In the Garden: may is for planting

In the Garden

May is for planting

By tina will

Now that we've put winter behind us it's time to get serious about our gardens. Right now, at your local Farmers Markets, there are many plants you can buy plants that are ready to put in the ground. Herbs are everywhere and rather easy to grow. Some are perennial and some are annual but they all go in the garden now. You can make a special spot for them and have an herb garden or you can intermix them in flower gardens. I have one garden that is just for things that smell like lemons, lemon thyme, lemon basil, lemon grass, lemon verbena, lemon balm, and lemon geranium (citronella). I put sage in lots of flower gardens as well as lavender, parsley, chives, If you've never been too good at gardening or aren't quite sure how to get started, you can stop by the M a s t e r G a r d e n e r s tent at the Gordon Road Market or the downt o w n and rosemary. Parsley is a host plant for swallowtail butterflies along with dill and fennel so you can attract butterflies at the same time.

Vegetable plants like cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and peppers are sold at the markets as well, with a large variety to choose from. Flowering plants are also sold as well as some house plants. If you have no yard, you can grow many plants in pots. Fredericksburg market or the King George market. Here you will find Master Gardener volunteers who have been trained by extension agents from Virginia Tech that are there to provide you with a pleth-ora of information. They can help with problems you may have with soil, bugs, pests, voles, trees, lawns, and garden plants to help turn your brown thumb green. And if you can't make it to the market to ask your questions you can call the help desk to get your questions answered (540) 658-8 8000 M-F F 8-4 4:30pm.

Another May phenomenon is the arrival of irises and peonies, both of which are deer resistant. I first learned about irises when I moved to Virginia 18 years ago. E v e r y M o t h e r ' s Day weekend the Iris Society has an iris show and a garden tour where you can see beautiful gardens and flowers. You can talk to t h e gardeners and even order some of their flowers which are usually available in late July. The past few years the sale was at Meadows Farms on Rt 3. My wife Pat saw the gardens the first year and wanted an iris garden. Since the roots of irises and peonies are not super deep, they can be planted on your septic drain field instead of just grass. You can arrange the garden formally or casually but your plants will last a lifetime. Many irises need to be regularly dug and separated every four years. Adding nutrients to the soil at that time is also recommended. The beauty of the flowers is definitely worth the effort. Till the next time, Happy Gardening.

RayMikula is a Master Gardener.He has several acres of garden space & has been gardening for 62 years. Before retiring Ray was a Earth Science & Astronomy Teacher