Looking for stock photography your website, article, magazine. Look no further Cheryl Ann Meola can help you find the perfect image for all your stock photography needs.
Stock Photography Enjoy. Send me a email or message here on the blog post.
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| Fall is coming. Here is an example of my images. |
Let’s get ready for September in preparation to cooler
temperatures by fertilizing annuals, perennials, and roses one last time for
winter preparation. Check flowerbeds for pooped-out perennials such as Purple
Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan, and Shasta Daisy. Trim dead flower heads and
brown leaves for fall. Apply a new layer of mulch. Mulch helps keep the plants
warm in winter and cool during summer months.
Fertilize Chrysanthemums and Salvia with a liquid plant food.
You will be rewarded with blooms later in the fall.
Chrysanthemums, Pansy, Viola, alyssum, and Snapdragons provide
winter color through the spring and should be available by mid-September at
garden centers. For spring blooms plant Bluebonnet and Poppy seeds now. For a
complete list of Fall Color Annuals.
September is a good time to divide and cut back perennials.
Check your daylilies, irises, and monkey grass while the weather is still warm.
Are you planning to bring your Tropical Hibiscus in this
winter? Place in a sunny window. Before bringing indoors as a precaution spray
plants with Safer Soap and follow package directions.
Preserve excess Basil leaves by pureeing in a blender with ¼
cup of olive oil or water. Pour the mixture in ice trays and use the cubes in
your wintertime Italian dishes.
Spring-flowering bulbs should be on sale. Plan to plant in mid-October
or when the weather cools to the 60’s or below.
Start planning where you will place your Tropical Plants that
spent the summer outdoors. Trim back, if necessary and inspect for insects.
Spray with appropriate insecticide, if needed. I prefer to use horticulture oil
on my houseplants. Horticulture oils are environmentally friendly and will give
your Houseplants a nice shine along with killing any insects. For more
information on Houseplants and tropical plants click here.
Are you planning a fall vegetable garden? Cool weather
vegetable starts such as Arugula, Beets, beans, carrots, radishes, spinach,
kale, brussel sprouts, Broccoli, Collards, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Peppers, green
onions, celery, cutting celery, Chinese cabbage, turnips, swiss chard, lettuce,
cauliflower, bok chop, and Snow Peas are good choices. Don’t have room to plant
a fall vegetable garden, but would like to grow your own vegetables? You can
grow vegetables in a container. The container should be 16 inches or larger and
for excellent success use a potting soil. For more information on Fall Vegetable Gardening Click Here.
The last week in September is the time to replace your mulch
under your Roses and Red Tip Photinia to prevent diseases on next year’s
leaves. Rake up any fallen leaves before replacing the mulch.
As the weather cools, this is a good time to plant shrubs and
trees. When planting in the fall, it provides less stress on the plant and the
roots start to get established in the ground. SuperThrive is the recommended concentrated
solution of plant vitamins and hormones used to encourage plant and root growth
and to revitalize stressed or dying plants. SuperThrive is not a fertilizer and
can be mixed with your favorite liquid fertilizer. Dosage recommendation for transplanting or weekly use: ¼ of a
teaspoon per gallon of water, or for larger projects 3 ounces to 100 gallons of
water. To revitalize stressed or dying
plants use: 1 ounce to five gallons of water and water the root zone or
drip line. Then water every 3 – 5 days ¼ teaspoon to 1 gallon of water at the
root zone or drip line. For bare root
roses use: 1 ½ teaspoons per 5 gallons of water and soak for at least 30
minutes. Depending on your plant’s condition you may use weekly or monthly.
During drought or stressful conditions, it is wise to water
established shrubs and trees. The recommended rate for trees is 15 gallons of
water per each trunk diameter a week. Break up the amount of water to twice a
week and use SuperThrive as recommended above.
I found another good additive to mix with water that will help
get your new transplanted plants established. It is called Recharge from Real
Growers. It’s a professional strength microbial superpack. Recharge helps and
promotes stronger plants within 48 hours. I was skeptical, but I tried it and
it really does work. That’s why I would recommend it when adding new plants to
your landscape. You can mix Superthrive and Recharge together in water for
excellent results.
