05/17/1958

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

* Time to harden off some of the annuals and veggies.
For tomatoes, try the hour thang; one hour outside the first day, two hours the second day and so on. Should be okay starting now.

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

Up top you see the Pieris evergreen shrub, which has family ties to Rhododendrons and Azaleas. The ones I care for have either little white dangling bells, or larger dullish pink bells. I hear there are now some Pieris plants with livelier colors.
 This pic was taken near Lake Champlain, probably zone 5 leaning toward zone 5b. If I lived closer to the canadian border, I would mulch heavily in late fall, maybe even put up a wind block. Here are some tips:

* Make sure the Pieris has enough moisture going into winter; it's roots are shallow and can dry out.
* Prune after flowering.
* Fertilize in early spring with Hollytone, Muracid or coffee grounds and compost.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

* To the right is the lovely groundcover, Vinca minor, which has charming little light purple flowers. Today's client uses the Periwinkle as a groundcover under her lilac tree. It's a nice fit.