Skillins! Garden Talks Online April 14, 2010

Our 2010 nursery and perennial catalogs are now ONLINE! Check them out!

One of my favorite features about the catalogs are our listings of plants for certain areas and uses. One of these listings is a schedule of trees, shrubs and vines that are excellent at attracting birds to your yard. These plants are attractive to birds because of the fruit they offer or because of the excellent cover (hiding spots) they offer birds from other predatory birds or creatures. All of these plants grow well in Skillin's Country. Please check with us for questions about growing needs or availability. This list and other lists about other special areas like wet location or dry location, seashore, and native plants can be found starting at p. 31 of the catalog.

Also new to our catalogs this season are some great Do It Yourself Designs! These designs have been done by Chad Skillin, our landscape designer. They feature plants that will grow well in a Sun situation. Chad has drawn up 3 different scenarios for a sunny spot. Check out page 32 of our catalog (go to HERE to see our 2010 Nursery and Perennial catalogs online!) We also have Shade designs by Chad available at each of our Skillin's locations.

If you are interested in more detailed landscape designs or site visits to your own home and garden, give Chad a call at 781-3860 or email him at caskillin@maine.rr.com! Read more about Chad; his experiences and what he can do for your yard HERE.

Back to the birds: I don't know about you folks but I have been starting to see a much greater variety of birds including gold finches at my feeders! Another sure sign of Spring. Gold finches love thistle but also happily munch on sunflower seed as well. We have some great food mixes here at Skillin's that will satisfy any bird you want to attract including Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal. And our bird seed is on sale for 20% off regular prices! Now is a great time to keep the feeders full as many birds are migrating back to Maine from more southern locations. And after doing lots of flying, our feathered friends are pretty hungry when they get here!

Speaking of bird food, April showers bring wet bird seed and birds do not like wet food that clogs their feeders. Be persistent in scraping that wet food out of their feeders and replace that wet food with dry food. Our feathered friends will reward your work with more visits.

Rhubarb getting thinner with less yield each year? This can happen to even the best of the rhubarb beds.

Now is a great time to dig up and divide your rhubarb. When replanting I would put in some nice organic matter like the Penobscot Blend by Coast of Maine (their recommended planting mix). I would also recommend applying a good natural fertilizer like Plant Booster Plus by Organica or Plant Tone by Espoma twice yearly each year to your rhubarb bed. This will keep the soil in good shape and your rhubarb will THANK you for it! Remember too as with any new plant divisions, to regularly water your newly divided rhubarb throughout this growing season. If this advice helps you to get a bumper crop of rhubarb, feel free to bring in some rhubarb delicacies (strawberry rhubarb pie is a favorite of both Terry Skillin and I)!

Good gardening friend Paul Tukey checks in with some great gardening advice:

"Dig and transplant many perennials before new growth advances too far. These re-bloomers need to be divided and transplanted every few years to help keep the plantsvital. It is, however, best to wait to divide early flowering varieties such as bleeding heart, oriental poppy, columbine, heuchera, iris or pyrethrum until after bloom." So much material is "popping" through the ground; it is or will soon be a great time to identify transplanting candidates. Perennials can be divided and transplanted when growth is 3 to 4 inches high. If growth has gotten any larger, plants may benefit from cutting back by one-third to one-half.

Well-kept perennial bed!

"Fertilize your trees, shrubs and perennials. As these plants emerge from the dormant state, their need for nutrients is great. Transplant all deciduous trees except magnolias now before the new leaf buds expand." Any new transplants should be watered frequently throughout this gardening season. As far as the fertilizing goes, we offer many great choices here at Skillin's BUT here are two great suggestions: for your evergreens, now is a great time to apply Holly-Tone by Espoma (an old favorite here with a new and improved organic formulation). For deciduous material (that is plant material that sprouts out new leaves each year) we often recommend Holly-Tone's first cousin: Plant Tone, another old favorite with a new and improved organic formulation! Check out the exciting Espoma "family" of products at www.espoma.com and of course Skillin's Greenhouses!

Looking for more, more, more April gardening tips? Click HERE and go right to a very timely gardening article ("April Gardening Chores" ) at the Skillin's Garden Log! We talk flower gardens, trees and shrubs, vegetables and fruits, lawns and compost all in one easy to read article!

Questions about any gardening topics? Email us at skillins@maine.rr.com or contact us at any of the above phone numbers! Or stop by and see us!!