Bloomin' Beautiful!

[HarmNone]

My Bradford pear trees are in bloom, and the weeping cherry tree has tiny buds that will soon be gorgeous pink blossoms. Daffodils are nodding their heads in the breeze.

The earth is renewing itself, and so am I! I am so happy to see spring coming I do not quite know what to do with myself. :D

HarmNone, lover of springtime

[GSLeloo]

HarmNone you're so lucky! we nearly had spring and then... it snowed.:?:

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Heh, I need help from any botanists.

My first spring as a home owner, and I know SHIT about flowering plants and yard care (other than I know to mow and trim hedges).

So here's my question.

Spring is near upon us, or already here (I'm in Northern VA). I have clover in my back yard I want to kill, and grass I want to obviously nurture. Advice on when to do the weed and feed? And a brand?

I also want to plant a tree in my back yard, as well as some shrubs. For a tree I've been thinking a lemon tree (I love the smell), but am not sure if it will grow here in NOVA. For shrubs I was thinking of something that would survive year round, and I want a thick full shrub that I can shape -- ideas?

Now, I also have a small garden that I want to plant things in. Betheny was thinking cucumbers and tomato's, which I like. I'm thinking onion's and maybe some herbs for cooking. No corn or carrots. Other ideas?

Edit to add:
As far as a tree, I'm looking for a long life, semi fast grower. My back yard has nothing in it but dog shit right now, and I'd like to spruce (get it... spruce?) it up with a tree and some shrubs. I don't have the patience to wait 10 years for it to be 6 foot tall though.

[Edited on 3-11-2004 by Suppa Hobbit Mage]

[HarmNone]

I doubt that a lemon tree will grow where you are, hon. However, there are miniature lemons that one can keep indoors during inclement weather and move outside on warm days. They flower and give fruit! I have a miniature tangerine, and I love it!

I would suggest doing some Googling for trees and bushes that will grow in your area. Most sites have area maps that give information on what will make it and what will not. The bushes called Red Tips do well in your area, are full and can be shaped. Gardenias will probably do well, too. They have a heavenly scent when they bloom in the spring, but do not like pruning much. Another pretty one is holly. Lovely, shiny dark green leaves, can be pruned, and creates pretty red berries during the cold months. :)

HarmNone

get scots lawn treatment there will be one for spring time, you want to lay it down fairly soon though will both help to dewead and make your grass a bit more green
PS, it never hurts to add some more grass seeds, but again this is about the time you want to do it

[HarmNone]

Yep. I think Scott's is what my lawn service uses. It seems to work very well. They have a schedule that they keep year round, and I do not have too many problems with weeds. :)

HarmNone

[Weedmage Princess]

Oooh I love watching the trees and flowers bloom in the spring...

I wish I had some hydrangea bushes planted...they smell soooo pretty when they bloom.

except the one who posted after you harmnone

[HarmNone]

That particular "weed" is anything but a problem, Edine. That particular "weed" I count as friend! :D

HarmNone, on the good "weeds" vs the bad weeds

[Trinitis]

Now now, we all know Weedies name has NOTHING to do with invasive, annoying plantlife that steals your lawn.....

-Adredrin, running.

[Galleazzo]

I want lilacs.

[HarmNone]

Mmmm....love lilacs! They will grow in NOVA, as well. They do beautifully beneath a bedroom window, where their scent can permeate the room if the window is left ajar. :swoon:

HarmNone has lilacs beneath the bedroom windows

[Weedmage Princess]

STARE

::hugs Harm None...the rest of you know what you can do:: :bleh:

[Latrinsorm]

My botanical knowledge consists of this: No matter how much gasoline you use, you cannot cut a lawn with matches. Also, the whole "look like nature but still pull weeds" thing is lame, because I'm the one pulling the weeds, and it looks stupid. /vent

[Snapp]

I'm with Harmnone on being excited! I went to my mom's house and saw her crocus and daffodils starting to come up and started bouncing off the walls. I already have my seedlings started for my balcony (it becomes a jungle of plants during summer)! :D

For shrubs, I like the suggestions of lilacs and holly bushes! Another one of my personal faves is the forsynthia (I may have butchered that).. beautiful yellow flowers around spring/early summer, and nice green foliage the rest of the time.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<HarmNone, on the good "weeds" vs the bad weeds>>

The only good weed is marijuana.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

Roses are weeds (for real -- they originated as weeds).

[DeV]

Originally posted by HarmNone
My Bradford pear trees are in bloom, and the weeping cherry tree has tiny buds that will soon be gorgeous pink blossoms. Daffodils are nodding their heads in the breeze.

The earth is renewing itself, and so am I! I am so happy to see spring coming I do not quite know what to do with myself. :D

HarmNone, lover of springtime So so lucky.... Im sick to death of it being cold.

[Caiylania]

Spring is wonderful :) I said that to a friend online yesterday, she told me to shove it. She's in Australia. hehe

[Ravenstorm]

Originally posted by Snapp
I'm with Harmnone on being excited! I went to my mom's house and saw her crocus and daffodils starting to come up and started bouncing off the walls.

Here too. The crocuses in the front yard started coming up last week so spring is definitely on the way. Not that there was any real doubt but after this last winter, I am more than ready to see it. The peach tree is starting to bud too.

Raven

[Shari]

Yeah, citrus don't do well on the east coast but Harmnone's suggestion for an indoor dwarf kind would be perfect. Go to your local nursery and chat it up with someone there who knows what they're talking about.

Explain to them everything you have in mind and they will be extremely helpful on suggesting things. And if you're going to really get into the landscaping thing (I'm in the process of lanscaping my very first front and back yard myself!) Buy some books. They'll give you directions on how to plant things, when to plant, and provide pictures of plants with explanations of the zones they may be planted, and how much sun/water they need.

I get so frustrated living here in the southwest because it severely limits the things I want to grow in my backyard because I want it to look like my grandmothers...who lives in PA. So now I'm reading up and finding low-water use plants that look similar to the ones back east.

Good luck on your plantings!

Oh and just to rub it in...its in the 80's and 90's here now, my paperwhites have already bloomed and gone, and my tulips are starting to come up, whoo hoo! And sweet alysum is overflowing in my backyard so when I lay in my hammock that's all I smell.

Neeeener!:P

[Edited on 3-12-2004 by Jesae]

[Ambrosia]

For me, I believe hyacinth is the best smell to wake up to the morning. I would love to have another one outside my window, too bad I could kill a plastic plant. :P

[DianaBanana]

Ahhh and soon my allergies will be in full force. I suppose it's time I picked up some clariton.

[Weedmage Princess]

:thumbsup: On the hydrangea, Ambrosia!!

I used to work in a flowershop, and I always loved the spring..especially around Easter time. (although fall is still my favorite season) ...but out of all the flowers/flower bushes, hydrangeas I have to say are the best. What's great is it's not a faint smell, either. It's kind of heavy, but it's not stifling, or nauseating...it's very pleasant.

[HarmNone]

Another nice choice for bushes is camelia. There are varieties that bloom at different times of the year, and some of the bushes get quite large, so can serve to line a fence or divide one area from another in a large yard. They come in lots of colors, and there is even a variety that blooms late in the year when all the other flowers have passed. :)

HarmNone

[Praefection]

I'm turning green with envy. I have no green thumb and my cats would most likely eat any plants I tried to own. Here in Montana we get almost no spring/summer and got snowed on for eight months.

I LOVE lilacs, around the older houses uptown there are tons of bushes. Smell amazing and they grow pretty well here suprisingly.