I was driving down a rural street the other day and as I came around a corner I was confronted with the spectacular beauty of a stellar early Spring bloomer. The striking azure gold colors of the blooms from the old and reliable “Forsythia” were a simple treat for my eyes. It reminded me of the importance of early spring color. May and June have an abundance of color that will light up ones landscape, but the colors of early spring are usualy colors that realy excite our late winter senses.

The Forsythia is a tough as nails plant and should do very well in most garden landscapes. There are dwarf (2′-3′) as well as traditional varieties (4′-7′) that should find a special place in some corner of your landscape. The flowers are born on new wood from last years growth so if you have a healthy and well pruned plant you should see a spectacle of color. Just remember to give a pruning to these plants “Just” after they bloom so as to stimulate lots of new growth which will bear next years spring blooms. 

Although this family of plants will do well in poor soil I realy feel you owe it to the plant to give it a good start and well fed soil. Amend the planting site with ample shovels of good organic compost plus about ten cups of a good granular organic fertilizer (try our Cold Climate Organic). In goes the plant and you have set the stage for a ”Next Spring Spectacular’ . I find it an added treat to visit the garden a couple of weeks prior to bloom and clip a couple of branches for indoor forcing. My oh my what a treat this great plant is……….. You just have to love some of these “Early Spring Bloomers.

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Now is the time to visit your local garden center and inquire about “Flowering Quince”. The medium height of this tough as nails plant will light-up your landscape if you get it planted in time. Colors of blooms range from a chiffon pastel pink to an explosive dynamic red. Blooms occur before the foliage appears making a very dramatic statement especialy when the overall structure of the branchs offer a slightly different oriental look. A few select branches may be clipped prior to bloom and brought inside for “forcing’ if you desire. Leaves that follow the blooms are glossy green in nature offering a great backdrop for other later blooming plants. Most species have a few very sharp spines so be careful not to place them close to a walkway or where children might play. Prune after blooms fade if needed. Great as an espaliated plant! Very adaptable to soil types and moisture but will certainly give a more dramatic stature if offered good soil and ample moisture. What else can i say, this plant is GREAT and should find some special place in your landscape. Happy planting………. see ya in the garden

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Clematis : Many different varieties to choose from in a spectacular array of colors.  From solids to bi-colors. Blooms will show from early spring  to varieties that bloom summer and those that will bloom in the late summer. Blooming period is usually about a month or so.Large Flowering Types: Plant in location which will give them morning sun on the face and shade on their toes. It is imperative that the soil be amended with manure free compost at the rate of 1 shovel of native dirt and 3 shovels of manure-free compost. Anything less will result in lackluster performance. The love to dangle their toes in a rich organic soil.Small Flowering Types: This type will grow VERY FAST and should be planted in full sun. Soil should be amended with ample amounts of rich organic compost and organic fertilizer. The flowers of these plants will produce spectacular fluffy seed heads. Great for wildlife for food and nesting.Honeysuckle : Most of these fast and hardy vines are rich in fragrance and will attract hummingbirds and butterflies. They need at least 4 hours of sun. “Dropmore” or “Trumpet” are non fragrant but have spectacular orange trumpet shaped flowers. One needs to set-up air traffic control because of the hummingbirds they will attract.Hops : One of the fastest growing vines for our area. Whey will grow in sun or shade. Silverlace : Spectacular white flowering vine that is a favorite of mine. Full sun or partial shade. Great Fall colorVirginia Creeper: Fast Grower in sun or shade. Blue Porcelain edible fruit. Fall Color extravaganza!!!Wisteria : Worth the try but tough to get to flower. Best planted on East side. Organic Soil.Climbing Hydrangea: Not the toughest of vines but if you can get this one going it is a garden beauty. They like filtered light, not hot sun.  for additional info Click Here

How do I get my lawn going, is probably one of the most asked questions of late. With this thought in mind lets take a look at what we can do to hasten the green and shed the winter brown. As weather warms and the lawn begins to dry it might be good to do a deep watering of the entire lawn area. It is also advisable to to give the grass a good clipping going possbly shorter than in past seasons, however make sure you don’t “scalp” the crowns of the grass or it will be very slow to recover. Next I would have you aereate (get one of these big machines at a rental store) whole lawn area. Don’t be afraid to go over it several times. Upon completion if you are still not satisfied with the looks you may also rent a “thatcher” and give it another going over. As with the aereator make sure you don’t go to deep. Remove the debris and make a big pile for composting. The plugs especialy will make GREAT compost if you will just give the added effort instead of hauliing off to the landfill. Next step is appling the fertilizer. I STRONGLY recomend a blended organic nutritional package that would also contain natural “Microbes” and “Mychorizae”. Our “Cascade Natural” offered in 25# bags has got to be one of the finest on the market. This exceptional fertilizer will not only help in the natural breakdown of thatch but it won’t leach out of the soil and pollute the groundwaters. It will not contribute to salt build-up as do chemical fetilizers and it can potentally feed for the entire season. It will reduce the amount of water needed to keep your grass green, reduce if not completly eliminate disease problems, and it will slow down damage caused by insects. Many have found that they also mow their lawn less. I have watched with interest over many years the advantages of organic lawn maintenance and I am convinced of the results. It would also be great to apply a granular application of “Azomite”. Rich in calcium plus seventy some natural micronutrients this is a great product for creating healthy soils. If you have any bare spots on your lawn give them a good hard “steel” racking and apply a bucket or so of earthworm castings plus a pinch of lawn seed. Earthworm castings are also belived to be helpful in reducing the damage from “fairy ring” and “neurcrotic ring disease”. You may top-dress throughout the active growing season with this product. Deep water as needed (not ever other day) and you should start to show the green. When applying the Cascade Natural fertilizer  make sure you don’t skimp…………… yes I know I am the one selliing it and you are spending your money plus doing the work), but if your lawn is in the trenches of “not so good looking” then you need to bite the bullet and give it your best. You might even want to consider reducing your overall lawn size so you can finacialy do a better job and have that big green smile. Always feel free to email me if you have addional ?’s.                     Doug

