QUICK GARDENING TIPS

LAWNS

• Don't let leaves or other objects (such as lawn furniture and toys) remain on the lawn for any longer than necessary, or the grass under them will quickly lose color.
• For even distribution, apply fertilizer with a spreader instead of by hand.
• To avoid visible lines, apply half of the fertilizer in one direction and the other half at a right angle.
• If you're cutting anb area out of the lawn for a new flower bed or patio, you may want to transfer the sod to a sparse area.
• To lift the sod, place a flat spade under the roots, cut and roll.
• Edging and trimming, once endless chores, are now made easy with power equipment.
• Use these tools carefully, especially around trees.
• Protect trees from potentially damaging nicks by encircling them with mulch contained by edging.

CONSTANT COLOR

• Wonder whether a specific color will work in your perennial garden?
• Try an annual with a similar hue.
• If it looks nice, replace the annual with a long lasting perennial.
• Be ruthless when you spot a sick perennial.
• Pull it out or cut it to the ground immediately to prevent the spread of disease to other plants.
• When planting your garden, remember that perennials with warm colors, such as reds and oranges, usually prefer bright sun.
• Plant shallow-rooted annuals in areas left bare by spring perennials gone dormant.
• Initially, plant annuals close together to get an extra boost of color early in the season.
• As they start to fill out and flower, weed out some of the plants.

ROSES

• When removing spent rose blossoms or cutting flowers, make a cut at an angle above a 5-leaflet leaft, which is where the new growth will start.
• Disbudding roses will give you one large flower per stem.
• Remove small buds as they appear around the central flower.
• On a floribunda, take out the center bud.