"Newsletter"

It's Spring!

Get ready, get set, GO. We're off on another season of gardening fun. If you have topiaries or containers you want us to plant, now is the time to bring them in. If you need gift certificates, call 920-869-2045 or stop by between 8AM-5PM Monday through Saturday. After April 10th, we'll be open for the season from 8AM-6PM Monday through Saturday.

As we all know too well spring in Wisconsin can be a cruel beast. Here are some early season chores you can do now that are not weather dependent.

Finish Pruning

Finish your pruning now. Your plants will soon start active growth which includes a genetic inclination to repair wounds.The only plants you shouldn't prune are those that have showy spring blooms like lilac, ornamental fruit trees and viburnum. Trimming now would eliminate the dormant buds that have been in place since last growing season and you won't get any flowers this year.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses, a staple in today's perennial gardens should be cut back now as well. Clean up is simplified (for you pyromaniacs out there) by simply igniting the clumps of grass once dry. In nature many grasslands were naturally subject to annual renewing spring fires. A few words of warning - burn 'Karl Foerster' feather reed grass as soon as possible. It sends out new shoots extremely early. Burning works extremely well for miscanthus and switch grass - both burn like gasoline so don't burn a grass clump that sits close to a building or valued woody plant. It's best to have a pail of water near by. Do not burn the semi-evergreen grasses like blue oat and blue fescue - they may not survive.

Plant Cold-Hardy Varieties

There are things you can plant right now. In years past the head gardener at the American Club would always plants beds with alyssum, stock, pansies and dusty miller the first week of April. Invariably the plantings would get covered by a late season snow storm but were never the worse for it. The photo at right shows a frost resistant early season planter of nemesia, pansy and alyssum.

If you can work the ground, feel free to go ahead and plant peas, poppy seed, onions, carrots and radishes.

Disinfect Pots and Tools

Clean and disinfect old pots and garden tools. Washing in a 10% bleach solution should get rid of most pathogens from last year that might reinfect new plantings.

Put Tags in Zip Lock Baggies

Buy a box of zip lock bags before you begin planting containers. As you do your planting, place tags from the plants you used inside the bags and put in a safe place. That way when you do something you really like you'll have a record of what you planted - if you can remember where the safe place was where you stashed your tags.

Check into Buying Catalog Plants Locally

Check into local availability of that gorgeous plant you saw pictured and exquisitely described in one of the numerous mail order catalogs you received in the mail. Chances are it's available here. Look first at our online plant list, and if you don't find it there you can call 920-869-2045 between 8AM-5PM Monday through Saturday. (Granted, this is a very busy time for us greenhouse operators but if you mention you're going to order all your plants online, you're very likely to get our attention.)

Think Decor!

Think decor and draw up a plan to enhance your outdoor entertaining area (patio). The photo at right shows a fun new Patio Orange Bell Pepper plant. While not officially open for spring plant sales, you are welcome to wander about our 2010 container collection to get your creative juices flowing. We just ask that you move out of the way quickly if you're about to get run over by a surly looking, half-frozen Polish or American fellow juggling a half dozen flats of seedlings.

Happy Gardening,
Jan Wos
Owner
Mayflower Greenhouse