Got flowers?

Spring is here.  It might not look like it yet but that is what the calendar says.  To me one of the greatest joys of home ownership is having a place where I can play in the dirt. Yup that is what I said, I like to play in the dirt.

One of the best parts of my job is helping first time home buyers identify plants.  They buy homes and close on them in the winter.  When spring comes they see plants starting to grow but often do no know what they are or how to take care of them.  Here in St. Paul the only garden plants that are poking through the ice are day lilies, crocuses, irises and daffodils.  They don’t look anything like the pictures in the garden catalog’s or magazines at this point.  It is also too late to plant them, they all have to be planted in the fall, but they come back year after year.

It isn’t a good idea to start planning a landscaping project until the plants that are already in the yard start coming up.  One way to identify them is to wait until they bloom and then compare the flowers with the flowers in a garden catelogue, book or a friendly neighbor. 

The most common mistakes new home owners make are planting too much, or planting too close to the house.  Plants should not touch the foundation, or the house.

Yesterday I noticed that some of the nurseries have pansies.  Pansies like the one in the picture are annuals and can be planted in the ground or put in a flower pot.  I am going to wait a week before I buy any so I don’t have to keep brining them in at night.