Saturday, March 21, 2009

Welcome Spring! Goodbye Winter!

Gardeners may be worried about their gardens forthcoming production due to the heavy snowfall this winter. However, according to George Ball, chairman of W. Atlee Burpee & Co. and one of the nation's leading horticultural experts, it is the perfect winter fertilizer for home gardening. He says "all of this snow is a fabulous thing for home gardening and gardeners should expect nothing less than a banner year because of it - higher vegetable yields, vigorous ornamental grass and flower growth and extended bloom periods for flowering shrubs and perennials." Heavy snowfall acts as a geothermal blanket for the garden and landscape plants--"Call it the 'igloo effect" he says. "Only when wrapped in a heavy blanket of snow and, even better, topped off with a thin cover of ice, do precious perennial plants and low lying shrubs sleep the beauty sleep-well protected from the forces of Old Man Winter! The desiccating winds of winter in combination with sub-freezing temperatures are what is actually lethal to garden plants, as well as many herbaceous woodland plants."
So despite the back breaking shoveling and treacherous traveling, gardeners can be assured that the snows of this past winter was a very good thing. And lets bring on this banner year!

Wanted--Bay Laurel Tree (Laurus Nobilis)!

I have unfortunately lost my herbal bay laurel tree to the confines of winter. Can someone recommend a vendor/mail order/local garden center for a replacement? I would like to get something bigger than a 3" pot. I have found bay leaf to be wonderful in the kitchen as well as the herb garden and do not want to be without it!