May, the gardening month! Everything is growing or ready to grow, flowering or ready to flower, fruiting or ready to fruit …. You get the picture.

Now is the time to purchase that gorgeous hanging basket for mom or for your own house, plant dahlias and glads and all the glorious summer annuals such as geraniums, marigolds, begonias, impatiens and a thousand other color spots. Whether planting in containers or in the ground, be sure to feed your annuals, weekly with Miracle-gro or monthly with an organic fertilizer such as Dr. Earth Life.

Out in the yard, it’s a good time to fertilize rhodies, azaleas, and any trees, shrubs or perennials growing in containers. It also is a good idea to check your plants carefully for problems, such as aphids, fungal issues, or just something that doesn’t look right. Do bring in pictures and/or samples to us if you have questions about what something is or why it looks a certain way.

If you grow a lot of annuals and perennials in the ground, you have probably been scouting for slugs and scattering Sluggo, be sure to re-apply at regular intervals (about every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on rainfall). Once your plants are settled in, May is a good time to mulch or bark your beds. We don’t carry bulk soil products, but we do have a nice selection of bagged bark, topsoil mixes and compost which are perfect for smaller projects and for ease of application.