Quotation of the Week: "The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month." — Henry Van Dyke

Summer Bulbs

It's time to plant summer blooming bulbs! Tigridias: Bulbs of tigridias, or tiger flowers, can be found at local nurseries now. Plant them six inches apart and three inches deep in full sun along the coast, or where they'll get afternoon shade inland. Fertile loam or sandy soil is best. If you have clay soil, mix in plenty of soil amendment, such as Kellogg Amend, or plant in pots or raised beds. The colorful blooms appear in July and August. Each flower lasts only one day, but others follow on the same branch so the bloom season is quite long. Gladioli: Tie gladioli planted earlier to stakes installed at planting time. Protect them from slugs and snails, and keep them well watered. Feed potted glads with liquid fertilizer. Continue to plant gladioli, though when planted now they will need more protection from thrips in summer. Dahlias: Prepare planting holes for dahlias by mixing plenty of organic matter into the soil. Some aged chicken manure can be added to the soil now, along with pre-moistened peat moss, nitrolized wood shavings, or homemade compost, in preparation for planting in April. Dig the organics deeply into the ground - as much as a foot deep - and keep the soil damp. Tuberous Begonias: Start tuberous begonias this month. If you kept some tubers from last year, take a look at them now to see whether they're showing signs of life. If so, bring them out of hiding and start watering them. Buy new ones at local nurseries. Some tubers are slow to sprout, so choose those that already have a sprout or two. Tuberous begonias aren't easy to grow, but if you have rich acid soil in an east-facing area, not too many snails, and a knack for growing begonias they can be one of the most rewarding plants for summer color in semishade. Years ago they were considered suitable for coastal zones only. New heat-resistant varieties such as the Non-Stops have made it possible for gardeners in interior zones to try their hand at this most colorful and exotic-looking garden plant. If growing them from tubers sounds too involved, wait until summer and visit a nursery that has the begonias already planted and potted.

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Spring Lawn Care

Now is the time to feed all types of established lawns and to plant new ones from seed. You can also plant lawns from sod this month. Mow, feed, and water all lawns. Warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda, dichondra, and zoysia, are waking up from winter dormancy. As soon as they start growing, begin mowing weekly with a reel mower to the correct height for each. Mow common Bermuda to 1 inch, hybrid Bermuda to 1/2 or 1/4 inch, St. Augustine to between 3/4 and 1 1/4 inches, and zoysia to 3/4 to 1 inch height. Cut Adalayd grass with a rotary mower between 3/4 and 1 inch in height. Cool-season grasses, such as fescue, ryegrass, and bluegrass, are still growing fast; mow them weekly with a rotary mower to 1 1/2 inches in height. Feed all established lawns now with a complete lawn fertilizer - containing phosphorus and potassium as well as nitrogen - to get warm-season grasses off to a good start and keep cool-season grasses going longer.We recommend you use Bandini Super Green. A healthy well-fed lawn is better able to withstand pests and diseases and choke out weeds. While nitrogen gives your lawn top growth and a healthy green color you can see, phosphorus and potassium feed the roots and growth systems of the plant that are unseen but just as important. Phosphorus and potassium are longer lasting in soil than nitrogen, so one feeding a season with them is often adequate. After this complete feeding you can switch to a less expensive, pure nitrogen fertilizer if desired, and feed warm-season grasses with it once a month for the rest of the growing season. Feed most turf grasses at the rate of 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of turf. Feed dichondra one-half this strength and the new tall, drought-resistant fescues three-quarter strength. (The latter respond best to frequent but light applications of fertilizer.) Apply fertilizer when the ground is damp and grass blades dry, and follow up by watering deeply. Otherwise you risk burning your lawn. If you're willing to pay the price, add coated slow-release fertilizer on a cool-season lawn at this time of year. Cool-season grasses need little or no fertilizer during the warmer months of the year. Irrigate all lawns now, according to their individual needs, when rains aren't adequate. Choose the best time to plant. Both warm- and cool-season grasses may be bought as sod, and cool-season grasses can be planted from sod any month year-round. Although you can plant both warm- and cool-season grasses from seed this month, wait if you possibly can to plant cool-season grasses. Fall is a better time to plant them because fall planting gives cool-season grasses planted from seed more time to establish a root system before summer heat arrives. When planting warm-season grasses, wait until the weather has warmed up in your area. (If you plan to plant zoysia, it's best to wait until June.) Study lawn types before planting one. How do you choose which grass is right for you? Begin by looking around your neighborhood. Talk to the owners of good-looking lawns. Don't just choose for appearance, though. Consider how much traffic your lawn will have to take and how willing you are to fuss over it. Also consult your Cooperative Extension Office and reference books on lawns before choosing a lawn that's right for your area and needs. Experienced nurserymen are another source of information; they usually know which seed or sod has performed well in your neighborhood. Above all, consider drought resistance. Plant new lawns. Regardless of the type of grass and method of planting you choose, be sure to prepare the site thoroughly. If you're planting an invasive grass, such as Bermuda or an invasive variety of zoysia, first install edging to keep it from creeping into borders. For all lawns, rototill deeply, add plenty of soil amendment, and level and lightly roll the ground. Sprinkle seeds evenly and cover them with mulch. Either roll stolons with a cleated roller to press them into the soil or partially cover them with topsoil. Keep your freshly planted lawn damp until established. Sprinkle it twice or three times daily, but avoid watering late in the day.

