A great way to shake off the winter blues and get a jump on spring is to start plants from seed indoors. It's not only fun and easy to do but also rewarding, since it allows home gardeners the opportunity to grow plant varieties that may not be available from local plant growers. The opportunities are endless with many unique varieties of flowers, vegetables, and even ornamental vines available in seed form.

To get started, come visit our seed department. Once you have made your selections, look on the back of the packet for basic information such as germination time and an estimate of how long to grow the plant indoors before transplanting into the garden. Find out the average safe date for transplanting your plant in our area, and then count backwards to find out how early you can start your seeds. If you have a greenhouse or cold frame to transplant into, adjust accordingly.

The best containers to use are shallow seed starting trays with covers. Another option is to use peat pots, but plastic or clay pots will do just fine in a pinch. If using containers from a previous growing season, wash them with a solution of one part household bleach to nine parts water to sterilize them. This helps prevent the transfer of disease.

For good germination results, fill your containers with a light soil mix that has good drainage and moisture retention properties. Do not use garden soil. Make sure to wet your soil mix and allow it to drain before sowing the seeds into your containers.

Find a warm location in your home with plenty of light, or an area where you can mount a light above the plants. Most plants need only moisture and warmth to germinate, but will need the light to grow once they sprout leaves. Plain fluorescent light bulbs are fine when starting seeds but consider using at least one "grow light" tube if you are going to keep the plants under lights for an extended time (if you are trying to get full-sized plants by transplant time, you'll need a grow light or a very bright window). Remember that seedlings will quickly become weak and leggy plants if they don't receive enough light.

Seeds generally need a soil temperature above 65º to germinate. If you have trouble maintaining that temperature, consider using a heating mat. Covering your containers with plastic will help hold in moisture and create a humid environment that encourages the seed to germinate. That's why covered seed starting trays are the easiest containers to use.

Make sure your plants don't get too hot under the plastic, especially if you have the containers in a sunny area or under a warm light. Remove the plastic as soon as you see any signs of germination. Keep the soil mix evenly moist, and use lukewarm water if possible. Water very gently to avoid disturbing the tender seedlings.

When your seed germinates, it will send up a sprout with two seed leaves called cotyledons. After that, true leaves will follow. Begin feeding your seedlings weekly with a half-strength solution of fertilizer (ask us which is best for what you are growing) when the first true leaves develop. Continue feeding the seedlings until they are ready to be transplanted. The plants will be ready when the entire root ball is held together by the plant roots.

Make sure to harden off your plants before transplanting them into the garden. ("Hardening off" is the process of acclimating plants to the light, humidity, and temperatures found outdoors.) Start by placing your seedling containers outdoors in a shaded, sheltered location for a couple of hours per day. Gradually increase the time spent outside by an hour each day for at least a week before transplanting the seedling. With the exception of tomatoes, plant the seedlings at the same level they were grown in their pot. Tomatoes can be buried deeper than they grew in the pot--they will grow roots from the buried portion of the stem.

After transplanting, if your neighbors ask where you bought all those wonderful plants, just tell them, "They're truly homegrown!"

Many palms are slow-growing, and consequently, large specimens are often expensive. But don't be deterred from growing palms; if you provide the right conditions, even small plants will gradually become impressive specimens.

Not all palms grow large, and many are compact enough for a tabletop. Some are even small enough to use in a bottle garden while young.

The most common mistake is to regard all palms as lovers of hot sunshine and desert-dry air. They often have to cope with both in countries where they grow outdoors, but as houseplants you want them to remain in good condition with unblemished leaves.

• Keep cool in winter, but not less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Keep out of direct sunshine unless you know that your palm revels in the sun (a few do).
• Use a good potting soil and ensure that the drainage is good.
• Repot only when it is absolutely essential, as palms dislike root disturbance. Always ensure that the new soil is firmly compacted if you do repot.
• Water liberally in spring and summer, sparingly in winter.
• Mist the plants frequently with water and sponge the leaves occasionally with water.
• Do not use an aerosol leaf shine.

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Are you considering a new landscape for next year? If you're tired of your old garden look or have a brand new yard that needs landscaping, consider our team for all of your design and installation needs.

Green Arrow Nursery Consultants are experts in landscape design. We know which plants grow well in our area, and our design team is knowledgeable in all of the latest plant introductions and landscape techniques.

We work with you to design and create a look that is unique for you and truly reflects your needs and desires. But many people make the mistake of contacting us in spring when we are already booked up for most of the year. It takes time to design a landscape plan for your home, and we invite you to plan ahead and let us design your landscape plan now so we can add you to our work schedule when the weather warms in spring.

