Bayscape Blog 4/1/11
It’s Spring
By Judy DeFiglio
It is spring, no really it is! The weather may not feel like it but the calendar says garden time is here. I know that all of you have kept your New Year’s Garden Resolutions (see blog 12/29/10) and are ready to get your hands dirty. Just remember never work in the garden when the soil is wet. It will compact the soil and can spread fungus and disease, so let the sun shine for a few days before you dig. Don’t worry, all that snow we had this winter did not hurt our tough native plants, soon they will be up and blooming.
If you didn’t have an opportunity to divide your plants last fall you can do it now, except for the early spring bloomers. Dividing them now would not hurt the plant but it may disrupt the bloom cycle. A good rule for most plants is: if it blooms in spring, divide in fall and if it blooms in fall, divide in spring. Now is also a good time to plant any newly purchased trees, shrubs orperennials. This will allow them to develop a healthy root system before the heat and drought of summer. If you are planting seeds, check the package for specific instructions. Some hardy annuals enjoy the cool spring soil while others need warmer temperatures to germinate.
Barnegat Bay has been in the news all winter as environmentalists and government agencies have been working on a variety of measures designed to improve the health of the bay. Fertilizer regulation is a big part of this program since fertilizer runoff is a big part of the problem. Isn’t it great that we can all be part of the solution by using native plants in our garden. Natives don’t require fertilization. So not only are they beautiful and low maintenance, but they help save our wonderful natural resource, Barnegat Bay.
Keep reading this blog in the weeks to come for news about an exciting project starting soon at Jakes Branch County Park in Beachwood. Littoral Society will be joining with many other environmental groups to incorporate several native plant gardens along the trails throughout the park and to provide educational opportunities for residents to learn how to implement these gardens in their own landscape.
