Remove faded flowers and developing seed pods from spring flowering bulbs that are to be kept for bloom next year. Do not remove any of the green foliage. Wait until the foliage turns mostly yellow before you cut it back.

Bulbs that reliably rebloom here do not need to be dug up; they can be left in the ground. Bulbs that rebloom well in our area include leucojum, many narcissuses and some daffodils, Dutch iris, amaryllis, ground orchid (Bletilla), Easter lily, wood hyacinth, freesia, star flower (Ipheion), hyacinths (will rebloom but the spikes are much smaller) and calla lily.

Many other bulbs, such as tulips, crocus, anemones, scilla and muscari, will rarely repeat bloom or will produce inferior flowers next year, so they should be pulled up when finished blooming.

• Established perennials should be fertilized this month if you haven’t already done so. This is most efficiently and economically done with a granular fertilizer with about a 3:1:2 ratio (such as 15-5-10) scattered evenly through the bed following package directions. After the fertilizer is applied, water the bed by hand to wash any fertilizer granules off the foliage and down to the soil.

• It’s time to move container plants you have over-wintered indoors outside for the summer. Remember these plants have grown accustomed to low light and must be gradually introduced to higher light outside. Start them off in shade the first week and then gradually introduce sun-loving plants to more sun to prevent scorching their leaves.

• Keep ornamental vines under control with regular pruning and training or they will quickly get out of hand. If a vine is grown for its flowers, heaviest pruning should be done after its main blooming period.

Sara Mauritz is the author of “Fearless Latin: A Gardener’s Introduction to Botanical Nomenclature.”

She is a life-long plant collector and gardener — she has lived in Portland for 45 years — and is a member of Portland Garden Club and Garden Club of America Horticulture judge.

She offers these tips for successful gardening:

• Know your plants so you put the right plant in the right place.
• It is helpful to know the origin of the plant. What country it comes from and where it grows. Sunny slopes, forest floor, low elevation, montane region.
• If you can replicate the growing conditions of a plant, it will succeed in your garden. Having said that, plants can adapt to moderate changes. A shade-lover will not flourish in a place that gets full sun all day, but will probably do just fine with morning sun and shade from the hottest sun of the day. Water needs are a little trickier. A desert plant will probably never thrive if it gets too much irrigation. And a plant that originates in wet marshes will not do well in a very dry area.
• Any garden will have a variety of growing conditions from dry shade under Doug firs to partial sun under deciduous trees to full hot sunshine all day. If you think about your plants, you can probably find a place in which they can thrive.
• Experimentation is the best teacher. Try a plant in two or three growing areas of your garden to find the place that it does the best. Hybrid tea roses will never be happy in the high desert area of eastern Oregon but you just might find a good place if you experiment.

Learn more: A good way to learn about plants is to visit nurseries, plant society shows like the Rose Society or the Fuchsia Society, or attend flower shows like the Portland Garden Club Flower Show. The horticulture classes will display the wide variety of plants that thrive in this area.

— Homes Gardens of the Northwest staff

Join the conversation at Homes Gardens of the Northwest on Facebook or in the comment section below at www.oregonlive.com/hg

 The weather is getting warmer, and that means anyone with a ‘green thumb’ is anxious to plant their vegetable gardens.

But just because you don’t have a ‘green thumb’ doesn’t mean you can’t grow your own veggies.

Crystal Sanders from James Sanders Nursery joined the WPSD Local 6 TODAY crew to offer some helpful tips and tricks: from saving money while planting your garden, to compost, to what grows best in our area.

Container gardening is the fastest-growing segment of the gardening industry. 9NEWS at 8 a.m. 04/10/14.

Gardening expert Colin Parbery from charity The Share Community shares top tips for April.

5:00am Saturday 5th April 2014 in Wimbledon

Colin Parbery from charity The Share Community

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party”… Well, I think that is what Robin Williams is quoted as saying.

Like any good party, your garden will benefit from a little planning but ultimately it’s your guests that make it a success.

Taking a look at the use of colour can modify the overall style of your garden as well as reflecting your personal taste.

The use of a colour wheel can help in forming effective colour combinations.

Opposite colours on the wheel, such as blue and yellow mix well together. We often find these combinations in nature and are gentle on the eyes.

