Southern Gardening Potpourri for May

We have always heard that April showers bring May flowers. I remember a few years ago, I had some of the grandchildren to spend a weekend at the farm. So I constructed a May Pole with a long iron pipe secured in the middle of a tire with cement. Make sure the cement is allowed to dry. Then I bought all different colors of ribbon in various widths which I secured at the top with super glue. I also painted the pole white. It turned out to be a thing of beauty and the children were ecstatic. May is a marvelous month for being outdoors, playing pickleball, croquet, hiking and communing with nature. And speaking of being outdoors, gardening is a great excuse for doing this. I have learned that when I have things to do in the garden, it is best to get out early, even if I have to bring my coffee with me.

Potting soil revitalization is a trick I learned when at the John Brookes School of Garden Design in England. The English live by the motto, "waste not, want not". This is especially useful if you are replanting in pot gardens. There are several methods for accomplishing this task.

1. Just breakup the old soil, pull out large roots, and add new soil on the top.

2. Dump the old soil on top of some small gauge wire placed over a wheelbarrow, and pick through for grubs, or heavy roots. then replace the soil back into the pot.

3. Take the used soil and dump it into the flower bed,and buy new potting soil for the pots.

PLANT OF THE MONTH--DUTCH IRIS

Iris x hollandica, commonly known as Dutch Iris,is a perennial bulb known for its orchid-like flowers and blooms in the spring. They are prized as cut flowers because of the long vase life. The most important plus for planting these bulbs is that they are deer resistant. They require full sun and well drained soil. Most of these irises are blue, but there are varieties which are yellow, white and purple. For spring bloom, plant them in the fall. They are not fragrant, and grow to between 18 and 24 inches. After they bloom, let the leaves die back which strengthens the bulbs. The bulbs should be placed 4-8 inches apart and must be kept moist during the growing season.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY AND HAPPY GARDENING.