How to Start a Fuchsia From a Cutting

-Clip from an established fuchsia a soft, bendy growth tip with two or three pairs of leaves. -Clip off the bottom pair of leaflets. -Dip the cut end of the stem, including the node from which you have clipped off the leaves, in a rooting compound such as Green Light Rootone and knock off the excess. (A node is the place on a plant stem from which one or more leaves grow.) -With a chopstick make a hole in a 4-inch pot filled with fast-draining acid potting mix such as Farmer’s Azalea & Camelia Mix. -Take your first "pinch": clip off the top pair of leaves so the plant will begin to branch as soon as it begins to grow. -Write the variety name on a plant label and stick it in the pot. -Keep the plant moist in semishade. Begin feeding as soon as growth begins. -As soon as the roots fill the container, pot the plant - repot it in a container one size larger - and pinch it back to keep it bushy.

The Basic Landscape

Fertilize permanent plantings. Most ornamental trees, bushes, lawns and ground covers respond well to fertilizer at this time. In good years abundant spring rains green up the hillsides and bring out wildflowers, gardeners don't have to water as much, and salts are leached out of our soils. But heavy rains also wash soluble nutrients, especially nitrogen, down to lower levels, sometimes out of reach of roots. So fertilize the basic landscape with a complete granulated fertilizer high in nitrogen like Lilly Miller All Purpose Fertilizer 16-16-16. If you have a straggly ground cover that's never quite covered the ground, a sprinkling of granulated fertilizer in early March will do wonders. Water it in thoroughly or apply it when the weatherman says we're going to have rain. This doesn't mean you should simply fertilize everything in sight. Many plants fall into the broad category of specialty plants because they require special handling. Some specialty plants, including cacti, succulents, and native plants, have little or no need for fertilizer. Others, such as camellias, azaleas, begonias, fuchsias, ferns, orchids, epiphyllums, roses, fruit trees, and vegetables have unique requirements. There are other exceptions, too. Old over-grown gardens in rich soil sometimes become virtual jungles feeding on their own refuse. To fertilize such a garden when there's no sign of nitrogen deficiency, such as stunted growth, yellow leaves, or disease, may simply contribute to more growth, requiring constant pruning; and such invasive plants as blue gum eucalyptus and old stands of Algerian ivy, once established, make one wish one had never planted them. Feeding them would make them more rampant. Plant new permanent specimens. March is one of the two best times of year to plant almost anything we grow in the permanent landscape, such as trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers. The other is October. Planting in fall is traditionally considered to be just a bit better than planting in spring, but after a year or two you'll never know the difference. Now through mid-June is the time to look your garden over, see its strengths and weaknesses, replace troublemakers you don't like, and add permanent specimens where needed. Choose drought-tolerant plants over heavy water users. Be sure to group plants according to their needs for water, for sun or shade, and for soil type. Before purchasing any plant, research its requirements and growth habit.

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What You'll Need: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup 2% milk 4 tbsp. butter, melted 2 cups fresh or frozen sliced, peeled peaches, thawed 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Step by Step:

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the milk and butter; stir into the dry ingredients until smooth. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with peaches and blueberries. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until fruit is tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired. Yield: 4 servings