Friday, April 07, 2006

Things to do in the Garden This Week

It is early spring here in the Northeast and in my garden at least I can see tulips, and daffodils peeping through (in fact, the daffodils are beginning to bloom) More importantly for me, my hose in hose primrose are coming back. They have become my favorite spring flower. The forsythia is in bloom and a great many of my perennials are beginning to show signs of life. In the herb garden, good old reliable chives are up at least four inches and the parsley is gaining ground. Here is a list of things you might want to do in your garden over the next couple of weeks:
Perennial bed:Clean out the beds of any stalks you didn't get last year. Apply organic fertilizer. Plant shrubs and perennials as soon as the frost has left the ground.Dig and divide perennials, place the min post for an upcoming plant sale or replant them in a new place.
Herb and Vegetable garden:Add organic fertilizer and compost and till the soil when it is no longer damp.Plant peas, onions, lettuce, arugula, mache, radishes as well as thyme, chives, tarragon, lavender,winter savory, oregano and other hardy perennial herbs. It is not too late to start tomatoes, peppers and eggplant seeds indoors to plant in the garden after Mother's Day. Shrubs:Prune rose bushes and hardy hydrangea such as H. arborescens 'Annabelle' which can be cut flat to the ground if necessary and will still produce blooms this summer.Prune fall blooming clematis and butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)Cut forsythia branches and bring them indoors as a bouquet. Trim the remaining branches for better shape.
Enjoy your garden!

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