When planting sunflowers in your garden this year, avoid “pollenless” or double-petaled ornamental varieties. A large diversity of bees will be attracted to the pollen-producing sunflowers due to the high sugar concentration in their nectar. Reaching heights of up to 8’, sunflowers grow in sun to partial shade and will bloom in late summer to autumn.
Spring is the best time to repot houseplants. It’s time to replant when actively growing houseplants outgrow their containers.
Stake perennials that tend to flop.
Flea beetles are likely culprits if small, irregular holes are seen in vegetable leaves. Row cover, trap crops, and braconid wasps are potential flea beetle remedies.
Award-winning perennial geraniums “Biokovo” and “Rozanne” are garden mainstays.
The best time to prune forsythia is immediately after flowering. New buds for next year’s flowers will begin to appear in early June.
With a taste very much like celery, lovage is easier to grow. Growing up to 5’ tall, lovage blooms in mid-summer. The leaves can be used fresh in salads and fresh or dried in soups, stews or sauces. Mix some fresh lovage into potato salad for an amazing flavor! Growing in full sun to partial shade, lovage is hardy to zone 4.
Plant Something Massachusetts is a project of Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association, and was originally established in partnership with Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association.