Garden Talk

posted Mar 23, 2013, 9:08 PM by Jennifer Bullman [ updated Mar 23, 2013, 9:09 PM ]

Appalachian Creek Garden Center will be carrying a line of Biltmore Naturals, a complete 100% organic gardening products developed especially for healthier edibles and ornamentals.
Mulching flower beds and vegetables gardens with several layers of newspaper will help prevent weeds. Cover with straw or ornamental mulch.
Put up hummingbird feeders by mid-April.
Clean up the bird feeders and consider putting up a bat house (http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/attractingbats.pdf). They are pollinators too and love dining on mosquitoes.

posted Mar 23, 2013, 9:06 PM by Jennifer Bullman

Wait to prune spring blooming shrubs until after flowering. Azaleas are budding and blooming but resist the temptation to get them in shape and WAIT until after they bloom to trim and prune.
Prepare planting beds for spring. Test your soil for pH, nitrogen phosphorous and potassium and add appropriate fertilizer.
Every weed pulled now is a thousand you won’t have to pull later! To kill annoying weeds in your gravel, brick or stone paths, spray with plain white vinegar. And instead of pulling those dandelions, try eating the young tender ones in a salad (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dandelion-salad/).

posted Mar 23, 2013, 9:04 PM by Jennifer Bullman [ updated Mar 30, 2013, 9:11 AM ]

Fescue lawn should never be fertilized in late spring or summer. For best results, fertilize your lawn before the end of April and then again in October.
DO fertilize your garden and houseplants.
Feed your azaleas and camellias after they finish blooming.
Fertilize fruit trees, blueberries, grape vines.

posted Mar 23, 2013, 9:01 PM by Jennifer Bullman [ updated Mar 23, 2013, 9:07 PM ]

In WNC seasoned gardeners say: "don’t plant frost sensitive plants until after Mother’s Day" (or May 10). Having row cover fabric handy, just in case, is wise insurance for any of the plants you may be concerned about.
Get going on your veggie garden with our vegetable starts from local growers including Heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, peppers. Grow some in containers on your deck. A good blog to read for useful info about veggie gardening is Veggie Garden Tips.
We’re carrying Hart Seed Co. (www.hartseed.com) which offers seeds that are Genetically Engineered Free. Hart dos not distribute any seeds that have been produced through genetic engineering. Also have Wyatt-Quarles Seeds from a company that dates back to 1881 when Job P. Wyatt and Philip Taylor organized a general merchandise business on East Martin Street in Raleigh (http://wqseeds.com/history.html).
Fill your garden with color this spring, summer and fall. Plant your favorite annuals for spring: impatiens, petunias, pansies, marigolds. They are budding and blooming. Check out Jeff’s favorite annuals for spring:

Sweet alyssum 'Snowstorm' : This variety tends to bloom in early spring. Due to how easy it is to grow in a variety of conditions, Snowstorm Sweet alyssum is great for beginner gardeners and those that like low maintenance gardens.
Calibrachoa Million Bells: Among the easiest plants to grow, Million Bells are hugely popular especially with the hummingbirds. The profuse, self-cleaning flowers bloom in spring and keep going until fall.

Perennial herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lavender can be planted later this month.
Appalachian Creek Garden Center specializes in native plants and also offer non-invasive, new selections that are drought tolerant: distylium vintage jade,Hydrangea quercifolia munchkin, daphne eternal fragrance (not a picky daphne!)
Fruit crops can still be planted. Check out our Sunshine Blueberry, a compact self-pollinating plant and one of the Master Gardeners edible landscape favorites.