A Living Easter Basket

Easter baskets are not just for candy. Create your own beautiful living Easter basket. Just line the basket with a plastic liner or plastic bag and then place an assortment of wonderful spring flowers and houseplants. Remember to get plants that not only have color but texture. Pick various sizes and heights and then squish their root balls together and create a lush and full arrangement. Complement the look with custom painted (in Easter hues) ceramic or fiberglass bunnies.

The Scoop on Shrubs

The simple shrub---it can work wonders in your yard. Whether it's structure, privacy, color or wildlife you seek, there's a shrub to fill every need.

Growing on a smaller scale than trees, shrubs are easier to manage and more admirable at eye level. Their size also means it's easier to find spots for them in a existing landscape, and they won't create large areas of unwanted shade. An added bonus, you get to enjoy their appearance year-round. Follow these steps and put shrubs to work for you.

1. Savvy Shopping--Find out which shrubs meet your needs.
2. Find the Right Spot--Take a walk around your property and determine where shrubs may fit in.
3. Planting-Planting shrubs isn't as hard as you would think.
4. Finishing Touches--Frequent watering and fertilizing will do wonders.

Fine Vines

VINE-ally!! A way to expand your gardens without having to break ground. Think up rather than out, and let climbing vines do the rest. Vines give your garden new dimension, add vibrant color to your landscape as well as being a practical problem solver for many unsightly situations. Looking to hide those ugly trash cans near your house?? Let a vine climb a trellis placed in front of them. Want to blend your chain-link fence into the landscape?? A flowering vine will give it a natural look without sacrificing function.

Mix annual vines such as Morning Glories, the Cardinal Cypress Vine, and the purple Hyacinth Vine (btw..love this plant!!!), with wood vines. Some great woody vines are Evergreen Clematis, any type of climbing rose, Carolina Jasmine, Star (or Confederate) Jasmine, and so many others. If you mix your vines, then in summer when your woody vines are just green, but the annual vines will be in full bloom. Remember...just stop in at Botanica Gardens and either myself or one of the staff will be HAPPY to help you out!!

Hello, Sunshine

With just the beginning of spring, we are all craving some sunshine. Bring the color of yellow to your garden with wonderful plants such as the Winter Jasmine. This plant will grow about 4 foot tall and will bloom its heart out in winter and early spring. Easy to grow, this plant loves a semi-shady area. Don't forget some others such as the Kierra Japonica and the Forsythia. These two can tolerate more light and will bloom at different times. The forsythia will bloom early and the Kierra Japonica will bloom about 3 weeks later. WOW..........sunshine for weeks.............

Soil 101

Good soil is the secret to any great garden. It is really simple to build a rich, fertile soil that will produce lush vegetables and herbs or beautiful flowers.

The secret to good soil is organic matter. It releases nutrients to plant roots and also helps make spaces in soil, called pores, that hold the water and air that roots need to grow. The following steps will build great garden soil:

1. Add organic matter You simply can't add too much organic matter. Use homemade or purchased compost, leaf mold, or other organic matter. Either dig into the soil before planting or spread it on the surface.

2. Keeping adding it You need to replenish all the time. Mulching and rebarking beds is a great way to add organic matter on beds every year.

3. Don't walk on beds Walking on cultivated soil flattens soil pores, causing compacted soil, which hampers root growth. Compressed soil also doesn't drain as well. Reach in to tend plants or use stepping stones.

4. Keep soil covered Maintain a layer of compost, chopped leaves, shredded bark, and/or straw on the soil to keep it cool and protect it from wind and rain.

5. Consider testing To learn more about your soil, give a soil sample to your local Cooperative Extension Service or buy a do-it-yourself soil test kit.

Weed and Feed

If you are a do-it- yourself type of person (I am not sure why....), then it's time to apply pre-emergent to your turf. Remember to read the different products directions on the market carefully. Watch out for those products that you can't use on certain warm season grasses such as St. Augustine and Centipede grasses. If you use the wrong product, then you could kill your turf. When you find the right product, make sure you apply it according to the directions as well. To much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

I use a lawn spreader when applying a granular product. You will want to go in one direction at half rate and then in an other direction at half rate. This will ensure full coverage.

The weeds to control now are crabgrass, Dallas grass, and broad leaf weeds. If you wait too long, then a pre-emergent will not work on existing weeds. For existing weeds you will have to use a post emergent which is usually in a liquid form.

As always, please protect yourself from these chemicals. Wear long sleeves and pants and make sure, if possible, to wear a dust mask. I know..........you won't look pretty but who cares when it comes to your health.

How and What to Use When Cleaning Your Patio Cushions

Yes...........It is that time of year to get your patio furniture ready for the warm seasons. Most of us hate to wash cushions and patio furniture and for that matter, most of us don't know what products to use. Just plain soap and water won't do. You need to use stronger products to clean that mildew and give those cushions a new and fresh look. I know there are products on the market that claim to clean outdoor cushions, but I have found, usually, that they have not really gotten the job done for me. So what I use is a commercial mildew cleaner. You can go to your local home and center and purchase a big container of mildew cleaner. Word of CAUTION, first try a very small area of one of your cushions (preferably the bottom) to make sure that the bleach or chemicals in the mixture will not discolor. I personally have never had that problem, but it's important to make sure you test. I simply spray my cushions on the driveway with water. Then pour the product right onto cushions and scrub it into it with a scrub brush. Then wash of with clean water. Let dry before placing onto the furniture. If you have a lot of mildew and some of it remains after scrubbing, no worries, it will fade away in a few hours.