For you eastern inhabitants… in case you did not get the opportunity to fertilize every square foot, yes every square inch, of your yard before, better do it now in the month of May. The reason for covering every square inch is that fertilizer does not move sideways in the soil, it merely goes straight down - vertical. Use any complete commercial fertilizer. It may have a brand name or it may be sold by analysis such as 4-12-4, 6-10-4, 4-12-8, 5-10-5 or something similar. It is perfectly safe to use 3 to 4 pounds for every one hundred square feet of soil per lawn surface.
As soon as spring blooming plants such as hardy primroses, moss pinks (Phlox subulata) hardy pinks and others are through blooming they can be divided and replanted. Do this now and they will make good sized plants for bloom next spring.
Although its a bit late to start, better start now than later to keep a garden calendar with a record of whats in bloom each week. Then wander through your friends and neighbors yards to see what they have in bloom that you do not. As you go through the season, practically everyone will find that there are certain periods when there is little or no bloom in their garden or maybe only in this or that part. It is a simple matter to find what will bloom in your locality at that time and then buy the plants or the seeds either now or in the fall. With very little effort you will soon have the sort of flower garden that everyone wants to see because you have something in bloom when they do not.
Keeping Records
A garden notebook is a mighty handy thing. If its loose leaf it is that much more convenient… although keeping it online has it’s advantages too especially for searching capabilities and buying big floor plants. As you order seeds, bulbs, and large floor plants, put the lists in your notebook together with the price, the place you bought them from and how they grew, even the tall floor plants get and entry.
Next fall when you plant bulbs make a chart of the bed, so that even if all of the labels are lost you will know what variety is in each place. Do this for any plantings, including shrubs or evergreens. One of the weaknesses of American gardeners and their landscape is that so many times they do not know the names of plants that they grow. Eight by eleven inch cross section paper with quarter inch squares is most convenient for making these charts and plans.