Prune and Feed, the Gardener's Creed

Guess what I've been doing. Well, yes designing people's homes too but in my spare time I've been gardening.

Every spring I like to give all my evergreens, boxwood, myrtle, ivy topiary, privot and rosemary topiary, and bay standards a good prune. I follow up with Miracle-Gro leaf and soil feeding.

Nutrients in the the soil of potted plants leech with watering so we need to replace those nutrients with plant food. I've had really good luck with Miracle Gro for twenty five years. Follow the initial pruning and feeding with a regular feeding every two weeks throughout the growing season and you will have a spectacular potted garden.

Hosta's in pots, above, are the answer to my sun starved patio. I have been replacing plants in this one dark spot for years. I'm hoping Hosta's will survive in that difficult place.

Plants in the ground benefit from leaf and soil feeding too but they don't need it as often as potted plants. I do my "ground" plants maybe once a month. Healthy leaves mean healthy systems. The leaves are what transmit nutrients to the root ball. The deep green color that is so satisfying to the eye is also beneficial to the plant.

Feeding is easy and even enjoyable with a hand held feeder. You just fill the feeder with the dry food, attach the hose, and spray. It's a chore I don't mind doing because it's such a pleasure to have an easy task to do while enjoying my garden. Buying Miracle Gro in bulk is economical. Often you can even find it on sale at stores like OSH and Lowe's.

Happy spring gardening. Enjoy it while it's mild outside!