Bermuda grass seed should be planted no later than September
15th to ensure that the seeds germinate and become established
before winter frost.
Brown Patch fungus is more apparent in the fall months.
Prevention is the best cure by watering your lawn early in the morning before
10:00 AM or after 4:00 PM.
Mid-September is the last feeding for your lawns. Fertilize
your lawn with a winterizer weed and feed to prevent spring-time weeds.
My photography is on display on different websites including
my own HibiscusAndMore.com. The other sites that have my photography
are: www.fineartamerica.com/art/cheryl+meola When you
need images as stock check out the links below.
Need floral stock
photography? Need botanical stock photography? Click on the links below.
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Cheryl+Ann+Meola
https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/210785031/cheryl
Cheryl
has written several gardening books available now on her website HibiscusAndMore.
Topics include Landscape Gardening, Butterfly Gardening, and Houseplants.
Happy Gardening. ©Cheryl Ann
Meola 2025.
All photographs and
digital images are ©Cheryl Ann Meola. All Rights Reserved. All photographs and
digital images displayed in this newsletter are for viewing purposes only and
cannot be duplicated or copied.
The
CDC recommends these precautions for anyone who is involved in outdoor work or
activities during extreme heat weather. Drink plenty of water and don’t wait
until you are thirsty. Avoid alcohol and sugary drinks. Always where sunscreen
and reapply as directed on label. Try to avoid working in mid-day heat and ask
if the task can be rescheduled. Where loose fit clothing in light colors.
Dri-fit is a brand of clothing that helps keep one cool during work or exercising.
Where a large brimmed hat to help keep one cool. Try to go to air conditioning
or shady location during breaks. Keep an eye on your co-workers and encourage
them to take breaks to drink water and cool off. Summer gardening tasks to do in one’s landscape, if
living in one of the states mentioned for extreme heat try to schedule in early
morning hours or early evening.
Watermelon – Choosing
a summer watermelon for ripeness is as simple as slapping or knocking on it.
The good ripe one’s sound hollow, and the unripe one’s sound like solid wood.
Flowering annuals and perennials – Such
as Salvia, Zinnia, Coneflower, and Petunia, remove faded flowers to encourage
bushiness and more flower production. Plant sun and heat tolerant annuals.
Tropicals are a good choice because the plants now how to beat the summer heat
and tropicals will reward you with lots of blooms and color.
Dahlias – The
last week in July trim your plants back by half of their height to produce fall
blooms. Fertilize with a flowering plant food.
Pink and Blue Hydrangeas – Remove
faded flower stems. Trim shorten droopy, flowerless stems by 1/3. New growth
that occurs now through winter will produce next summer’s blooms.
Herbs – Now is
a good time to trim back Basil, Mint, and Oregano by half to prevent flowering
and seed production. This will produce tastier leaves to use later.
Summer Vegetables – The
plants will stop flower production when just one ripe cucumber, squash, or okra
are left on the plant. Pick your summer vegetables on a regular basis to
prevent this.
Fall
Vegetables – Plant peppers, corn, cucumbers, squash, bush
beans, and fall tomatoes. For tomatoes use the small to medium sized varieties.
Houseplants, Patio Pots, and
Hanging Baskets – Check plants that are spending the summer
outdoors for insects. Use an insecticidal soap, if needed. Your houseplants can
be fertilized by-weekly with a water-soluble plant food. For more information
on Houseplants order Cheryl’s book Grow Fresh Air from her website Hibiscus and More.com
Trees and Shrubs – Newly
Spring planted trees and shrubs should be watered 2 gallons of water per foot
of plant height. Now is a good time to put a new3-4-inch layer of mulch by
doing so the roots stay cooler and help conserve moisture. For more information
on Landscape Gardening, you can order Cheryl’s book Southeast Style Gardening from her
website Hibiscus and More.com.
Figs – Remove
the tallest shoots in the middle first, then prune the rest of the fig lightly.
The horizontal branches produce the best fruit.
