Gardener

* Annual vegetable and flower beds should be
rejuvenated by being tilled over. While the dirt is
being turned over, it is not a bad idea to mix in
liberal amounts of compost, leaf mold or other
decayed organic matter to help improve the tilth
and add natural nutrients into the soil.
* If you are planning to till garden soil, grab a
handful of dirt first and squeeze it. If it holds
together in a tight ball, it is too wet, and if you
turn the soil over in that condition, your first
harvest of the season will be a bumper crop of dirt
clods.
* After the threat of hard freezes has past, remove
winter mulch from strawberries.
Also, after the threat of hard freezes is over,
remove the winter mulch from the rose bed and
replace it with fresh organic material.
* In addition, remove the protective winter mulch
from tender perennials and replace with fresh
material, being careful not to cover any new
growth.
* For berry, berry nice displays next fall and
winter, ornamental berry-producing plants such as
holly, nandina and beautyberry should be pruned
before new growth begins.
* Easy on the pruners! Not all trees and shrubs
benefit from a spring shearing. Wait to snip
early-blooming beauties such as azalea, camellia
(Camellia japonica), Carolina jessamine, forsythia,
flowering quince, spirea, viburnum, mock orange,
weigela and Oriental magnolia until after their
flowers have faded.
* Keep spent Camellia japonica blooms raked up to
help prevent camellia petal blight.
oIf you like starting plants from seed, now is the
time to prepare flats of warm-weather annuals
indoors.
* Cool-season veggies such as leaf lettuce,
mustard greens, sugar snaps, radishes, spinach,
onions, kale and potatoes can be started at the
beginning to the middle of the month. Also, beets,
broccoli, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage can be
started by the third to fourth week of this month.
* The foliage of spring-flowering bulbs should be
allowed to die back naturally in order for the plants
to efficiently store nutrients for the next growing
season.
* Summer beauties such as althea, buddleia, vitex,
crepe myrtle and pomegranate can be pruned at
the beginning of the month to stimulate more
flower production later in the growing season.
oIt is not too soon to be watching for insect pests.
In particular, aphids and cutworms love to chew on
new plants and fresh spring foliage.
* Ever wonder why the gardener down the street
has had the same lawn mower for the last ten
years, and it hasn't skipped a beat yet? A big part
of the answer is probably because he or she
changes the engine's oil early in the spring season
before the serious grass cutting begins.
* And has your mower's blade been sharpened in
the last two years? A sharp blade cuts; a dull blade
tears, thus making the grass more susceptible to
diseases.
* Of course, you will be looking for new plants at
nurseries, but maximize your investment by
selecting plants that have multi-season interests
or, at the very least, flashy fall colors. Picking
plants that provide for the wildlife, either with
berries, seeds, nectar or cover will also add greatly
to the enjoyment of your garden.
* Migratory birds should be returning soon, so
welcome them back by cleaning old nests and
debris out of bird houses and giving the bird bath
a good scrubbing.

Ireland is a land of such beauty that to
not visit it is to leave your life
incomplete. Ireland is just that nice.
Having been over to the Emerald Isle
several times, I know all too well the
many memorable sights that bless this
ancient, captivating land. And maybe it is
time that you, too, succumb to the beauty
of Ireland and think about making your
own memories. I can help make that
happen. If you are interested in a trip to
Ireland, please feel free to contact me by
email at: lajackson1@gmail.com to find
out when the next "adventure" will be. If
you are part of a group that wants to
venture to the this grand land, contact
me about special group rates and the
dates your party (And I guarantee it will
be a party!) would like to go. If you need
more incentives for a trip, click here to
see what awaits you.

Greetings, Gardeners!

Welcome to my garden world. As a Southeast garden editor,
writer and lecturer for over 20 years, I have discovered that
there is not only a lot to learn about plants in our region, but
there is also certainly plenty of knowledge to share. So, in the
true spirit of all that is green and growing, here is a website full of
tips, information and updates that I hope will help make your
garden just a little bit prettier, just a little bit more successful. If
you have a particular question about gardening, I even have an
"Ask L.A." page to help solve your problems. I update this site
monthly, so don't forget to add it to your bookmarks!

Designing a
Container Garden

Color, texture and
flower form are the
basic elements in
designing a
container garden.
With color today,
anything goes. Gone
are the days when
pink and scarlet
clashed�today you
can combine any
colors you want in a
pot or in a grouping.

Texture is often
best brought out by
including foliage
plants such as
leather-leaved
ferns, or asparagus
sprengeri with its
long lacy fronds. Let
trailing plants spill
over the edges of
the containers to
soften and
de-formalize
plantings. Some
perennial ground
covers offer
interesting textures,
and can be dug up
and replanted in the
garden in the fall
when annuals have
died back.

Flower forms can be
grouped into three
basic shapes. Line
forms like Salvia
spendens or
snapdragons are tall
and spiky. Mass
forms such as
daisies, petunias or
marigolds have
many small or large
flowers. Focus
forms, such as
African marigolds or
a spectacular
geranium plant, are
characterized by
large or distinctive
flowers.

One example of
combining these
forms would be a
large container of
red salvia (upright
form and tall), pale
blue petunias (round
masses of flowers,
medium height), and
white alyssum
(small, lacy flowers,
low and trailing). Or
use tall blue
lavender for height,
and white petunias
and red creeping
phlox for color.

National Garden
Bureau

On the Road with L.A.

Like a rolling stone, I gather no moss
because I am constantly on the move to
experience the best gardens not only in
the Southeast but the rest of the country
as well as the big, beautiful world beyond.
You see, my philosophy is that, since
plants don't know anything about county,
state or even country boundaries, why
should gardeners? So with that in mind, I
believe the perfect gardening experience
should include enjoying what you grow in
your own yard as well as seeing what can
be found in other gardens, whether they
are down the block or halfway around the
world. Beauty, like plants, knows no
boundaries. So, the latest feature garden
from my wandering ways is:

Duthie Park
Aberdeen, Scotland

First opened in 1883, Duthie Park is a
44-acre all-season attraction situated on
the banks of the River Dee in Aberdeen on
the east coast of Scotland. One of its
main features, the David Welch Winter
Gardens, is comprised of large tropical and
arid houses that contain world-class
collections of cacti, bromeliads, ferns and
temperate plants. In the summer when the
weather warms, the Japanese Gardens are
the perfect place for a quiet stroll. And
then there is Rose Mountain. In the spring,
masses of crocuses and daffodils hold
visitors' attention, until the "big
show"--the blooming of over 120,000
roses planted on an old flagpole mound.
It's quite a sight, but Duthie Park is quite
a botanical treat to visit anytime of the
year!