Commemorative Tree Program          

Please join us on April 14, 2026 for our annual Dedication Ceremony at the beautiful home of Elaine Butz.

In order to be included in the program, donations need to be made before March 1.

And a very special thanks to the donors who honored others by contributing to the Commemorative Tree Program between December 1, 2025 and January 28, 2026.  You make our Club and our community a better place!  Just as you recognize and appreciate others, we recognize and appreciate all of you! 

Susan Alleshouse and Ana Canto; Co-Chairs   
                  

Master Gardeners

Growing up in Brooklyn, the famous proverb that “March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb” was used to teach both art and science.  And almost every year the truth of it was clear: the daffodils in parks, the putting away of heavy winter coats, the beginning of baseball. In New England, during my middle ages, March was still another cold and gray month.  The only gardening I did was indoors and on paper.  But out here, March is the true beginning of spring bringing joy and gardening tasks

With February's rain and wind, now is the time to check for weakened tree and shrub branches, mulch that has migrated from its intended location (especially on slopes), and structural damage to trellises and fences. Climbing plants may need to be retied.

Weeds are happy.  Need I say more?  Slugs too.  They may be hiding under your strawberries and in the strappy leaf crevices of agapanthus, amaryllis and the like. You can go on search and destroy missions with a flashlight at night or after a foggy morning. Beat them to death and bury them deep as a fertilizer.  Yucky but effective.  Or bait them realizing you are actually drawing them to your plants.  They die slowly so you can collect them in jars, wish them adieu.  If you use bait, always wear a protective glove and sprinkle the product twice, 10-14 days apart to get parent and offspring.

Remember Audrey and “Feed Me” in Little Shop of Horrors?  We can avoid local murders by using organic fertilizers now.  That presumes they are needed, but if you laid compost last fall or used granular fertilizers before the rains, it is probably unnecessary.  Natives and succulents need no feeding this month, but citrus and avocado do.

If you haven’t used your design eye in a while, this is the time.  Begin by looking out your windows and sitting on patio furniture.  Like what you see?  If you want to make changes, big or small, spring is a great time for planting.  The nurseries have lots of trees, shrubs, and plants available.  (But beware of rootless containers.  When you upend the pot – and you should, there may be more soil and fewer roots than you’d want.)  The weather is still cool so plants are not stressed and watering is not a dire issue.  This is also a good time to check your irrigation system to be sure it’s functioning perfectly.

Containers need a new look? If you are pulling everything out, scrub the planter inside and out with a mild detergent and a swipe of alcohol.  If you are refreshing the pot, cut back older growth, switch from cold to warm season annuals, check for pests, and begin a feeding schedule. Keep deadheading young plants.  That’s the key for multi-branching and loads of flowers. Some sacrifice now means an abundant  container later.

It is still a bit too cool to bring your houseplants out permanently, but a day-by-day vacation in the shade would be a treat.  And those tropicals you’ve been protecting can now move into their summer spots.

Tomatoes are being sold earlier each year.  If you have favorite varieties, look for them now but be sure to protect them from the occasional cold night.  Did you know you can grow healthier and more productive tomatoes by using a trellis rather than a cage? 

Warm season vegetable crops such as artichokes and green beans can be planted now and if the weather is warm, add cucumbers and squash to your plot.  And another crop of beets, carrots, chard, and radishes can go in.  Edible herbs too. And the list goes on.  

Stop by the Ask-A-Master Gardener Table.  Karen White and I will be happy to answer questions about roses, perennials, spring bulbs, hydrangeas, and prepping for dahlias.

BJ Boland