New
Turf – There is 6 to 7 weeks to start your project on
laying or replacing turf grasses. The grass needs to be well-rooted before the
cool weather starts, which is shortly after daylight savings time ends, which
ends November 2, 2025. It usually takes 10-15 days to get the grass
established.
The Monarchs need our help. For more information on Butterfly Gardening,
Cheryl has written Gardening for the Butterflies available on her
website Hibiscus and More.com
Hibiscus and More offers fine art prints of Cheryl Meola’s plant photography. Fine
Art Prints. Fine Art Prints.
Cheryl Meola’s Plant Photography on Merchandise. The website features clothing, home décor, puzzles, and greeting
cards to customize for any occasion. https://cherylann-meola.pixels.com
Floral & Foliage Stock Photography. Stock
Photography.
Botanical & Seasonal Stock Photography. Stock
Photography.
Have
a wonderful summer. Stay hydrated, keep cool, go to shade when you start feel
weak.
February
Gardening Calendar 2025
Trees and
Shrubs can be planted now. This is the best time to plant Nut Trees,
Fruit Trees, Shade Trees, and shrubs. By applying a combination of Super Thrive
and Recharge by Real Growers instead of a root stimulator will get your newly
planted trees and shrubs established much faster. Prune Apple and Pear trees after
bud break in February, wait until mid-March for Peach trees. Spray fruit and
nut trees with a horticulture grade dormant oil before bud break. Remove
stakes, trunk wraps, and guy wires from trees planted 18 months ago. 18-24
months is the average time you need to keep the guy wires. Prune when pruning
fig trees save the horizontal branches, they are the branches that produce
fruit. Is your Burford Holly overgrown? Now is a good time to severely prune
back. Burford Hollies can be prune back to 12 to 18 inches. Butterfly bushes
can be pruned back by ½ the original height. You will be rewarded with bigger
blooms this summer.
Annuals cool
season annuals can be planted, pansy, violas, sweet alyssum, pinks, stocks,
snapdragons. Cool season annuals will provide lots of color until end of May or
June. These annuals can be planted in the soil or containers.
Perennials
trim
back all the brown. This month is a good time to divide all perennials, if
necessary. Apply a fresh layer of mulch.
Roses Prune
back rose bushes to about 18 to 24 inches. The best time to prune is between
February 14 – 22th. Rake any leaves still on the ground underneath
your rose bushes and give a fresh layer of mulch. If you had any black spot
last year it is very important to rake the leaves and throw away the leaves and
give a fresh layer of mulch. For more information on roses and rose care Click Here.
Lawns apply a
pre-emergent to your lawn to prevent dormant weed seeds from germinating during
the growing season. Most pre-emergents last about 3 to 4 months.
Ornamental
Grasses can be pruned back to 12 inches. Liriope that is looking a
little be draggled can be trimmed back, too. Prune back before the grass comes
out of dormancy.
Houseplants
In the winter months houseplants usually
don’t require as much water as in the spring and summer months indoors. The
reason is that the houseplant do not receive as much sunlight because of
shorter and more cloudy days associated with the winter months. Water with a houseplant fertilizer one half
strength and turn your plants a ¼ to a ½ turn every week. By doing this the
plant does not grow towards the light. For more information on Houseplants and
their care purchase my book sold on Hibiscus And More. https://www.hibiscusandmore.com/product/grow-fresh-air Purchase
here on the link provided.
Need more gardening advice? Ask your Questions Here. Follow our BlogSpot for current sales, daily specials, and sound gardening advice. Simply click on Join This Site Link under Followers. Sign Up Is Free.
All
photographs maybe purchased as fine art prints at HibiscusandMore.com
Cheryl’s
Fine Art Photography is on Merchandise Greeting
Cards and more
Cheryl’s
gardening books are featured below and may be purchased at
HibiscusAndMore.com
Houseplants- Grow Fresh Air Book
Need
floral and Botanical stock photography?
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Cheryl+Ann+Meola
https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/210785031/Cheryl
Photography and digital images are ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2012. All
Rights Reserved. All photographs and digital images displayed in this article
are for viewing purposes only and cannot be duplicated ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2012.
