This post, “Garden Maintenance” was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
Because of Mardi Gras, I was off work for three extra days. I was lucky that there was good weather, and I could work in the garden. Nothing spectacular, just regular end-of-winter chores. I cut back things that had been nipped by the recent freezes. A few roses needed to be pruned so that also got accomplished.
I was also able to transplant some tete-a-tete daffodils and paperwhites that were not getting enough sun anymore. I have been meaning to do this for two years, but would forget by the time the foliage died back. So, I finally decided to move them now. I was very careful to not disturb the roots. I know this is not the time you are supposed to move these bulbs, but they wouldn’t bloom this year anyway, so I figured what have I got to lose.
There are quite a few plants actively growing (La irises, some daylilies, callas, etc), so I did lightly fertilize those. I also fertilized the petunias and pansies. With all the rain, this is the first time I had a chance to do this since early December.
I also noticed some aphids on the daylilies. I just use a spray bottle with a dash of dishwashing liquid in the water and spritzed the plants. I do not like to use harsh chemicals, and this works fine to get rid of the aphids. Of course, it is not like I have a great many plants to treat. Just about 20 to 25.
I also planted some Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seeds. Down here we have to grow lettuce practically in the winter because of the heat. I have grown this lettuce before, and it has been very successful.
It was great getting out into the sun and tidying up things. I think the “just getting out” part was enough. One more thing that I did do was to sit down and enjoy looking around the garden. Too often I think we concentrate on everything that still needs to be done and not on what we have accomplished in our gardens. We really should stop and make sure that we enjoy what we have worked so hard on.
Always Growing 
Doug Green said,
February 8, 2008 at 8:02 am
We went to our first Mardi Gras this year in N.O. Great time and we now have enough beads to start our own plastics company. 🙂 As for gardening, you guys are waaaay ahead of us in the North. “Aphids on the daylilies” Hah! We don’t have aphids because we have several feet of snow still.
And your final thought about sitting and enjoying is something I agree with completely – there’s little point gardening if you don’t get a chance to sit and absorb the beauty of what you’ve been given.
Doug, I am so glad that you had a great time at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I know it won’t be long before you, too, are outside gardening and enjoying the fruits of your labor.
Dirty Fingernails said,
February 8, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I have been raking up leaves I never got around too. I am thinking of starting my summer veggies seeds indoors very very soon.
I still have some more work to do, too. I’ll be starting a few more veggie seeds this weekend. Thanks for stopping by.