Adjacent colours are strongly contrasting. For example, yellow, orange and red. These are more difficult to mix but can be used to dramatic effect.

In the vegetable garden, we can now start to sow beetroot, carrots, and lettuce. At this time of year, there is a significant difference between night and day temperatures, so it is ideal for sowing parsley but far too early for basil.

House plants, citrus and any patio plants that you have kept in overwinter can be put outside, taking care to place them in the shade to they don’t get sunburnt.

Showbiz news

• Funeral send-off for Dickson Wright

• Double Bafta nod for C4’s Gogglebox

• Actor Mickey Rooney dies aged 93

• Kerry Katona has baby number five

• Star Wars casting almost complete

• James Arthur ‘dropped by Cowell’

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Every day that I’m not on the road, I look out my office window toward the garden, and walk the property at least once or twice. My mind never stops turning with all the projects and to-dos I see for my landscape. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

My dream is to someday experience the term coined a few years back – “staycation.” The concept applies to the notion of staying home in an environment that is so pleasant, you feel like you’re on vacation. In theory, I love the idea. But in reality, it’s another story. Fortunately, for the lawn and garden, there are some pretty helpful ideas along with a number of undemanding plants that can get us a few steps closer to a truly relaxing staycation in our own little corner of the world.

TIPS AND TRICKS

These are a few of my favorite tricks for getting a little bit closer to nirvana.

– Soaker hoses: Keeping up with watering can rob many hours of precious free time. An easy way to cut down on this time consuming event is to make sure your plants are getting water right where they need it by using soaker hoses. These porous hoses allow water to seep out slowly and deeply. Roots have time to absorb the moisture and there is less risk of over-watering.

– Automatic timers: Simplify watering duties even more by using automatic timers. Use these in conjunction with soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems and put your watering woes on autopilot. The timers can be set to come on automatically from several times a day to once a week. Then, whether you leave home for weeks or want more carefree time in the hammock, you won’t have to worry about your plants or lawn not getting watered.

– Mulch: Usually the most dreaded task in any garden is the weeding. One simple solution to cutting down on the amount of weeds your garden will have is to use mulch. A three-inch layer will block the sunlight most weed seeds need to germinate. The added benefit of mulch is that it keeps your soil cooler, cuts down on moisture loss and helps suppress disease. It even looks great and really shows off the plants.

– A garden mailbox: Even the most organized gardeners find themselves running back to the shed or garage for that must-have tool for the job at hand. Placing a mailbox or similar storage box in the garden can eliminate those unnecessary trips back to the tool shed. Fill the mailbox with your most important small tools and you’ll always have them close at hand. Consider adding a trowel, plant labels, waterproof pen, twine, scissors, pruners, insect spray and bottled water. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference.

PLANTS TO PLANT

When it comes to high-impact, low-maintenance plants, here are three of my favorites. Just keep in mind, even the least demanding plants deserve our attention every now and then.

– Knock Out roses: This is the un-fussy rose. If you’ve been intimidated by growing roses in the past or are tired of the work necessary to keep them disease and pest-free, this is the rose for you. Knockout roses are prolific bloomers and are very resistant to black spot and mildew problems typical of so many other roses. Provide full sun and well-drained soil and this rose will reward you with months of carefree beauty.

– Daylilies: They’re so easy, you can practically lay a daylily on the ground and watch it grow. Daylilies are beautiful and deer resistant with thousands of varieties in a rainbow of colors. They bloom all summer and return the next year thicker and fuller than before. The only work you’ll have to do is to divide them every 3 to 5 years.

– Hostas: If you’re looking for a showstopper for the shade garden, hostas are it. From miniature to massive, these plants known for their bold foliage are available in thousands of varieties. Hostas offer many shades of green, from lemon-lime to blue-green and every shade in between. The bonus with this easy care plant is that some are highly fragrant and all do well in containers. Unfortunately deer resistance is not one of its strengths.

Joe Lamp’l is the host and executive producer of Growing a Greener World on national public television, and the founder of The joe gardener� Company, devoted to environmentally responsible gardening and sustainable outdoor living.

Gardening expert Colin Parbery from charity The Share Community shares top tips for April.

