Spring is glimmering on the horizon, and guess what that means? It’s time to get to gardening! This is the prime to to get your garden ready for the warm weather to come.
Brian Lloyd shares a complete checklist for your weekend gardening endeavors.
Weekend Gardening Checklist: To Do & To Buy
You don’t have to wait until Mother’s Day to get gardening. Great garden color starts today.
Here is a simple gardening to-do list for 2019.
Soil Prep
You don’t want to work soil that is muddy. The solution: add some organic matter! Add compost every year. It’s much better to be consistent year to year, rather than waiting 4-5 years and doing it all at once.
Rule of thumb: Put two inches of compost on your garden soil, and work it down 6-inches.
Perennial Prep
Divide the perennials that are getting too big. Dig out the roots and separate. Check out any online tutorial for help. Even if you have old phlox or rock cress, consider purchasing new and replacing. The newer varieties are bred for more color and longer-lasting color.
Look for new varieties or early blooming perennials.
Tools
Upgrade tool selection with gel-handled tools. Brian likes the ones by Corona.
Trowel, $12.33
Loppers, $25.49
Pruning Shears, $23.49
Watering
Spend your money here! We live in the desert and you need good watering. Buy a good watering wand. Brian likes this one:
Dramm watering wand, 30-in., $25.46
Flowers
Perennials can be planted any time, whenever you can buy them in the store.
When it comes to annuals, put the cool-season ones in the ground now and they will survive drops in temperature and bloom into June. The Cineraria Senetti bi-color is a good one to look for!
Good cool-season annuals:
Pansies
Violas
Snapdragons
Alyssum
Geranium – look for a cold season variety available at Costco now.
Olson’s Greenhouse experts will help you put together porch planters at Container Fest on Easter weekend, April 20th. This event is held at most Home Depot locations across the state.
Brian and his family own Olson’s Greenhouse and ProGro Partners. You’ll find their plants at Home Depots, Walmart’s, and Costcos throughout the West.
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