The average for the last ‘killing freeze’ date comes in the third week of this
month. So I have divided activities between ‘before’ and ‘after.’
part one (before last frosty night)
1. Cut back roses and shape your shrub roses. Tall bushes can be trimmed
to 1.5 to 2 feet in height with open centers. Use a sharp pair of pruners and
a good pair of leather gloves. Climbing roses should be left unpruned until
after their spring bloom.
2. Care for fruit trees. Spray wintering insects with dormant oil. Pruning
to open up the centers will help to reduce disease problems with better air
flow. Added sunlight will help to ripen and color the fruit.
3. Tend vegetable garden. Plant potatoes, asparagus crowns, broccoli,
cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard and collard greens, carrots,
radishes, Swiss chard, and lettuce.
4. Care for lawn. Cut lawn, aerate, and control weeds with corn gluten.
Top-dress with a half inch of Dillo Dirt and revitalize turf grass with nutrients,
microbes, and beneficial bacteria.
part two (after last frosty night)
5. Fertilize turf grass. Apply an organic lawn fertilizer with a 3 -1- 2
ratio at a rate of 10 to 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Water the area
thoroughly after applying.
6. Insect control. Control aphids with All Seasons Oil. Control oak leaf
rollers and forest tent caterpillars on oak trees with organic B.T.sprays such
as Thuricide and Dipel to do the trick.
7. Plant vegetables. It’s finally time to plant tomatoes, peppers,
snap beans, limas, corn, cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplant, and squash!
8. Flower garden. The winter flower garden should be in full force. Those
snapdragons you planted back in October should be starting their second
(and best) bloom. Flowering cabbage and kale should be at their peak.
New annuals to set out are alyssum, dianthus, lobelia, phlox, geranium, gerbera
daisy, petunias, marigolds, zinnias, and nasturtiums.
9. Perennial care. As the perennials return, surround them with fresh
compost and a little mulch. Many of these natives need little care of water
to survive. Some to look for are ox-eye daisy, black-foot daisy, skullcap,
rudbeckia, gloriosa daisies and lots of varieties of salvia and lantana.
10. Have fun! Above all, get outside and enjoy yourself. Nothing can be
more rewarding than eating homegrown vegetables and enjoying your
own beautiful landscape. Happy gardening everyone.
______________________________________________________
Rare Buddhist Flower Found under Nun's Washing Machine!
"The rare Youtan Poluo or Udumbara flower, according to Buddhist
legend, blooms only every 3,000 years, and measures just 1mm in
diameter. Miao Wei, 50, was cleaning when she discovered the cluster
of white flowers under the washing machine," reports the Daily Telegraph.
Click
flower for the complete story.
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It's About Thyme 
