Last chance to plant potatoes

Still time to plant a lazy man potato bed

April still has a few more days remaining and there is still time to sow a lazy man bed of Irish potatoes. Most rows of potatoes have already been planted but there is still time to sow a bed and enjoy an early summer harvest. A bed is easy to start and you can boost it along with plenty of peat moss, Black Kow composted cow manure, crushed leaves, Plant-Tone organic vegetable food and two bags of Sta-Green flower and garden soil. A four foot by eight foot bed will work well for Irish potatoes. Add the peat moss, Black Kow, Sta-Green garden soil, Plant-Tone organic vegetable food, crushed leaves, and compost and mix into the soil. Sow seed potatoes about 12 inches apart in the mixed soil and cover with a single layer of peat moss and cover with a layer of soil and then a layer crushed leaves and use a sprinkling can of water mixed with Miracle-Gro liquid vegetable food and pour over the bed once a week. This will boost their growth. Always sow whole seed potatoes and do not cut them up because this causes mold, mildew, and rot as well as invite rodents, groundhogs and other critters. Every time you water the bed, use a sprinkling can and Miracle-Gro liquid plant food. Once a month, apply Plant-Tone organic vegetable food. The crushed leaves will cause the potatoes to be clean at harvest time.

Dogwood winter with us until May

The last of the dogwoods are still blooming and the petals will soon be falling as a signal that we are still experiencing the days of “Dogwood winter.” As the new leaves show up on the dogwood trees, the dogwood winter will be over. May will be with us as we prepare for the annual “Blackberry Winter” which will last for several weeks while the wild black berries are in bloom.

Do not mow jonquil and hyacinths

The spring bulbs may have finished blooming for the season, but the green spikes of these flowers are still serving an important purpose in propagating the bulbs for next spring’s flowering bulbs underneath the spikes. The bulbs underneath the spikes are gaining strength from the spikes and growing and shaping up for next year’s blooms. Don’t disturb or mow them down, but let them die down on their own.

Hopefully, the month of April will “shower” out

We do hope the month will produce April showers as the month draws to it’s close. These showers are a life-giving experience to the flowers and cool weather garden vegetables and also a trigger to the warmer days as we move toward the beginning of May. Keep the umbrellas handy to welcome the farewell showers as the month of April sings it’s swan song.

The last frost date can be often deceptive

The last frost date is said to be on April 15, but this is not always written in stone. We can possibly have some frost even into the middle of May and also some very cool and uncomfortable nights, making the germination of warm weather vegetables slow and unpredictable. There is a time and season for all growing things and warm May soil is definitely not around when the first of May arrives. As long as the heating system is operating and blankets are on the beds, the weather is not cooperating with the time to sow warm weather vegetables unless you desire to repeat the process.

Making an easy crust creamy chicken pie

This is a creamy chicken pie with an easy to prepare crust. For this pie you will need four chicken breasts, one cup chicken broth, one can Heinz chicken gravy, one can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup, one can Campbell’s cream of celery soup, one teaspoon salt, half teaspoon pepper, one teaspoon McCormick’s poultry seasoning, one cup plain flour, two teaspoons baking powder, one stick light margarine, one cup milk. Boil chicken until tender, remove skin and de-bone, cut into half inch pieces and place in a 13×9×2 inch baking dish. Mix chicken broth, Heinz chicken gravy, soup mixes and poultry seasoning. Heat until smooth and creamy, stirring often and set aside. Mix all other ingredients including the stick of melted margarine and one cup milk. Pour the broth filling mixture over the cubed chicken. Pour the crust mixture over the pie mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Dusty yellow has been all during April

The dusty pollen is still making dust on the lawn which makes mowing wheezy and sneezy. It creates yellow dust on the carport, deck, and driveway. It covers the vehicles and windshields with a layer of pollen that even has a way of reaching the dash board, door panels, and the engine of the vehicles. Use the leaf blower to blow the carport and deck as well as the driveway. Keep the hose handy and rinse off the vehicles. Use glass spray to clean the windshield and wiper blades. Wear protective glasses and a mask when mowing and also a straw hat. Use the leaf blower to blow the pollen from your clothes. Blow around the doors so you will not track the dusty pollen into the house.

