LADYBUG...ONE OF BEST CURES FOR WINTER BLUES IS TO THINK ABOUT SPRING

It has been said that one of the best cures for the winter time blues is to think spring. When the weather outside is frightful - cold, dreary, and cloudy - we may still stay in the gardening spirit by thinking of what is soon to come. Visualizing the first crocus, snowdrop, windflower or chinodoxia is a happy thought when looking out at the barren yard, filled with brown crumpled leaves, withered stalks of perennials still standing and blown-over iris and day-lily leaves.

What a happy day to see those happy-faced pansies. Here in the Southland they are perpetual. Atlanta could be known as the City of Pansies. Almost every developed subdivision here in Marietta has decorated the entrance way with pansies. Not a mere planting, but thousands and thousands of deep blue, yellow and white little plants forming a solid mass of color hugging the ground.

Admittedly they do not enjoy this severe cold (in the low twenties and sometimes teens) but as soon as the warm sunshine comes forth, they, again, raise their pretty faces.

Pansies have been planted everywhere. In the city square, in front of public buildings, in street planters, in hanging baskets along the driveways of private homes surrounding huge trees and most everywhere. Readers of the Atlanta newspaper submit questions pertaining to the favorite plants to the garden editor. One reader recently asked why her pansies were not blooming as much as others. The answer was that they are often treated with a growth inhibitor in the nursery to keep them from growing tall and blooming too early. A liquid fertilizer was prescribed.

One reader asked, "How would you describe a garden?" It might be said that the purpose of a garden is to enrich the quality of life on the land that is under your control, be it a small backyard in the city or acres of space in the country, one author has stated.

"Gardens offer color, fragrances, shapes, sounds (from the wind and the birds) fresh tastes in countless combinations." Does this not describe the essence of gardening?

And now while we are inside looking out, is a good time to plan for next year's garden. One can visualize what did well and which plants need to be replaced, whether it be a shrub, tree or general plantings of annuals, perennials, ground covers or veggies.

In considering the plants already, plan to keep the best of those doing well. Interesting trees and mature shrubs add to the value of the landscape. It would be wise to plan to plant around them to more or less accent the best of your plantings.

One of the problems with so many who are putting in new plantings is not taking into consideration the size of the plant at maturity. In our own yard there are trees too close to each other, too close to the building, and those which overhang the roof. It is quite difficult to think of a tree only 18 inches in height becoming one which will tower above the house.

Many trees such as birch, maples and some shrubs tend to produce small shoots called suckers at the base of the trunk or from spreading limbs. These shoots, small and usually grown upwards, often will grow on a plant when it is suffering stress. Remove these suckers, as they do little other than rob the tree or shrub of nutrients. This pruning can be done at anytime and often needs to be several times during the year.

It is often better to select plants that are accumulated to our area than to try to change conditions to suit the plant. So it was this year with the mandevilla that did not like our climate, or its growing site. It grew rapidly, climbing an established trellis, but throughout the summer it had only two blooms. Each time we have visited the South, we have seen that gorgeous pink (and yellow) huge flower, completely covering its vine. Something here was wrong.

While the varied selection available in the world of plants is part of the pleasure of gardening. Trees are dominant in their position as they cast shade that may have an influence on everything in their immediate vicinity. Many plants, shrubs, grasses and flowers will not grow if planted in shaded areas.

Vegetable gardens also are affected by shade, and so are rose gardens. Both require a minimum of six hours of sunlight to thrive. One must also be cautious about planting the same vegetable in the same area, such as tomato plants which need to be shifted about each year because of the sustenance they draw from the soil, and disease.

Plan to add new plants to the garden each year. Also maintain a list of those old tried and true varieties that have proved trustworthy. Also, Ladybug promised to give you more of the new introductions for 1994 at this writing, but circumstances have permitted a delay, and that will follow later.

HAPPY GARDENING!