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No Late Bloomers Here
Greetings!
 I am in heaven with all these
early bloomers. Our recent spell of unusually warm spring weather has bumped up
usual flowering times by at least a couple of weeks.
All
my favorite plants seem to be exploding at the same time--lilacs, serviceberry,
Korean spice viburnum, crabapples, peonies, bridalwreath, and more. The air is
insanely fragrant. I went on a bike ride the other evening and I was hit by
wave after wave of scent. I felt like one of those dogs riding in a pickup
truck, nose to the wind.
It's
been rather discombobulating. The sweet scent of German bearded iris always
reminds me of the last day of school--and that's at least three weeks away.
Oh
well. Of all the wacky weather events this year, this is one anomaly you won't hear me complaining about.
Happy Fragrant Spring,
 Veronica Lorson Fowler |
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Cut That Out!
 If you don't want to use the
plastic hangers attached to baskets, you can always snap them off. It makes it
easer to repot into a prettier basket or a large pot on the ground or to use
your own, more attractive hanger.
But
those snaps can be a pain to undo. Helpful hint: Just cut them off with your
hand pruning shears, right above the part that snaps on. Takes just a sec.
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A Gentle Plea for Rot
Compost is one of the best things you can
do for your garden. Sure, helping the planet is great, but here's what's in it
for you:
ˇ A good supply of the best, free garden fertilizer and soil amendment around.
Compost improves the texture and fertilizes the soil in a way nothing else can
touch.
ˇ An easy way to get rid of all that yard waste. Who wants to bag up all those
dang autumn leaves anyway? And when you cut back your frost-felled perennials,
it's ideal. A big time saver.
 ˇ No, it won't attract critters. And no, it won't rot your house or garage (as
long as you have one side of the bin wood between the building siding and the
plant material).
ˇ No, you don't have to turn it. You can make compost without turning. And in our
amply moist climate, you don't have to water it, either.
I
can't imagine myself gardening without compost. Click here for an easy three-step method of
making compost and a listing of what to put in there and what not to.
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Plant It Right
 Okay, so really, planting is nothing
more than putting a plant in a hole in the ground. But beyond that, there are
some ways to do it much better to assure your plant takes off faster and
better.
Check
out our Best Planting Tips for Iowa. You--and your newly purchased plants--will be glad
you did.
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One Fruit Tree or Two?
My grand-nephew Collyn turned 13
on Arbor Day, so I gave him an apple tree. He's
going to plant it on the family farm, and I hope that one day he will be an old
man and can look upon the tree he planted when he was a boy.
Thing
is, I couldn't find an apple tree in a local store that was self-fruitful, that
is, it doesn't need a second tree planted nearby to bear fruit. This sparked
much discussion, sprinkled with old
wives' tales and shaky facts, in my gardening-crazy extended family,
The
short of it is that some fruit trees need a certain type of second fruit tree
for cross-pollination. Sometimes the plant labels will inform you of this;
sometimes not. A good label or catalog description will also tell you what type
of second tree can be used as a cross-pollinator.
Other
plants in the garden won't do. And a pear tree won't cross-pollinate, say, a
peach tree. Helpful hint:  When shopping for a tree, look for trees that are
self-pollinating. They
can be hard to find, though and are easiest to find via mail order.
Click here for more specifics on
cross-pollination for specific trees.
And
guess what Collyn is going to get for his 14th birthday?
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Garden Quote:
"The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow."
--Author Unknown
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Your business will reach thousands of avid local gardeners with some of the most reasonable rates around. Click here for advertiser information, which includes a publishing schedule, or email us at info@theiowagardener.com. |
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Sponsored Links
Iowa City Landscaping and Garden Center No one offers a more complete line of high-quality, aesthetically pleasing garden décor products. Choose from ˇ Home accessories ˇ Interesting pots ˇ Cool fountains ˇ Romantic candles ˇ Plant care products ˇ Seeds ˇ Seasonal decorations. If it's related to gardening, it's a good bet we have it! This
one-of-a-kind spot has topiary, unusual trellises, interesting garden
art, container "recipes," and more. Bring mom out on
Mother's Day weekend May 8-9 for a FREE bouquet and chocolate
while supplies last. Call on Anne Larson
The Garden Coach! Up to your elbows in potting soil and plants? Iowa Gardening Coach Anne Larson makes house calls! Fill in that bloom time gap, add pizazz to your color scheme, or update your foundation planting. 515-865-7483. Rainbow Iris FarmsMore than 1,500 types of iris available from this pretty little nursery in Bedford, Iowa. Tall types, rebloomers, dwarfs, and more. Mail order or buy locally. Be sure to visit them at Bedford in Bloom Saturday, May 29 or visit during the farm's  Bloomfest May 8 to June 4 when the irises are at their peak. |
Garden To-Do List
For a printable version of this list for May, click here.
 The last average frost date is almost here! It's May 10 for
southern Iowa and May 15 for northern Iowa. That means you can plant anything
outdoors now and not worry about it getting damaged by cold.
So
tuck in those tomato plants, peppers, basil, and other annual edibles and flowers
after that date.
Plant gladiolus corms, canna rhizomes, and tuberous begonia
tubers now the soil is adequately warm.
Finish up planting of lettuces and spinach from seed.
You can continue to divide perennials that bloom in the summer or
fall now, as needed or desired. Hold off on dividing those that bloom in late
spring until either after they bloom or this fall.
Finish up pruning trees, shrubs, evergreens now as desired.
Continue to plant trees, shrubs, and roses now. However,
avoid planting bare-root roses and other bare-root plants after the middle of May.
Continue to plant perennial edibles that like cool weather,
such as rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, and asparagus.
Wait to plant the seeds of corn, squash, cucumbers, and
beans. They like warm soil. Plant these the last week of May in southern Iowa,
the first week of June in northern.
If you choose to use a preemergent weed killer, such as
Preen, in your beds and borders, now is the time to apply it. Organic versionsare also available. Look for products that also fertilize.
Don't remove
the browning foliage of tulips and daffodils until it pulls away easily. The
plants need it to rejuvenate for next year.
Now is a great time to build a raised bed. Click here to find out how.
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Garden Events
Saturday, May 8Des
Moines Men's Garden Club Annual Plant Sale, Johnston. 8 am-3 pm.
Home-grown perennials, annuals, baskets, vegetables, and heirloom plants. The Gardeners of America Headquarters, 5560
Merle Hay Road
Saturday, May 8
Bremer County Master Gardener Plant Sale
8 am until sold out. All local plants. Bremer County Extension Office (west end of Tripoli along Hwy 93).
Saturday, May 8
Story County Master Gardener Plant Sale
Reiman Gardens, Ames
8 am - 3 pm Hundreds of locally dug plants that are sure to do well in your garden.
Saturday, May 8
Scott County Master Gardeners Plant Sale
9 am - 2 pm at the Scott County Extension Office, 875 Tanglefoot Lane, Bettendorf. Gardening demos, expert advice, raffle items.563-359-7577.
Saturday, May 8
Project GREEN Garden Fair Plant Sale
Iowa City
9 - 11:30 a.m. at Carver Hawkeye Arena. All proceeds benefit landscaping projects pioneered and maintained by Project GREEN in the Iowa City area. No admission; free parking. Click here for further listings of more garden events throughout the week and summer. |
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