Is it really SPRING?

It's so nice to feel the warmth and see the flowers of Spring! We hope you are enjoying the weather and the sights around Valley Center's gardens.

We all could use a few more "April showers", though it is certainly nice to get a jump on the "May flowers", isn't it?

Spring Garden Checklist

The spring season starts early in Southern California, but that doesn't mean that local gardeners are any less busy than gardeners from other regions. Warmer springtime temperatures not only awaken new life in dormant plants, but also ambitious plans for eager gardeners. Although most folks are anxious to get new plants in the ground, it's always a good idea to take care of basic garden maintenance first. If gardeners have not cleaned garden debris and added soil amendments in the autumn months, early spring is a good time to do so. Since winter rains may have carried nutrients below the reach of the root zone, now is also a good time to fertilize lawns, shrubs, trees and planting beds. Such care will result in a magnificent display in later months.

Other spring reminders include:

Plant canned roses now to enjoy blooms during the summer months.
Fertilize established roses.
Buy and plant summer bulbs, such as callas, cannas, dahlias, and gladiolus.
Replace winter-spring annuals with summer annuals, including asters, coleus, impatiens, lobelia, marigolds, petunias, and zinnias.
Purchase and plant perennials to provide structure to the garden.
Start seeds or buy plants for the warm-season vegetable garden. (tomatoes!)

Happy gardening!