Texas Certified Nursery Professional #1282.
Blow or rake fallen leaves from lawn areas. The leaves left on the lawn block the sunlight to your grass and will create bare spots. Don’t forget to compost the leaves. Spray each layer with water. Need a composter? There are several composters on the market today, but deciding which one to buy may be confusing to some. Composters are designed for gardeners and home owners with several designs to choose from. Some are designed to be mobile and when the compost is ready the gardener can take the composter to the area where it is going to be used. Other composters are deigned to be stationary. When deciding on a composter think about what you want the composter to do for you. For my information on composting Click Here.
Plant spring-flowering bulbs now and add bone meal to the planting hole. Depending on how south you garden in some spring bulbs can be planted in December. The key to planting spring flowering bulbs is the ground needs to be cool enough so the bulbs remain dormant until spring arrives. For more information on fall bulbs Click Here.
You can save your Elephant Ears, Dahlias, and Caladiums by digging them up now. Let the tubers dry out before storing for the winter. Store tubers in boxes layered with peat moss or vermiculite, then layer tubers on top of your choice of medium. Store boxes in a cool, dry place.
Spring and summer perennials can be pruned back and mulched. After the flowers have faded on Chrysanthemums and Asters prune to 4 inches and mulch. Clean up Hellebores. Trim dead and yellowing leaves. Hellebores grow from the center and by removing the dead and yellowing leaves increases more pups.
To encourage winter songbirds in your garden, get a birdfeeder. It is recommended to use the black oil sunflower seed for most birds. Black oil sunflower seeds make a nutrient-dense snack for birds. The seeds have a higher oil content which translates to more nutrition. The shell is thinner, which makes it easier to break open for the birds. Fill bird feeders with black oil sunflower seeds.
Plant New Shrubs and Trees: Have you been thinking about replacing a few shrubs that just did not quite get established in the landscape, or planting a new shade or flowering tree that you just cannot live without in your landscape? Now, is the time to start thinking about making that purchase? The fall season is an excellent time to add new shrubs and trees to your landscape. This time of year, will let your newly planted shrubs and trees get a head start by developing and establishing new root growth in the soil.
You still have time to plant your winter color such as: Chrysanthemums, Pansy, Viola, Snapdragons, Stock, Cyclamen, Dianthus, Sweet Alyssum, Flowering Cabbage and Kale provide winter color through the spring and should be still available at garden centers. For spring blooms plant Bluebonnet and Poppy seeds this fall. For more information on fall and winter annuals Click Here.
Holiday Plants that you kept last year need to be placed in a dark room during the evening hours for the plants to bloom this holiday season. I remember this gardening ritual when it is time to turn back our clocks; it is time to give holiday plants total darkness until you see buds or bracts forming. Christmas Cactus and Poinsettias are night dependent plants for them to bloom; these plants need several hours of darkness to bloom. The cooler weather also helps in the blooming process. If you purchased new holiday plants, try to place them in the coolest area of your home.
Have you ever tried forcing Paperwhites for the holidays and the stems and blooms became leggy? Here is a link to an article about what to do to prevent the legginess from occurring. Click Here To Read More: http://www.hortmag.com/weekly-tips/cultivation/growing-paperwhites?et_mid=525016&rid=2111517
House Plants that were brought indoors need a ¼ turn to prevent leaning towards the light. To prevent this, turn your house plants once a week. House plants do not need as much water during the winter months, water when the top one inch of the soil is dry. Another way to decide whether to water is if you had several days of cloudy weather check your plants on the normal day you usually check, if the soil feels wet wait a week. Houseplants do not need as much water during cloudy, winter months.
The Blogger, Cheryl Ann Meola, has several Links to share with you featuring her fine art plant photography and merchandise. Click on the links below.
For Gardening Books: Butterfly Gardening Click Here. House Plants Click Here.
Landscape Gardening Click Here.
Fine Art America Portfolio for Prints and Household Merchandise. Click Here.
