April 2023

7 SHRUBS TO PRUNE IN SPRING Kristina Howley, Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Spring is busy, but thankfully not everything in the garden needs to be attended to. There are plenty of shrubs you can leave alone and only a few that truly, noticeably benefit from being trimmed. In this article, we’ll talk about plants that you should get around to pruning in the springtime.

GROW YOUR FULLEST HANGING BASKETS YET! Ashleigh Smith, True Leaf Market Flower gardens are one of my favorite parts of summer. One of the best ways to add an impressive show of blooms is using hanging baskets and other planters. Planters are easy to spread throughout patio and balcony spaces. Window boxes are perfect for getting a subtle rush of floral scents while the windows are open. Hanging baskets can be hung to extend your flower show vertically.

DELIGHTFUL DAISIES FROM DOWN UNDER Delilah Onofrey, Suntory Flowers Native to Western Australia, brachyscomes are an underused, versatile bedding plant. Loaded with pretty, pastel daisies, plants are compact, bushy, and spreading. The name brachyscome is Greek and means short hair. Like most daisies, they are part of the aster family.

THE PROCESS AND BENEFITS OF LAWN AERATION Power Planter A beautiful lawn ties together all aspects of your yard — flowers, furniture, and fencing — and boosts curb appeal. One key to achieving a well-kept lawn? Aeration.

HOW TO NOURISH YOUR PLANTS BY TENDING YOUR GARDEN SOIL Wayside Gardens The single most important thing you will ever do for your perennials is to prepare good soil before you plant. This is the key to their success now and in the future.

WHY YOU SHOULD SPEND MORE TIME OUTSIDE Joe Raboine, Belgard Spring is here, meaning longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures – perfect for spending more time in nature. Data shows that even just 10 minutes outdoors can reduce stress and anxiety levels. If you’ve stepped outside on a warm spring day, you know the almost instant effect it can have on your mood.

GROWING GREEN ONIONS Therese Ciesinski, GardenSMART One of my favorite cooking go-tos is green onions. I mix them into scrambled eggs, pizza, and of course, tacos. But have you seen what they’re charging for green onions lately in the supermarket? There’s a way to have months of green onions at a bargain price: grow them!

TIPS FOR GARDENING SMARTER THIS SPRING Susan Martin, Proven Winners You’re ready for spring! Whether or not you’ve finished your planning, Mother Nature says it’s time. Before you head to your local garden center, check these three tips that will set your plants up for success.

HUMMINGBIRDS, WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL? Wild Birds Unlimited What makes hummingbirds special? Size, for one…or the lack thereof. They really are the smallest of all birds, and yet, with more than 330 species, they are the second largest family of birds in the world. They are found nowhere else on the planet except in the Americas.

WHAT THE HECK IS A HEUCHERELLA? Dan Heims, Terra Nova Nurseries So… we all know what a Heuchera is. A good number of us know what a Tiarella is. Tiarellas do famously in shady, woodland areas. They have emerald green leaves with brushstrokes of black, and lovely, foamy flowers. Cross a Heuchera with a Tiarella, and you get... a Heucherella!

THE GREAT WHITE TOMATO GrowJoy Wondering what the Great White tomato is? Besides being an exquisite taste experience, it’s what it sounds like: A large, creamy white heirloom tomato prized for its gorgeous color and flavor. These plants produce a harvest of white globes that can reach up to two pounds.

SILVERS! Pamela Crawford Silvers are hot! Entire plant books are devoted to this unique leaf and flower color. This arrangement, from a private garden in Philadelphia, combines different silvers perfectly. What a beauty!

USING A SOAKER HOSE Therese Ciesinski, GardenSMART Our plants can’t survive without water. When it doesn’t come from the sky, we have to provide it. We can use sprinklers, but they need to be moved around. We can also stand over our plants with a hose. Both are time and labor intensive. There is another solution: soaker hoses.

GROWING HERBS IN CONTAINERS Melinda Myers Keep your favorite herbs within easy reach for cooking and seasoning by growing them in containers. A few pots set by your door and grill or on the patio, deck, or balcony make it easy to include some homegrown flavor.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL VEGETABLE GARDENING Therese Ciesinski, GardenSMART It’s wonderful to see how popular vegetable gardening has become. Nowadays it seems like everyone wants to grow their own food! Whether you’re new to vegetable gardening, or have been doing it for a while, it never hurts to pick up some tips.

5 HOUSEPLANTS THAT ARE EASIER TO GROW THAN THEY LOOK Justin Hancock, Costa Farms A friend recently decided she was interested in getting started with houseplants. As we talked about the growing conditions, I made recommendations. I was surprised when she pointed a couple out that she said, “looked too hard to grow,” because they were some of the easiest.

EXPERIENCE SPRING'S MAGICAL BEAUTY WITH A VISIT TO GIBBS GARDENS Gibbs Gardens Glorious spring displays of daffodils and tulips are only the beginning—the curtain rising on what’s to come. Gibbs Gardens is open and ready for another spectacular year of magnificent blooms, incredible color and masterful design throughout its 376-acre, world-class gardens. Wait until you see what April brings!

THE BUZZ ON BEES: TRUE OR FALSE Home Garden Seed Association How much do you know about bees and other pollinators? Whether a bee expert or just learning, this quiz is intended to stir your curiosity, challenge common misconceptions, and foster your admiration for the amazing pollinators that we depend on for much of our food. Take the quiz!

BLACK WALNUT TREES AND JUGLONE Therese Ciesinski, GardenSMART The woods, a meadow, your garden. To our eyes these may be tranquil scenes, plants growing in harmony with each other. And that is true, but there's also great competition for the resources that keeps each plant alive. Over the eons some plants created biological alliances with other plants, soil microbes or wildlife to survive and secure their long-term place in nature. One of these is black walnut.

HOW TO MAKE A SMALL WATER GARDEN Our expert advises starting with a container that is a minimum of 20 inches in diameter. Bigger is better in this case. It's important that it not have any holes in the bottom. Watch the video...

GARDENING AND WILDLIFE GardenSMART visits a special place where gardening and wildlife care are woven together into a beautiful tapestry. Carolina Avian Research and Education gives sanctuary to rare and endangered birds from around the world who have special needs.  Learn more...

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