April...
Planning, Shopping & Planting - Oh My!

April's so great – it's chock full of The Joy of Gardening – like combing your garden center to check out all the varieties coming into stock each day, working the soil with your own hands, and planting-planting-planting! Here are a few tips to get you going…

• It's a great time to plant Annuals & Perennials. Here in the mild Northwest, April is a great time to start planting many annuals and perennials. And there are some real advantages to doing so now versus later in the season. For instance, you can plant the less expensive starter-size plants rather than the larger, spendier sizes available later in the spring. You'll find your Fred Meyer Garden Center has a broad selection of starter-size varieties coming into stock now. And be sure to click into our column on Annual & Perennial Tips as well as our Perennial Guide for Northwest Gardens – which is full of suggestions on varieties to try and what grows best where.
• Get your Fuchsia starts early... so you can select from the cream of the crop! For example, while many Fred Meyer Garden Centers start out featuring over 30 different types of fuchsias, that kind of selection doesn't tend to last long. So shop early. The hanging varieties are ideal for baskets and shaded deck planters (click into Fuchsia Basket Planting Tips ). The upright varieties look great in garden beds.
• Rhody & Azalea care. The vibrant colors of rhododendrons and azaleas are a sure sign spring is here. Peak bloom times for these landscape favorites fall anywhere from early spring to mid-May, depending on the variety. In the Northwest, soil on the west side of your home is typically ideal for rhododendrons. They love high acid soil that drains rapidly yet retains moisture. When you plant, add plenty of peat moss, ground bark or sawdust to attain a soil rhodies will thrive in. Also, because rhodies root close to the surface, mulch with pine needles, oak leaves or wood chips for good water retention. And remember to remove faded flowers. That channels the plant's energy into producing new growth now and robust blooms next year. You can snap off most defunct rhododendron blossoms with your fingers. Just be careful not to take off the new growth buds just below the old bloom heads.
• Consider the Lilies (and other summer-flowering bulbs). A favorite of many gardeners is the lily – a highly underrated star of the garden. If you haven't tried lilies yet, check out the bulb bins and starting with some Asiatic and oriental varieties. Then as you garden from year to year, always be on the lookout for varieties you haven't tried yet. It's also time to plant Glads and Dahlias, and remember – these are tall plants so place them in the background to frame other flowers. Click for more tips on summer-flowering bulbs . By the way, many summer-flowering bulbs make great cut flowers. It's almost like having a florist in your own backyard!
• Plant Veggies. Sow your seeds now for cool-weather growers like lettuce, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach and Swiss chard.
• Weed now, save time later. Garden chores like weeding flower beds may not thrill you, especially compared to the more satisfying task of planting annuals, perennials and bulbs. But weeding is a job best done early this month. Otherwise, grow-crazy weeds will flourish and re-seed, making matters even more time-consuming later this spring and summer.
• Get your mower runnin'... Here's how to get it ready to perform at its peak: sharpen the blade, tighten all bolts, drain and replace gas and oil, check the spark plug and replace if necessary, and check/replace oil and air filters. And remember, the repair shop always gets busy this time of year, so plan ahead for any mower maintenance you want them to do. Click for more mower tips .
• Slug patrol. As spurts of warmer weather visit us, so too do these slimy little garden pests. You need to get out and control them either by hand or with slug bait placed around newly emerging plants. If you're working the garden soil, squash any things that look like little white BBs – those are likely slug or snail eggs.

Here's to an April full of excitement, anticipation and joy in your garden!

While much of the information in these tips is applicable in several gardening zones/climates, some of the plants and timing suggested are best suited to the Northwest, generally in the mild/wet growing regions found along the I-5 corridor. You should make appropriate adjustments or consult local gardening experts in regions whose climates differ from this area of the Northwest.