April brings us to the ever popular world of Fertilizer 4 Step Programs (and by some definitions 5) and what they do. Turfline and Scotts are the primary two lines in our area. They both vary to some degree in what they do, but that's not what I want to write about today.

I only want to focus on Step 1 of the two lines. Step 1, in a 4 Step Program, contain chemicals that are Crabgrass Preventers. These chemicals kill seed. Because of this, it also creates a problem for putting down new grass seed.

If you use a Step 1 with Crabgrass Preventer, you can't reseed the lawn areas for 120 days. Period. The chemical kills seeds and doesn't know the difference between crabgrass and bluegrass or ryegrass.

Simple and basic....from my Green Thumb to yours.

Wanting warmth

March came in like a Lion with cool, blustery conditions and today I'm seeing scattered snowflakes. Brrr. A year ago it was nice, sunny, and warm. Most of us long for that weather today....

But alas, don't be in such a rush. Your plants aren't ready for warmth this early. The earth has a funny way of throwing cold stretches of weather in April and sometimes even in May (remember Mother's Day 2010?). Too much warmth this early starts the seasonal growth process for plants and then we get those cold, even frosty conditions and your new flower buds and leaves get 'zorched' and you are left with dead leaves and buds! Not good.

So, although the Robin's are singing (well not today, but i heard them last week) and the Geese are on the move, be patient on the desire for Spring. Your plants actually welcome this cool stretch of weather. Enjoy The Snowdrops and early Squills and Crocuses that are out...they can handle this cold. A blooming Forsythia or Crabapple can't.

Enjoy a couple pictures of the Greenhouses. Maybe this will help warm your heart today.

Random Thought - Plants & Life

So this morning is the 20th anniversary of waking up to a brutal icestorm in the Rochester area. Talk to anyone who went through it and it was an adventure to say the least. Well 20 years later I'm watching the sun rise from a hospital room of a dear person to me. A Hospice room to be exact.

Outside the window is a wonderfully branched Honeylocust tree. Likely the 'Skyline' or 'Halka' variety. What struck me is that this tree has no leaves, yet it is completely beautiful in its dormancy. Upright and uniform branching, it is strikingly elegant. I'm wondering how old is tree actually and what state of life is it in? And even if the tree, in its majesty, is completely healthy, its a living organism. And it could be riddled with a borer or virus and be in complete decline and failure in 2 years.

A family friend brought a bouquet of artifical flowers consisting of Easter Lilies and Double Peonies. The colors are so vivid and real, that someone immediately went over to take a smell. Was a good laugh for all. My point? That person went to smell the flowers....she didn't pre-judge them because they looked too pretty to be true, she didn't just assume they would have a simple fragrance like any other pretty flower would, and she didn't pre-judge the flower as being like something from her past.....It was new and was given a new chance. And even though the fragrance wasn't what was anticipated, the flower had a beauty that known of us in the room really saw until it was here for a bit.

What? Well, it wasn't the true flower expected and hoped for, but after watching it for a few days, its new qualities were true in color and vividness. Life is that way too. For people, we judge that someone can not change after something has happened to hurt us and change our opinion about them. Maybe our hurt won't let us grow. But life of everything ebbs and flows. That Honeylocust tree had some good growing years and had some not so good ones too. Our vegetable gardens have good years and bad years. Our landscape plants don't always perform up to what we expect, but....we love them, nurture their inequities, and work with bringing them back to the glory they once were.

Your new season of flowers and vegetables is set to start, and even with a possible bad year last year or in the past, you're going to try again. And hope to not be disappointed.

Life...its hard...its not always fair. Our life is like one large garden. As I watch the final leaves fall from a close person in her Autumn of Life, don' be so anxious to dig up your life like a garden and throw it away to start over. There just might be a new color in that flower that hasn't performed well in the past.

Thoughts of Maui in a Snow Storm

Ok, seems as winter doesn't want to let go. Ok, I can deal with that. It looks like a giant snow globe outside the window, with 3" of new snow in last hour or so. But fear not, let's think summer. Let's think Tropical.

Welcome, Maui Sunshine. One of Terra Nova new Coneflower (Echinacea) additions, this bright gold/yellow flowering plant has some size to it. The plant tends to be more upright, up to 3'+ tall and close in width. Good flower size and quantity. And thoughts of the sweet fragrance take me away from the winter blues.

Like all coneflowers, too much water will rot the roots, but otherwise, this seems to be a good one.

Something Fresh

Alas, more snow fell over past day or so after the wonderful warm up last week. Winter cold in swing this morning, even a great lake effect windchill. But spring is coming.

As I worked on some signage for products we will carry this spring, I became intrigued by a new Rose variety I ordered. The picture and quick description looked nice...and it is a new (2009 bred, 2010 release) plant. Love new plants!!

The Rose? "Purple Splash". It is a climbing variety, with a rich purple and white speckled flower. Truly striking. The flower is described to have a sweet apple fragrance. Its only a single petal style flower, but the coloring more then makes up for it. Also noted that the thorns are minimal. Awesome if true! Disease resistant noted to be minimal.

I will find a place for this gem somewhere in a garden and give it a review. One more tidbit, those seeds started last week are growing wonderfully and many trays of plants were transplanted last week and yesterday. YES!!!! Spring on is coming!

Seed Starting

Welcome, to a new season and a new set of blogs. We are revamping the blog so that you can be brought all sorts of fun, relevant and/or important garden, plant, and landscape information.

Well, it is that time. Many annuals, vegetables, and herbs need to be seeded this early just to have them ready for May. We seeded the first crop of Marigolds on Monday and they have already started to show sprouts. Other plants seeded this week include Peppers, a few Herbs, and Snapdragons.

For starting your own seeds, soil media, heat and water are all critical elements in germination. A good seed starting mix is essential. it needs to be light in weight, as to not 'bury and drown' the seed. Heat needs to be fairly consistent in the early stages of seed germination. You need to avoid large temperature fluctuations. A stunted seed produces a stunted plant. With water, its critical to know what the plant really prefers. not all seeds and plants like to be real wet. Soggy soil rots many seeds.

Depending on what you are growing, you have the next 3 months or so to start.

Happy Growing.

To Tree or not to Tree

What?

Well the question really usually asked is real or artificial. Although Christmas is a Christian based holiday, people from many cultures that live here in the US have a tree, which actually was originally a German tradition.

If you are picking an artificial tree for your season, this author is no help...they are all plastic and .. well .. artificial.

A real tree gives you the beauty of the great outdoors indoors. Even if you are allergic to most evergreens, the Concolor Fir, with its long silvery blue needles and citrus fragrance, is safe and hypoallergenic.

Other fantastic options are Grand Fir (rich green foliage), Fraser Fir (awesome needle retention and fragrance), Balsam Fir (great fragrance), and Douglas Fir (good fragrance and 'fluffy').

So come out and visit us on Saturday and Sunday Dec 4th & 5th for our annual open house. Cool poinsettias, great trees, wonderful wreaths, and even Santa are her you YOU!