May 2021 Gardening Tips

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Dear Gardening Friends,     We’ve had a year’s worth of weather during April. We had winter, then spring then summer and back to winter again. As I write this it’s a lovely, sunny fall temperature day. Hopefully spring is here for good now.   If nothing else April has taught us how resilient nature is. Most plants will be just fine. This type of weather is also a good reason to grow native plants. They are used to this changeable weather and will survive.  You may notice frost damage on the tips of some plants, trees & shrubs. The leaves or tips of leaves turn black and crunchy. They can be pruned out or just left to drop off if it’s just a leaf or two.  It looks like the only plant I have that was severely damaged was a rare hydrangea from Japan. Am hoping the roots will be fine and send up new shoots. Don’t give up on a frost damaged plant. Cut back the damage and hope for the best.     The following are a few tips.   Patience is still the best approach. The soil is quite cold and it’s way too soon to even think about planting annuals. Many greenhouses have perennials and annuals out for sale. If you by an annual keep it in a sheltered place until it’s time to plant.   If you leave a footprint on the soil that’s a sign the soil is too wet to work in. It’s easy to compact the soil with every footfall so stay off until things dry out.   It’s helpful to have paths or steppingstones in gardens so you can navigate without harming the soil. If a path isn’t appropriate a few rocks or steppingstones placed appropriately are practical and attractive.   -     If you left the leaves down in the fall lightly rake them away from the crowns of plants so the plants don’t get smothered. The leaves can be left on the ground and will make an excellent mulch as well as weed suppressant and habitat for beneficials.   -     Weeding should be a priority. Perennial weeds are up now and will be much easier to remove when small. If removed now you also prevent the weed from developing seeds and spreading even more.    -     The soil is still much too cold to plant greenhouse grown perennials, annuals and vegetables. Wait until the soil is above 50 degrees. As an example, tomatoes planted too soon don’t do as well as those planted at the end of May. Remember Patience! The final average frost isn’t until late May so don’t get fooled by a few warm days.   -     Perennials currently coming up in your garden that need to be moved or divided can be moved since they are used to the current soil temperature. However, don’t move them until the soil is “workable” which means the soil will break apart easily after you make a ball of it in your hand. Clumpy soil won’t settle around the roots well and cause air pockets which can dry out the roots.   RECYCLE pots, treys & blinds here. I can use pots 4 inches and up and flat carrying treys. No 6 packs. Also, if you are discarding any Venetian blinds or see some in the garbage, please save them for me. I use the blinds for price tags for the plant sale and won’t have many left after this year. Just drop them off in front of the garage. The address is below. NOTE: For those of you in Amherst who are used to dropping things off at 37 N. Union, The property has been sold so please don’t drop pots off there. THANKS!!!!   Now is the time to make changes and improvements in your garden. I can help improve your garden and gardening practices and guarante to save you time and money. Also check out my website for past Garden Tips and articles: lessonsfromnature.biz.     Upcoming Plant Sales & Events: Put them on your calendar now!               Lessons from Nature and Amanda’s Garden Native and Perennial Plant Sale.             Saturday, May 22th, 9:00 – 2:00.  170 Pine St., E Aurora, corner of Pine & Lawrence. Clients and those of you who get my tips can come at 8:00 and beat the rush. We will have a larger variety of native plants on that one day than anywhere in WNY.  All my plants are dug fresh from my garden and those from Amanda’s Garden are started from seed by Ellen. Fultz, the owner. I will also have a selection of hypertufa containers, draped concrete planters and birdbaths. A partial list of what plants is at the end of these tips. Since it’s been so cold and rainy, I’ve only started potting up and some plants haven’t even come up yet. So, in addition to the list there will be more surprises.               Note: all my plants will be potted in soilless potting mix due to the threat of the Asian jumping worm. If you’re not aware of this threat you can get information at: http://ulster.cce.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-pests/jumping-worm     Master Gardener Plant Sale, Friday May 228, 8:30 – 3:00, Saturday May 29, 8:30 – 2:00, First Presbyterian Church, 1 Symphony Circle, across from Kleinman’s. Perennials for sun and shade, natives, annuals, succulents, hypertufa and draped concrete pots, vegetable starts, herbs, shrubs and garden art. Plants are from MG gardens and donated by local nurseries.   East Aurora Garden Club Perennial Sale, Saturday, May 29th 8:30 – till sold out. In the Village plaza on Grey Street where Tops is. The sale is located under the roof overhang between TJ Max and Pet Smart. Plants from Garden Club member’s gardens, great selection.   Happy Gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 lyn@lessonsfromnature.biz 652-2432     Partial Plant List for Perennial Sale 2021   Some varieties there are only 1 or 2 of, others quite a few. A few items aren’t even up yet so additional plants will be added during the weeks to come. First come first served.   Shrubs:                                                               Purple leaf sandcherry                                     Potentilla, Gold Drop Lynwood Gold Forsythia                                 Hydrangea – Anabelle Viburnum alnifolium                                                                                                   Sun:                                                                                                                                                 Monkshood                                                     Siberian iris (white & blue)                             Perennial geranium                                          Shasta daisy                                         Sundrops                                                         Zig-zag goldenrod Variety of asters                                              Tansy             Phlox                                                               Obedient plant                                     Black-Eyed-Susan                                           Coreopsis                                Filipendula                                                      Graceful sedge                                                                                                                                                                                                             Part Sun:                                                             Forget-Me-Not                                                Anemone – white, pink, & ruffled Dwarf  Solomon’s seal variegated                   Candelabra primrose                                       Ladies Mantle                                                  Kirengeshoma Astilbe (dwarf)                                                Corydalis –Yellow & white                             Astilbe – Ostrich                                             Blue lobelia                                         Astilbe – variety of colors                                Sundrops Golden ragwort                                               Bouncing Bet Bachelor buttons                                                                                                                                                                                              Shade:                                                             Dwarf Comfrey                                               Hosta – a few varieties, minis Persicaria                                                         Primrose Toad Lily – 2 varieties                                     Pulmonaria – a few varieties European Ginger                                             Lenten Rose, white, pink & deep purple  Curley Ginger                                                  Native ginger Epimedium – pink & yellow                           Primula kisoana – rare variety Twinleaf                                                          Ajuga                                      Corydalis                                                         Astilboides tabularis    Candelabra primrose                                       Soloman’s Seal - 3 varieties                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Natives:   Evening Primrose                                            Tall Meadow Rue Solomon’s Seal                                               Twinleaf Ginger                                                             Golden Ragwort Gold Star                                                         Amsonia Viola - purple                                                  Big leaf aster Wood anemone                                               Early Meadow Rue Jack-in-the-pulpit                                            Ostrich fern White Wood Aster                                           Wood Poppy Snakeroot                                                        Creeping phlox Tickseed                                                          Bloodroot Filapendula                                                      White violet Flowering raspberry                                        Lobelia – blue Northern Sea Oats                                           White wood anemone Waterleaf                                                         Zig-zag goldenrod                                           Carolina Phlox                                                 Field goldenrod             Asters – many varieties                                   Monkshood Waterleaf                                                         Graceful sedge Broad-leaf sedge                                                          Shrub – viburnum alnifolium                                                                                                               Copyright © 2014 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*