Read, Dream and Planfor the coming season.

Seed catalogues start coming in the mail.

Send for seeds and nursery stock.

Begin watering Amaryllis bulbs in pots to force them to bloom.

Watering needs for houseplants are less during the cooler months. They grow more slowly and temperatures are cooler near windows in winter, so water needs are less.

Fill feeders - Keep the bird feeders filled for the birds and squirrels.

Watch to see if birds and animals are finding food and adequate shelter from the plants in your garden. You may want to add some next summer.

Prune trees on nice days.
Winter is a good time to see the structure of trees.

Look for dead (there are no buds on dead branches), broken, crossing, diseased or any branches that are in the way of people or other plants.

Take Care on really cold days when there is no snow cover, walking or driving on turf can damage it.

Analyze your garden and landscape now. Is it as attractive as in the summer?

If not, plan to add plants that add winter interest of form, unusual bark patterns, and colorful bark or seeds.

Icy sidewalks are dangerous, but using salt and other chemicals cause the melting water to be dangerous to plants. Use sand or kitty litter to prevent falls on ice.

Order seeds and nursery stock if you have not or need to add more to previous orders.

Fertilize house plants after having allowed them to rest for the past few months.

Watch for bulbs. Some years snowdrops begin to bloom in February.

No need to protect spring bulbs when the weather turns cold. They can handle the cold.

Prune trees on nice days as needed.

Make a note of areas where snow has stood all winter, this is a potential site for snow mold, a disease, to develop.

Check stores for seed starting mix, a soiless mix for starting seeds indoors.

With soiless mixes, there is less chance of baby seedlings getting diseases and keeling over dead from damping off.

Fertilize house plants with a soluble concentrate fertilizer. Most call for 1 tablespoon per gallon. If you fertilize every week, use 1 tablespoon per 2 gallons.

Start garden seedlings of peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and flowers.

Check stored summer flower bulbs like cannas and gladiolas for desiccation and disease. Mist lightly with water or water containing a fungicide.

Pot up a few Cannas, Dahlias, and Gladiolas to get an early start on blooming.

Its time to plant cool season vegetables such as onions, potatoes, peas, lettuce, collards, kale and swiss chard when the silver maple blooms.

Check the soil for the proper moisture. Take a handful of soil in your hand, squeeze it into a ball.
Its perfect if it crumbles easily when you crush it, its safe to plant.
Its too wet if it holds together, do not spade or till the soil. Hard large clods will form that last all summer.

Mid month, cut ornamental grasses to the ground and clean up ornamental flower beds.

Plant cole crops, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower into the garden.

Fertilize spring bulbs and flower beds with a granular balanced garden fertilizer when the leaves of tulips and daffodils have emerged about 4-6 inches.

Before the buds break dormancy. Spray dormant oil on fruit trees and anything that may have problems with scale insects. The oil suffocates or will soften the protective scale covering to expose insects wintering over on the tree.

When buds show green on fruit trees its time to spray the first application of fungicide or of fruit tree spray.

Mid month, cut to ground, summer blooming spireas, shrub dogwoods, and willows to rejuvenate and remove old wood.
Prune back somewhat, summer blooming shrubs such as hydrangeas, althea and hypericum.

Prune fruit trees and grape vines.

Mulch or top dress with mulch all beds to prevent weeds and conserve moisture in the summer.

Roses. Late March, begin to push mulch back from roses.

Pre emergence should be applied when the forsythia is in full bloom to prevent grassy weeds like crab grass. Apply earlier if there has been a problem with knotweed which germinates in March.

Harvest dandelion greens using a dandelion digger or table knife, it removes weeds and you have excellent salads and greens for dinner with no chemical pesticides.

Make grapevine wreaths from the trimmings of grape vines.

Soft grasses like little blue stem can be soaked and used for basket-making materials.

Watch for cedar waxwings and robins heading north in early to mid month. They will feast on crab apples and juniper berries.

On warm days (at least 5-10 degrees above freezing) take house plants outside and spray them down hard with water to remove insects.

Up-pot seedlings into larger pots so there is a larger root ball to go outdoors.

Still time: Pot up a few Cannas, Dahlias, and Gladiolas to get an early start on blooming.

Uncover roses, but leave mulch close by to recover is the weather turns cold again.

Plant more cool season seeds, small sections every week or two to have a succession harvest in the summer.

If you have problems with disease on peonies, apply fungicide as they emerge from the soil.

Spray fungicide or fruit tree spray on fruit trees to prevent scab and cedar apple rust ...3 applications...
1. when the buds first show green,
2. when the apple flower buds are in the pink-bud stage (even white flowers show pink), and
3. when the petals fall.

Prune back shrubs like summer-blooming spirea and colored wood dogwoods and willows if you have not yet done so.