For Cheryl Ann Meola’s Shutterstock Stock Photography.
For Cheryl Ann Meola’s Adobe Stock Photography.
Cheryl Ann Meola © 2023.
All photographs and digital images are ©Cheryl Ann Meola. All Rights Reserved. All photographs and digital images displayed in this newsletter are for viewing purposes only and cannot be duplicated or copied.
Certified Texas Nursery Professional #1282
Let’s get ready for September in preparation to cooler
temperatures by fertilizing annuals, perennials, and roses one last time for
winter preparation. Check flowerbeds for pooped-out perennials such as Purple Coneflower,
Black-Eyed Susan, and Shasta Daisy. Trim dead flower heads and brown leaves for
fall. Apply a new layer of mulch. Mulch helps keep the plants warm in winter
and cool during summer months.
Fertilize Chrysanthemums and Salvia with a liquid plant food.
You will be rewarded with blooms later in the fall.
Chrysanthemums, Pansy, Viola, alyssum, and Snapdragons provide
winter color through the spring and should be available by mid-September at
garden centers. For a complete list of Fall Color Annuals Click Here For More Information. For spring blooms plant Bluebonnet and Poppy seeds now.
September is a good time to divide and cut back perennials.
Check your daylilies, irises, and monkey grass while the weather is still warm.
Are you planning to bring your Tropical Hibiscus in this
winter? Place in a sunny window. Before bringing indoors as a precaution spray
plants with Safer Soap and follow package directions.
Preserve excess Basil leaves by pureeing in a blender with ¼
cup of olive oil or water. Pour the mixture in ice trays and use the cubes in
your wintertime Italian dishes.
Spring-flowering bulbs should be on sale. Plan to plant in mid-October
or when the weather cools to the 60’s or below.
Start planning where you will place your Tropical Plants that
spent the sfall annualsummer outdoors. Trim back, if necessary and inspect for insects.
Spray with appropriate insecticide, if needed. I prefer to use horticulture oil
on my houseplants. Horticulture oils are environmentally friendly and will give
your Houseplants a nice shine along with killing any insects. For more
information on Houseplants and tropical plants click here.
Are you planning a fall vegetable garden? Cool weather
vegetable starts such as Arugula, Beets, beans, carrots, radishes, spinach,
kale, brussel sprouts, Broccoli, Collards, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Peppers, green
onions, celery, cutting celery, Chinese cabbage, turnips, swiss chard, lettuce,
cauliflower, bok chop, and Snow Peas are good choices. Don’t have room to plant
a fall vegetable garden, but would like to grow your own vegetables? You can
grow vegetables in a container. The container should be 16 inches or larger and
for excellent success use a potting soil. For more information on Fall Vegetable Gardening Click Here.
The last week in September is the time to replace your mulch
under your Roses and Red Tip Photinia to prevent diseases on next year’s
leaves. Rake up any fallen leaves before replacing the mulch.
As the weather cools, this is a good time to plant shrubs and
trees. When planting in the fall, it provides less stress on the plant and the
roots start to get established in the ground. SuperThrive is the recommended concentrated
solution of plant vitamins and hormones used to encourage plant and root growth
and to revitalize stressed or dying plants. SuperThrive is not a fertilizer and
can be mixed with your favorite liquid fertilizer. Dosage recommendation for transplanting or weekly use: ¼ of a
teaspoon per gallon of water, or for larger projects 3 ounces to 100 gallons of
water. To revitalize stressed or dying
plants use: 1 ounce to five gallons of water and water the root zone or
drip line. Then water every 3 – 5 days ¼ teaspoon to 1 gallon of water at the
root zone or drip line. For bare root
roses use: 1 ½ teaspoons per 5 gallons of water and soak for at least 30
minutes. Depending on your plant’s condition you may use weekly or monthly.
During drought or stressful conditions, it is wise to water
established shrubs and trees. The recommended rate for trees is 15 gallons of
water per each trunk diameter a week. Break up the amount of water to twice a
week and use SuperThrive as recommended above.
I found another good additive to mix with water that will help
get your new transplanted plants established. It is called Recharge from Real
Growers. It’s a professional strength microbial superpack. Recharge helps and
promotes stronger plants within 48 hours. I was skeptical, but I tried it and
it really does work. That’s why I would recommend it when adding new plants to
your landscape. You can mix Superthrive and Recharge together in water for
excellent results.
Bermuda grass seed should be planted no later than September
15th to ensure that the seeds germinate and become established
before winter frost.
Brown Patch fungus is more apparent in the fall months.
Prevention is the best cure by watering your lawn early in the morning before
10:00 AM or after 4:00 PM.
Mid-September is the last feeding for your lawns. Fertilize
your lawn with a winterizer weed and feed to prevent spring-time weeds.
My photography is on display on different websites including
my own HibiscusAndMore.com. The other sites that have my photography are: www.fineartamerica.com/art/cheryl+meola
When you need images as stock check out the links below.
Need floral stock
photography? Click here. Need botanical stock
photography? Click here.
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Cheryl+Ann+Meola
https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/210785031/cheryl
Cheryl
has written several books on gardening available on Amazon Click on the links to
view. Landscape Gardening, Butterfly Gardening, and Houseplants.
Happy Gardening. ©Cheryl Ann
Meola 2023. Certified Texas Nursery Professional #1282
All photographs and
digital images are ©Cheryl Ann Meola. All Rights Reserved. All photographs and
digital images displayed in this newsletter are for viewing purposes only and
cannot be duplicated or copied.
Deadhead spring bulbs after flowering. Let the foliage die back naturally. The nutrients in the foliage gets stored in the bulb for next year’s nutrients and blooms.
Stay ahead of your
weeding chores. The month of May is when weeds start showing their ugly heads.
I recommend using a Pre-Emergent Weed Control. Just make sure it is recommended
safe to use around trees, shrubs, and perennials. Some Pre-Emergent’s are also
recommended to use around your vegetable garden. Always read the label to see
where you can use a pre-emergent. The way a pre-emergent works is by preventing
the weed seeds from germinating. Before applying a pre-emergent pull all
existing weeds by the roots because a pre-emergent will not kill existing weeds.
Use a weed-N-Feed for your lawns. Check the label to make sure you can use the
product on your lawn variety.
Fertilize trees
and shrubs. After fertilizing apply a fresh layer of mulch. Applying mulch to
your beds helps to keep the roots cool in the spring–summer months and warm in
the fall-winter months.
As the weather
gets warmer your cool-season vegetables will start to bolt-flower. Start
harvesting your last crop and compost. Get the planting bed ready for the
spring -summer veggies and herbs.
It is recommended
to check your irrigation each year. It boggles the mind when you turn on your
irrigation in the spring and an irrigation head is pointing in the wrong
direction. When that head was working perfectly last year and pointing in the
right direction.
Prune ornamental
grasses and clean perennial flowers before new growth starts in the spring.
Prune Azaleas,
forsythias, hydrangeas, and gardenias after blooming. You can fertilize Azaleas
monthly until the end of August. Be on the lookout for lace bugs on your
Azaleas. The bugs are hard to see, but the damage is not. The damage looks like
very small white dots on the leaves where the bugs sucked out the chlorophyll.
Spray with appropriate insecticide.
It is warm enough
to bring the houseplants out that you over wintered outdoors. Place the plants
in shade to begin with and slowly move the plants to a sunnier location, if
required by the plant. Some tropicals will grow in full sun.
Mother's Day is Sunday May 12th this year. Hibiscusandmore.com features fine art prints of tropical plants for Mother's Day. Click Here Fine Art Prints.
Hibiscusandmore.com has new products just in time for
the spring -summer months. We offer personized greeting cards. Click Here to
view. Greeting Cards.
Need more gardening advice? Follow our BlogSpot for current sales, daily
specials, and sound gardening advice. Simply click on Join This Site Link under
Followers. Sign Up Is Free.
