1. Feed the birds! This was mentioned before, but it’s worth bringing up again.  Many birds and small creatures are having an awfully hard time finding food in the snowy cold.  Put out birdfeeders and birdhouses full of seeds and birdfeed.  Without spending a lot of money, you can help a wide variety of creatures.  For our non-feathered friends, try putting out a piece of old plywood on the ground and spreading nuts, seeds, beans, oats, corn, or other wildlife friendly foods.  And don’t worry, your work won’t be completely selfless (though you can tell everyone how charitably kind you are), because you’ll get to enjoy a show of birds and other animals right in your own backyard! Note: Urban Gardeners Beware, birdfeeders will work great, but plywood left out with food might be a project best left to more rural dwellers.
2. Keep an eye on your bulbs! While weather changes that create one or two warm days can sometimes trick bulbs into thinking spring is on its way, we know that frigid weather is not finished yet! So, if you see your bulbs peeking out of the soil, cover them with a thick layer of mulch and compost to protect them from the snow and ice.  And remember, this is a great way to reuse the branches of your old Christmas tree!
3. Turn your soil! Now is the perfect time to turn your soil (assuming the ground is not frozen or sopping wet).  A rich loose soil is vital for ideal gardening.  To keep it rich and crumbly in the spring, remove any grasses or weeds from the area you are planning to garden and spread two or three inches of compost or other organic matter (old Christmas Tree branches?) on top of the soil.  Then, using a garden spade or fork, break up any heavy clods to keep the soil movable.  Good garden soil should have the perfect balance of air, water, and nutrients to support a strong system of roots.
4. Prepare to work! Now is a good time to start inventorying your tools.  Make a list of tools you want to buy or replace.  Willi Galloway outlines ten basic tools every gardener needs: a sturdy hand trowel, a stirrup hoe, a square blade spade with a D-shaped handle, bypass hand pruners, a garden fork, a leaf rake, a bow rake, a hand cultivator, a wheelbarrow or garden cart, and a hori hori knife, which is a serrated Japanese garden knife used for dividing plants, making furrows, and weeding.  In a few months, many garden supply stores will start jacking up prices.  But, if you start early and plan well—you won’t have to spend a lot of money to have the proper tools for your garden.
5. Prepare to Enjoy! So, you’ve helped the animals, you’ve protected your bulbs, you’ve turned your soil, and you’ve prepared your tools.  Now– help yourself.  It may seem like the warm weather will never come… but just as we have to work hard to prepare to… well… work hard, sometimes there are simply delightful tasks to prepare us to enjoy our gardens.  You envisioned the different vegetables and flowers you will grow in the “just right places” as you turned your soil, and you planned which plants will get the most use out of each tool.  But, have you taken time to arrange your patio furniture?  A garden can be more than just plants: add a garden bench, rocking chair, or porch swing for a small place to sit and enjoy your hard work quietly.  Consider a picnic table, outdoor dining set, or patio group if you’re hoping your whole family will come out and enjoy the beauty over the spring and summer months.  And, if you’re planning a garden so wonderful you could practically live in it… a gazebo, cabana, or pergola would be the perfect structure for your outdoor parties and afternoons to revolve around.  And, unlike jeans… garden structures and furniture are FUN to shop for!

See You Outside!

Hazel

Planters that are overflowing with colorful flowers can make any outdoor space look full, rich, and inviting.  Luckily, there is a huge variety of plants that can really thrive in containers.  Besides potting annuals, perennials, bulbs, and tubers, you can even plant climbing vines, vegetables, herbs, fruits, and even small shrubs and trees, such as miniature alpines, as long as you use the right containers.

At CedarStore.com, you’ll find a great assortment of planters, including planter benches, with or without lattice backs, planter trellises, tubs, stands, window boxes, and wheelbarrows.  You can choose from red and white cedar, cherry wood, metal, and polywood, which is available in several colors.

So, if you’re planning to do a little container gardening, here are some of the basics you need to get started.  Once you decide what you’d like to cultivate, choose a planter that’s large enough to give them room to bloom, and accommodate their roots as they grow, but small enough so that the plant does not get lost in it.  Usually, one that’s about an inch wider in diameter than the root ball will do nicely.  Make sure that the bottom of the container has at least one hole, or is slatted, to keep the roots from drowning; if it has no holes, cover the bottom with a one-inch layer of gravel, or stone or marble chips.

The standard soil for most plants will be composed of one part perlite, one part peat moss or compost, and two parts sterile potting soil.  If you’re growing azaleas, hydrangeas, or other acid-loving plants, or varieties, such as clematis, that flourish in more alkaline conditions, adjust the soil mixture accordingly. 

Give fruiting plants and perennials an initial feeding of high-nitrogen fertilizer, which will encourage faster growth, followed by a high-potassium liquid tomato fertilizer.  It is also recommended that annuals receive a weekly dose of liquid fertilizer; and the same should be given to potted roses and perennials every two to three weeks.  Because most container plants need more water than those grown in the ground, keep an eye on the soil to make sure that it doesn’t get too dry.

If you have any questions about planters, or any of CedarStore.com’s outdoor furniture, outdoor décor, or home accents, you can always call a design consultant or customer service representative, at 888-293-2339.  If you have questions about growing your plants, you’d better ask at a nursery or garden center.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy