Springing into Action
The weather is warming up a bit as we head deeper into April but as you have probably heard many times throughout your life “April showers bring May flowers” and I for one, can’t wait for some more rain. It’s amazing how just a little rain can recharge the soil and make such a major impact on the plants. I have been entrenched in yard cleanup, dead heading my flowers and plants from last season and trimming the old forgotten leaves from the shrubs and bushes to make way for the new growth that spring is already ushering in.
It’s my favorite time of the year as all the plants start peeking out of the dirt raising their little arms to the sunshine and whispering “we could really use a trim”. It’s quite remarkable how so many plants come back season after season and with a little water, patience and perseverance, grow back into beautiful plants all over again for us to enjoy.
I tried a small raised bed veggie garden last year but only got a few bell peppers out of my efforts because I didn’t take into consideration the sun movement and tree placement in my yard when choosing that site. I came to the realization that they weren’t getting enough early morning sun and that throughout the day when the sun was directly overhead, it was way too hot. After purchasing the desired shade netting to protect them from the extreme heat, they did much better but overall, it still just wasn’t the best location. My squash plan grew to an amazing size but never produced anything but beautiful and large leaves. I am going to try my hand at it again this year but this time, in a vertical shelving unit in an area that gets more sun in the morning hours and with protection from the scorching afternoon sun. Hopefully I will have much better results and some great photos to share. Please send in your photos of your gardening experiences, I would like to post them so we can all share our outcomes.
