Spring Garden Tips

Josh Gray

Gardeners, it's time to put your gardening skills to the test. If
temperatures are cooperating, the merry months of May and June
will be your busiest until September, with planning, planting,
and patio projects to lead the way into summer. Don't be fooled
by a late frost; find out the mean freeze date in your area, and
be sure soil is warm and workable -- not too wet, not too dry --
before putting tender plants in the ground.

By the time your garden is prime for planting, you should already
have a plan of attack in place. Are you going to be planting
bulbs, annual, more perennials, or a vegetable and herb garden.
Maybe even all of the above if you are blessed with a big yard.
Once you have a plan, its time to acquire your new plants. The
quickest and easiest way is to buy your plants online. Everything
you need from seeds, bulbs, and tools can be found through online
merchants, and many sites even offer online coupons for increased
savings. Small starters usually cannot be shipped directly to
you, but can be sent to a store close to home for pick-up at your
convenience.

If you are going to be putting in sensitive vegetables like
cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and melons, you may wish to wait a
few weeks after the last thaw to ensure they don't get damaged by
an extra cold night. If you want to plant early, consider sowing
heartier vegetables like potatoes, peas, beans, carrots, and
lettuce. Not sure about when to plant, then ask an expert at your
local gardening center.

For all the beautiful colors of spring, consider planting both
annual and perennial flowers. Although your perennials will still
be around from last year, you may want to add a few of your
favorites to replace flowers lower on your list. Annuals are an
important part to every garden. They bring some of the richest,
most vibrant colors to your garden. Plant your annuals from
starters if you want an early spring bloom. Make sure that you
plant annuals in areas of your yard that get at least five hours
of direct sunlight per day. Don't be cheap on the plant food and
watering, and you will ensure your flowers get the right
ingredients for full, healthy blossoms.

Once the initial preparing and planting are finished, you can sit
back and relax, letting your sprinklers do the rest of the work.
If you work hard early on, your hardest task in summer will be
choosing which flowers to make cuttings of and create bouquets
for the kitchen and dining room. Enjoy the fruits of your labor…
until next spring.

Copyright © 2005 Josh Gray
Josh Gray, President of UC San Diego's Gardens Club, is a
consultant to www.CouponChief.com This online coupon website
provides free coupons and discount codes to many favorite
gardening websites on their home and garden coupons page.