Enjoy the outdoors as the weather returns to normal
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A hummingbird rests for several minutes on a tomato cage. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)
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Even hummingbirds chill once in awhile.
I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself. When I arrived at my community garden plot Wednesday morning, I happened to look over at my group of smaller tomato plants. On the top rung of the blue cage was a hummingbird, just sitting.
I expected it to fly off immediately, but no, this bird was settled in for a rest, not looking around, just gazing off toward the east side of the garden.
The bird sat there long enough for me to grab a couple of pictures with my phone. Several minutes went by, and it didn't move. I finally walked over to pick up my tools, and that was enough to prompt the hummer to fly away.
The air today is much better than it's been in more than a week, and the temperatures finally near normal. It's a good day to be outside, and to take stock of the garden.
Yes, there's deadheading to do, and ash to spray off leaves and blossoms. It's OK now to fertilize the plants that need it. Maybe thin the fruit on the orange tree, or weed the front flower bed, or dig and divide the irises, per Debbie's recent post . An ambitious task would be to list all the bulb and seed planting to do in September and October.
Yes, the rest of the world is still out there. But now that we can again, do take a few minutes today to just enjoy the garden. Be like a hummingbird on a break, and soak it all in.
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Garden Checklist for week of April 21
This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.
* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.
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