February 2007

We've all survived the Valentine's Day sleet snow and ice event and now all we have to do is wait for spring to arrive. You've all probably been getting plant and seed catalogues in the mail and have a nice reading pile set aside. Now is the time to get them out and look through and see what is interesting. The growers are constantly coming out with new hybrids of plants you already know and some that maybe you don't.

When choosing new plant material for your garden remember to follow some of these simple rules - 1) Many catalogues have plants suitable for many temperature zones, so make sure that you choose plants that are suitable for our area. Killingworth zone 6, but I like to make sure that I choose plants that are hearty to zone 5 or even 4 just to be sure that they will survive whatever sort of a winters we have in the future. 2) Make sure you have the right light conditions for the plants you choose-e.g., full sun means at least 6 hours of full sun. 3) Make sure you have the proper soil conditions and if you don't, make sure that you know how to supplement your soil to meet those conditions. 4) Make sure where you are planning them will have the right amount of water, e.g., some plants require constantly damp conditions and others require dry. 5) If you have never used native plants in you garden this may be the time to add some...they benefit the birds and wildlife and many will attract butterflies!

Now that all of the holiday decorations are down, many of us are sitting around and wondering what to do with that amaryllis that has finished flowering and now is just a mass of leaves. If you have not done so cut back only the flower stalk. Continue to water and fertilize at regular intervals. In the spring move it to a sunny window and when the weather allows(after all threat of frost )- late April or early May - you can move it outdoors for the summer. Place it in a sunny location in you yard but in a place that you will remember to water it. You might just dig the pot into one of you garden beds. In September(watch for frost warnings) before) bring the plant into the house and place in a cool area (55 degrees or so) and stop watering for 6 to 8 weeks. In November remove any old leaves and give it a good watering and move it to a sunny location. Water sparingly, increasing water as the bulb sprouts and begins to grow again. Hopefully you will have new a new bloom in three to eight weeks - just in time for the next holiday season!

Now for something really fun - the Killingworth Evergreen Garden Club cordially invites everyone to an evening of fabulous flower arranging. Our speaker will be floral designer Ed Thereault. Ed uses native and seasonal flowers to make spectacular bouquets that stand alone. He will share with us some of his secrets and techniques and all of the bouquets that he prepares in his demonstration will be raffled at the end of the evening. So mark your calendars! Date is Tuesday March 13. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Place Killingworth Congregational Church - Grange Hall. Refreshments will be served.