DON’T THROW AWAY those Easter lilies. Once the flowers have faded, remove it from the pot and plant into a well-prepared bed. Choose a location that receives morning sun and some afternoon shade. Easter lilies go dormant in midsummer. When the foliage yellows in midsummer, cut the plant back down to the ground and mark the location so you will remember where it is.
- IF YOU NEED TO SPRAY an insecticide to control a pest problem,
spray only those plants that are affected or are likely to be affected
to minimize the impact on non-target organisms such as beneficial
insects. Use the least toxic insecticide that will do the job.
- BE SURE TO MULCH newly planted beds of shrubs or bedding plants with a 2-inch layer of leaves, pine straw, pine bark or other materials to control weeds, conserve moisture and keep the soil from packing down.
- SAVE SOME OF YOUR OWN SEEDS from your cool-season annuals to plant again in your garden this fall. This time of year, collect seeds from sweet peas, violas, nicotiana, poppies, calendulas and cosmos. Make sure the seed pods or seed heads are mature before harvesting.
- IF YOU INTEND TO PUT OUT SOIL FILL this spring, remember that shade trees will not tolerate more than 2 inches of fill placed over their root systems. Also, lawn grass will not grow through more than about 2 inches of fill. Avoid spillway sand, as it is more likely to contain weeds.
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