Time has come to prepare flower beds for planting
Published 8:00 am Wednesday, March 17, 2010
There are just a few weeks before annual planting time and it is time to get your flower beds prepared for planting. Start by mixing existing soil with planting mix, cow manure, mushroom compost or top soil. Then mound up the mixture 6-10 inches high to allow for good drainage. It would not hurt to add Soil Moist and a high phosphorus fertilizer just before planting. When it becomes warm enough, your beds will be ready for Begonias, Petunias, Vinca, Impatience and other annuals. Use the same steps when planting perennials. Follow these steps and you will be able to enjoy the long colorful season ahead.
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Since now is the best time to plant, think about adding year round color into your landscape. For springtime color in trees, plant Dogwoods, which come with white or pink blooms. Consider planting Kousa Dogwoods that bloom after the common Dogwoods. Okame Cherries are blooming now with pink blooms. Yoshino Cherries will be blooming shortly with white blooms; Kwanzan Cherry with pink blooms will be blooming after Yoshinos. Autumnalis Cherry blooms both in the spring and fall. Deciduous Magnolias also have a very showy color. The Star Magnolia has white star-like blooms. Jane Magnolias have beautiful lavender blooms which are now just starting to show color and the Southern Magnolia, which is an evergreen, will be blooming later this spring into summer. Redbuds are another great blooming tree; they have lavender blooms and are one of the first trees to bloom in spring. The Forest Pansy Redbud has reddish leaves to add more interest throughout the season. For summer color, Crape Myrtles are probably the most popular tree. They have bloom colors of white, lavender, pink, red and purple. Vitex is another great tree with spiky lavender blooms. Using multiple sources of color will add terrific interest to any landscape.
Happy Gardening