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AUGUST - PASS ALONG YOUR PASSION FOR GARDENING

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  If you have a passion for gardening and you want to pass that passion on to your little ones, it’s not that challenging to instill an interest in the natural world. Kids are naturally fascinated by the earth and all its living parts, so if you start with these simple tips, you can grow lifelong gardeners with the same green thumb as yourself. Cater to their interests If your child is interested in wildlife, consider planting shrubs or flowers that attract butterflies and other harmless insects, just be sure these plants don’t also attract other critters that could pose a threat to the rest of your garden. You can even encourage little ones to keep track of how many different bugs they can find in a journal, practice drawing the insects, and looking up information on the species.   Be mindful of little hands Depending on their age, some kids might find it difficult to complete certain tasks in the garden, like digging or carrying a water can back and forth to keep plants hydr...
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February Gardening Tips

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Grow Now: Roses
Add roses to your garden this month. consider disease-resistant shrub types such as the edtior's favorite, 'Carefree Beauty' (3 to 5 feet, pink); 'Knock Out' (4-6 feet, red); 'Cramoisi Superieur' (4 to 6 feet, red); amd 'The Fairy' (2 to 3 feet. pink). Plant them en masse for best results. Climbing roses such as 'New Dawn (pale pink), 'CI. Cecile Brunner' (pink), and 'Reve d'Or' (beige-yellow) need the support of a large trellis or arbor to best show off their blooms. A sunny location ensures the best blooms.

Fruit Plants
Purchase now for best selection. Try Southern favorites such as blackberries. ‘Kiowa’ is a large-fruiting selection with thorny stems. Thornless types such as ‘Arapaho’ and ‘Apache’ offer large fruit on upright plants. Other fruits include blueberries, figs, pears, muscadines, Oriental persimmons, and apples. All prefer full sun and well-drained soil.

Soil Prep
The mild days of winter are an ideal time for improving your soil. Work the ground when it is dry, using a garden fork to loosen the soil. Add organic matter, such as chopped leaves’ composted manure, or mushroom compost to improve fertility and drainage.

Forcing Branches 
Quince, forsythia, cherries, winter honeysuckle, and deciduous magnolias will bloom indoors with a little help. Choose stems with flowerbuds that have begun to swell. Cut stems at an angle, and place in a bucket of water. Indoors, recut stems, and place in a container of warm water with a floral preser- vative. Place in a cool spot in indirect light. When you begin to see color in the flowerbuds, move them to a brighter room.

Original Article via Southern Living

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