FOR FRESH COLOR:
Favorite annuals for summer color have returned: Bacopa, Begonias, Coleus, Geraniums, Impatiens, Marigolds, Million Bells, Petunias, Snapdragons, Sweet Potato Vine, Tender Fuchsias, Trailing Petunias, Sunflowers, Verbena, Zinnias and many more.
- Refresh landscape plantings with showy summer color. Use annuals to fill space between young, immature shrubs & perennials; annuals grow quickly and compete with weeds while keeping the yard in bloom.
- Invigorate patio & deck pots and hanging baskets with fun combinations of color and texture or bring them in to Dennis 7 Dees for custom replanting.
- Summer-flowering bulbs can be planted now; fill a sunny patch of dirt with dahlias for a summer’s worth of blooms for cut bouquets. Begonias, lilies and calla lilies are a few other bulbs to pick-up while shopping.
Spring is an excellent time to plant perennials to get them established before the heat of summer. For waves of color that return year after year choose perennials:
- Grab whatever looks good when at the garden center or look for: Black-Eyed Susan, Echinacea, Geum, Hardy Fuchsias, Hardy Geraniums, Lilies, Wallflower and many others bring exceptional lasting color. For Stunning Foliage: Artemisia, Cannas, Coral Bells, Eucomis, Hostas, & ornamental grasses to name a few suggestions.
FOR THE LAWN & LANDSCAPE:
Improve soil health and condition by layering compost & amendments on top. Malibu Compost and Cascade Minerals will boost the microbial populations in your soil. Add in advance or at time of planting. Use Black Forest compost to break up clay soil; top-off low soil levels in raised beds with combination of Malibu compost and Bumper Crop soil builder.
- Remove moss from lawns with Lily Miller Moss Out or Moss Out Plus Fertilizer. Also remove moss from hard surfaces with Moss Out Roofs and Walks a special formulation keeps walkways and roofs safe and moss-free, without staining.
- Fertilize the lawn applying an organic or conventional formula or use a Weed & Feed product.
- Apply Lime if necessary, it adjusts the pH of soil, making nutrients more available to the grass and helping control moss.
- Aerate and de-thatch the lawn every other year to encourage lush, healthy, vigorous turf.
Now is the perfect time to plant shrubs to get them established before the heat of summer. For a complete landscape look, compliment perennial plantings with shrubs:
- Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Rockrose, Rhododendrons, Roses and Weigela are some fantastic blooming shrubs. Barberry, Euonymus, Leucothoe, Mexican Orange and Pieris are just a sampling of shrubs with stunning foliage.
TIDY & TRIM:
- As spring flowering bulbs like Tulips and Daffodils fade, wait for their foliage to yellow then cut down to the ground.
- Deadhead Rhododendrons & Azaleas just after bloom by removing flower clusters; simply snap at the natural break point just above where the new leaves emerge. This is also the time to prune for shape too; pruning after bloom ensures an unaffected flower set for the following year. It is also a great time to fertilize them with an acid-lovers blend for future health & vigor.
- Prune other spring flowering shrubs like Lilacs, Forsythia and Flowering Quince after bloom. These vigorous durable shrubs can be hard-pruned to remove any dead wood, control size and maintain shape. In addition, regular thinning every two to three years should also be done to encourage fresh growth and reduce the potential for disease.
FERTILIZE:
- Fertilize Trees and Shrubs with an appropriate fertilizer if they have not yet been fed:
- All Purpose Fertilizer – for trees, shrubs and perennials that are prized for their foliage.
- Azalea, Rhododendron & Camellia Fertilizer – for the shrubs listed plus conifers, maples and blueberries which prefer acidic soil.
- Citrus Fertilizer – for citrus and other heavy feeding, acid-loving plants like Gardenias.
- Flower Garden/Bud & Bloom Fertilizer – to promote ample, luscious blooms in shrubs, perennials and annuals.
- Fruit Tree Fertilizer – to promote foliage & flower production and a bountiful harvest with fruit trees.
- Vegetable & Tomato Fertilizer – for all edibles including berries, perennial vegetables (like artichokes, rhubarb and asparagus) and herbs.
- Fertilize Hydrangeas to encourage vigorous growth and lush blooms. To make/keep Hydrangeas pink add lime to the soil; to make/keep hydrangeas blue add aluminum sulfate or Hydrangea Blue.
FOR THE EDIBLE GARDEN:
May is the time to plant in the Pacific Northwest. Our Average Last Frost Date is May 15th, but can vary from year to year; after that date it’s safe to plant outdoors:
- Tender & Tropical Herbs like Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Tender Sages, Lemon Grass and Lemon Verbena.
- Vegetables to plant: beets, broccoli (starts), cabbage (starts), melons (end of month-watch soil temps.), carrots, cauliflower (starts), celery (starts), corn, cucumbers (end of month), eggplant (end of month), kale, leeks, lettuce (starts), onion (starts), parsley (starts), peas, peppers (starts – end of month), potatoes, pumpkin (starts), radishes, snap beans, squash (starts – mid month), tomato (starts)
Apply Lime to garden beds for the following crops: Cucumbers, Eggplant, Melons, Peppers, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, Summer Squash and Winter Squash; Lime, adds much needed calcium to the soil ensuring a productive harvest and reduces potential damages.
IN THE GARDEN SHED:
Continue to monitor and treat Rhododendron/Azalea lace bugs; watch for early signs of black spot on roses and fruit trees, treat as necessary.
FOR FUN:
Celebrate Mother’s Day with a colorful hanging basket a healthy blueberry bush or a beautiful rose plant about to bloom.
