Good Afternoon Great-Gardeners,

Fun fact! Did you know Wilson's grows all of our annuals and vegetables on site? It’s true. We start in January receiving plugs and seed to grow in our back green houses.

It is time to get out into the garden. Cold crops, trees, shrubs, perennials and fruits can all be planted safely now. It is still too cold out yet though to be planting annuals and warm crops. We know everyone is anxious to plant their tomatoes, but you will thank us for it if you wait.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, hit reply. I would love to hear from you. Have a great-gardening day.

Sincerely,
Holly

All plants break dormancy at different times of the spring. Before thinking a plant is dead give it a chance. If by the end of May it has not started to show signs of life then it is time to think about replacing it.

The majority of pruning is done in the spring. Many rose growers suggest waiting until the forsythias start to bloom as a good signal for the pruning season to begin.

The goal of spring pruning is to produce an open centered plant. This allows air and light to penetrate easily.

Basic pruning fundamentals that apply to all roses include:

• Use clean, sharp equipment.
• Cut at a 45-degree angle about 1/4 inch above outward-facing bud. The cut should slant away from the bud.
• Entirely remove all dead or dying canes. These can be identified as canes that are shriveled, dark brown, or black.
• If cane borers are a problem, it is suggested to seal the ends of the cuts to prevent the entry of cane borers. White glue works well.
• Remove all thin, weak canes that are smaller than a pencil in diameter.
• If roses are grafted and there is sucker growth, remove it. The best way is to dig down to the root where the sucker is originating and tear it off where it emerges. Cutting suckers off only encourages regrowth of several suckers where there once was one.

Hybrids, Grandifloras, Floribundas, & Miniatures:

Roses like hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, and miniatures produce the best flowers on new or current season's wood. To ensure this type of wood, these roses are pruned very hard in early spring. This usually means removing about one-half to two-thirds of the plant's height and reducing the number of canes.
Suggested pruning sequence:

• Remove all dead canes; cut them off at the base or point of discoloration.
• Remove small, weak canes.
• Leave 3 to 5 healthy, stout canes evenly spaced around the plant. Cut these canes back, leaving 3 to 5 outward-facing buds.

Shrub Roses:

Repeat-flowering shrub roses bear flowers on mature stems that are not old and woody. Severe pruning of these roses would result in reduced flower production. In their first two or three seasons in the garden, shrub roses can be left unpruned. Wait to see what shape develops and then try to prune so that the shape is maintained. Many modern shrub roses are pruned by a method called the "one-third" method. Suggested pruning sequence:

• In the spring, remove one-third of the very oldest canes. This helps keep the plant from becoming an overgrown thicket of poor-flowering canes.
• Replace these canes by identifying about one-third of the very youngest canes that grew the previous season.
• Remove the remaining canes.

The result of this one-third method is that you are continually renewing the rose while at the same time keeping enough mature wood to ensure a good supply of flower-producing wood.

Climbers & Ramblers:
Climbers and ramblers may need a few seasons in the garden before pruning is necessary. In many cases, pruning is limited to removing winter-damaged wood. Pruning is similar for both classes. The difference is in the timing. Because ramblers are once-blooming, they are pruned right after flowering in early summer. Because climbers are repeat bloomers, they are pruned in early spring. Reducing the side shoots or laterals to  3-6 inches stimulates flower production, resulting in more blooms. Training canes to grow more horizontally encourages the growth of bloom producing side shoots.
 

4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 small yellow squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup golden raisins
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
12 oz.  linguine
1 cup shredded basil leaves
4 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Combine tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, yellow  squash, zucchini, scallions, raisins and lemon zest in a large serving bowl.

Toss the diced avocado with lemon juice in a bowl to prevent discoloration, then add the other vegetables along with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain well and toss, while still hot, with the vegetables and the basil. Sprinkle with goat cheese, if desired and serve immediately.