5:00am Saturday 5th April 2014 in Local news

Colin Parbery from charity The Share Community

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party”… Well, I think that is what Robin Williams is quoted as saying.

Like any good party, your garden will benefit from a little planning but ultimately it’s your guests that make it a success.

Taking a look at the use of colour can modify the overall style of your garden as well as reflecting your personal taste.

The use of a colour wheel can help in forming effective colour combinations.

Opposite colours on the wheel, such as blue and yellow mix well together. We often find these combinations in nature and are gentle on the eyes.

Adjacent colours are strongly contrasting. For example, yellow, orange and red. These are more difficult to mix but can be used to dramatic effect.

In the vegetable garden, we can now start to sow beetroot, carrots, and lettuce. At this time of year, there is a significant difference between night and day temperatures, so it is ideal for sowing parsley but far too early for basil.

House plants, citrus and any patio plants that you have kept in overwinter can be put outside, taking care to place them in the shade to they don’t get sunburnt.

Showbiz news

• Novelli couldn’t admit hearing loss

• Winstone: I’ve made some bad films

• Hi-tech plaque marks Tin Pan Alley

• Cumberbatch to play TV Richard III

• Jen: Paul is extraordinary director

• Bailey on her baby preparations

Comments (5)

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Gardening expert Colin Parbery from charity The Share Community shares top tips for April.

5:00am Saturday 5th April 2014 in News

Colin Parbery from charity The Share Community

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party”… Well, I think that is what Robin Williams is quoted as saying.

Like any good party, your garden will benefit from a little planning but ultimately it’s your guests that make it a success.

Taking a look at the use of colour can modify the overall style of your garden as well as reflecting your personal taste.

The use of a colour wheel can help in forming effective colour combinations.

Opposite colours on the wheel, such as blue and yellow mix well together. We often find these combinations in nature and are gentle on the eyes.

Adjacent colours are strongly contrasting. For example, yellow, orange and red. These are more difficult to mix but can be used to dramatic effect.

In the vegetable garden, we can now start to sow beetroot, carrots, and lettuce. At this time of year, there is a significant difference between night and day temperatures, so it is ideal for sowing parsley but far too early for basil.

House plants, citrus and any patio plants that you have kept in overwinter can be put outside, taking care to place them in the shade to they don’t get sunburnt.

Showbiz news

• Claflin not afraid of horror set

• Woodley’s doubts about co-star

• Jen: Paul is extraordinary director

• Bailey on her baby preparations

• Man held near home of Selena Gomez

• Hopkins not bothered by controversy

Comments (1)

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Photo by Becky Trammell/Special to the Times Record News

The Viola tricolor, which is native to Europe and was introduced into North America, is a member of the pansy family.

April is also a month full of gardening activities. All planting activities should be gauged by your ability to provide adequate water.

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Contact Wichita County Master Gardeners through the county Extension office at 716-8610 or at wichitacmga@gmail.com. Or, visit www.txmg.org/wichita.

© 2014 Times Record News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Vegetables to plant in April include cantaloupe, collards, corn, cucumber, cucuzza, cushaw, honeydew, lima beans, luffa, Malabar spinach, mirliton (plant sprouted fruit), okra, pumpkin, snap beans, Southern peas, squashes, sweet potato (plant rooted cuttings), Swiss chard and watermelon. Plant transplants of tomato, peppers and eggplant.

• Be sure to mulch newly planted beds of shrubs or bedding plants with a two inch layer of leaves, pine straw, pine bark or other materials to control weeds, conserve moisture and keep the soil from packing down.

• If needed, prune spring flowering shrubs when they finish blooming. Have a definite purpose in mind before you begin to prune, and prune carefully to achieve your objective. Avoid shearing shrubs unless a formal, high maintenance, clipped look is desired.

• It is very important to pull up and dispose of cool season annual weeds such as annual bluegrass, henbit, bedstraw and chickweed now. These weeds are currently setting thousands of seeds that will plague you next winter if not removed now. If they are in your lawn, mow with a bag attachment and dispose of the clippings

• Plant caladium tubers or started plants in this month through June. Caladiums are excellent for shady areas and combine beautifully with ferns, begonias, liriope, impatiens, hosta and coleus.