Gardening

Garden Secrets Revealed

Now is the time to get your garden in shape for the outdoor season. Today’s Transitions caught up with Cheryl Susemichel, owner of the Secret Garden, for some real garden talk. From tips and tools to her favorite perennials, she shared her secrets to a beautiful garden.

“DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY NEW PLANTS IN YOUR LANDSCAPE.”

WHAT TO DO THIS SPRING

• Trim back hybrid hydrangeas, butterfly bushes, and grasses, including liriope.

• Clean up perennial beds and discard dead foliage.

• Apply a pre-emergent such as Preen, then layer mulch on top of the pre-emergent. This will prevent weed seeds from germinating.

• Remove old nesting from birdhouses as early as possible. Birds begin nesting in late winter to early spring so doing this early will avoid disrupting any new nests. Birds are very important to your garden because they eat insects that can destroy your plants.

Not sure what you should plant in your garden?

Here are Cheryl’s five favorite perennials.

Dwarf hydrangeas: These do well in the ground or in a large pot.

Dwarf buddleia (butterfly bushes): Pugster and Lo & Behold ‘Blue Chip Jr.’

Dwarf crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica): Infinitini Watermelon and Magenta which grow to a height of 2 to 4 feet and bloom all summer.

Dwarf lilacs (syringa): ‘Bloomerang Dwarf Purple’ which grow 21/2 to 3 feet tall and wide and bloom in spring and again in late summer.

Hakonechloa macra: ‘All Gold’ Japanese forest grass is Cheryl’s favorite shade plant, growing 10 to 14 inches tall with a yellow color that seems to glow in the garden.

Insider tip: All of Cheryl’s favorites are the Proven Winners (PW) brand and suitable for Kentucky’s climate (zone 6). PW plants are tested in greenhouses (including Cheryl’s own greenhouse) to ensure quality and performance before being sold to the commercial market. provenwinners.com

WHAT ARE CHERYL’S GARDENING SECRETS?

Stay ahead of the season. Clean up your garden beds before the new season starts. Get organic Preen down early to keep the weed seeds from sprouting. Remove damaged winter foliage from perennials and remove any broken branches. Make notes in a garden journal about your successes and failures from each season. Learn from your journal! If a plant is not performing in a particular area, MOVE IT. If you move it and it doesn’t perform then compost it!

“ENJOY YOUR GARDEN! IT’S THE ONE PLACE YOU CAN BE ASSURED NO ONE WILL BOTHER YOU WHEN YOU ARE WORKING AND PLAYING.”

Cheryl recommends using quality garden tools. “Life is too short to use bad tools that won’t perform properly.” Gardening gloves are at the top of her list. “I love Sun Grips and my Bionic gloves from Hillerich & Bradsby Co. I also love my Felco pruners and my Dutch hoe.”

Need help?

Here are answers to a few common garden questions.

1. How often should I water my plants? If newly planted in the ground, 1” of slow watering once a week is adequate. For established ground plants, the roots are deeper allowing for moisture uptake, so water if no rain for over 2 weeks. For potted plants, do the finger test by placing finger into the soil and water if dry.

2. How often should I fertilize? Fertilizing is vital, especially for blooming plants. Cheryl says, “heavy bloomer = heavy feeder,” meaning if the plant blooms continually, it will need more fertilizer. For garden beds, put down an organic time-release fertilizer in spring and late summer. For pots and baskets, fertilizing every two weeks is needed. Insider tip: Use a quality fertilizer like locally produced Monty’s Plant Food for best results. Many commercial fertilizers are harsh and can burn the plant. montysplantfood.com

3. Difference between a perennial and an annual? A perennial is a plant that regrows each spring, usually blooming for only one season each year. Annuals are plants that germinate, flower, set seed, and die all in one season.

4. What about weeds? Chemical sprays can be harsh for the environment so Cheryl recommends using Preen to keep weeds from sprouting. Adding Preen to your decorative beds in winter, mid-summer, and fall with a layer of mulch over it should keep the weeds at bay.

5. Difference between compost and mulch? Compost is a soil enhancer used mostly in vegetable gardens. In addition to enhancing curb appeal, mulch is used in perennial beds to hold in moisture. Cheryl recommends using a non-dyed hardwood mulch, cedar mulch, or pine straw.

6. Why do my flowers look brown and unhealthy? Usually the cause is related to lack of water and fertilizer. Hanging baskets can dry out quickly so doing the finger test and fertilizing every two weeks can help keep them looking vibrant. Insider tip: To keep them looking fresh all summer, give them a haircut in mid-July by cutting off the hanging flowers to generate new growth.

Proven Winners plants and Cheryl’s favorite garden tools are available at the Secret Garden. secretgardenshop.com

By Lindsay McDonald | Photos submitted

Spring 2022 / TodaysTransitions.com