Date:  December 18, 2008  |   Story: Allison Cook  |  

We may only think about gardening when the weather is warm and the sun is bright, but keeping up with seasonal changes in your outdoor areas will promote healthy and vibrant plantings. We spoke with Kristi Wright of Eminent Terrain in North Little Rock, and she created a month-by-month gardening guide to ensure a well-planned and maintained landscape.

January
Recycle your live Christmas trees and plant them in your garden.
Plan a spring garden or sign up for a spring garden seminar.
Look for new varieties of seeds in garden catalogs.

February
Keep an eye on houseplants for pests.
Keep your bird feeders full.
Prune back roses and transplant shrubs before they leaf out.

March
Check for weeds in your beds.
Edge your flowerbeds with a one-inch trench to prevent sod from creeping in.
Divide perennials.
Make labels for new plants.

April
Plant spring annuals and top off mulch.
Stake perennials before they become too tall.
Fertilize trees, shrubs and perennials.

May
Prune spring flowering shrubs that have finished blooming.
Cut back yellowing foliage from bulbs
Spray roses with fungicide. You can make your own fungicide by mixing 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda with two to three drops of dish soap in a one-half gallon of water.

June
Pick up a container of ladybugs at your local nursery and add them to your garden to fight insects. Be sure not to spray pesticides!
Fertilize heavy blooming shrubs once a month until frost.
Deadhead spring bulbs that have faded.

July
Supplement water in containers and baskets.
Harvest fruits and vegetables regularly.

August
Deeply water beds and sod every few days to promote root development, as opposed to lightly watering every day.
Cut back dried plant tips and spent blooms to promote healthy new growth.

September
Remove dead potted plants, if disease free, and chop up to add to compost pile. They will biodegrade and provide rich soil for next spring.
Cut back overgrown trees and shrubs.

October
Plant fall annuals and bulbs for next spring.
Top off mulch.

November
Winterize sprinkler system and disconnect water hoses to prevent freezing.
Store clay pots in your garage.

December
Clean gardening tools and store.
Decorate for Christmas!
Carefully knock any snow or ice off shrubs and ornamental trees.