Sutton Garden Club

Spring Has Sprung, The Grass Is...

You know the rest! How incredibily exciting it is to look out and see the spring bulbs poking through the ground, even though today' temps are far less than ideal (39 degrees!)

If you're like me, you're probably uncovering those bulbs as you finish the garden clean-up you didn't quite get to last Fall. While you're out there raking, it's a good time ,too, to take a fresh look at the gardens to size them up and decide if some changes need to be made. Plants that didn't thrive in a particular area could be moved to a better spot . The 'rule' for dividing/moving perennials states that Fall -blooming perennials are best moved/divided in the Spring and Spring blooming ones in the Fall. I have been known to take a chance, and it is taking a chance, and moved plants when I had the time or when I wanted to make a design change in the garden. I'm not advocating this but ,as long as I've kept those plants well watered, they've done quite well.

Reminder: Save some of those divisions and donate them the Sutton Garden Club Plant Sale to be held on Saturday, May 16, 2009-9AM-Noon, rain or shine !

It isn't too early to start thinking about adding color in the garden. How about trying something new? There are some great suggestions for colorful annuals in this issue of the Fine Gardening e-newsletter. Several can be grown from seed ( think saving money, here!) and others may require a bit of searching to find but are well worth the effort.

Be sure to check out the blog site 'The Dirt' for great tips for your vegetable garden. Have you ever considered growing your vegetables directly in a plastic bag of soil? Me neither, but there's a how-to for this. There's also a post on building an A-frame support for tomato plants.

Now, back to the daffodils. Of all the bulbs we grow, I think daffodils are probably one of the easiest. I found the American Daffodil Society site had helpful information on the few problems you might encounter and an amazing list of some of the cultivars available. Here are some FYI on daffodils:

When to Divide and Transplant: Why Daffodils Stop Blooming or Flower Less

Eventually your daffodil bulbs may become crowded and flower less as a result. You can lift and divide the bulbs in early summer as the foliage goes dormant. At that point you can replant the bulbs in their new location or you can store them in a dry and airy place for the summer and replant them in the fall. Larger bulbs will bloom better than small ones, but replant all of them. Small ones will bulk up and bloom in another year or two.

Your daffodils may bloom poorly if they are in a shady location. Sometimes nearby trees grow over time and shade a spot that was sunny back when the bulbs were planted. Transplanting to a sunnier spot will help. Give the bulbs a year or two to settle into their new location before blooming.

Deadheading and Self Seeding Daffodils

Deadheading means removing the flowers when they wilt and fade. Prompt deadheading can help the bulbs gain strength and produce bigger blooms the following year. If you do not deadhead, the plant uses some of its energy for producing seed rather than for rebuilding the bulb. This means blooms will be smaller next year. You may deadhead if you wish, it is not absolutely required.

If you are trying to naturalize your bulbs, skip the deadheading. The resulting seedlings help spread and increase your bulb planting. Depending on the growing conditions, it can take a few years for the seedlings to reach blooming size. You might opt to deadhead in alternating years to give the bulbs a boost while still encouraging some seeding. Whether or not to deadhead is a personal preference.

Read more: "Daffodil Care: Daffodil Narcissus or Jonquil Bulbs are Easy Care Low Maintenance Flowers If You Follow These Simple Steps" - http://flowergardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/daffodil_care#ixzz0AgD3zkQM

Spring is her, at last! - Yeah!!

Hypertufa and Glorious 'Glories'

you've probably seen these troughs at flower and garden shows or nurseries, planted with succulents or rock garden varieties, at costs approaching, or even exceeding, one hundred dollars! There have been numerous how-to recipes circulating around for years but this is the first I've come across that actually seems doable. The recipe ingredients are easily colected and the directions clear and simple to execute. However, I did notice that there was no mention of the weight of the finished trough. It is, afterall, made from cement! It'll be much heavier when the hypertufa is wet ,therefore, I would suggest you create it where it will be as close as possible to the shady spot it needs for drying. I especially love the idea of embedding leaves in the rim to give it that antique ,fossilized look. If you decide to make a trough, photograph it so we can put it on the blog. A fun project to do with your children!

If your looking for an annual that gives you a big bang for the effort (and who isn't?), consider morning glories. Those old-fashioned, easy-to-grow plants we grew in kindergarten. The colors range from white, to reds and pinks and gorgeous shades of blue and purple. Some are dawn bloomers, others will bloom all day. In the same family as the morning glories (ipomoea) you'll find the moon flowers, cypress vines and cardinal climbers, offering very different flower shapes and leaf textures. And if this isn't enought to get you to try this group of annuals, there are the sweet potato vines now available in a myriad of colors.

With the cost of purchasing perennial plants rising every year, it might be time to consider growing some of your own. Would you have ever thought that lupines, penstemons and primroses would be considered 'easy' to grow? The how-to for success with these and other perennials is discussed in this issue of the Fine Gardening e-newsletter. With a little bit of time and patience, you can fill your garden with colorful perennials at a bargain price.