Apply pre-emergence Apply after the forsythia begins to bloom, to prevent weed seeds from germinating in turf.

Dandelion greens are ready to pick. They are best just before they begin to bloom, and for a short time at the beginning of blooming.

Pick stinging nettle greens when they are first coming up and tender. They do not sting or do only a little when they first emerge in the spring and are very nutritious.

Take house plants outside for their summer vacation. Put in sheltered locations out of hot sun the first few days and gradually permit them to be in full sun.

Plant pots of annuals. Use several species in a pot rather than only one. A good rule is:

• 1. Something tall
• 2. Something mid-height
• 3. Something hanging over the edge of the rim.

The larger the pot the better, especially on hot days as there is more soil to hold water.

Plant warm season garden seeds.

May 10 is the magic, supposed frost free date, time to plant out warm season plants.

Control weeds before they have a chance to take over. Pulling, hoeing or rototilling are one way to control weeds. Apply organic mulches like grass clippings, straw or pine needles. Put a layer of newspapers beneath the mulch to increase effectiveness.

Look for dead branches in shrubs and trees.

Remove root suckers around trees, these are volunteer sprouts often growing from the base.

Prune roses as necessary to remove dead, shape, remove older canes and remove canes with holes from bores.

Raise the mower height as the temperature rises. Taller grass can handle heat and drought better than if it is cut short.

When mowing, do not cut more than 1/3 of the total height of the grass. More than this stresses the grass plants.

Sod web worm larvae emerge in May.
To determine if you have them a apply a mix of 1/4 cup dish detergent in 1 gal. water and apply over 1 sq. yard of lawn. No need to be concerned if you find less than 15 worms/sq. yard.

Watch for ticks, they like tall grasses and low shrubs. Keep grass mowed to discourage them.

Where space is limited plant vegys in large large storage tubs with holes for drainage (so water can escape) drilled in the bottom.

Set out the humming bird feeders when the columbine begin to bloom. the spring migrations seem to follow the opening of the columbine.

Make your own nectar:
One part pure cane sugar to 4 parts boiled water. cool and fill feeders. Add coloring for humans to moniter the amount of nectar left.

Fertilize indoor plants once a month with a water soluble fertilizer.

Many indoor plants can tolerate a summer vacation

MID-JUNE- Plant Fall Garden: Plant cool season plants now to mature in the cool fall months.

Fertilize vegetables and annual flowers about every 2 weeks.

Fertilize Roses

Prune shrubs.
All early-spring blooming bushes should be pruned by now so they have the summer to mature flower buds for next year.
Evergreens like yews, junipers and mugo pine can be pruned now.

Raise the Mower height as high as it will go and remove no more than 1/3 of the blade in each mowing. Taller turf withstands heat, drought and weeds.

Dropping the clippings, rather than catching, adds some nutrients to the soil for healthy grass

Scale insects are easiest to eliminate when they are young. A number os species hatch now. Apply an insecticidal oil and insecticidal soap combination at the rate on the container every 3 days until they are eliminated.

Take indoor plants outdoors to give a good spraying of water from the hose. It cleans them and many insect pests will be washed off.

The first 2 weeks of July is the optimal time to plant for a fall garden.

Plant cool season crops like lettuce and oriental cabbage, and faster maturing crops like zucchini and green beans

Watch base of squash vines for evidence of vine bores. remove by splitting vine with knife and removing borers, then cover vines along the ground with 4-5 inches of soil.

Watch for beetles on eggplant.

Deadhead Roses and summer blooming spireas.

Trim hedges such as yews and Junipers.

Be sure to raise the mower cutting height to the highest it will go for healthier grass.

During the hottest part of the summer its ok if the grass turns brown. Cool season grasses are supposed to go dormant in the heat of the summer. They will green up when the rains come and the temperatures cool.

Fertilize indoor plants at least once per month in the summer to keep them growing and healthy.

We have the greatest amount of light in the house and the best potential for plant growth in summer.

Watch for infestations of insects on house plants. If a problem occurs, take plants outdoors in the shade and spray all parts of the plant with water from the hose. Repeat every 3 days for two weeks. Eggs may hatch and new infestations can occur.

Watch for various larger beetles on eggplant and squash. Hand picking and squishing works well for large species.

Flea beetles on eggplant can be sprayed daily with a strong stream of water from the hose.

Each morning check undersides of squash leaves for squash bug eggs that need to be squished.

Continue to deadhead ever blooming roses.

Remove rose hips from ever bloomers to encourage more fall blooming.

No more fertilizer on woody plants after the first of the month. New growth in the fall may not mature before winter and is susceptible to winter-kill.

Deadhead old flowers on spirea to encourage another flush of bloom.

Continue to mow at the highest level to provide as much energy from long grass blades in the heat.

