Author Archives: Loudoun County Master Gardeners

Flowers Check your mulch for winter protection Plan additions or changes while you can see your “bare” beds Garden Order seed / plant catalogs Plot your garden on paper and remember to rotate crops Lawn Avoid walking on frozen lawns … Continue reading →

Flowers Check stored bulbs, corms, and tubers – discard any that are soft or diseased Garden Order seeds Cut-back raspberries Lawn Avoid walking on frozen lawns to prevent winter damage Trees/Shrubs Gently brush snow from trees and shrubs to prevent … Continue reading →

Flowers Fertilize bulbs after blooming with balanced fertilizer or a mixture of bonemeal and dehydrated cow manure Fertilize perennials as they start to grow; especially heavy feeders like astilbes, daylilies and peonies with 5-10-5 organic fertilizer or aged manure Divide … Continue reading →

Flowers Remember that it is still too early to plant non-hardy flowers (last chance of frost is mid-May) Direct sow hardy annuals, biennials, and perennials (larkspur, annual poppies, and sweet peas) Provide supports for peonies and other perennials that need … Continue reading →

Flowers Direct sow annuals, biennials, and perennials after mid-May – last chance of frost Transplant seedlings after hardening Plant tender summer blooming bulbs (begonias, caladiums, cannas, dahlias, and gladiolas) Plant containers and hanging baskets Mix flowers and herbs so pests … Continue reading →