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March 16, 2005

Awakening To Spring...
Although the date doesn’t reflect it - it must be spring. I saw some forsythia in bloom the other day while walking Sam Parker
(photos). There were clumps of crocus, daffodils and a flowering quince just dying to burst open. The past warmer days have really given the gardens an opportunity to come to life. It seems as if every day there are more and more plantings awakening from their long winter's nap. I think this is one of the most exciting times of the year. If it wasn’t for the runny nose and the itchy eyes life would be perfect.

I hope that all of you will be able to attend Family Tree Nursery’s Spring Open House in Overland Park this weekend (see ad below). They always put on quite a display. Flowers and plants every where. If you have never had the opportunity to go you should treat yourself. Take the whole family. There is something for everyone. A petting zoo, crafts, cotton candy, hot dogs and drinks. They have thought of it all. The garden displays are terrific. A great way to see new plants with an opportunity to view them in different landscapes. An event you won’t want to miss.

A huge thanks to everyone who is supporting me in the Breast Cancer 3-Day June 17-19. Your support and generosity have been overwhelming! It is still not too late to contribute. If you are interested in helping me in the fight against Breast Cancer click here.

~ Shelly  

Spring Lawns: To Seed or Not to Seed...
As spring approaches you will no doubt start inspecting your lawn only to re-discover that it is less than perfect.  Most of us have bare spots or entire areas that are begging for new seed. Reliable sources will tell you that spring is the second best time of year to plant grass seed (the best time being fall).  What they don't tell you is that in this case second best may not be good enough at all.  We'll try to explain...

Fall is the best time to plant because seeds get the double benefit of warm soil and cooler air temperatures.  Fall planted grass also establishes a strong root system even after the grass blades have stopped growing for the season.  By contrast spring sown grass seed gets cool air temperatures but not warm soil - making it tougher to germinate.  In many cases the grass is not established well enough to take the heat imposed on it by the typical Kansas City summer.  More often than not, your new grass is toast by mid-July.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't plant new grass in the spring.  You just need to be aware of the risks.  At our house we try to limit spring grass seeding to small bare patches and hope for the best.  For bigger jobs consider contacting a professional lawn care company (we use Ryan Lawn & Tree) to improve your chances.

Special Delivery...
Most catalogs don't deliver your plant orders until it's time to plant them.  Unfortunately sometimes local conditions are different than "usual" and your plants arrive a bit early for planting.  Don't panic, but don't ignore them either!  Your mail-order plants do need some care in the time between their arrival and your ability to plant them.  Unwrap them immediately and check for specific directions on early care.  Lacking this just keep them cool and moist in a protected area until you can safely get them in the ground.

 


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Plant By The Rules...
Planning on planting a tree (or two or three) this spring?  Make sure you do it right.  That tree is supposed to be around for a long time.  Our friends at K-State Research & Extension recently published 10 Rules for Planting Trees.  Check it out here... 

The Old Heave Ho...
Temperatures have been jumping around a bit lately but a well deserved thaw in the soil may be a permanent thing soon.  Scout around your garden for signs of recent heaving -  the forcing of shallow-rooted plants out of the soil due to the freezing and thawing of the ground.  Don't tamp the plants or the surrounding soil as this may overly compact the soil.  Simply give them a gentle push back into place.  

 


Tired of flower shows where
there aren't any flowers?

Family Tree Nursery presents, "Technicolor Gardens", our tenth annual flower show and spring open house at the greenhouses of our Overland Park store, March 18th, 19th and 20th.

  • Learn how to create artistic container gardens.

  • Discover how to transform your shady areas.

  • Stroll through our colorful "idea gardens".

  • Meet "the Gard'n Wise Guys" broadcasting live from the open house Sunday morning from seven til nine. 

  • Get answers to your gardening questions from experts from local garden clubs and suppliers.

  • Enjoy great sale prices on pansies, tropical plants, flowering bulbs, perennials, roses and much much more.

  • Bring the kids to the Young Gardener's Club 9th Birthday Party.

There will be refreshments, door prizes, our petting zoo and lot's of fun for the whole family.

Call 913-642-6503 for more details.

This year we've really put the
flower back in flower show!
 

 

Vegetable Gardening Without A Garden...
If your outdoor space is limited, consider gardening without a garden. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and many other vegetables do well when grown in containers. Barrels, window boxes, cut-off milk jugs, almost any container that provides good drainage will do as long as it is deep enough to support the plant. Minimum depths for some container-grown vegetables:

  • 4 inches - lettuce, radishes, beets, low-growing herbs 
  • 6 inches - chard, turnips, short-rooted carrots 
  • 8 inches - eggplant, peppers, bush cucumbers 
  • 10 inches - cauliflower, broccoli 
  • 12 inches - tomatoes, long-rooted carrots

Source
 

Healthy Diet...
Though advertising for lawn fertilizers is at its yearly high, most lawns don’t really need fertilizer now.  Do not apply high rates of nitrogen (more than 0.75 lbs N/1000 sq. ft.) to your lawn from March through early May.  Too much nitrogen at this time of the year will lead to problems later this summer such as poor root growth and disease.  Additionally, since spring rains play havoc with mowing schedules, nitrogen fertilization can further complicate your mowing schedule by causing grass plants to grow too fast.  Instead of applying fertilizer now, it is better to wait until mid-to late-May and apply up to ¾ lbs N/1000 sq. ft. with a fertilizer that contains mostly slow-release nitrogen.

Source

Finally...
"In the garden the door is always open into the "holy" - growth, birth, death. Every flower holds the whole mystery in its short cycle, and in the garden we are never far away from death, the fertilizing, good, creative death."

~ May Sarton, Poet

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