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 Bloomers

Now is the time to plant warm-season annual and perennial flowers outdoors either by seeds or transplants. If you did not plant in the fall, fill all your flower beds with warm-season flowers now. If you planted last fall, however, most beds are full to overflowing with cool-season flowers. There's little if any room for planting more. The only planting to be done is to plant seeds in flats - for bedding plants to be set out later, to fill bare patches as they occur, and to plant pots and hanging baskets and fill in any area that by the end of the month may have finished flowering (a bed of cineraria, for example). Continue to feed container-grown flowers with liquid fertilizer for growth and bloom. We suggest you use Schultz All Purpose Fertilizer. Fertilize cool-season flower beds with a granulated fertilizer if you see a slowdown of growth or flowering. Water it in well afterward. Deadhead flowers to keep them blooming. Though nurseries are filled with such cool-season flowers as primroses, calendulas, nemesia, stock, snapdragons, Iceland poppies, pansies and violas, wise gardeners remember that these are the flowers that should have been planted in fall. Planted now, for the most part cool-season flowers will give only a short season of bloom, especially inland. The height of their bloom season is April. Stock, snapdragons, calendulas, and Iceland poppies are particularly unhappy choices to plant now. Heat or disease knocks them down fast. Pansies, polyanthus primroses, cyclamen, and violas can be popped into blank spots, but don't fill whole beds. Polyanthus primroses and small-flowered cyclamen will bloom through June in cool coastal gardens, however, and can be kept alive to bloom another year. And newer varieties of small-flowered pansies are prolific bloomers and heat tolerant. They may last into August. If you're filling whole beds, prepare the ground thoroughly and choose mainly warm-season flowers. Good choices among annual flowers to plant now from pony paks for color in sunny spots all summer long include ageratum, marigolds, cosmos, sweet alyssum, verbena, salvia, petunias, and nierembergia. A large number of perennials can be put in now, including achillea, agapanthus, perennial alyssum, campanulas, candytuft, carnations, columbine, coreopsis, coral bells, daylilies, delphiniums, dusty miller, dianthus, marguerites, gaillardia, geum, penstemon, perennial forget-me-nots, Pride of Madeira, statice, and Shasta daisies. In semishade put in transplants of begonias, lobelia, impatiens, coleus, and fuchsias. (Bedding begonias and lobelia can take full sun along the coast when grown in the ground. Impatiens can take full sun only if they're in a cool breezy spot next to a lawn rather than hot pavement.) A large number of warm-season flower species can be planted successfully now from seeds. They include achillea, ageratum, alyssum, anchusa, balsam, ornamental basil, browallia, calliopsis, celosia, cleome, coleus, cosmos, gaillardia, gazania, geranium, globe amaranth, gloriosa daisy (rudbeckia), helipterum, hollyhock, lobelia, marigold, morning glory, salvia, sanvitalia, sunflower, strawflower (helichrysum), thunbergia, tithonia, verbena, and impatiens. (Ageratum, coleus, lobelia, scarlet salvia, and impatiens need light in order to germinate. Sprinkle seeds on top of prepared soil, and anchor them by pressing gently into the soil surface - don't cover them with earth. Keep them moist by frequent misting.) Desert gardeners can plant vinca rosea, nicotiana, portulaca, solanum, (ornamental eggplant) and zinnias from seeds, but the rest of us should wait a few more weeks. These heat lovers can't stand cold feet. They'll do much better in warmer weather.

Our March Specials

Click to View

Spring Lawn Care

by Francis Fescue 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. Grasses such as Marathon, 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 Marathon Fertilizer. 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. Apply fertilizer when the ground is damp and grass blades dry, and follow up by watering deeply. Otherwise you risk burning your lawn. Irrigate all lawns now, according to their individual needs, when rains aren't adequate. Now is 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. We recommend Marathon from Southland Sod Farms. It combines the best of both worlds in terms of beauty and durability. It is a 100% tall fescue blend containing the Hubbard 87 and Baja varieties. Both are exclusive to Southland Sod Farms and are the result of multiple generations of selective breeding. Primary selection criteria were dark color, dense crown, disease resistance and fine leaf texture. Hubbard 87 has been ranked # 1 in overall Turf Quality in the USDA sponsored National Turfgrass Evaluation Program for three consecutive years. The two varieties compliment one another in physical characteristics, and the blend eliminates the potential effect of individual weaknesses, which are sometimes a risk with monocultures. 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. Keep your freshly planted lawn damp for the first few weeks until the root system can grow and support the plant. Sprinkle it twice or three time daily, but avoid watering late in the day. Want to get it done fast and easy? Order sod and you will have an instant lawn. Orders can be shipped directly to your house from Southland Sod, Southern California’s premier sod grower. For more detailed information on sod varieties go to http://www.supergarden.com/marathon.html.

Ray Sturgess Green Thumb Garden Pro

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 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 Whitney Farms Seed Starter. -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 Bandini Gro-Rite. 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.

Super Bloom®

Super Bloom® One of Green Light's finest products - makes plants want to bloom! Non-staining color aids in application. Contains chelated iron for quicker plant growth and rich color in leaves. Instantly soluble for all applications - will not clog sprayers. Special wetting agent helps to improve penetration of all plant nutrients. Contains 12-55-6 plus iron.

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