging in the dirt again.  My list keep growing, (especially after pouring over Pintrest), but I'll take it one week at a time. 

So, two weeks ago, I spaded one square of my vegetable garden and sowed some cool season vegetables straight into the soil:  peas, lettuce, carrots and spinach.  We had a drop in temperature, so not sure if I need to re-seed or not.  I was reading up on the temperatures needed to germinate.  The ground needs to stay at 35 degrees for spinach, but peas need air temperature at 60-65 degrees.  So, may need to replant the peas.

pepper seeds starting to sprout

I also got out my clear plastic bins, cleaned them up from last year and filled 2 of them with fresh soil.  I turned the other 2 clear bins upside down and "hinged" them with duct tape to the filled bottoms.  I then added some water to moisten the potting soil.  Finally, I made little ditches with a popsicle stick, sprinkled my seeds and labeled my popsicle sticks.  One "terrarium" is different varieties of tomatoes; the other is different variety of peppers.  They are stacked on top of each other by my sliding glass doors.  After 2 weeks, I have tomato sprouts and peppers just starting to come up!  So excited!  I am trying to remember to turn the boxes every few days, because they bend toward the light and I don't want leaning plants.

tomato sprouts in plastic bin

engraved, flattened spoons markers

Last night I found my spoons that had nicks in them, (because of  slipping down into the kitchen disposal).  I got a hammer and flattened them out and then used my husband's engraving tool to write herb names on them.  They will add charm to my herb pots.  I had been wanting to do that for years and finally got it done.




I also had my first Backyard Gardener's Workshop on Saturday, Feb 18th!  We had 6 attendees with lots of questions.  Talked about how gardening in doing the stuff of tilling, amending Georgian clay, seasons of planting and watering.  I tried to  reassure the ladies to start with a few things so as not to waste their resources and get discouraged.  We did the the seed-starting with the bins they brought.  And I talked about being simply organized, like using an old calender to record when to do what or using a binder to put your garden notes and ideas in.  I tried to keep the information simple and told them to try some things.  If it doesn't work, adjust some things and try again.  I think it was helpful.  Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to do this!  It was fun.  They wanted to know when the next one is!  Good sign.

Thinking about last year...

vegetable garden plot- will divide into 6

 So, in thinking about this year's vegetable garden, there are some things to consider.  How much time and energy do I want to invest this year?  Do I want to spend it putting up vegetables?  Or do I just want enough to eat fresh and freeze a bit?  How much space do I have to work with?  Or is doing a few pots of tomatoes enough for me?  What vegetables, fruits and herbs do I use a lot?  Do I have a spot that receives around 6 hours of sun each day?

green tomatoes forming

If this is your first time vegetable gardening, starting small is the best way to get a feel for it without overwhelming you.  Tomatoes and bean beans are very easy.  You could have a pot of each.  Or you could have an 'Italian" pot of a tomato, basil and chives.  The easiest tomatoes are the cherry, grape or pear tomatoes.  They seem to produce no matter what.  Just remember, plants in pots will dry out faster, so keep checking them.

My 9 plot sketch for year 1

 Last year I had 9- 4x4 plots that I had worked, adding some sand, Nature's Helper and cow manure, because after 4 years, it still needs help breaking up the clay soil. (If you want to save some work, choose to make raised beds, filling with topsoil.)   I choose the vegetables and fruits I use most in cooking and eating:   Carrots, peas & lettuce, Tomatoes, peppers, green beans, onion, garlic, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, butternut squash and strawberries.  (I have an herb plot besides, where I planted basil, oregano, chives, rosemary and cilantro.)  I found information about crop rotation in Jeff Cox's Greatest Garden Ideas.  He suggested making a simple drawing of the beds and label it Year 1.  Then, make another drawing, moving everything over one bed: Year 2 plan.  Having a 2 year rotation schedule helps a)keep diseases and insects from taking over in that spot and b)from depleting the soil of the same nutrients.  I found out that tomatoes are a heavy feeder and need to replenish the nitrogen in that spot...So this year I am on the Year 2 plan.  So, we will see how much difference that makes. 

bush beans

I also came across some information about French Intensive planting.  This was awesome!  Normally I would put everything in spaced-out rows, but I was always fighting to keep the weeds under control and the soil from drying out.  In French Intensive planting, you pack the square with plants so there is no room for weeds to grow.  And it really made a difference.  I had to make sure things were watered & fed enough, but the weeds were much more minimal, and the more top growth shaded the ground keeping it from baking so badly. 

So, how do you want your vegetable garden to grow?  There really are all kinds of ways to garden.  Try some things, evaluate what worked and what didn't and adjust your plan.  Just by doing it, you will find over time what works for you and your plot.  Have fun planning!

Time to start cool-weather vegetables

Okay, so those of you who have been asking if we can start some cool weather vegetable seeds, I found an awesome link for you!  It is on the side under "Favorite Garden Links".  Basically, you sign up for a free email, putting in your zip code and they will send you email reminders with basic instructions on when to start your vegetables.  You can even order seeds through them if you like.  But the fact that I can get a reminder of what to start this week is awesome!  Just had to share.