FOR FRESH COLOR:
Favorite annuals for summer color have returned: Bacopa, Begonias, Coleus, Geraniums, Impatiens, Marigolds, Million Bells, Petunias, Snapdragons, Sweet Potato Vine, Tender Fuchsias, Trailing Petunias, Sunflowers, Verbena, Zinnias and many more.
- Refresh landscape plantings with showy summer color. Use annuals to fill space between young, immature shrubs & perennials; annuals grow quickly and compete with weeds while keeping the yard in bloom.
- Invigorate patio & deck pots and hanging baskets with fun combinations of color and texture or bring them in to Dennis 7 Dees for custom replanting.
- Summer-flowering bulbs can be planted now; fill a sunny patch of dirt with dahlias for a summer’s worth of blooms for cut bouquets. Begonias, lilies and calla lilies are a few other bulbs to pick-up while shopping.
Spring is an excellent time to plant perennials to get them established before the heat of summer. For waves of color that return year after year choose perennials:
- Grab whatever looks good when at the garden center or look for: Black-Eyed Susan, Echinacea, Geum, Hardy Fuchsias, Hardy Geraniums, Lilies, Wallflower and many others bring exceptional lasting color. For Stunning Foliage: Artemisia, Cannas, Coral Bells, Eucomis, Hostas, & ornamental grasses to name a few suggestions.
FOR THE LAWN & LANDSCAPE:
Improve soil health and condition by layering compost & amendments on top. Malibu Compost and Cascade Minerals will boost the microbial populations in your soil. Add in advance or at time of planting. Use Black Forest compost to break up clay soil; top-off low soil levels in raised beds with combination of Malibu compost and Bumper Crop soil builder.
- Remove moss from lawns with Lily Miller Moss Out or Moss Out Plus Fertilizer. Also remove moss from hard surfaces with Moss Out Roofs and Walks a special formulation keeps walkways and roofs safe and moss-free, without staining.
- Fertilize the lawn applying an organic or conventional formula or use a Weed & Feed product.
- Apply Lime if necessary, it adjusts the pH of soil, making nutrients more available to the grass and helping control moss.
- Aerate and de-thatch the lawn every other year to encourage lush, healthy, vigorous turf.
Now is the perfect time to plant shrubs to get them established before the heat of summer. For a complete landscape look, compliment perennial plantings with shrubs:
- Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Rockrose, Rhododendrons, Roses and Weigela are some fantastic blooming shrubs. Barberry, Euonymus, Leucothoe, Mexican Orange and Pieris are just a sampling of shrubs with stunning foliage.
TIDY & TRIM:
- As spring flowering bulbs like Tulips and Daffodils fade, wait for their foliage to yellow then cut down to the ground.
- Deadhead Rhododendrons & Azaleas just after bloom by removing flower clusters; simply snap at the natural break point just above where the new leaves emerge. This is also the time to prune for shape too; pruning after bloom ensures an unaffected flower set for the following year. It is also a great time to fertilize them with an acid-lovers blend for future health & vigor.
- Prune other spring flowering shrubs like Lilacs, Forsythia and Flowering Quince after bloom. These vigorous durable shrubs can be hard-pruned to remove any dead wood, control size and maintain shape. In addition, regular thinning every two to three years should also be done to encourage fresh growth and reduce the potential for disease.
FERTILIZE:
- Fertilize Trees and Shrubs with an appropriate fertilizer if they have not yet been fed:
- All Purpose Fertilizer – for trees, shrubs and perennials that are prized for their foliage.
- Azalea, Rhododendron & Camellia Fertilizer – for the shrubs listed plus conifers, maples and blueberries which prefer acidic soil.
- Citrus Fertilizer – for citrus and other heavy feeding, acid-loving plants like Gardenias.
- Flower Garden/Bud & Bloom Fertilizer – to promote ample, luscious blooms in shrubs, perennials and annuals.
- Fruit Tree Fertilizer – to promote foliage & flower production and a bountiful harvest with fruit trees.
- Vegetable & Tomato Fertilizer – for all edibles including berries, perennial vegetables (like artichokes, rhubarb and asparagus) and herbs.
- Fertilize Hydrangeas to encourage vigorous growth and lush blooms. To make/keep Hydrangeas pink add lime to the soil; to make/keep hydrangeas blue add aluminum sulfate or Hydrangea Blue.
FOR THE EDIBLE GARDEN:
May is the time to plant in the Pacific Northwest. Our Average Last Frost Date is May 15th, but can vary from year to year; after that date it’s safe to plant outdoors:
- Tender & Tropical Herbs like Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Tender Sages, Lemon Grass and Lemon Verbena.
- Vegetables to plant: beets, broccoli (starts), cabbage (starts), melons (end of month-watch soil temps.), carrots, cauliflower (starts), celery (starts), corn, cucumbers (end of month), eggplant (end of month), kale, leeks, lettuce (starts), onion (starts), parsley (starts), peas, peppers (starts – end of month), potatoes, pumpkin (starts), radishes, snap beans, squash (starts – mid month), tomato (starts)
Apply Lime to garden beds for the following crops: Cucumbers, Eggplant, Melons, Peppers, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, Summer Squash and Winter Squash; Lime, adds much needed calcium to the soil ensuring a productive harvest and reduces potential damages.
IN THE GARDEN SHED:
Continue to monitor and treat Rhododendron/Azalea lace bugs; watch for early signs of black spot on roses and fruit trees, treat as necessary.
FOR FUN:
Celebrate Mother’s Day with a colorful hanging basket a healthy blueberry bush or a beautiful rose plant about to bloom.
