RE: Planting times--question from a new gardener
- To: "'perennials@mallorn.com'"
- Subject: RE: Planting times--question from a new gardener
- From: P* S*
- Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 08:35:16 -0800
Dear Laury,
I have been gardening "seriously" for about 3 years. I don't consider
myself a complete neophyte but also don't think of myself as "experienced"
yet-- I am still learning every day.
One thing I have found in the last three years is that books can be helpful,
fellow gardeners can be helpful, garden shows and nurseries can be helpful,
etc..... But what's been the best learning experience for me has been just
that-- my own experience. You gather all the information you can, make a
decision, and put the plants into the ground. *That's* when you start
learning. And much of the learning will be "the hard way"! You'll spend
$40 on a beautiful shrub that you can't resist, and then find that it didn't
make it through the winter..... And voila, you've learned an important
lesson about hardiness. You'll plant a nice flower in a sunny spot and then
find out in August that it actually needs afternoon shade and can't take hot
sun. You'll plant a certain annual below an arborvitae hedge and realize
down the road that the acid soil from the cedar droppings is all wrong for
it. Your prize 'Andromeda' will start to look wan, and you'll scurry to
your garden books to find out what precious mineral is missing from the
soil. You'll apply skills of deadheading, debudding, cutting back, etc.,
and learned how to "train" and revitalize perennials.
But it all starts by just bravely putting things into the ground. That, and
*knowing* your garden. By walking through the garden every day, looking,
making notes in a journal, taking photos, etc., you'll get to know your
garden. You'll know when to watch for the first signs of plant emergence,
how to judge the effects of weather and water, where the "dark spots" are in
the winter, when to feed, etc.
I would STORNGLY recommend keeping a garden log, journal, or notebook. I
keep a three-ring notebook with sections for trees, annuals, perennials,
veggies, herbs, etc. Each plant has its own page within the section.
Anytime I notice anything about or do anything with the plant, a note is
made. Now, after 3 years, when I look at the journal I can tell exactly
when to expect something to emerge, when it will be time to feed or divide,
etc. It's been a huge help to my learning process (which is still
underway!). The large, 3-ring binder format allows me to insert fliers from
garden shows, articles cut from magazines, etc. I also punch seed packets
and add them to the notebook.
Final note: If I were you. I would contact my local 'Master Gardeners' (go
through your county or state extension service). They should be able to
field any question you can toss at them, and will be able to give answers
specific to your area.
Happy Gardening!
Sue P.
The tree frogs sang in Milwaukie, Oregon, on March 13, 1999. For us, this
means that spring has arrived..... The frogs are never wrong!
> ----------
> From: Leotah@aol.com
> Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 1999 8:27 AM
> To: perennials@mallorn.com
> Subject: Planting times--question from a new gardener
>
> I'm a new gardener, and have spent the last 6 months reading as much as
> possible about gardening. Unfortunately, many of the books contradict one
> another, as do mail order nurseries, and anyone else giving advice. My
> question is when it is appropriate to plant in the spring. We garden in
> southwestern Massachusetts, zone 5.
>
> When can perennials go into the ground? Hardy annuals? Dahlias, cannas,
> calla lilies? Day lilies?
>
> Some say April. Others mid-May. Others Memorial Day. That's a wide
> spread
> for a relatively short growing season, and I want to be able to get as
> much as
> I can from my first full year of gardening.
>
> I'll appreciate any and all suggestions. Oh, and by the way, some months
> ago
> someone on this list recommended DripWorks in northern Calif as an
> excellent
> source for drip irrigation. I am working them now, and want to thank
> whoever
> it is that suggested them for they are great. So thanks to someone.
>
> Laury Epstein
> southwestern Massachusetts, zone 5
>
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