April showers bring May flowers

May

"Clippings"

April showers bring May flowers, but not if the ground stays wet. Remember, you can plant when you can crumble a wad of squeezed soil in your hand.

Mid May is the month for annual flowers in New Jersey. We are still adding mulch on top of our prepared beds. Nine yards and more coming this weekend. Phew, a lot of work, but worth it.

Mulch is attractive, retains soil moisture, helps enormously with weed control, and moderates fluctuations in soil temperature. You can plant your annuals directly through the mulch. If you have started your planting, you can still add mulch, but it will take some finesse not to disturb the young plants.

Happy Gardening!
Barbara

Flower of the Month
Do you know what it is?

The Chinese fell in love with this flower thousands of years ago, and today's gardeners still love to see their striking blooms today.

Grown from rhizomes, these plants ranges in height from 8-inch dwarf varieties to the soaring 40-inch-tall. They are low-maintenance and need only minimal care to thrive. Find out more...

Planning Your Organic Gardening

Late Spring

Check out the garden planner that shows you at a glance what jobs need to be done and when. This is still the beginning of the gardening year and is a busy period for a lot of us gardeners. Here are a few home solutions to try for those pesky weeds...

Mid - Late Spring

The Good, Bad, and Buggy

Friend or Foe

It's always interesting to get inquiries from people about large bees hovering around their gutters, decks, or wood siding. Some are amazed to find perfectly round 3/8" holes that look as if a vandal had done damage. Find out more...

Garden Wisdom

Compost

Compost is a mixture of organic materials such as weeds, grass mowing, garden waste, and kitchen scraps, which decay into a dark crumbly mass, often called humus. Compost improves your soil, provides a balanced diet of nutrients for your soil and plants, it's easy to make...and it's free. When you add compost to your soil you add healthy soil life and help to control harmful bacteria and fungi, keeping soil and plants disease-free.

Composting has been gaining popularity for good reason, but it can be highly impractical for gardeners who have limited yard space and live in urban areas. Finally, Urban Gardeners now have a fast, city-friendly way to compost. See Urban Compost Tumbler...

Tip-Take your time when buying a structure such as an arch or pergola, as there are a number of factors that need to be considered. Is it in kit form, is it easy to assemble or will you need professional help? Will it need concrete foundations? How long will it last.

Check that it is tall enough for the climbers you plan to use and that you will be able to stand or walk easily beneath it when the plants are in full growth and flower. Make sure, too, that it will be strong enough to cope with the full weight of the plants when they mature.