Spring has arrived, even though it will most likely rain this month and snow may dust the mountains. So much is in bloom, or is soon to be. Continue to plant just about anything - from seeds to citrus -and there's no shortage of chores, from weeding to fertilizing.

FEED EVERYTHING: Most plants do their growing in spring, so fertilizing now - especially if it's the only time you do - can make a huge difference. The kind of fertilizer used isn't that important. As one experienced nurseryman put it, "Most fertilizers work, but they don't work sitting in the garage." However, make sure you need to fertilize - many garden soils already have more than enough fertilizer.

DEADHEADING TO EXTEND BLOOMING AND ANNUAL FLOWER LIFE: Dead heading is removing the spent or dead flowers from the plant. In simple terms most plants produce flowers to produce seeds to reproduce. If the flower is removed before the seed has been dropped from the plant the plant will usually keep trying to reproduce. This in turn means the plant will probably produce more flowers for a longer period of time.
Many annuals (plants that live for one season only) will die if they are not deadheaded. But if they are deadheaded they will continue to produce flowers for an extended time.

Garden View Maintenance crews due this on a weekly basis.

Breaking off the flower where the stem meets the stalk is the way to successfully deadhead Long-stem flowers, such as this daylily, that grows in a succession of blooms on a single stalk. Pull down gently on the spent flower until it cleanly snaps off. Breaking off faded daylilies will add to the plant's appearance if not the overall flower productivity. Other flowers to break off include iris, Gladiola, and Kangaroo Paw.

Click Here to read what to prune now and other gardening tips!

● March 20th is the first day of spring.  It's time to "spring into the dirt" and enrich your soil.  Go out and grab your rakes and shovels, dust them off, and start cultivating.  All you need to do is: lift up existing soil, add compost and all purpose fertilizer, turn it over, and level it out.

 ● This would be a good time to plant azaleas and camellias.  Our nursery still has them in bloom, so choosing them now means no surprises next year.  When planting azaleas, use 50% peat moss mixed with 25% compost, and 25% native soil.  Camellias need 25% peat moss, 25% compost, mixed with with 50% native soil. 

  Also in full bloom right now is our Cooke's purple wisteria.  This particular vine has large fragrant blooms in spring and a second bloom of smaller spikes in summer.  If you like wisteria but don't have anything to support it with, we have them in tree form as well.  These semi-weeping trees can grow 8-12 feet tall, and their white flowers are exceptional.  Come in and check them out!

Tip: If old wisteria fails to bloom, withhold all nitrogen fertilizers for an entire growing season.  If that fails to produce bloom the next year, you can try pruning roots in spring, by cutting vertically with spade into plants root zone (be gentle).

● March 15th is the Sierra Madre Wisteria Festival.  This is the only day of the year you can come into the homeowner's property and view the largest vine in the world.  I'm fortunate to call the vine my neighbor, and can attest to the thousands of anxious viewers every year. The busses transporting viewers up to the vine wake me up in the morning.

  Imagine everyone walking through the property, bedazzled by the mass of gorgeous purple flowers, forgetting to watch their step.  To prevent an accident, the swimming pool is bordered with a sampling of Garden View plants so no one accidentally falls in!

  The streets in town are closed off for vendors to sell their arts + crafts.  Every few blocks there is live music and of course restaurants riddle the streets.  It's a great day to stroll around.  The hours for viewing the vine are 9:00 - 4:00.

● Let's not forget that March 17th is St. Patrick's Day.  I highly suggest the St. Patrick rose.  The luck of the Irish may have finally brought a super slow-opening yellow-gold and green hybrid tea rose.  This saintly yellow can pick up a touch of gold in cool weather, but he'll be wearin' the green when the temperature turns up.  The fragrance is slight.

   Wow! I'm exhausted.  We have cultivated, planted, walked, strolled, shopped, danced, sang, and ate. [& Hopefully not gone swimming]

Now you're in the dirt!
(Julie Meahl is the Retail Manager and Vice President of Garden View, Inc.)