In the Garden with Grace: Season Starter Kit

 

Grace Peterson

50plus Magazine

 

A year ago February my unkempt front yard was really bugging me. Weeds were infesting the lawn and coming up through bark dust. You couldn’t tell where the bark dust ended and the lawn began. It looked awful.

 

So, with every agreeable day, I was out there. I got a load of wood chips to lay over the 15-year-old bark dust and then fresh gravel for a parking area by the street. And I edged the lawn. This involved cutting a nice even line all around it, delineating grass from mulch. Once that was done, I laid edging pavers in the little area I had cut away. The visual gratification motivated me, and before the end of the month my front yard looked decent once again. I am so glad I tackled that laborious task early, before it got hot. It’s as if I knew we were in for record-breaking heat in June when labor-intensive gardening would be impossible.

 

My timing was really a happy accident. I was relying on the 30 years of gardening experience that had taught me to get the hard work done in spring when the soil is still cool, damp and workable, and when temperatures are below, say, 70 degrees. Not only is working so much easier than in July, it means I have all summer to admire my accomplishments.

 

Here we are again. Another spring and I couldn’t be happier. In our gardens, there is much to enjoy now and much to look forward to. While weeding (mostly Bittercress!) I’m keeping a lookout for the keepers — perennial and annual seedlings that I can move to bare spots or pot up and give to friends.

 

I’m also digging and moving a lot of shallow-rooted perennials because I never seem to get their placement correct the first time.

 

A good tip for pruning shrubs and vines: do it right after they’re finished flowering. This allows the plant enough time to grow and form next year’s blooms. It also means I don’t have to deadhead every single faded blossom, which is tedious on a plant with hundreds of flowers. The pruning takes care of removing most of them.

 

If last year’s compost is sufficiently decomposed, I will sift it to remove any big chunks, then add it to the vegetable garden or use it as a top dress for perennials and shrubs. But it runs out as there’s never enough. Compost is so good for plants. It helps feed the soil, which in turn feeds our plants, making them stronger and more resistant to critters and disease.

 

Once we’re past the threat of a hard frost, we can bring out cold-sensitive plants. However, it’s important to acclimate them slowly, so a shady patio is a good place to start. Then, we should still watch the forecast and bring them indoors if the thermometer drops again.

 

For more information on what key tasks to tackle each month in the garden, visit the Oregon State University Extension Service’s Monthly Garden Calendars. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/collection/monthly-garden-calendars