Coming soon to your town: Tulip Time

I'm not sure whether March came in like a lion and went out like a lamb or vice versa. Seems we just got a lot of rain showers with a snow flurry or two thrown in. Then there was the Ides of March on March 15. I'm always cautious that day as it's the one Shakespeare told us to beware of. Next came St. Patrick's day. Now there's a fun day, whether you're Irish or not. Lots of "Kiss me I'm Irish" buttons being sported around.

Speaking of St. Patrick's day, you may have acquired a special plant which is to be found in many stores at this time of year. It's called the shamrock, (really it's an oxalis, but who cares?) Anyway, this is what it needs. Keep your plant in a bright place, avoiding hot sun during the summer months. Let it dry a bit between waterings. Fertilize at least once a week while your plant is in bloom. When the leaves begin to yellow and die the plant is preparing for a dormant period. Let it. In nature it goes dormant during the warm summer months. Stop watering and set the plant aside. Check periodically and when you see new growth, put it back into the bright light and resume watering. These plants come in many different leaf and flower colors. They can live for years following this process.

Don't jump the gun and start fertilizing your lawn. It's too early for that. Wait until the grass is actually growing, usually later this month, depending on the weather. If you start too soon, the fertilizer is just wasted. The grass isn't able to use it yet and it will probably end up washing into the drains and maybe the river or lake. Save your money and wait a bit, you'll be glad you did.

Once that spongy wet yard has dried up a bit, have someone come and do a core aeration. This is the machine that pokes holes as it goes and throws out plugs of soil. Your grass will benefit from this. We used to think the best thing to do was to dethatch the lawns. Now the experts tell us that this does more harm than good as it tears the roots and the grass has to grow new ones to replace them.

Have you noticed some of the migrating birds have returned? Lately I've been seeing new faces at the feeders. One of my favorites is the little song sparrow. He can be told apart from regular sparrows in several ways. He is smaller, has a tinier beak and sports a black blotch in the center of his striped chest. Best of all, he lives up to his name by being one of the best singers in the bird world.

Speaking of birds, I'm intrigued by the names of different flocks of birds. They include a murder of crows, a charm of hummingbirds, a bouquet of pheasants and a parliament of owls. Who comes up with these things? They didn't stop there, the animal groups are just as strange. How about a nuisance of cats, a paddling of ducks, a skulk of foxes, a scold of jays, a lounge of lizards or a mischief of mice?

OK, back to business. I know we're all itching to get outdoors and plant something.............anything!! Other than potatoes, we have to wait a bit. In the meantime, keep an eye peeled for some interesting containers to use. These can be something small like an old kitchen utensil. Colanders work great as they have plenty of drainage. One of the largest planters I've ever seen was an old canoe. Very interesting and a real conversation piece.

The good news is the weatherman just said we're in for an early spring and long warm summer. April Fool! Now that was just plain mean, wasn't it? Sorry.

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. Since then, she has always kept a garden of some sort, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and house plants. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.