Let the 'fun' begin
I hope you've had good weather at your house. I've been lucky to be able to get into the yard and managed to get a lot done.
If you haven't already done so, go ahead and cut the old perennial stalks to the ground. Prune the roses back to live wood. Be sure to pull off any lingering leaves from last season and trash them. The same goes for any on the ground underneath. These are carriers for several rose diseases including black spot and powdery mildew. To fight these and similar ailments, be sure to spray before they appear. They are next to impossible to eradicate once they've gotten a start.
All that mulch can be raked off now. You might be surprised to see little flowers blooming under it. Right now I have flowers on several types of primroses, crocuses, scilla, snowdrops, and lenten roses. Others are catching up fast.
It won't be long before the birds start to arrive. Some of them are early nesters, so you'll need to get those bird houses cleaned out pronto. Otherwise, they'll choose a new home somewhere else.
I've had a faithful pair of Cassin's finches at my feeder for months. I guess they aren't "snowbirds." He is a pretty good singer. Another visitor has been a lone song sparrow. These guys are also great vocalists.
A friend of mine recently sent me a list of fruits and vegetables that rank the highest in pesticide contamination. Rinse these well and even scrub the hardier ones.
No. 1: apples 2: strawberries 3: grapes 4: celery 5: peaches 6: spinach 7: bell peppers 8: nectarines 9: cucumbers 10: potatoes 11: cherry tomatoes 12: peppers.
A word of caution before you start digging holes in your yard. Call 811 to schedule someone to come out to mark your utilities. As the TV ads say: "It's your neighbors, it's free, and it's the law." Call at least two business days ahead.
If you save flowers seeds from one year to the next, now is a good time to sprinkle them where you want them to grow. Some need a light soil covering, but most do not. Some of the easiest seeds to save are annual poppies, cleomes, larkspur and cosmos.
Driving around the area, you'll see lots of forsythia blooming. If you're not familiar with them, they are bright yellow shrubs. Historically, once they bloom, we know spring is here.
Something else yellow, arriving about now, are the wasp queens. Be sure to put out your traps to catch them before they nest and lay thousands of eggs.
Lawns need to be core aerated often. Try to do it every spring before you fertilize. This does more good than thatching as the latter tears up the roots too much. The best time to do your first lawn feeding is mid-April to early May.
Today's words of wisdom go like this: "People who light up your life usually know where the switch is."
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 currently secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.