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Have you ever bought beautiful hanging baskets around Mother’s Day, then by the middle of June they looked yellow and ratty? You are not alone. Here are some pointers to keeping hanging baskets nice all summer long.

Problem- yellow foliage.

Most greenhouses fertilize at a low rate every watering with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer. If you have not been fertilizing at all, there is a good place to start. 100 parts per million (ppm) of nitrogen is what we use at our greenhouses for annuals.

There are some plants that need additional iron. In people, the iron in our blood helps to carry oxygen throughout our bodies. In plants, this mineral plays an important role in photosynthesis. Calibrachoa, petunias, bacopa, diascia and nemesia are particularly iron-hungry. Without supplemental iron, their foliage quickly yellows.

Iron is more readily available for the plants to use at a lower pH. Without getting too technical- if your water is basic, pH above 7, there may be iron there but the plants can’t “see” it. Look for a fertilizer that acidifies, and offers supplemental chelated iron. It can either be sprayed directly on the foliage or watered into the soil. Keep extra iron away from geraniums, pentas, and marigolds.
Problem-no flowers

Have you been fertilizing too much? This is one of those situations where if one bucket is good two buckets is NOT better. Too much nitrogen causes excessive vegetative growth. This means all stems and leaves and no flowers. Back off on the fertilizer a bit, or try one with a higher phosphorous component.

The three numbers on your fertilizer bag stand for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). A famous brand that comes in a green-and-yellow box has a good bloom-boosting product that contains a higher amount of phosphorus. There are also organic products available if you'd rather go that route, derived from bonemeal, fish emulsions, potash, and the like. They should also have the chemical analysis listed on the label.
Problem-only flowers at the bottom

This solution is easy. Give it a haircut. Some annuals only seem to flower on growing tips. If you cut the plants back, it encourages the side branches to grow out and flower. You will be rewarded with bushier, more floriferous baskets that at least in the shot-run won’t require as much water.

The only other tips I can offer are to watch where you put your baskets to keep plant light requirements in line. Petunias are not going to be happy on a deeply shaded porch. By the same token torenia, begonias, and fuchsias don’t want to bake in afternoon sun.

Beautiful hanging baskets are not that hard, and with these tips, you can make your entryway or porch beautiful all summer long.

So you want some vines to plant around a fence, trellis or front porch. What should you get?

Vines come in two or three varieties- annual or perennial. Perennial vines like clematis, false hydrangea vine, trumpet vine, wisteria, hardy jasmine and honeysuckle come back every year, and may even stay somewhat evergreen over the winter. Like regular perennials, they have a limited bloom window, then quit.

Our Amish friends tend to grow the best-looking clematis I've ever seen- their secret is to add a small handful of lime to the soil at planting and then every year afterwards. Clematis come in three pruning groups- the ones that bloom on old wood and then are done, the ones that bloom on old wood, then get a second flush later in the summer and the ones that bloom on new wood, later in the summer. Knowing your bloom time, tells you when to prune.

One of my new favorites is Carolina Jessamine. It is a fragrant evergreen vine that blooms about now. It's great if your eyes can stand more bright yellow after the forsythias and daffodils. We have one planted below the deck and it has grown about 20 feet in the last 5 years. It is all budded and I am anxiously awaiting the bloom. It is evergreen, and the foliage bronzes over the winter.

Annual vines, like morning glories, cypress vine, hyacinth bean, sweet peas or scarlet runner bean bloom their little hearts out all summer, and then die. You could try to bring them in, but would most likely not be rewarded for your efforts. Besides, which, getting them untangled would be a mess.

They may, however, reseed themselves (check out a fencepost near our driveway in July, the Cypress vines come up by the thousands). They are spectacular in September.

The third kind is tropical perennials- not hardy here, but perennial in the south. These are the ones you can bring in year after year- Mandevillas, bougainvillea, candy corn vine, and passion flowers. They tend to bloom most of the summer.

I like vines because they grow quickly and can hide things you don't want to see. Your porch railing needs painting? Your neighbors chain link fence an eyesore? Plant a vine.

Do you want some height in a mixed container and don't want to do spikes again? Add a hoop or small trellis and a vine.

Unfortunately most vines need sun. About the only one I can think of for shade is Schizophragma- false hydrangea vine.

Annual or perennial, ornamental vines add color and visual interest to most landscapes, and don't have to eat your house.

I love my job- people are always bringing me flowers. Granted, it is usually to identify, but still.

I’ve gotten a lot of branches of flowering quince, Chaenomeles speciosa, in the last few days. It is kind of an old-fashioned shrub often seen in the borders of old farm houses. They get quite tall and twiggy in the center. There is a huge specimen on Little Britain Road just below Fairmount with bright scarlet flowers that slows my car down as I drive past.

Quinces are members of the rose family, and many have sharp thorns. When pollinated, they produce large hard fruits that are often shredded for jelly. Branches of quince are used in Japanese flower arranging where the thorns and large fruits are key components of the design. They grow best in full sun.

Me, I like the flowers a lot more than the thorns and fruit, so I was very excited to see three new introductions– Double Take Scarlet Storm, Pink Storm and Orange Storm. These three shrubs boast larger, sterile flowers and NO THORNS. The sterile flowers mean no fruit- but the benefit is a much longer flowering window; more than six weeks instead of the usual three.

