{ GARDEN }

GETTING YOUR GARDEN PARTY-READY

BY Gary Jones

Spring is a beautiful time for a garden party. How do you get your garden looking its best? Dig in! Tend to the basics now. Soon it will respond with gorgeous layers of fresh, bright green foliage, and vibrant spring colors.

Start by tidying up. Spend a pleasant afternoon removing dead or damaged shrub and tree branches. This is a good time to do some plant shaping too. You’ll also want to trim last year’s growth of perennial flowers. Simply cut back stems just above new spring growth. If you’ve lost plants after last fall’s hot weather, replace them. Now is the perfect time to remove tired, old, unhealthy plants. You’ll be amazed how it improves the appearance of your garden.

While preparing soil is a step people like to skip, spend a little time doing it and you’ll see a huge payoff in plant longevity and productivity. The rule is “feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants.” It’s more than just feeding, though. Add plenty of compost to improve the texture of your soil. This will make it easier for plants to “take up” nutrients and your soil will hold water much better—a big deal during a period of low water supplies.

Soil preparation is easy since you can feed and amend it in one step. First, apply a two- to three-inch layer of organic compost or planting mix. If you don’t make your own compost, purchase some at the garden center. Next, cover the compost with an organic plant starter fertilizer at the recommended rate. Finally, turn the soil, compost, and fertilizer with a shovel to a depth of six to eight inches. Go even deeper for vegetable gardens.

At last, you can unleash your inner designer! Choose spots in your garden that need color and bright annuals. They acclimate quickly and provide instant color. Just be sure to note when these parts of the garden receive sun, because you’ll want to match the plant’s light preferences with the amount of light they’ll get. Heat-loving plants should go in areas that get direct afternoon sun—even if it’s only three to four hours. These include lavender, sage, tomatoes, squash, herbs, bay laurel, rockrose, and a host of other beautiful and tough plants.

It’s best to begin planting warm-season flowers like petunias, calibrachoa, cosmos, and begonias now. These flowers will survive occasional spring heat waves and bloom throughout the summer. Top choices for spring and summer flowers are petunias, impatiens, begonias, cosmos, hydrangeas, marigolds, lobelias, ageratum, foxgloves, marguerites, and roses. You’ll find plenty more ideas and inspiration at your neighborhood garden center.

Spring is a great time to add anything to your garden that gives it color and dimension. Go ahead and plant that rose you’ve had your eye on or a gardenia that will grace you with its fragrance. If you plan to cook for your guests, add in some fresh herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and even a fig tree! Don’t be afraid to experiment, because the team at your local garden center is there to help you choose the right plants and solve your garden dilemmas.

Before your first garden party of the season, arrange outdoor furniture in a setting for guests to dine, as well as areas to sit and relax. Today’s garden furniture is sturdy, weather resistant, and every bit as comfortable and appealing as indoor furniture. String paper lanterns that complement your garden palette and have plenty of tiki lanterns and candles ready at sunset.

Getting your garden party-ready doesn’t take long, and it’s so worth it. Just think of all the good times you’ll have and compliments you’ll receive on your garden that’s as pretty as something you see in About Town Magazines!