* Salvage the flowering stems of daffodils bent over and broken after last week’s snowfall by cutting them off and placing them in a vase. Some of the flower stems may be very short and get lost in the vase among the taller stems. Besides that, cut flowers of daffodils always seem to look like they have been jammed into the vase. For a better look, cut some thin twigs from the tips of branches of shrubs and place these between the flowers in the vase. The twigs allow for separation and more attractive arrangement of the flowers. The arrangement looks even better if the twigs have green leaves.
* Enjoy the show of spring flowering bulbs in neighbors’ gardens and landscapes, and then kick yourself in the butt for not planting any yourself last fall. Make a note on your calendar now to plant bulbs this fall, especially early flowering ones that help us recover from the winter blues.
* While spying on the neighbors’ landscape, also note varied trees and shrubs now in bloom. Besides forsythia, azalea, flowering cherry, and magnolia are blooming. You won’t have to wait until fall to plant these as they are now available at local nurseries.
* Take advantage of the abundance of colorful pansies now available at local garden centers and plant these to brighten the landscape. Plant some in containers to place on the patio and deck. The plants will flower all spring and most of the summer with frequent watering and occasional applications of fertilizer.
* Cut back the browned and tattered foliage of hellebores. The stems carrying the flower buds of Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus) and the flowers will be more visible if the old leaves are cut away. The foliage of Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) is less prone to the ravages of winter and need less attention.
* Sift compost through a screen made with half inch mesh hardware cloth. Use the compost in combination with sand to make soils for potting plants.
* Harvest rhubarb by pulling down and twisting off the stalks. Continue to harvest rhubarb until early June. What you don’t use now to make rhubarb sauce, rhubarb pie, or rhubarb jam can be chopped and frozen. There’s nothing like rhubarb crisp in the dead of winter.
* Divide the crowns of rhubarb plants that have become crowded. These are the ones that produced small leaf stems last year. Rhubarb plants that regularly send up flower stalks can also be assumed to be crowded. Generally, rhubarb plants can go from 5 to 15 years before needing division.
* Choose the variety ‘Wando’ if you won’t be getting around to planting peas soon. It’s already getting a little late for pea planting but ‘Wando’ has good heat tolerance and will stand up to hot weather in July as the peas are ripening.
* Plant potatoes now that soil temperatures are at or near 50F. If garden space allows, buy early, mid-season, and late season varieties. Buy only certified seed potatoes at one of the local nurseries or farm supply stores rather than using potatoes from the grocery store.
* Plant radishes within the row or between rows of carrots or beets. This is technique, called interplanting, allows for optimal use of garden space. The radishes will be harvested before the carrots or beets begin competing with them for space, water and nutrients. Typically, fast-growing vegetables are interplanted with slow-growing types. Leaf lettuce with tomatoes and summer squash with pumpkins are two examples of warm season candidates for interplanting.
* Spread wood ash on the ground around lilacs, lavender, and pinks (Dianthus). These plants prefer an alkaline soil, and the ashes are alkaline. Also, spread wood ash around Hosta to keep slugs away. It is not yet known if spreading wood ash on the front walk will deter humans.
