:::Trying to Find a Landscape Professional?::

Well, it may be late in the season but, here is the current list of Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador's Association members:

http://www.landscapenf.org/member_list.php

Hiring a member is (as Martha says) a good thing.

:::The Best of the Net:::

This is a copy of a newsletter from Connon Nurseries in ON.  So full of info I had to pass it on!  Enjoy!

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Spring has been a long time coming;tempting us with warm sunny days and then shocking us back into sweaters and jackets! With its prolonged arrival, we can enjoy long lasting blooms from tulips and many other spring bulbs. Lilacs are giving us a show to remember -enjoy Spring’s Tapestry of Colour.

Planting ANNUALS!!! Remember to break-up tight roots, encouraging roots to spread into surrounding soil. Also use a transplant fertilizer, which helps plants to establish quickly, so you can enjoy an abundance of bloom all summer long. WATCH OUT for late frosts!! Cool Spring temperatures are holding on; when weather forecasts lows of 5C(or less) and clear nights, cover your tender annuals to protect from damaging frosts and dreaded cold shock which can stunt growth.

LAWN CARE: Looking for a dark green lawn? Here’s the best kept secret in lawn care that’s never been shared. K-Mag contains MAGNESIUM, which is a major component of chlorophyll – the green colouring in plants. Using any fertilizer spreader, apply K-Mag 0-0-21 now to obtain a richer, green colour in your lawn. Be the envy of the neighborhood.

LILACS enjoy a good pruning! Take time to prune some blossoms and take them indoors. Pruning lilacs while in bloom or immediately after will allow the lilac to set bloom for next year's show! Fertilize lilacs with a high phosphorus (high center number)product mid to late summer to encourage bud development.

PERENNIAL CARE: After the first bloom of many spring flowering perennials, remove the spent blooms and prune back the plant. This results in a stronger, thicker plant, and quite often, you’ll benefit from a repeat bloom! Summer and fall blooming perennials may still be divided in the cool weather. Remember to use a transplant fertilizer, encouraging strong root growth, helping to re-establish newly divided perennials.

Check your EUONYMUS for scale. (Often white and usually present in large quantities; it looks like part of the bark.) The young are now hatching (always when lilacs bloom!) and are very susceptible to an application of Horticultural Oil. Prune out severely affected areas and apply horticultural oil to the rest of the stems, deterring the scale from infecting the whole plant.

:::Sunny Days and CBC Radio:::

Wow. Is Spring really here?  SHHH. I'm so excited with all this beautiful weather I can no longer hold in my excitement.Shhhh.  If you are supertitious, stop reading.

For the record though, I came out of hibernation approximately 10 days ago full of vim and vigor, only to be smacked in the face with the most brutal cold I have ever experienced!  Why couldn't I get sick whilst in hibernation??? Good weather doesn't last too long in these parts and I must say ( I'm sure my husband would agree) I don't 'do' sickness very well.  I am an impatient patient. Looking at the beautiful weather from the inside was difficult.

Yesterday, in my jammies, I decided to "walk the perimeter" to see if other things were waking up and I am pleased to report there is excitement in my garden. Buds and shoots all over the place!  I resisted pushing back the mulch and other debris however.  Late spring frosts are still happening people!

So, tomorrow aft, I will be on Crosstalk on CBC Radio with Mark Bowering. It's not going to be the regular gardening show, I hope no one will be too disappointed.  Mark and I will be there to answer design and construction questions about your landscape!

In case you missed the show you can hear it here http://www.cbc.ca/radionoonnl/cross_archives/2008_apr_w4.html

:::Prune Japanese Maples:::

Prune Japanese maples in winter, while they are dormant, removing any dead or damaged branches. They adapt well to pruning and are easily thinned and sculpted to accentuate their graceful shape. You may prune further to control the size, or create the shape which suits your landscape needs.

Fertilize in spring with 10-10-10 (slow release) around the dripline of the tree ( the dripline is usually the canopy of the tree measured down to the ground) Make sure you water thoroughly after fertilizing!

::Winterizing container Trees and Shrubs::

This is taken directly from this month's Gardening Life Magazine:

Option 1-Keeping Container Outdoors:

Wood, fibreglass and plastic containers weather best; clay may crack.  To insulate roots, sink containers into the ground or wrap the container in layers of heavy duty plastic or bubble wrap and then burlap to endure the cold. Place stakes in the pot and wrap burlap around the plant to protect from wind and heavy snow.

Option 2-Move into a garage or unheated shed:

Water the plant until frost and then throw snow on soil surface to supply gradual moisture. Elevate the pot on bricks or chocks.

::Maple Trees::

To keep your Maple healthy, fertilize once in spring with tree fertilizer spikes inserted into the ground at the edge of the plant. If your Maple requires any limb removal, it can only be done in summer. Sap runs so quickly in a Maple in late winter and spring, it won't stop if cut at the wrong time of year. Be sure to rake all Maple leaves off the lawn before winter as their accumulation can seriously damage your grass!

::Hanging Baskets::

I got this great tip from Mark Bowering of Bowering Ponds and Gardens:

Line the bottom of you hanging basket with a diaper- yes, I said diaper!!!

This only works if you are making the baskets yourself of course.  Open the diaper up, spread it as wide as possible. Remove the thin top guaze layer so the fuzz is exposed.  Put you soil and plants on top!  The diaper will retain moisture so the basket will not dry out as quickly.  I still recommend watering everyday throughout the summer. If you forget, your diaper will act as a back up!

::Rhododendrons::

Rhodos have shallow feeder roots so some care is required when working around the base of this shrub. Use caution when using your hand weeder! Spread at least 2-3 inches of mulch around the base to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Rhodos love moisture but they do not like standing water. If you have drooping leaves this may be an indicator of root rot from poorly drained soil.  You can also underplant a rhododendron with shade-loving perennials like bleeding hearts or ferns to keep their roots protected and cool.

::Over-Pruning Evergreens::

We all have a tendancy to 'limb' our evergreens very high up the trunk.  While this may have a purpose for safely walking through the woods, aesthetically in your garden, it is best to keep the limbs low to the ground.  Grass is difficult to grow underneath evergreen trees so, by keeping the limbs low you can hide bare patches!