My greenhouse for nurturing plants

Some overwintering pots

I don't know if it is because of growing up on a farm or if I've just learned through life that I am a nurturer.  But I am.  I do it with my kids, my relationships and my garden.  I invest time and energy and thought. 

Our under-deck greenhouse.

I have desired to have a garden shed or greenhouse for, well, since I started gardening.  The thought of nurturing little seeds or new plants, watching them grow, taking care of their needs- it sounded like the perfect thing.  So, I started looking at all these different greenhouse plans for do-it-yourself-ers.  But cash flow always seemed to be a hurdle that wouldn't allow it to happen.  My husband and I happened upon an idea, after much thought, that has turned out to be a feasible one.  Basically we utilized the space under our 2nd story deck as a greenhouse, enclosing it with plastic, grabbed a screen door that a neighbor was throwing away and found shelving.  In our relatively mild winters, I only need to turn on a space heater when it is threatening to be in the 30s or lower.  Granted, the plastic needs to be replaced every year or two.  But, it has worked for us.

Hanging pots, big pots & little pots on shelves

I have overwintered my hanging pots, so I don't have to buy all new plants in the Spring.  I have been able to make new starts of plants I already have, thus filling my pots and beds (and  I usually have leftovers to give away).   I can start seeds in Spring in which the plants are bigger when I put them out in the gardens or pots.

A bromeliad that Aunt Judy gave me.

Just so you don't think it is always a success story, I did take my favorite color of coleus stems and put them in water to make them grow roots.  Then I potted them and put them in my greenhouse around October/November.  They were doing great till I let it get too cold and lost them when the temps dropped this month. I forgot to turn on the heater. It happens.  But everything else has done well.  I even have a bromeliad blooming because of the warm days that heat up the greenhouse to 80 degrees sometimes.

We have hammered nails into the overhead deck boards to hang pots. From dry cleaner hangers, I have taken out the cardboard piece and used the metal part to hang on the nails, bringing the pots closer to my reach. I have a little potting bench that my hubby made when we moved to Georgia.  It is great to have a workspace for re-potting and starting seeds.  But I happened onto something a few years ago when we were cleaning out the kids plastic bin that held outdoor toys.  The hinged lid was starting to break and we were going to toss it in the trash.  But I stuck it in the greenhouse while I thought about how I could use it.  Then it came to me- a bin for soil!  It is perfect, with a big opening.  No more wrestling with the bag and spilling soil everywhere.  And I even leave my plastic spade in there where I need it. 

 So, I have a place to nurture my garden plants.  It is not a fancy new shed, but I works for me and my budget. 

Starting a New Year

I love the start of the New Year with new possibilities!  It is a fresh start, a tweaking of what I did last year, in hopes that this year will be even better.

Welcome to my garden.

As a lover of all things garden, I am always on a search for new combinations of flowers; reassessing my vegetable garden techniques; and thinking about what herbs I want to have on hand to use.   So, I have been searching and planning.  Sometimes things work great, with little help from me.  Other times, I try a different idea each year with the same plant, hoping it will finally thrive.

In North Georgia, particularly North Atlanta, we have a unique situation.  We are on the edge of Zone 7 and Zone 8 on the climate map. The cold from the North Georgia Mountains occasionally reaches us (this can be devastating to some plants, but an advantageous for others); or the hot wind from the South and West can just dry up our humidity.  So, as I try to remind myself - as with many things in life - hold onto things lightly, because they come and go. 

Pansies, Narcissus, Mum and Vinca Major- a four-season pot.

Each month, I have a list of activities, written in a Garden Journal (notebook or on an old calender) that I want to accomplish.  For January, my list is fairly short, because it is mostly maintenance with existing shrubs and flowers that I already have.
My January Activities:

• Prune French Hydrangeas, apply epson salts for feeding and lime for changing color to purple
• Prune Roses to 3 strong canes when the Forsythia bushes blooms
• Feed Shasta Daisies before they spring up
• Trim back Mums and other winter-burned growth
• Pull mild-winter weeds out of beds and gardens
• Research, make plans and sketches of gardens and containers.

 

Herb garden/pots in front of vegetable garden plot in January

Now, you can tell what I have in my back yard.  Depending on what you have in your yard, your activities may be a little different.  If you don't know the bushes or flowers you have, do some research on the internet or take a sample to your local nursery to find out.  Then collect some basic information on each plant, putting it in your notebook or calender to know what to do when.  One of my go-to resources is Month by Month Gardening in the South, by Don Hastings.  Find a good gardening book like this to use as a reference.  I'm saying this only because of the numerous times I have read about a plant in a Martha Stewart magazine or general gardening book and it is information for a different region of the US.  Always keep in mind, our region can have a wet Fall and wet Spring, but our Summer sun can make it drought-like.

African violet on my kitchen counter.

What are you dreaming of doing with your garden this year?  Do you want to expand a little?  Or just get started with the pot on the back step?  I will be here, sharing a little wisdom that I have learned from my Georgia gardening experience.  Hope you join me on my continuing gardening adventure.