Three days this week I couldn’t make myself leave the garden. Just too beautiful and too much to do on my garden checklist.

I did lots of dividing this week and sharing little plantlets. I mentioned in a lecture last week that the antique mum nurseries I knew had gone out of business and that there is a need. The next day Millissia Owens called to say that she was ready to start a business, so I divided old mums all week!

Garden Checklist for This Week

Divide and spread. I can never say this enough. I divided Mums, Boltonia, Asters and ginger this week.

Fertilizer. Do a light application of a balanced fertilizer now, over all of your beds (not grass). For a quick boost, we liquid feed everything, emerging perennials, shrubs, and containers, with Miracle-Gro this week.

Cut back those few grasses and perennials forgotten over winter.

Plant new containers. I like to hold containers behind the scenes till they are settled in but I couldnt this week. Everybody needs something now! Add new soil, I always add compost, Osmocote and top with a mulch. I also sprinkle a few tubers of Achemines in the mulch – by July they’ll flower and look great.

What’s Looking Good

Corylopsis gotoana. Golden flowers. No better shrub for a back drop for bulbs.

Jonquils, Jonquils and more. My favorites are American selections: Bahama Beach and Katie Heath, with her tiny pink cups.

Tulipa Tubergens Gem and Lady Jane. Thousands in flower. The only perennial tulip for me.

Even camellia trash, old petals on the ground, are stunning right now.