Another plant that is blooming now that we get a lot of questionsabout is pasque flower or Pulsatilla vulgaris. It is a lowgrowing perennial with deep purple flowers that starts blooming with the daffodils and keeps going well past when they are spent. Even better is the after show- fluffy seed head that look like wisps of smoke dancing above the clumps of ferny green foliage. There are newer varieties with red and pink flowers, but to me the deep purple is still the best.

The last plant that is blooming now that I’ve seen a lot of stems of in the last few days is candy tuft or Iberis sempervirens. Often confused with mountain pink, candy tuft is an evergreen, low-growing perennial with large white flowers that blooms the same time as the mountain pink. It loves full sun, and thrives in rocky, dry soil- excellent for banks and rock gardens, or the front of the perennial borders.

Spring has really popped these last few days. I love to drive around and see all the large magnolias, redbuds and cherries blooming. Bleeding hearts are blooming and hostas are waking up. Daffodils are finishing but tulips are coming on strong, fern fiddle heads are opening up. The spring ephemerals -trout lily, Virginia bluebells and blood root are blooming on the road sides and woods- and trilliums are coming on soon.

Take a walk around your yard and see what’s coming up. If you don’t know what it is maybe we can help you.

Is this the year you plant tomatoes just a few weeks after the peas come up? I know it is risky, but the urge is growing. The transition from winter to spring was rather abrupt and the extended forecasts seem favorable.

My preference is to get peas in early but to wait until the soil is workable and the temperature reflects that spring may come. This year I didn’t move until early April. That’s late by most accounts but over many years I have found that planting in mid March only nets a three or four day earlier harvest.

Early seeds are usually most successful if only scratched under the surface. That’s a tradeoff between benefiting from surface temperatures while risking losing moisture in that top layer. That happened this year but I was able to irrigate before the rains returned. Some suggest soaking the seeds for a few hours or overnight before planting and I believe that would help.

For seeds, planting depth is important. As the season progresses and the soil warms, I go deeper to grab moisture. Of course seed size is important, with fine seed always planted shallow.  As of now we are getting late to plant peas, lettuce or spinach from seed and potatoes.  

There is no reason to wait to plant lettuce, cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower plants. String beans, radishes, red beets, sweet corn, and carrots are fine now. In fact, I plant beets when I go with the peas. They are up nicely already. Honestly, I am not impressed with the radishes and the carrots our soil produces so I get them at the supermarket.

Onion sets usually go in early but there is no reason to think that planting now won’t work.  

Some things need to wait until early May. That list includes peppers, eggplants, squash, melons and cucumbers. They do not like cold soil, period.  The planting window for beans, squash, melons, tomatoes, red beets, sweet corn, melons, and cucumbers continues into late June or early July. Study the days to maturity and figure that vine crops seldom fail until early September while the rest are good until frost.

Mid July and early August is the time to think about a fall garden. Broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts actually are better as fall crops. Turnips are, too. Lettuce, spinach and radishes will grow in the fall. Again use days to maturity as a guide. Peas planted in early August are kind of fun. Don’t expect spring yields, but fresh late September peas are quite tasty.

I’ll keep my tomato decision to myself. That way nobody can laugh at me if I add to the long list of garden mistakes I have managed in the last six or seven decades.

Several days ago I scanned the weather section of the daily paper and spotted temperatures approaching 70 degrees for the previous day. In truth it was for the same date a year ago. What a difference a year makes.

I know everybody is tired of winter and impatient for spring’s arrival, but let’s think about it for a second. Somewhere in my mind sticks the fact that May 7 is the accepted frost-free date in our area. If you believe that, I think I know what color your natural hair would be. Normal or late frosts have occurred but the last time is lost in that hazy section of our memory.

So when do we know that spring is here? Let’s start with the soil. It will warm more slowly than the air so slow down, or select plants accordingly.  Secondly , wait for the soil to be workable. If you pick up a handful of soil and it remains a ball when you drop it, you would be wise to wait.

To date I have done a bit of cleanup and spread lime on a yard that obviously has a low ph. A bit of fertilizer will soon follow because I really would like to grow enough grass that I could mow once in a while. I have also laid out the spot where I will challenge the shade with a vegetable garden.  At the first opportunity I will get pea, spinach and lettuce seed in the ground as well as onion sets.Pansies will stand up to the cold if you wish some early color.

Planting in the next three weeks should focus on perennials, shrubs and trees.One bit of caution is that many of the trees and shrubs that show up at garden centers are grown in the south and thus may be more advanced. Locally grown shrubs may have had some winter protection and are also a bit advanced. Plant as you wish, but exercise some judgment.

There is nothing wrong with waiting for our season to catch up with what you see in the marketplace.With the exception of warm season ornamental grasses, planting perennials is quite safe now.So here are my rules.

Use the first few warm days to clean up and get ready. Usually that’s in March.

The first two thirds of April are for trees, shrubs and perennials.  Usually by the 25thof April I start studying the weather reports. If it’s smiling, I can get rather bold. If it’s unhappy I try to remember that we are still two weeks before our official frost-free date and defer until I see a happy report.

Also, when you are buying plants, ask about their cold tolerance if you aren’t sure.  Some common annuals will handle a light frost while others will be unhappy until the soil warms, which usually doesn’t occur until almost Mother’s Day.   By the time you read this, the weather forecast suggests a few added degrees or another small step toward spring. Garden wisely, and that may mean be patient and wait.