april to-do list

• Finish pruning shrubs and trees.  If you don’t know what you’re doing, I strongly recommend calling a certified arborist this year, and ask lots of questions while they’re doing it so that you can do it next year.
• Give trees and shrubs a drink.  Put a soaker hose around the drip line (directly under the outermost branch tips) of each tree and shrub and turn it on for a full day (12 hours).  Watering your lawn all summer is not enough to keep your trees healthy (you don't need to water your lawn yet!!)
• Finish cutting down last year’s perennials if you haven’t already.
• Pull winter mulch back from crowns of perennials that are starting to grow. Don’t rake it up too early or you’ll disturb all the sleeping ladybugs!
• Clean eavestroughs and downspouts if you didn’t last fall and set up rain barrels.
• Start some annual flower seeds.  Most are fast- and easy-growing, and seeds are cheap!  Some recommendations include:
  • petunia, godetia, lavatera, nigella (indoors early April)
  • phlox, marigold, morning glory (indoors late April)
  • cosmos, sweet alyssum, sweet pea, sunflower (plant inside late April or directly outside in early May)

... and keep the snow shovel handy!!  When it snows (and it almost definately will), shovel the snow onto your garden instead of the street - why waste it to evaporation or run-off when it could add moisture after a long dry winter?

Comments

[Amy]

I've been worrying about whether or not I should water my shrubs. If you can do it in your slightly colder zone, than I should be able to safely do it in mine! I'll be getting out those soaker hoses...