Peggy Singlemann

The warm weather of May brings so many opportunities to get outside in the garden, from herbs and vegetables to lawn care.

The unseasonably mild winter and hot spring temperatures have brought green to Virginia early than normal.

As the warmest winter in over a century comes to an end the garden is looking very different than it usually does. Some plants are growing or blooming up to 2 weeks earlier than typical. Tasks normally reserved for March needed tending to in February but do not despair, there is still time to catch up.

I am a shoulder-season person; spring and fall are rejuvenating for me after the long endurance race through winter and summer, just like the garden. In September the garden comes alive with fresh tomatoes on the vine, fruit in the orchard and flowers in the beds. To keep the annual bedding plants blooming until frost, I lightly fertilize the summer annuals.

The dog days of summer can be tough on the 3 P’s: people, pets, and plants. All three require proper care and an appropriate amount of water to survive the season’s heat.

I love this time of year; the garden is growing and the sun is bright and warm. There is tremendous activity all around as the birds sing and their fledglings take flight, preparing for a lifetime of gliding through the sky. This is also a time of preparation in the garden for managing the summer heat, while keeping the garden flourishing and bountiful.

Spring is here and it’s time to March into the Garden! I love the sunny days of March after the cloudy days of February. March typically blows in like a lion with it a list of garden chores to tackle.

Each winter I enjoy what I call “dream gardening” through catalogs and online garden sites; I must admit I do so on many cold, cloudy days. However, sunny…