May Gardening Checklist

Spring is here!!!  Now is the time to plant many of your favorite plants and maybe even some new ones this year for the first time.  Experiment and have fun gardening!

General

  • Stop in to pick out a great gift for Mother’s Day. There are many annuals, perennials, roses, trees, shrubs, tropical plants, hanging baskets, combination planters and more to choose from at our Main Garden Center and all of our Flower Mart location. If plants aren’t the right gift for Mom, what about decorative garden art, statues, fountains, bird baths, books, gardening tools, gloves, bird feeders and bird food all available at our Main Garden Center in St. Paul.  If you’re not sure what to get ‘Mom’, Linder’s Gift Certificates are the perfect gift! We can customize your Gift Certificate in any amount you choose and there is no expiration date allowing them to be used anytime of the year at our Main Garden Center in St. Paul, open year round, or at any one of our 50+ Flower Marts, open during the spring season.  Looking for more ideas….
  • Get started on that water garden you promised yourself last summer. Linder’s has all the supplies to do it yourself or our helpful landscaping staff will assist you in planning and installing it for you.  Read more…
  • Short on space for a vegetable garden?  Plant compact varieties of vegetables in large patio pots instead.

Birding in Your Backyard

Lawns

  • Apply a pre-emergent crabgrass killer now (late April through first 2 weeks of May) to your lawn before crabgrass germinates. Check out ‘Greenview Spring Fertilizer with Weed Control and Crabgrass Preventer’ for its combined broadleaf and crabgrass control or the ‘Gro-Well Lawn Fertilizer with Pre-Emergent Weed Control’ if you are looking for an organic product for your lawn.  Read more…
  • Aerate lawns in spring.
  • De-thatch lawns when thatch reaches ¾ inch

Vegetables & Annuals

  • Remember the average last frost date in the Twin Cities metro area is May 15th. Any tender annuals, vegetables or other plants will need to be covered if temps are going to be at or below freezing.
  • Don’t cut back that foliage from tulips and daffodils until they are yellow and brown.  They need it to store energy for the next season.
  • Gradually harden off seedlings, house plants, and tropicals by bringing them outside for increasing amounts of time each day.
  • Direct sow warm loving plants late in May- the soil is warmer and seeds will germinate quickly (cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupe, pumpkins, etc…)
  • Plant annuals between shrubs and perennials to give your landscape some color.
  • Annuals are a great way to add bright colors to any garden. Some great ‘tried & true’ annuals are Ageratum, Alyssum, Begonia, Celosia, Coleus, Impatiens, Lobelia, Petunia, Salvia, Verbena, Vinca, and Zinnias. However, there are lots of new annuals if you’re looking to be adventuresome this year in the garden. Why not try planting Alternatherea, Angelonia, Bacopa, Coleus (many new varieties!), Calibrachoa, Diascia, Helichrysum (Licorice Plant), Ipomea (Sweet Potato Vine), Ornamental Grasses, Wave Petunias (and many other new petunia varieties), Torenia, etc…  Look through our Flowering Annuals and Specialty Annuals Plant Lists for ideas.
  • Remember to apply a pre-emergent weed killer and a slow release fertilizer after planting your annual gardens to save time weeding and fertilizing later in the season.

Trees, Shrubs, Roses, & Perennials

  • Move or divide any perennials that were too crowded last year.  Read more…
  • Cut or break the new growth on the ends of pines (these are called “candles”) in half to encourage bushy, dense growth.  Read more…
  • Prune and shape azaleas, rhododendrons and lilacs if needed after they are finished blooming.  Read more…
  • Continue the spraying schedule for your fruit trees.  Read more…
  • Control slugs now to prevent damage to your Hostas.  Read more…
  • Fertilize your roses. Roses are heavy feeders and need to be fertilized on a regular basis.  Read more…
  • A mixed bed of perennials, bulbs and annuals can be very beautiful and fulfilling as a gardener. Choose plants to provide a pleasing design of flower colors & shapes, foliage textures, and plant habits (spreading to very tall). Your keys to success in choosing annuals, either on your own or with the help of one of our employees, are to understand the garden environment and your goals and personal tastes.  Read more…

Indoor Plants

  • Plants that are to go outside for the summer should be acclimated slowly.  Move them outside in stages, starting with an hour or two on a cloudy day and slowly making their exposure to the elements a little longer each time. Watch the weather: most house plants and tropicals need night temperatures above 55 degrees.