Spring Garden events:

Virginia Native Plant Society native plant sale May 26, 2018
Hill House Farm and Nursery Spring “Open House” Sale at Castleton, May 26, 9am-4pm
(631 Scrabble Road, Castleton, VA 22716)  ​
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May ​- Your garden this month......

Plant

• Annuals and annual flower seeds. Protect from strong wind and sun.
• Dahlias and cannas can be planted 

Prune

You can prune spring flowering plants after they finish blooming. Healthy and beneficial pruning avoids topping trees, shearing shrubs, leaving stubs or dual leaders. 
Dead head peonies, spring flowering shrubs, daffodils, and tulips after they bloom.
This year some plants may be a bit behind (crepe myrtle, in particular) so give them some time before you prune.

Fertilize

•  Perennials can be fed compost tea.
• Do not fertilize raspberries or blackberries.
• Roses can be fertilized when in full leaf.

Chores

• Stake or provide support for tall growing perennials or ones that tend to  flop.
  
• Continue weeding and mulching. ​

Tip for May: 

• To increase the number of foxglove in your garden, gently bend the finished flowering stalk down to the ground and rub totally dry and brown seedpods  onto the ground. This should give you new seedlings. Foxglove are biannuals.  
• Keep your tools clean. Clean your tools after every use. 

• Wear gloves. Use gloves for all of your gardening chores. Gloves will keep your skin out of direct contact with toxic plant substances. Remember, when handling peat moss  you can avoid a serious fungal infection (sporotrichosis - also called 'rose gardener's disease') if you wear gloves.  

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Thanks to Suzanne Aiello who compiled these tips for the Dolley Madison Garden Club.