Setting out a large container of coral bells

Coral bells have beautiful round foliage all year round and feature tiny red bell-shaped flowers in clusters. The coral bells are perennials that survive in winter and produce blooms in mid-spring and into summer. They thrive in large containers and produce reddish-green foliage during winter. You can find them at most nurseries, garden centers, and some hardware’s.

Wise odes for sowing of the corn crop

It is wise to sow corn seed when the soil in May is warm. This is especially true with some corn varieties weighing in at over $5 a pound. At such a price, you certainly don’t want to have to sew it twice. Corn is definitely a warm weather crop and it really needs warm soil temperatures to germinate. Here is an old fashioned ode about planting corn, “plant five grains for each hill, one for the blackbird, one for the crow, one for the cutworm, and two to grow.” And may we add one more grain just for a bit of gardener’s luck! Another ode from our friends in West Virginia says “when the leaves on the dogwood get the size of a squirrel’s ear, then it is safe to sow corn seed.” Remember, most corn varieties require a 90-day growing season. This makes it sensible to sow corn seed in warm spring temperatures when the soil is warm day and night.

Setting out bulbs and tubers of dahlia and glads

As the last days of April wind their way down and the danger of frost is almost over, glads and dahlia bulbs and tubers can be planted so they will be ready to bloom this summer. They can be purchased at most nurseries, garden centers, hardwares, Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and Walmart. Plant them in furrows or holes about five or six inches deep, root side down, about ten inches apart. Cover with a layer of peat moss, a handful of Flower-Tone organic flower food, and cover with soil. Keep them watered every week and feed them once a month with Flower-Tone.

Honeysuckles getting ready to bloom

The buds on the wild honeysuckle vines are getting ready to bloom and in the next ten days, the perfume of the fragrant honeysuckle’s should fill the air at twilight time. Surely they will attract the newly arriving humming birds and honey bees. As we move toward the days of May, the country lanes in the Piedmont region and the roadsides will be filled with their fragrance. Enjoy one of spring time’s greatest scents.

Reaching the half-way mark of spring

As we move into the last days of April, we also reach the halfway mark in the season of spring. We still have a few cool days and especially nights and the possibility of some frost. It is a wise choice to wait until the warmer days and nights of May to set out the main crop of tomatoes, peppers, and all warm weather vegetables. The soil should be warm enough by the second week of May.

Hens and chicks: An unusual perennial

This really is a perennial when you shelter it from cold weather extremes on the front porch or deck in winter. It is unusual because the plant produces many “chicks” which can be pulled up, rooted, and shared. There are several varieties and with colors of hens and chicks. A container costs around $3 to $4. In winter, we keep a towel handy and cover the container on freezing nights and lightly water them once a week.

Hoe hoe hoedown

“The groundhog.” The weatherman asked the kid, “Do you know what a groundhog is?” The kid said, “Sure, it’s sausage.”

“Mama’s girl.” A daughter who was engaged to be married said, “But father, I don’t want to leave Mother.” The father said, “I understand, but don’t let that stand in the way of your happiness, take your Mother with you.”

“More About Dan.” Donnie: “Marry me sweetheart. I know I don’t have buckets of money like my friend Dan, or Dan’s good looks, or a successful career like Dan, but I am in love with you.” Bonnie: “I love you too, Honey, but tell me more about Dan!”

“A statement of Joy.” Some people bring joy wherever they go, and some people bring joy whenever they go!

“Hindrance.” Obstacles are the things you see when you take your eyes of your goal.

“Ruler of the roast!” In some homes, the husband runs the show, but the wife writes the script!