In these days of anxiety and uncertainty, there’s no better way to relax than spending a few hours in the garden. The CDC has recommended taking breaks from the news cycle, and time outdoors provides a welcome refuge from the constant inundation of coronavirus prediction, analysis, and commentary.
What’s more, you can join in the annual Boyertown & Pottstown Home Garden Contest for a chance to win cash prizes—along with an opportunity for all of us to celebrate at the contest banquet when we’re able to come together again.
If you’re ready to get your hands dirty today, you can plant flowers like pansies, violas, and snapdragons now, and if you’re a vegetable gardener, it’s prime time to sow seeds for lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, turnips, kale, and more.
While many garden centers are closed, seeds are available at plenty of businesses that have remained open, including grocery, hardware, and home improvement stores. Starting seeds indoors is an easy, fun, and educational activity.
We’re still a few weeks away from the last spring frost, so there’s plenty of time to choose some interesting new varieties of heirloom vegetables and flowers from local stores and online retailers. After all, it’s hard to predict what kind of plants will be available at local greenhouses, so it’s a safe bet to start your own now.
Another way to get started is by propagating cuttings from existing plants. You can take cuttings from plants in your own yard, but most gardeners are more than willing to share. It’s always fun to start a conversation with your neighbors by complimenting their ornamentals and walking away with cuttings to plant in your own garden. For maximum success, apply rooting hormone to the base of your cuttings and propagate in well-drained soil.
Healthy plants rely on healthy soil. Lighten the load on our waste management professionals by composting fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen, grass clippings, leaves, and more.
