Plan, Dont Plant

By STEVE KAUFMANContributing Writer

The Spring weather has finally settled in. Temperatures are modulating, grass is growing, most early flowers are blooming and the April showers have made their presence known.

Is it too late, then, to plant for this season?

Not at all, says Bradley Barz, landscape designer and project manager with Frank Otte Nursery. Actually, he says, Mothers Day (which is a week from Sunday, on May 11) is a common rule of thumb for beginning new planting because the chances of any freeze are practically gone.

But that doesnt mean just go out, buy your plants and get them into the ground. Barz is a strong advocate of first taking a look at your property and assessing it, then making sure you take the right steps to head off problems.

Or, as he puts it, plan, dont plant.

Flower beds and shrub areas that were a problem last year are likely to be the same problem this year. And areas that have done all right in the past may be problem spots this year.

The reasons, he says, are the triple-headed monster no home landscaper can avoid: water, heat and shade.

So, here are some of his tips for a more successful landscape this year.

Pay attention to drainage and moisture. Are drainage problems washing out your plant and flower beds?

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Plan, Dont Plant