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As you get out into the yard and bigin your spring clean-up make sure what you do does not have to be done in repeat procedures throughout the season especially when it comes to weed. A good plan of prevention is a must unless you just love the exercise of bending and pulling. I would recommend that after you clear the area of weeds and grasses that you apply one of two granular products that will act as pre-emergence yet cause no harm to existing perennials. The products, ‘Weed and Grass Preventer” (Treflan) which is a synthetic granular product which we carry, and “Corn Weed Blocker” (a product made of natural corn by-products) an organic alternative, should offer you some very good relief from reoccurring weed sprouts. If the granules come in contact with existing perennials you should not have a problem as the product only affects un-sprouted seeds and sprouts. After applying the granular product to the target area I find it best to seal it all up by putting down at least three inches of organic compost. Water the area well which will release the product and you should stay pretty weed free for the entire season. Good Luck with the weeds.

By using garden inoculant you will increase your bean and pea yields, plus it will also help with germination! Inoculant is an important component of growing both peas and beans. This granular product (looks like soot from the stove pipe) contains Rhizobium bacteria, necessary for converting nitrogen from the air to a form legumes can use. Other benefits include improvement of soil fertility, better root systems, maximum plant growth and yields. I have found it best to moisten the seed (this will also help in germination) then roll the seed in the powder just prior to sowing. Cover seed with washed river sand, peat moss, or special “seed starting” potting soil. We carry the inoculant as well as washed river sand, peat and special potting soils. Hey, the time is closing in and it is time to start the first round of garden peas! Happy Sowing………… Doug

For those lucky gardeners that have a water feature, it may be time to do a little maintenance. Use a skimmer net to rid the pond of decaying leaves and debris.  Add fresh water to top off level. If you have fish make sure you don’t feed them until the water reaches at least 40 degrees. Use a wheat based food until early summer due to high protein content. Raise lowered water plants closer to the surface to hasten soil mass warming and dormancy break. Clean all mechanical features of your pond and waterfall. Apply a dose of Microbe-Lift “Spring” start-up to re-energize your microb base.

If you are just pacing the floor waiting to plant a little garden seed but not quite sure if it is too early or what you should plant that won’t get destroyed by the cold nights………… it is Spinach to the rescue. This GREAT plant will do well even on the coldest of  mornings as long as it has been hardened off. I would recommend starting the seed indoors (the soil is still pretty cold for germination), move it to a cold frame (I will write an article on this soon) where it will be protected but subjected to the outdoors, then you could move it to the garden. Some folks simply continue to grow it in the cold frame with very good results, simply harvesting away. There are several varieties to choose from when you pick out your seed, so sample around and see which ones you and your family like the best. They are all loaded with healthy vitamins and a super good crunch in your salad. Now is the time so you had better get going. Most spinach varieties don’t do so well when it gets hot making this selection a GREAT choice for early sowing.

It was just yesterday that I was passing through our nursery and I spotted this glorious plant getting ready to burst into bloom. Some of the pink blooms had already burst into full spectacle along with a fragrance that had me staggering down the garden path. This particular plant just amazes me with it’s durability (it got down below zero this winter, plus this plant along with all the other containerized plants simply sits above ground, subjecting it to dramatic swings in day and night temperatures) and to top it all off it is usually one of the first to come into bloom. Best planted in  a location of early morning sun with afternoon shade, I am sure you will not be let down with it’s performance. Growth is slow so you may want to save a little longer and buy a bigger plant. It loves to wiggle it’s toes in a soil that has been deeply amended with manure free compost and fed a good organci fertilizer such as our “Cold Climate”. Better swing on by and get one of these planted while they are still  in budded form or you will hear me later on talking about how spectacular this plant realy is and you will have to wait until next year to see with your very own eyes how wonderful this plant realy is!

I can think of no better time to plant trees than in the Early Spring season. Garden centers should still have a great stock of trees left from the previous season and in my opinion there is no better tree. Wintered over and aclamated to the local climate these are the best of the best. The only exception would be if the variety you desired was out of stock….. DON”T COMPROMISE !!! New selections will be arriving as March wanders down the garden trail. Your first selections should include Fruit and flowering trees as these are the first to rattle their leaf and flower buds. Manure free compost and blended organic fertilizer should be all you need to prepare your planting site. Water in and wait for the ground to shake…………….. What a wonderful investment in your life and in your yard. Celebrate….