Beverley Square West Association

In the Garden Corner 04-05/09 by Tracey Hohman

Apr 28, 2009

Think Spring

I love this time of year, when finally the promise of spring is in the air. I am happy to get back to my garden after a long winter. I rake leaves and cut down last year?’s spent perennials. When I rake, I find surprises like winter aconites that have bright yellow globe shaped flowers peaking out at me from beneath the leaves. Then I find my favorite spring blooming bulbs, which are the snowdrops. They have delicate white flowers dangling gracefully from green stems. I find other green things bravely pushing up into the cold, like crocus and daffodils. Seeing green after a long winter gives me hope.

Now is a good time to start thinking about adding plants to your garden for summer. It could be something simple like planting fragrant plants near your front door. When you come home after a long day this wonderful fragrance will be there to greet you. If you have sun, lavender or rosemary are good choices; if not, maybe a lemon scented geranium, or other herbs that you enjoy.
Think about putting pots of pretty annuals on your front steps such as: petunias, geraniums, snap dragons, alyssum, verbena, and begonias. For trailing vines plant: sweet potato vine, ivy, and licorice. The pansies are the first plants available because they can withstand spring chills, and their bright faces will cheer you on grey days. When it warms up, buy some annuals and put flowers outside your house. A window box outside of your kitchen window can make the chore of doing dishes a bit more enjoyable. Put plants anywhere that you will see them often. You can plant flowers or if you have a lot of shade, try coleus, which comes in all different colors and patterns and can really brighten up shady spots.
For planting annuals, choose a pot that has a hole in the bottom for drainage, put a layer of gravel, or pieces of broken pots in the bottom, mix potting soil with some compost (if you have it) and fill the pot 2/3 full. Remove the plants from their packaging and gently tease the roots from the bottom of the plants so that the roots will grow downwards. Arrange the plants and add more soil to fill. The plants and soil should be about ?½?” below the rim of the pot to allow room for watering. Water well. Annuals look best when they are densely planted so squeeze them in for the most dramatic impact. If you remember to water you will have flowers for the whole season.
Beautifying your front yard will help us win the Greenest Block in Brooklyn Competition! Judging takes place in June.

A wonderful selection of annuals, vegetables, herbs, perennials, shrubs and houseplants will be available for sale at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Annual Plant Sale. This is the largest and most diverse selection of plants offered in our area. Members-Only Preview is Tuesday, May 5th from 4:30-8pm. Open to the public Wednesday May 6th 9am-7pm and May 7th 9am-12pm.

If you have a garden question you can call the Gardener?’s Helpline at Brooklyn Botanic Garden 718-623-7270.

(Tracey Hohman has a Certificate in Horticulture from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and is a NYC Certified Citizen Tree Pruner. She designs and installs gardens in our neighborhood. She is also available for consultation with home gardeners who need direction and advice. She can be reached at: 718-469-0298 or by e-mail: thohman@verizon.net )