Birds and blooms galore

I hope you’re all having good luck with your spring planting. After that long winter, we were blessed with an early date for our last frost. I’ll take it.

The list of jobs to do is still a long one with everything from getting the tomatoes planted to reseeding bare patches in the lawn. It’s hard to know what to do first and what can wait. It will all get done … it always does.

Be sure to leave the foliage on the tulips and other spring bulbs for at least three weeks after they bloom. They need that time in order to build up their bulbs so they will bloom again next spring. Daffodil bulbs seem to be especially intolerant of being kept wet after they go into their dormancy. This often causes them to rot. If you have this happen (usually because of sprinkler systems), just dig up those bulbs after their time of building up their bulbs. Store them on a shelf until next fall and then replant. I’ve had to do that with mine.

If your Virginia Creeper vines develop brown leaves which fall off, they are being attacked with some form of leaf miners. To avoid this problem, dig in some systemic insecticide now. This will be absorbed by the root system and transported up through the vine, killing the little varmints before they can destroy your vines.

Be sure to wash out your birdbath, as it can carry diseases which can kill your songbirds. Twice a week should take care of it. Hummingbird feeders need to be cleaned often too, especially once the weather heats up. The hummers were late arriving this year as most of us had to wait until the end of April before they began to show up.

Speaking of hummingbirds, you may have noticed that they don’t seem to show up at the feeders very early each day. This is usually caused by something called torpor. It’s a state they go into during cold nights and don’t come out of until it warms up the next day. It’s kind of like a miniature hibernation.

Planting those big flowerpots full of annuals can be a lot of fun. It just takes a few things: good potting soil, a large pot, and several plants that look good together. Choose a variety of sizes: tall, bushy and trailing. When planting, it helps to toss in some slow-release fertilizer too. Use the kind with a high middle number as that will bring on continuous blooms. Be sure to site your container to match the flowers you’re planting. No point in placing blooming flowers in full shade. You will soon see only leaves.

Take care when trimming those clematis vines. To avoid losing the flowers, keep in mind when the vine blooms. If it blooms early (on old wood), don’t do any trimming until after it finishes. If it blooms late, you can go ahead and trim it early, as those vines will bloom on new wood. Confusing, I know.

Be sure to check out the annual Post Falls Garden Club’s plant sale. This year it will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 2. Location is just across from the Food Bank at 416 E. Third Ave. in Post Falls. There is always a great selection to choose from and very reasonable prices. Don’t miss it!

- • •

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is currently serving as secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls. Her column appears in The Press every other Sunday from early March until late October.