MY GARDEN PATH: Let's 'spring' into action!

April will soon be a thing of the past. That being said, we should be able to safely say goodbye to winter. Whew. It was a pretty mild one, but still seemed to last a long time. I'm ready for warm days and lots of sunshine. Bet you are too.

I hope you're starting to see some flowering trees. I just spotted a pretty pink one that was probably a flowering plum. Speaking of trees, we had backyard visitors on March 16 … a nice flock of cedar waxwings. They love dining on the old tree fruits still hanging on over winter.

Speaking of trees, keep in mind that they are in desperate need of water as we've had such a dry winter. To give them a good drink, just lay a garden hose on the ground at the “drip line.” That's just under the farthest reaching branch. Turn the hose on to a slow but continuous drip and let it run overnight. Sadly, we'll be seeing a lot of dead trees this spring/summer as so many of them won't get watered.

If you hang suet feeders out during the winter for the birds, be sure to take them down now. The suet is needed in winter as it helps the birds who eat it to stay warm. Unfortunately, warm temperatures will soften up the suet and make it go bad. Eating it then can make those little birds mighty sick.

Speaking of birds, be sure to keep those feeders and birdbaths clean. Newspapers have been reporting outbreaks of salmonella in songbirds across the western U.S. A good cleaning about once a week will help to keep the little guys safe. Salmonella is usually fatal to them.

For you veggie gardeners, it's been a while since you planted the potatoes. If you haven't done so already, go ahead and get those other “cool weather” guys into the ground. These include onions, peas, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, beets, carrots and lettuce.

Strawberry plants can go in now too. For those newly purchased ones, it's best to soak their roots first, then plant them, with the crowns at soil level. Strawberries should only be fertilized in August.

Don't get in a big hurry to plant those “warm weather” guys. Wait until the end of May or first of June to put in tomatoes, squash and peppers.

Almost forgot to mention an important step. It's called acclimatizing. That's a big word, but it just means something that needs to be done in order for these tender plants to get ready for their “big move,” planting outside.

To do this is easy, it just takes a bit of diligence. They should be taken outside and placed in a sunny, protected spot each day. Start with a short time and increase it each day until they're out there most of the day. After a week or so of doing this, they should be ready for planting.

The truly tender plants include peppers, tomatoes, coleus and marigolds. These are such sissies that you hardly dare to walk by them while eating a fudge sickle. That could cause them to freeze and turn black!

If you're not sure if it's warm enough to plant those delicate guys, here's an easy test. Just go outside in your underwear about 4 in the morning.

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Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls. Her column has appeared in The Press every other Sunday from early March to late October for the past 12 years.