Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

Crystal Rennicke

Signs of spring are all around—bulbs are coming up, spring trees are starting to bloom, lawns are getting green. And our community is buzzing with the excitement the season brings. Check out our new regional groups to share events and information with people in your area. Join the chat!

We need your vote! Vote for your favorite finalist in our Backyard Photo Contest.

Happy Gardening!
—Crystal

##\keycode.PSCopyHTML##

READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Question of the Month
• Frugal Backyard Tip
• Submit Your Story

dutchgardens.com

Plant of the Month

Hyacinth
This gardeners’ favorite is loved for its showy and fragrant spring show.
Botanical name: Hyacinthus orientalis
Bloom Time: Spring
Hardiness: Zones 4 to 9.
Flower color: White, cream, yellow, orange, apricot, salmon, blue, violet, pink, purple and red.
Size: 6 to 10 inches high; 6 to 9 inches wide.
Growing Advice: Plant bulbs 6 inches deep, 6 to 9 inches apart in fall.
Recommendations: ‘Hollyhocks,’ with its double raspberry-red flowers.

Click here for a list of other spring-blooming bulbs.

top

RDA, Inc./GID

Yard Smarts

Simple Veggie Watering
Many fungus problems are caused or spread by overhead watering. For garden rows, invest in soaker hoses. For individual plants, like tomatoes and peppers, bury a 10- or 12-inch terra cotta pot next to each and plug the drainage hole with a rag. Cover the pots with screens to keep critters from falling in. To water, just fill the pot. The water seeps into the ground slowly and the foliage stays dry. A bonus—weeds really struggle from the lack of water between rows and plants. –Cheryl Smith, Rhinelander, Wisconsin

For more great veggie tips and ideas, pick up a copy of Grow Veggies For Less!

top

Question of the Month

RDA, Inc./GID

Bloom-less Lilacs
Q: My six lilacs bloomed profusely for a couple of years, but lately I haven’t seen a single blossom. I haven’t pruned the branches, and they get plenty of potassium fertilizer and water. How can I coax these beauties into flowering again? –Pat Bell, Miamisburg, Ohio

Melinda: Keep up the detective work. Take a look at the amount of light and other nutrients the plants receive. Lilacs flower best when grown in full sun. Has a nearby shade tree grown larger or a new structure been added to the landscape? These may reduce the light your lilacs receive.

Now look at the plants. Do a little thinning if they are dense and filled with crossing or rubbing branches. Cut a few older stems to ground level, after the plants should have bloomed in spring, to let in more sunlight. Don’t wait too long or you’ll remove next year’s blooms.

Next try a soil test. This will tell you if you need to add anything to the soil. Excess nitrogen or insufficient phosphorous can prevent blooming.

For more answers from Melinda, click here.

top

Frugal Gardener Tip

RDA, Inc./GID

Forcing Bulbs
I use my garden pond to help force spring bulbs to bloom. Here’s how:
Each fall, I empty my small shallow garden pond. Then I fill it with pots of spring flowering bulbs and pack it full of leaves before covering it with a board.
After the bulbs receive the needed cold treatment, I move the pots indoors to grow and bloom. I extend their indoor blooming period by moving only a few pots in at a time. –Jim Kloss, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

top

Submit Your Story

We’re looking for budget tips for our section “For Less.” Send us your best budget idea and photos by using the Submit Your Story form. If we use your tip in the magazine, we’ll pay you $25!

Submit your story»

top