Published: June 02, 2009 05:45 pm      

GARDEN TIPS: How does your garden grow?

When gardeners gather it’s always a good time to get “how to” tips on how their gardens grow.

So, when a group of ladies from the Lewiston Garden Club got together to spruce up Center Street and pose for a photo to promote their upcoming GardenFest, it seemed a perfect time to request advice for those of us who are not so green thumbed.

Here’s some of the tips they shared:

Sharon Low, president

n When purchasing a plant, decide where you will plant it or where it will be placed in a container. Read the information as to what it needs, shade or sun, and how much to fertilize.

n Want to beautify your deck, patio, porch or yard, try container gardening. It does not require a lot of room and the results are most satisfying. Any thing that will grow in the ground will grow in a container if it is the right size.

n If planting in a container, use good potting mix and the correct amount of fertilizer.

n Use an inexpensive diaper on the bottom of containers. It not only holds the soil in the pot but also the moisture. Don’t forget to water.

Sharon Wiant

n I have 50 rose bushes. I prune in March, rather than in the fall, so I can see the new growth patterns and cut accordingly. Also, don’t leave the pruned leaves on the ground as they promote mold.

n My favorite book is called the “Rose Bible,” which was recommended to me and which I purchased on Ebay for $10.

Nancy Deering

n If you are planting a big container use several plastic bottles or old plastic pots in the bottom and then fill with soil. This will lighten the planter and enable you to move it.

n Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs after the blossoms fade. Check for dead branches or branches that are crossing or rubbing another brand.

n Don’t be fooled by our warmer days. It is still too cold overnight to plant annuals. It needs to be consistently 50 degrees at night.

n Buy plants in bud rather than in bloom. Plants require a lot of energy to sustain those blossoms and this energy is much butter spent setting in new roots.

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n Before you buy carefully check each plant for signs of disease and insects to avoid brining these problems back to your garden.

Marija Vukcevich

n Plant cucumbers as a natural pest repellent or place cuke slices in beds. You don’t need harsh and costly pesticides to keep insects from snacking in your garden.

n Create your own compost. Mix scraps of veggies, eggshells and coffee grounds in your yard. Turn with a shovel and sprinkle with water every few weeks. Within a month your pile will be garden ready.

n Water your garden before 7 a.m. when the sun is weakest and won’t immediately dry up moisture.

n Use recycled rainwater for watering your garden. Place a rain barrel under a gutter’s drain spout to collect water. Empty frequently.





To keep the weeds out of the garden place three or four layers of newspaper around plants. Cover with three or four inches of mulch. This will prevent weed s for the season. The newspaper decomposes and attracts earth worms which helps to make the soil rich.

Marlene Craft



Plant geraniums in their pots as it confines the roots so that the tops flourish.

Dorothea Brown.



Cut up wire hangers into 9 or 10 inch lengths, bend into an U and use to “staple “ down soaker hoses or landscape fabrics.

Pam Hauth



Plant spring bulbs under early summer perennials as the bulb foliage dies the next plant will fill in and cover the dead leaves.

Kay Kalick



A lot of my philosophy of gardening is based on the book "Garden of Faith," by Lynne Hinton. Some of the tips include these:

Compost, compost, compost. Good soil is the most important key to having a beautiful healthy garden. Sunshine is like wine. Some plants can take only a little. Know whether your plants prefer shade or sun. There is a time to work and a time to rest in your garden so rotate those cycles. Last, your garden is your land of self expression. Don't be afraid to live on the edge and try new things. Gardens can mirror our lives.

As for me, I think that at a time like now when we have so much stress in our lives it seems more than ever we should be able to find the peace and comfort and hope that we can get from our gardens.

Darinda Hoffman





Editor’s note: For more tips on gardening check out the Garden Club’s GardenFest which will be held from 11 a.m . to 5 p.m. June 27 and 28 on Center Street in the Village of Lewiston..See sidebar for more details.