GARDENERS SHOULD PLAN FOR MAY AS NATURE DOES

All nature plans ahead for the wonderful month of May. With warmer days the trees are not leafed out, the shrubs and evergreens spurting with growth, and the perennials have come forward with all of their colorful addition to the landscape.

Most of the entire year's growth of many plants is made this month.

Someone once said, "Swiftly, silently and secretly Nature's factories and assembly lines perform 24 hours in May."

Along with all of this help from nature, there is a heap of work for us to do on our own.

All house plants should be outside for their summer vacation by this time. Prune as needed to get them into shape. It is best to find their summer home in a semi-shaded area. If some need a larger pot, now is a good time to give then mew dirt and a new start.

Some house plants will do well if sunk into the soil. This is especially true of amaryllis since they like to continue growth while outside before going dormant in the fall when they are dug.

For plants that are left inside, do not forget to fertilize them and inspect them for insects. In fact, give them the same attention as those that have gone on vacation. All need watering and food.

Most plants grown inside will need a good bath as well as inspection. A gardening friend gets all her indoor plants prepared and sets them into the shower under a light spray.

Fertilizing should be done now for spring flowering bulbs. Since it has been more than a month since they flowered, all foliage can be cut to just above ground level.

If bulbs need to be moved, dig them while you still can see the foliage to locate where they have been growing. Dig up, store in a cool, dry place and replant in the autumn. One of the most beautiful display of tulips I recall was in an enormous flower bed where the gardener dug them each spring and replanted them in the fall.

Azaleas and rhododendron should be fertilized just after flowering with a commercial azalea food according to label instructions. Old woody plants can be pruned back heavily to encourage new growth at the base.

In applying the fertilizer to these acid loving plants, along with hollies, avoid working the soil up around the base of the plant, as they are very shallow rooted and cultivating can kill the roots. Make a wide circle around the base and put fertilizer there, then water in well and mulch.

It is time to do pruning of spring flowering shrubs such as forsythia, mock orange, spiraea, weigela, flowering quince, althea and others, to remove excess growth and to control shape and size of the plant. These plants also will profit a feeding of tree and shrub fertilizer.

It is amazing that during this mild winter so many chrysanthemums did not survive. At our house, it was the new ones that have been planted within the past two years that were killed. It must have been the sudden cold in November that plunged down into the low teens without any warning to plants, and they had no time to harden.

Old plants of mums should be dug up and divided. Select one or two sturdy shoots with good root action, then plant back into the soil after adding additional organic matter and a light application of fertilizer. Pinch off half of growth and continue pinching tips out until mid-July to have compact sturdy plants. Feed once every three weeks with liquid fertilizer to ensure good growth.

Keep old flower heads removed from perennials to encourage additional flowering. A side dressing of balanced fertilizer will give steady growth and flowering. Be sure to work lightly into the soil and water in to avoid burning the plant's foliage.

Zinnias and marigolds create a splash of color in the garden. Both or either can be planted directly into the soil. Seeds of either or both can be planted directly into the soil now. Grow in full sun in a well-prepared soil. Sow the seeds directly in the ground after it has been well prepared. Plant them about a half inch deep and keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate, only about 5 to 10 days.

Hundreds of varieties of these two popular annuals are available and will give continued rewards. Both are excellent for children to begin gardening with because they respond to the elements of nature (sunshine and rain) so quickly. Because of impatiens and marigolds fast germination and rapid growth, children do not get impatient in waiting for results with their plants.

Ground covers such a ajuga, pachaysandra and euonymus should be cut off at this time. This will encourage side branching and more compact growth.

Yes, Nature's workshop and gardeners are most busy during may.