Thursday, April 02, 2009

Hummin'

808847_hummingbird 

If you've never enjoyed a hummingbird feeder, go purchase one! Now is the time to get one up.   You will so enjoy the flitting and buzzing of those itty-bitty birds. They are FUN to watch!   Buy a feeder that has a large enough container that you won't have to refill it every few days.  Use 4 parts water to 1 part sugar.  The red fool coloring really isn't necessary. 

 

Go ahead and purchase those tomatoes and peppers, but don't set them out until after April 15.  Repot them into larger containers so their roots will have plenty of room. "Harden" them off by putting them outdoors on warm days, starting in filtered sun, and protected from the wind, a couple of hours a day.  Extend the time until they are able to stay in full sun all day.  Think of it as "sunbathing" for vegetable plants J

 

Plant green beans, squash, cucumbers and other tender vegetable seeds when it's warmer....close to April 15, or later if we still have this cold spell. 

 

Still not too late to apply weed-n-feed to mature grass.

 

Still not too late to sow shade grass. 

 

Feed your rose bushes, and cut away anything dead.

 

Clean out your flowerbeds to have ready for new flowers. 

 

Prune your flowering shrubs soon AFTER they bloom.

 

When your daffodils and tulips finish blooming, leave the foliage until it dies back.  Then you can cut it off.  The green leaves give the bulbs their nutrients for next year's blooms.  You can also bend the foliage over and tie in a bundle with twine or one of the bulb's own leaves.   

 

It's still not too late to plant some lettuce, spinach or swiss chard....even in your flower bed or a pot.

 

If you planted asparagus recently, don't be discouraged if you haven't seen any baby spears.  We just need warmer weather here in OK!

 

Have you ever had a hummingbird feeder?

 

What's going on this weekend?  We'll be cheering on Ali, Anna, Cody Light, Abbi, and  others who are running the 10K (6.1 miles)  Sunday at the Redbud Classic.

mom4

 

Robin

5 comments:

  1. Wow. You should be a guest expert on Good Morning America. How about you and Dirk come over to our place and do all this stuff? I'll buy you some Pei Wei....all you want....:)

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  2. What kind of grass should we plant in our back yard?

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  3. I think Ali's doing the Redbud too.

    Is it too late to cut back parts that are alive on rose bushes?

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  4. Scott---that might be a LOT of Pei Wei! :)

    Ali - plant fescue in the shade..soon. Keep it watered several times a day, and keep the kids and dogs off it :) Bermuda (for the sun) can be sown in May or after the night temps are 80. Fescue should be mown higher than the bermuda. ---sorry I left you off the list of runners!! You're added now :)

    Erin - if it's your climbers, prune them after they bloom. If it's a bush...trim away, but do it now. It'll grow back.

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  5. Just talked to Ali...she's running in the Memorial Marathon, but not the Red Bud.

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