Give us a call today at (818)894-8306. We're here to make sure all of your garden dreams come true!

One of the first and most beautiful shrubs to bloom in the spring is the Lily of the Valley shrub (Pieris japonica). Sometimes referred to as "Andromeda," it actually starts its show of color in the late fall as colorful buds form and sit through winter, waiting to burst into bloom in early spring.

But the show doesn't end there. The cascading pink, red and white flowers are followed by colorful new foliage growth. The foliage color varies by variety. One can see bronze, brilliant pink, orange-red and scarlet. Then, as the new evergreen leaves mature, they turn a bright glossy dark green. The colorful new growth provides a rich show of color when planted with azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons and other spring flowering shrubs.

Native to Japan and eastern parts of China, Lily of the Valley shrubs come in many hybrid forms, ranging from tight-foliaged dwarf varieties to large open shrubs that can grow as tall as 8- 10'. At home in most semi-shaded gardens, they can be massed in borders or used as an informal hedge or as foundation plants around the home.

These are acid-loving plants and prefer to be grown in rich, well-draining soil fortified with peat moss or an acid planting mix like Whitney Farms Azalea & Camellia Planting Mix. They prefer a location sheltered from wind, with some afternoon shade. Feed them as you would your other acid-loving plants from first flowering to blossom set in fall.

We have a nice selection of these beautiful shrubs and invite you to view our gallery to see their unique flowers and colorful foliage.

To some of us, the pansy/viola is a happy, smiling face reminding us of a gardener friend from long ago. The first sign of that special flower brings a smile to our face and warmth to our heart. After all, this flower is known as the "pixie" of the plant world. How perfect is that to have in your winter/spring gardens!

Botanically speaking, members of the genus Viola, which includes the pansy, viola and violets, are perennials. We just happen to treat them as annuals. The varieties that we grow are happiest in cool weather. Planting them now ensures wonderful color in your spring gardens.

There are many different cultivars of pansies and violas offering a wide range of colors and flower sizes: colors from white, yellow, apricot, violet, blue-purples, dusty rose and combinations of all of these colors! The flower sizes range from 1-4 inches.

Pansies are best in sun to light shade. If you plant them in deep shade, they will grow, but not reward you with as many flowers. Plant them toward the front of your flower beds, along with your shrubs and other flowering bedding plants. You may not want to put them too close to the edge if your planter is next to your grass--scary weed whackers may chop off their heads! These plants love to trail and would also be beautiful in raised beds, planters and window boxes.

Here are a few planting and care tips:

Amend the soil with Kellogg Amend before planting to provide good drainage around the roots. Use a good potting soil--not garden soil--if you have them in planters.

Space them about 6" apart.

Water deeply, but be careful to not overwater. Don't leave them in soggy soil.

Mulching around the pansies with 2 inches of organic material will help conserve moisture, and reduce weed growth.

Pansies are mostly free of diseases and pests, but if you've had a problem in an area of your garden with pansies, switch and grow them in another area for a year or so.

And here is your number one rule: start your morning with a stroll into your garden to start your day with smiling faces. Oh sure, you can take your cup of coffee or tea along with you, too.

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Eating great-tasting fresh greens out of the garden is one of the special pleasures one gets from growing one's own vegetables. But you don't need an acre plot of land to do it in--even a small area will work just fine. With just a little planning and ingenuity, you can grow salad greens just about anywhere.

All you need is a large planter box, or several smaller ones, if you plan on moving plants in and out. Put in some of our great potting soil (we recommend Miracle Gro Nursery Select) and you're in business. If you don't like to bend over, add legs to the sides of the box, or place it on a table--and you can have a raised planter at just the right height. You can grow from seed or transplant seedlings, whichever you prefer.

Salad greens perform their very best during the cooler seasons. You can even make your planter look colorful by combining different varieties of lettuce, spinach and field greens in the same box. Make sure to feed your greens some organic plant food like Whitney Farms Vegetable Fertilizer on a monthly basis to help bring out the best flavor.

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How can I tell if a plant is fully rooted?

Answer:

Stand back, look your plant straight in the eye, and ask it! No beating around the bush (forgive the pun); simply ask it in a straightforward manner.

No, seriously, most plants take at least 3-4 months--sometimes a complete growing season in colder climates--to become rooted and established.

If you pull up gently on an established plant, there generally will be no "give." New growth on the plant tips is another sign that your plant is safely on its way.

Incorporating a starter fertilizer into the backfill of the hole and then watering in with a rooting hormone will give your new plants an added boost to help them set down good, solid roots in their new environment.

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