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Savvygardener.com
February 16, 2000
 

Somebody Tell Me What Season It Is!
Tuesday's weather was delightful.  It gave me a chance to walk around the garden and think about the seeds I want to start.  I also noticed some bulbs forcing their way through the mulch and made a point of carefully covering them over with some leaves.  Alas, it won't last.  We are due for a "wintery mix" of precipitation on Thursday and Friday.

If your spring fever is as bad as mine you won't want to miss an upcoming Kansas City Garden Symposium sponsored by the Friends of Powell Gardens and the Garden Center Association of Greater Kansas City.  It's called "Realistic Gardening - Expert Ideas That Work".  The symposium will be held on Saturday February 26th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Johnson County Community College's Yardley Hall.  The cost is $79 per person and includes lunch.  Call (816) 697-2600 ext. 225 for more information.

I hope to see you there!
~ Shelly                


We Have A Winner!
Those of you who saw us at the Lawn & Garden Show will remember that we were giving away a gardening bucket stuffed with tools to one lucky Savvygardener.   We are pleased to announce that Shirley Sauerwin of Kansas City, Missouri is our winner.   Congratulations Shirley!

Pruning You Should (and Shouldn't) Do Now
When the weather is favorable you might consider pruning your summer flowering trees and shrubs.  Be careful not to prune any that are spring flowering however.  Doing so would deprive you of their beautiful blossoms.  Spring flowering trees and shrubs include forsythia, quince, crabapple, and redbud to name only a few.  While you're at it check out our January 12th issue for tips on forcing spring blossoms indoors.

For Butterfly Lovers...
My butterfly bush rewards me and my family to great gatherings of butterflies every summer.  To make sure it's in top shape I usually trim it back to about 12 inches this time of year.  This helps promote a well shaped bush with larger flowers.

The Truth About Last Frost
Starting plants from seed is a great way to both save money and experience the growing process from the beginning.  Beginners to this process as well as veterans should know a very important fact about when to start seeds indoors and in the garden.  It's all about determining your true "last frost date".  The trouble is that Mother Nature doesn't give up her secrets and we are left with using the past as a predictor of the future.

Most of the Kansas City metro area can expect a "frost free" date around April 15.  A couple of days earlier or later as you go south or north respectively.  Careful here!  That means that there is still a 50% chance of frost on this date - not the best odds when your plants are on the line.  We are a bit conservative here at Savvygardener.com and as a rule don't plant any tender plants outdoors until the first full weekend in May.

Back to the seeds.  Vegetable and flower seed packs will have instructions for when to plant indoors based on the expected last frost date.  Understanding the facts above will help you decide the right time to get started.

We Recommend...
When we weren't talking to Savvygardeners at the Lawn & Garden Show we were on the lookout for new and useful products.  Luckily, only two booths away was something called the Tree I.V. - a product designed to simplify and improve the watering of young trees and shrubs.  We took one home to try it out.  A full review of this great new product can be found on our website.  Click here.

Finally...
"Certainly, flowers were pleasant to the eye.  Such things had even their sober use, as making the outside of life superficially attractive, and thereby promoting the first steps toward friendship and social amity."  Walter Pater, English Writer, 1839-1894.


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