5.15.2009

Gardening To-Do List For May

Lady Espresso and I just love our yard and our gardens. These are photos of our stuff taken in April of "oh-nine."



Over at ivillage, found this gardening gardening to-do list for zone 5, for May. A lot of it does not apply to us, but some does, let's take a look.
* Set out cool-season annuals
* Set out seedlings of warm-season annuals
* Set out summer-flowering bulbs
* Plant fall-blooming bulbs

We have never grown seedlings in spring and don't pull bulbs in the fall. Fall bloomers sound like a great idea, but we're circling the financial wagons these days, so ideas with price tags will have to wait!

* Divide and replant crowded winter- and spring-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow

We don't have much dividing to do, but every year it seems we forget to move spring flowers, daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips, that have wandered into areas of the yard. We wait until they are done blooming, but are then distracted by other flowers and never get around to moving them. Then the next spring, it just happens again! We have a brilliant blue Salvia that is ready for dividing, but it's in bloom now. Last fall, I split a few of our Laitris plants, and their doing well!

* Plant balled-and-burlapped, container, and bare-root fruit trees

* Apply dormant spray to fruit trees before buds swell
* Spray apples, peaches, and pears that have been affected with canker problems
One of these shots is of our cherry tree, in full spring bloom, in the front yard. It's a striking little thing, and now it's just covered in green fruit. We plan to make some more wine, and see if we can make some preserves and soft drinks with it.
And I need to find out what "dormant spray" is!
We planted a peach tree last fall. I think it actually had a couple of flowers also. We're still (three years running now) trying to figure out blueberries - sheesh.

* Plant permanent ground covers
* Plant cool- and warm-season lawns

We've got some Periwinkle, Vinca vine, and English Ivy for ground cover in various areas. There's some ajuga in the rock garden that's doing pretty well, also. Our lawns have as much clover as grass. I've heard that clover actually makes a nice lawn!

* Plant bare-root perennial vegetables
* Plant seedlings of cool-weather vegetables

I love fresh asparagus. It's so expensive that we gave it a whirl in our garden. It's just a breeze to grow! Being a perennial, it's just a matter of patience before it starts growing in large bunches. The variety we have produces in the spring, so the trees aren't yet shading the area, impinging growth.


* Sow fast-growing warm-season vegetables
* Sow seeds for frost-tolerant perennials
* Sow seeds for tender perennials
* Divide and replant spring-blooming perennials after bloom
* Plant container roses

This almost doesn't reflect the "zone 5" reality that we have. This zone includes Nove Scotia, for Pete's sake, and it's just not that cold for that long around here. We've been out of danger of frost for at least a couple of weeks, and we've already been through our Hyacinths and early Tulips!!

* Plant balled-and-burlapped, container, and bare-root trees, shrubs, and vines
I would really like for this to be the year I figure out blueberries. If they can grow in Michigan, (about $2 billion annually) they sure should be able to grow here!

* Apply dormant spray to shrubs and vines
* Plant tender shrubs and vines
* Plant summer-blooming shrubs and vines
* Plant balled-and-burlapped trees
* Plant trees in containers
* Plant frost-tolerant trees
* Plant needle-leafed evergreens
We've got a couple of Blueberry starts to plant. They've been in a planter in the sunroom since we picked them up about a month ago. Pray for our blueberries! They haven't prospered under our care in the past...

No comments: