March Gardening Calendar 2023

In March the weather teases gardeners into believing spring is almost around the corner, with lots of continuous sunny and warm days. During this time of year, the weather is very unpredictable for planning and the weather is like a roller coaster, one day it’s nice and sunny, then the next day it’s cold and rainy.  As gardeners we get antsy, we want to get out in our garden and play in the dirt. But we know better, the last average frost date is still a month or two months away, depending on your gardening zone. This is when we can start planning for this year’s spring garden. Spring is a good time to check out new gardening books. There are two gardening books I would like to recommend Southeast Style Gardening and Gardening for the Butterflies and the books are on sale on Amazon. Here are the links: Southeast Style Gardening and Gardening for the Butterflies. The books can help you plan your garden for spring.

March Gardening Chores

As we patiently wait for spring to arrive, we can start preparing by starting seeds. Start spring flowers and vegetables from seeds indoors. It takes about 6 weeks to get strong seedlings. To make starting seeds easier several horticultural companies have designed and marketed seed germination kits. The kits can be bought at local nurseries, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and online. There is a kit that includes 2 grow lights, seedling heat mat, growing tray, base tray for excess water, 2 vents on the cover, garden tools, and plant labels. This kit is just one that was listed on Amazon that I found.

Spring is a good time to prune your shrubs and vines. Just be aware that some plants bloom on new growth whereas other plants bloom on old growth. When in doubt prune after flowering.

March is the last month recommended to prune Roses to half their original size. After pruning rake up last year’s mulch and replace with new mulch. This should be done especially if your roses had black spot because the black spot spores are lying dormant on top of last year’s mulch. Fertilize with Bayer Advanced Rose Fertilizer after pruning and apply once a month. ClickHere For More Information on Roses.

Prune back Holly shrubs that have gotten too large. If needed, you can prune back to 36 inches, but if the holly shrubs are 10 to 15 feet you can do the pruning in stages until you find the height that you like.

Flowering shrubs such as Winter Honeysuckle, Quince, and Forsythia can be pruned after flowering.

Is your Liriope looking at little tattered? The leaves can be cut either with a weed eater or your lawn mower set on its highest setting.

Fertilize winter flowering annuals with a blooming type of fertilizer. Water in all granular type fertilizers.

Lawns should have lime at least yearly. Have you limed your lawn lately? Use 40 pounds per 1000 square feet.

Fertilize Pecan Trees with a fruit tree fertilizer and water in well after.

Fertilize shrubs with a shrub and tree fertilizer and water in well.

Need to divide your perennials? When the leaves start to show you can divide and plant elsewhere in your garden. Use a mixture of SuperThrive and Recharge, professional strength microbial superpack as a root stimulator for best results after planting.

One of the best time to plant fruit and nut trees is in early spring. Nurseries have a good selection of these trees in spring, but hurry the selection usually goes fast.

Peach and Apple trees need to be sprayed with a fungicide recommended for fruit trees and spray the trees while the blossoms are on the tree.

Check for scale insects on Camellias and Euonymus. Spray with a horticultural oil, if you detect the insects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Slam the Scam Day

 

Thursday, March 9, 2023 is National Slam the Scam Day. The Social Security Administration is launching a new campaign to bring awareness to these scams targeted mostly to seniors. For more information and how to report the scammers visit: www.ssa.gov/scam

Unfortunately, this is not the only scam going around internet cyberspace that needs to be addressed and shared with my readers. Anyone who has a social media account can become a potential target to scammers. This has become the new norm for scammers and our blog is spreading the word of warning to our readers.  

There are several ways scammers use to extract money from individuals. One way is to send a friend request on Facebook. The majority of the time when you receive a friend request it is from a friend you know. A lot of people have reconnected with long lost friends through Facebook. What happens when you accept a friend request who you don’t know? Here is one scenario that could happen to you or someone you know.    

The scenario is you accept a friend request from someone you don’t know on Facebook. For whatever your reasoning, you accept the new friend request, then within 24 to 48 hours later you start receiving Facebook messages on your Facebook page.

The messages are very general such as, how are you doing, what are you doing? As time passes the messages become personal questions. The messenger asks questions about whether your married or single, have children, religious believes, what you do, where you live, blah, blah, blah. Some of this information can be viewed on your profile page, especially whether the new Facebook friend to check. During the question answer period you find out your new buddy is working under contract at sea and not in US territorial waters.

After a period of question/answer with your new friend you start to realize your questions are never answered. The new friend keeps responding with a new question directed to you and not ever answering the question you asked. Your new friend is about ready to go to the next step of the friendship.

This step is where it becomes really romantic or more friendly. The new friend expresses total devotion in loving you or waking up each morning with you in their arms, or the new friend cannot wait to get back to the states to meet you in person. After all these confessions of love and blah, blah, blah.  Sounds like something out of a romance novel. Right?

The next step of your new friend is a request to download the WhatsApp or Google Chat. Your new Facebook friend doesn’t trust Facebook messenger. According to your new friend WhatsApp or Goggle Chat are more secure and private, or my company does not like us to use Facebook messenger, or Google Chat is more reliable app than Facebook at sea.

The conversation switches to whatsapp or google chat. The new Facebook friend is laying down the compliments to you non-stop and your head is swimming from all the compliments, but your gut feeling says something’s amiss. You sign off for the day and say you will chat tomorrow.

24 or 48 hours later from your last sign-off you receive a message from your new Facebook friend stating their computer is having issues because their apple laptop is out of date. Please, love could you go purchase an apple gift card? Supposedly, the apple gift card will fix all the issues with your new Facebook friend, or will it?  

The new Facebook friend requested you purchase an apple gift card for $100.00 or $50.00.

You say no and suggest several different ways on how your new friend can get a gift card. After several chats back and forth you decide that there is no way that I am giving a complete stranger money.

Moral of the story. Trust your gut and your instincts. In the scenario your do not have to buy someone’s affection. If you know someone that this has happened to there are resources, you can go to. Report the scammers.  Please share and spread the word against scammers.

 

February Gardening Calendar

Trees and Shrubs can be planted now. This is the best time to plant Nut Trees, Fruit Trees, and Shade Trees. Applying SuperThrive instead of a root stimulator to get your newly planted trees and shrubs established much faster. In the fall and winter months water trees and shrubs twice a week, then in spring and summer water three times a week for the first year.  

Prune Apple and Pear trees the first week in February, wait until mid-March for Peach trees. Remove stakes, trunk wraps, and guy wires from trees planted last fall. Prune back ¼ of the branches on Figs. Save the horizontal branches, these 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.

Perennials trim back all the brown, and if necessary, this month is a good time to divide all perennials. Gerber

Gerber Daisy

Daisy image right. ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2012.

Roses Prune back rose bushes to about 18 to 24 inches. The best time to prune is between February 12 – 20^th. For more information on roses and rose care.

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.

Vegetables cool season veggies like lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, asparagus, elephant garlic,

Lettuce

garlic, snow peas, and strawberries can still be planted. To get a head start on your spring garden start thinking about starting your spring vegetable garden from seeds now. Organically grown Lettuce image left. ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2012. Organically grown Tomatoes image right. ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2012.

Tomatoes

Ornamental Grasses can be pruned back to 12 inches. Liriope that is looking a little be draggled can be trimmed back, too. 

Houseplants water with a houseplant fertilizer 1/2 strength and turn your plants a ½ turn every week. Bamboo Palm image right. ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2012. 

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Bamboo Palm

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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.

©Cheryl Ann Meola 2012.

Texas Certified Nursery Professional #1282

January Gardening Calendar

 

January Gardening Calendar

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

Beans and Tomatoes

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. The pots are biodegradable and can be planted where the pot degrades. Before planting cut the pot halfway down and around the pot four times. This action helps the 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 VegetableGardening 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.

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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.

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©Cheryl Ann Meola

 

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden

 

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden

Attracting Hummingbirds to your garden can be very easy. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps and you will have these wonderful creatures visiting your garden on a daily basis. You do not need to redesign your entire landscape or hire a professional landscaper to design a Hummingbird Garden for you, because by providing a few key elemental ingredients and plants you can attract beautiful hummingbirds to your garden. There are certain plants that are Hummingbird magnets that you can use to attract Hummingbirds in your area.

To attract and keep Hummingbirds returning to your garden we need to discuss the key elements and simple steps to follow:

q  Create a habitat to encourage Hummingbirds to nest and feed.

q  Provide at least 3 Hummingbird feeders.

q  Provide Nectar rich, tubular flowers.

Creating a Habitat for Hummingbirds to Nest and Feed would involve providing trees or places for the Hummingbirds to nest. This can be provided for the majority of Hummingbird species by having horizontal tree limbs, and shelter from surrounding tree limbs. The material used by most Hummingbirds to build their nest is organic in nature and is available to your Hummingbirds in most back yard habitats. A few of the organic items used by Hummingbirds are downy plant material, bits of leaves, bark, fallen leaves, and moss.  A Hummingbirds diet consists of 90% of their food coming from nectar, and the other 10% of their diet consists of insects. When attracting Hummingbirds to your garden you’ll need to be aware of the use of insecticides on the plants that the Hummingbirds feed upon. There are two ways to approach the use of insecticides in the garden. One way would be let the Hummingbirds take care of your insect problem, or you can use organically friendly insecticides that are safe for Hummingbirds. By providing a consistent supply of nectar rich flowers and an additional supply of nectar coming from the Hummingbird feeders you will have very happy Hummingbirds in your garden.

Providing at Least 3 Hummingbird Feeders will entice more Hummingbirds returning repeatedly to your garden. By providing an additional and constant food source you will encourage Hummingbirds to stay in your garden for food, and to nest. Place your feeders where you can see all the activity going on. You can place the Hummingbird feeders in any tree limb near your patio, or hang from eaves outside a kitchen window, or an exterior window(s) that you frequently visit. By placing your Hummingbird feeder near the places, you frequently visit outdoors your Hummingbirds will eventually become accustomed to your presence and no longer be afraid when you are present. There are two key ingredients to remember when using Hummingbird feeders in addition to nectar rich plants.

1)    Always keep a good supply of nectar in the Hummingbird feeders.

2)    Always clean your Hummingbird feeder once a week to keep your Hummingbirds healthy.

Hibiscus and More has a beautiful selection of Hummingbird Feeders. Click Here to Order Your Hummingbird Feeders.

Providing Nectar Rich, Tubular Flowers will give your Hummingbird Garden an additional food source that will keep your Hummingbirds coming back each year. Attracting Hummingbirds to your garden is an art.  Nutrition for the Hummingbirds, and how to attract Hummingbirds year-round, all must be taken into consideration.  An abundance of nectar rich flowers, at least 3 Hummingbird Feeders as an additional food source, creates a habitat for nesting and feeding all need to be provided.  The more nectar plants that are provided and Hummingbird feeders provided will attract more Hummingbirds to your garden for years to come.

To bring numerous Hummingbirds to your garden you need to plan for masses and clumps of nectar rich perennials and annuals. Both perennials and annuals should be planted, but perennials are more useful since they bloom year-round, thus attracting Hummingbirds throughout the year.  The blooming periods of the annuals should be staggered also, in order to attract Hummingbirds year-round. Both flower shape and flower color are important in regard to attracting Hummingbirds to feed are the best.  Hummingbirds prefer single flowers with a tubular shape and upright blooms for feeding, and they also prefer flowers with bright colors and a distinct scent, with shades of red, from pink to orange being their favored colors. After planting the plants and hanging your Hummingbird feeders it will take some time for the Hummingbirds to find you, and as the year’s progress you will see more Hummingbirds visiting your garden. Each year the Hummingbirds will come back to the same area as the year before. My father’s house in Georgia has a Miss Huff Lantana bush and that same year the bush was planted the Hummingbirds were frequent visitors and continue to this day to visit the Lantana bush each year. Some of the plants that I will mention will also attract butterflies to your garden as well.

Autumn Sage: Salvia greggii 'Maraschino'. Type: Perennial. Height: 3’ – 4’. Spacing: 18” – 24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. 

Autumn Sage

Bee Balm: Monarda spp. Type: Perennial. Height: 3 – 4”. Spacing: 24 – 30” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. 

Bee Balm

Blue Porterweed: Stachytarpheta jamaicensis. Type: Perennial. Height: 2 – 3’. Spacing: 24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. 

Porterweed

Butterfly Bush: Buddleia davidii 'Pink Delight'. Type: Perennial. Height: 4 – 6’. Spacing: 4 – 6’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.  

Butterfly Bush

Columbine: Aquilegia 'Cardinal'. Type: Perennial. Height: 24 – 28”. Spacing: 18 – 24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Cardinal Columbine

Firebush: Hamelia patens. Type: Shrub. Height: To 15’. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Firebush

Firecracker Plant: Russelia equisetiformis. Type: Perennial. Height: 36” – 48”. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. 

Firecracker Plant

Garden Canna: Canna X generalis. Type: Perennial. Height: Depends on variety but can range from 3 – 5’. Spacing: 1 – 2’ apart for rhizomes, and 3 – 5’ apart for container plants. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Canna

Homestead Purple Verbena: Verbena canadensis 'Homestead Purple'. Type: Perennial ground cover. Height: 6 – 10”. Spacing: 12 – 24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat and drought tolerant.

Homestead Purple Verbena

Korean Hyssop: Agastache rugosa. Type: Perennial. Height: 3 – 4’. Spacing: 12 – 18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Lantana: Lantana camara 'Miss Huff'. Type: Perennial. Height: 4 – 5’. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat, and drought tolerant. 

Lantana Miss Huff

Lemon Bottlebrush: Callistemon citrinus. Type: Shrub. Height: To 12’. Spacing: 4 – 6’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: N/A. 

Lemon Bottlebrush

Mexican Sage: Salvia leucantha. Type: Perennial. Height: 2 – 4’. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, and drought tolerant.

Mexican Sage

Pentas: Pentas lanceolata. Type: Perennial. Height: To 3’, depends on variety. Spacing: 24 – 36” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat and drought tolerant.

Pentas

Petunia: Petunia X hybrida 'Purple Wave'. Type: Annual. Height: 4 – 6”. Spacing: For a thick coverage, 12 – 15” apart, 3’ apart for regular coverage, plants will spread 3 – 5’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat and drought tolerant. 

Purple Wave Petunia

Pineapple Sage: Salvia elegans. Type: Perennial in USDA zones 9 – 11, treat as an annual outside zone 9. Height: 3 – 5’. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. Crushed fresh leaves in fruit salads and drinks; the fresh flowers can be used in salads and desserts.

Pineapple Sage

Texas Gold Columbine: Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana. Type: Perennial. Height: 18 – 36”. Spacing: 12 – 18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Texas Hummingbird Mint: Agastache cana. Type: Perennial. Height: 24 – 36”. Spacing: 12 – 18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, and drought tolerant.

Trailing Lantana: Lantana montevidensis. Type: Perennial, annual outside USDA zone 8. Height: 18 – 24”. Spacing: 3 – 4’ apart, can spread to 5’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat and drought tolerant.

Trailing Lantana

Tropical Hibiscus: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Type: Shrub, annual outside USDA zone 9. Height: To 12 – 15’, pruning can control height. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, and heat tolerant. 

Tropical Hibiscus

Turk's Cap: Malvaviscus arboreus. Type: Shrub, annual outside USDA zone 9. Height: To 12 – 15’, pruning can control height. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, and heat tolerant. 

Turk's Cap

Wax Begonia: Begonia X semperflorens-cultorum. Type: Annual. Height: 6 – 12”. Spacing: 8 – 12” apart. Light Requirements: Partial shade to shade, the bronze-leaf varieties will tolerate more sun. Additional Uses: None. 

Wax Begonia

Yellow Elder: Tecoma stans (Stenolobium stans). Type: Shrub, annual outside USDA zone 7. Height: To 12 – 15’, pruning can control height. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, drought, and heat tolerant. 

Yellow Elder

All photographs maybe purchased as fine art prints at HibiscusandMore.com  

All photographs maybe purchased as fine art prints at HibiscusandMore.com  

Cheryl Ann Meola Art

Butterfly Gardening

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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

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