July and August are natural periods of dormancy in bluegrass and fescue lawns. Do not be concerned if you have not watered and the grass is brown. This is natural and normal.

If you have been watering, and brown patches occur you may have insect or disease problems.

If insect or disease is suspected, diagnose the problem before treating. No need to apply unneeded chemicals.

Hummingbirds pass through on their migration south for the winter during August and September. When the pears and large-fruited crabapples begin to ripen about mid-August set out hummingbird feeders.

Take cuttings of any plants that are too big to bring in the house.

Begin checking all plants that have spent the summer outdoors for insect pests.

Before frost, use a hard spray of water to wash off insects.

Cut plants like hibiscus severely back. Removing much of the plant and all or most of the leaves removes most pest problems and eliminates the dropping of leaves when the plant is brought indoors.

Squash bugs can be a serious problem in September. Daily inspection of squash and pumpkin vines is necessary.

Watch for disease on Tomatoes. Pick all ripe and nearly ripe tomatoes, remove all dead leaves and spray with a fungicide on infected plants. Do not put leaves on the ground or in the compost. Dispose in the trash.

Continue deadheading of roses.

Light pruning of shrubs from now on can be done.

As the days cool, the mower height may be lowered.

Persistent perennial weeds like bindweed and creeping charlie can be treated in the fall. By applying herbicide in the fall where these are considered a problem will weaken the plants going into winter. They are less likely to survive the winter.

Make sure hummingbird feeders are out for the fall migration of humming birds.

Monarch butterflies migrate in September and October. New England asters, Blue Victoria salvia and annual butterfly milkweed flowers attract them.

Cut back or eliminate fertilizing houseplants to give them a rest, as days become shorter.

Inspect all houseplants for insects weekly.

On nice days take plants outside, if possible to wash down with the garden hose. This is a good way to lessen or eliminate insect pests.

Remove any plant material that had diseases during the summer.

Ornamental Grasses should not be cut until spring.

Seed heads of flowers like purple coneflowers provide food for birds during the winter. Wait till spring to cut back to ground.

Divide or move peonies, bleeding heart, and poppies now. Many other perennials, especially early summer blooming species can also be safely divided or transplanted.

Prune trees and shrubs as needed. Remember that shrubs that bloom before June may not flower if pruned in the fall and winter.

Mulch roses after most trees' leaves turn colors and begin to fall. Wood chips, straw and soil all make good winter protection. Do not cut back in the fall. Wait till spring to prune roses.

When tree leaves have turned colors and begin to fall, it is time to put down winterizer fertilizer.

Some research has shown a fall application of pre-emergence will prevent early weeds in the spring.

Pre-emergence has also been linked to decline in growth to trees. (I have not found the research on this yet.)

Plant bulbs for spring and early summer bloom. Now is a good time to pick up some nice bargains at the stores.

No or little fertilizer on houseplants during short day length days.

Check for infestations of insects that may hatch from plants brought indoors after the summer.

There is still time to transplant some perennials before the ground freezes.

Soak flower borders before the ground freezes. If there is an open winter with little snow, be ready to water again during the January thaw.

Water all shrub borders and trees before the ground freezes.

Wrap or put fencing up around all young trees with smooth tender bark to protect from hungry rabbits and small rodents during the winter when food is difficult for them to find.

Broad-leaved evergreens need an application of anti-dessicant such as wiltpruf to protect from drying winter winds. These plants are not native to this area, so need a little extra care to help them through the winter with little damage.

Water well, at least one time before the ground freezes.

If winterizer fertilizer has not been applied, do it now.

Top dress shrub borders with wood chips.

Pick rose hips before the weather turns really cold and make rose hip tea by boiling a few hips for 3-5 minutes.

Make rose hip syrup or jelly.
Boil hips for 20 minutes, strain hips out through cheesecloth then follow directions for apple jelly on a box of pectin.

Poinsettias should have the foil removed and the pots put in a saucer. The foil they are wrapped in holds water and prevents the soil from drying out and the plants die of root suffication or drowning.

Watch for pests on houseplants. Browning or pale coloration of leaves or fine spider webbing on the bottoms of leaves may be an indication plant pests.

Small plants can be taken to the kitchen sink and all leaves, top and bottom washed. On days over 40 F, take plants outside to wash with the hose.

If there is a warm day in the 40's, and there has not been much snow, be sure to water shrubs and trees.

Winter, while the leaves are gone, is a good time to take a look at the form of trees and shrubs and do any needed pruning.

Try to limit walking on frozen grass areas. turf can be damaged from being walked on when it is frozen.

Remove unheated birdbaths from their pedestals so water does not collect and freeze, breaking the cement.

Put a heater in the birdbath or a portion of the pond so birds and small animals have a source of fresh water.

Leave a pump running so the water ripples over the surface to prevent freezing. a heater is not needed if the water is kept moving.