Here are the key steps to becoming a smart gardener.
1. Plan your plantings
Although you need to wait a few weeks after the last frost to plant vegetables in the ground that need heat, some can be as soon as the soil has thawed. For example, peas and lettuce tolerate cool weather well. Later, intrepid gardeners will be able to try some unusual edible varieties, such as cucumber to confit, a kind of tiny watermelon with a lemony taste.
2. Clean your garden
When the soil is dry, gently rake the soggy leaves and other winter relics of your garden. Be careful not to damage the fragile shoots of hostas or peonies. To enrich the soil of your flower beds, you can add a layer of compost.
3. Observe and surprise
When inspecting the garden, take note of where you will plant new perennials. To surprise neighbors and family, think of the original varieties. Why not the mountain elder, a shrub-proof deer with an intense Chartreuse green foliage? Or you may prefer the bright pink red SunSparkler Firecracker sedum, which will thrive in dry, sunny conditions. If you are looking for a plant that will bloom in the shade, you will surely love the hellebore Tutu with pink flowers spotted with yellow. So, next summer will be as colorful as you wish.
