Speaking of mild weather...

Who hasn't been enticed already by the displays of colorful seed packets and their promises of a rich harvest? The last week in February, my garden beds were warmed by the afternoon sun. It's so tempting. I was ready to start planting... but Debbie advises otherwise:

Since the ground isn't really very frozen, I asked Deb about transplanting peonies and hydrangeas. She discourages it until "mid March, as soon as the ground thaws. Plants do quite well when transplanted at this time. The best time to transplant Peonies is August. If that is not an option, they can be moved in spring, but may not bloom this year."

As far as planting early spring veggies, "Early to mid April is a safe time to plant the cool season veggies. We might be able to get away with planting in March this year, but I wouldn't advise it. Protection at night is a must. We can still get 20 degree nights into mid April. Sooner or later this weather pattern is going to change."

We've seen a lot more deer activity in our yard. I've heard that since Irene blew most of the acorns out of the trees in August, there's little food for them in the woods. This is the first year out of 7 here that they have mown down the myrtle groundcover. Time to get out the Plantskyd. If the deer are at your garden, call aheadat 647-0630 to pick up some Plantskyd. It is VERY effective against deer and even rodents. Be sure to follow the directions on the package.

~ Renee