What are you doing in your yard this spring?
What has been your biggest challenge this spring? Getting rid of weeds? Knowing what plants to add, or where to add them? Recently I met with Master Gardner Susan Boehm about her yard. She was dealing with some shade issues. We decided the best solution was not to fight the shade. Instead, we used the shade to our advantage, and added some shrub beds.
(Susan had fun, but did run into a problem. Click here to read how she describes what happened next.)
Landscaping needs to be kept simple. It also needs to stay maintainable. I personally don't enjoy line trimming my turf (a.k.a, "weed-eating"). So in my yard I design turf areas with no corners. Sweeping curves spill into the driveway and the next door neighbor's yard. My riding mower can easily handle these edges.
Another maintainable solution is plant selection. I don't enjoy replanting new color in my yard each season, but I like to have some different interest in the yard all year. Plant selection can add interest, color, and smells, without a lot of work to maintain them.
Are you fertilizing your shrubs? I use formula 13-13-13 on shrubs for a quick feed of nutrients, and slow feeding fertilizer 13-6-6 on my azaleas and camellias. Either is fine. The slow release fertilizers are harder to find and cost more, but I like that they release over time. Too much fertilizer in one spot will cause problems and can even kill plants. Sprinkle lightly around the plant root system, 6 inches from the stem. Make sure it is applied around and beyond the drip line (outer edges) of the plant. A measurement I have used over the years is: One tablespoon per foot of the height of the shrub. After fertilizing I like to take my small handheld blower and lightly dust the plants to clean off any granules that may have inadvertently landed on the leaves. Fertilizer left on the leaves can burn them. Of course you already know this, but always remember to read the label and follow the directions.
What are you doing in your yard this spring?
What has been your biggest challenge this spring? Getting rid of weeds? Knowing what plants to add, or where to add them? Recently I met with Master Gardner Susan Boehm about her yard. She was dealing with some shade issues. We decided the best solution was not to fight the shade. Instead, we used the shade to our advantage, and added some shrub beds.
(Susan had fun, but did run into a problem. Click here to read how she describes what happened next.)
Landscaping needs to be kept simple. It also needs to stay maintainable. I personally don't enjoy line trimming my turf (a.k.a, "weed-eating"). So in my yard I design turf areas with no corners. Sweeping curves spill into the driveway and the next door neighbor's yard. My riding mower can easily handle these edges.
Another maintainable solution is plant selection. I don't enjoy replanting new color in my yard each season, but I like to have some different interest in the yard all year. Plant selection can add interest, color, and smells, without a lot of work to maintain them.
Are you fertilizing your shrubs? I use formula 13-13-13 on shrubs for a quick feed of nutrients, and slow feeding fertilizer 13-6-6 on my azaleas and camellias. Either is fine. The slow release fertilizers are harder to find and cost more, but I like that they release over time. Too much fertilizer in one spot will cause problems and can even kill plants. Sprinkle lightly around the plant root system, 6 inches from the stem. Make sure it is applied around and beyond the drip line (outer edges) of the plant. A measurement I have used over the years is: One tablespoon per foot of the height of the shrub. After fertilizing I like to take my small handheld blower and lightly dust the plants to clean off any granules that may have inadvertently landed on the leaves. Fertilizer left on the leaves can burn them. Of course you already know this, but always remember to read the label and follow the directions.