Need floral stock photography? Click
here. Need botanical stock photography? Click
here
For
more information on Landscape gardening
Information
on Butterfly Gardening and Design
Purify your home by Growing Houseplants in your home or office
All photographs and digital images are ©Cheryl Ann
Meola. All Rights Reserved. All photographs and digital images displayed in
this newsletter are for viewing purposes only and cannot be duplicated or
copied.
January
Gardening Calendar
 |
| Basil |
Start
planning for Spring. January is the perfect
month to start planning your garden for the current year. As a refresher for
last year’s thoughts, ideas or plants you were thinking about purchasing, dust
off your gardening journal to see what changes or additions you wanted to make
this year. A garden is always evolving.
Start
looking at seed and garden catalogs. January
is a good time to start planning this year’s design features and plants. Seeds
and new introduction plants sell out quickly. Don’t miss out and wait, try to
order your seeds or reserve your plants soon. Reserving your plant purchase
guarantees the plant will ship at the proper time for planting in your USDA
zone.
Seed
starting Kits. Growers recommend
starting the seeds indoors in a bright location to get a jump start to spring.
There are seed starting kits which are advertised as
seed starter germination kit or seed starter
greenhouse kit. The kits usually feature a tray, growing media disks, and a
cover for the tray. The kits are an excellent choice to start growing your
seeds before spring. Some kits even include a warming matt to get a faster
germination rate.
Bare Root
Roses will be arriving soon at local garden centers. Prepare
planting beds by digging an area 3 feet wide by 12 inches deep for each rose.
Soak bare root roses in a mixture of SuperThrive and water for 24 to 48 hours
before planting. Local nurseries will also have available roses in peat pots.
These pots are biodegradable and can be planted. Don’t take the plant out of
the peat pot. Before planting cut the pot halfway down and around the pot four
times. This action helps the peat pot degrade faster. For more information on Rose Care Click Here.
Poinsettias
water
only when the soil is dry to the touch. Start fertilizing in March. Poinsettias
need bright light and cool temperatures even indoors.
Deciduous
Trees and Shrubs the structure of the trees and shrubs can be
easily seen this time of year. Prune all branches that rub or cross each other.
Trees and shrubs can be planted now. Plan to plant on a warm day when the
ground is not frozen. When the weather warms for a week or longer, and then the
temperatures drop into the twenties, cover Camellias and Gardenias nightly
until the temperatures are above freezing. The last week in January prune Pear
and Apple trees, and Grape vines.
Vegetable
Garden till the soil, if the ground is dry. This preventative
measure helps to eliminate weeds, insects, and nematodes. Don’t have room for a
vegetable garden, but would like to grow your own vegetables? All vegetables
can be grown in large planters. The recommended size for vegetables is 16
inches or larger. In fact, that is how I grow my vegetables each season. For
more information on Spring Vegetable
Gardening Click Here.
Prune Pampas
Grass and all other ornamental grasses down to about 12 inches. Prune Lantana
and Cannas to about 2 to 3 inches. Shape Crepe Myrtles and Altheas and remove
old seed heads.
Annuals water
winter annuals like pansies, violas, ornamental cabbage and kale, after a hard
freeze. This helps to rehydrate the annuals faster. Water outside container
plants before a hard freeze, too.
Houseplants
check
for insects. Insects like mealy bugs, scale, spider mites are more likely to
infest your plants during the winter months. Spray with a horticultural oil or
insecticidal soap, and make sure you spray underneath the leaves. Turn your
houseplants a quarter to half turn once a week. This prevents leaning of your
houseplants. I turn mine once a week when I water my houseplants.
Need more gardening advice? Follow our BlogSpot for current
sales, daily specials, and sound gardening advice. Simply click on Join This
Site Link under Followers. Sign Up Is Free. View Current Blog Post Click Here.
All photographs maybe purchased as fine art prints at HibiscusandMore.com
Need floral stock photography? Click here.
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Cheryl+Ann+Meola
https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/210785031/Cheryl
All photographs and digital images are ©Cheryl Ann Meola. All
Rights Reserved. All photographs and digital images displayed in this
newsletter are for viewing purposes only and cannot be duplicated or copied.
©Cheryl Ann Meola
