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March 2006 • Around Your Garden
Spring time! Bulbs, honeysuckle, waterlilly, roses and pansies.
By Gene B. Bussell, Ellen Ruoff Riley
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Flowering Vines
These plants offer great solutions for color, fragrance, and shade in tight spots in the garden. The beautiful flowers of hybrid clematis (shown at right) will brighten arbors, trellises, fences, and walls. Available in multiple colors, they prefer well-drained soil rich in organic matter such as peat. Add mulch to help keep roots cool and plants happy. Other good vines for your yard include fragrant, yellow-flowering Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), orange-red-flowering 'Tangerine Beauty' crossvine (Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Beauty'), and red- or yellow-flowering trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens).
Herbs--Plant thyme, rosemary, and oregano now so they can get a good start on the season. Wait until all danger of frost has passed in your area before planting or seeding dill, fennel, and basil.
Pruning--Azaleas, spiraeas, quinces, and forsythias can be trimmed once they have completed blooming. If you wait until summer to cut back, you will remove next year's flowers.
Star magnolias--Magnolia stellata will add flowers and fragrance to your garden. This small deciduous tree provides dependable blooms and makes a great specimen. Place near a pathway or entry point in your landscape to fully appreciate the fragrance. Reliable selections include 'Royal Star,' 'Pink Stardust,' and 'Waterlily.'
Feeding--As the days become warmer and leaves begin to appear on your roses, fertilize with liquid Schultz Rose Food 10-12-12 or a granular product such as Vigoro Rose Food 12-6-10. You can also feed by adding composted manure around the base of your plants with a product such as Black Kow.
Dividing--Reset crowded perennials such as black-eyed Susans, Shasta daisies, and daylilies now. Replant in prepared beds that have rich, well-drained soil and receive at least six hours of sun a day.
Annual color--There is still a chance of a late frost in most areas of the South. A warm day and gentle breeze are all it takes to make you want to plant something. If you just cannot wait to get your hands in the soil, there are some choices. The blooms of petunias, snapdragons,violas, pansies, nasturtiums, and sweet Williams can handle the cool weather. Just wait a little longerbefore planting impatiens, torenias, and caladiums.
Vernal equinox--Spring arrives on March 20. If you have not started a garden journal, begin one now. Over time, these observations will sharpen your gardening skills.
Topped With Pansies
Freshen up your containers for spring with this simple project that takes less than an hour. Here's how.
Step 1: The widths of our pots are 14 inches, 12 inches, and 8 inches. Place the 14-inch container where you want the display to be. Center an inverted terra-cotta pot inside to become a pedestal for the 12-inch container. If necessary, nest more pots inside the biggest container until this support reaches about 1 inch below the large pot's rim.
Step 2: Fill the 14-inch container, surrounding the terra-cotta pedestal with moist potting soil. Center the 12-inch container on the support, and fill it with damp potting mix.
Step 3: Plant pansies in the top pot. Around its base in the large container, sprinkle wheatgrass seeds. Cover them with about 1?4 inch of potting soil, and water lightly. Keep the soil slightly damp; green sprouts appear in about two weeks. If you like, add a few pansies or violas to the large container for extra color.
Step 4: Fill the 8-inch pot with pansies and violas in the same color family. Place it at the base of the large pot to carry the flower color from top to bottom.
Tip: Purchase wheatgrass seed at health food stores; ask for winter wheat. Potted wheatgrass has a thick root mat and will last only a few weeks. Seeded grass lasts for weeks and weeks when kept moist.
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