IDEAS in BLOOM

It's Time to:

1. Prune your roses when the forsythia bloom.

shape, make smaller, or  encourage flowering....for example, buddleia (to 18"or so );  ornamental grasses (down to the new growth); and red or yellow-twig dogwoods down almost to the ground to provide brightly colored twigs emerging from the ground in the winter.

3. DO NOT prune any plants that flower in the spring. such as certain clematis (Type 1).

4. Clean up your beds by removing any fallen debris, which can harbor bugs & diseases.

5. Apply corn gluten meal (safe for kids & pets) to your lawn NOW as a natural pre-emergent weed killer that also feeds the lawn.

5. Feed your plants. Keep it simple: Use Espoma Holly Tone for azaleas, rhododendron,  holly (of course), etc.  Use Espoma Plant Tone for all other plants. (Mature trees do not need to be fertilized.)