This time of year, gardens are starting to look greener, thanks to a string of rains and recent sunshine. But are you making the most of your green space? Gardening coach Jess Zander crouched behind a sourberry tree by the front steps of her Medford, Massachusetts, home, snipping off branches with hedge shears. “This is what you do,” she told homeowner Jesse Schiller as she made a notch at the base of the tree. Zander travels from town to town helping homeowners visualize better, more manageable yards. She quit her job as CFO last year after her social media account, which she runs under the handle You Can Do It Gardening, took off and requests for gardening coaching skyrocketed. Invasive Plants When Zander arrives at a home, she first checks for invasive plants. “That's the first thing I look for. I'm cleaning, and something always catches my eye. Out of hundreds of properties, there are a few that have nothing growing on them,” she said. At her Medford home, she found black swallowwort. “You have to get it out by the roots. You have to get it out before it goes to seed,” she told Schiller, pushing a transplant shovel into the ground to dig up the plant, revealing its long, gnarled roots. Zander stressed that homeowners should be aware of invasive plants on their property and try to control them as best they can. Some, like Japanese knotweed, can be destructive and may require herbicides to eradicate. Zander, who shops for her own garden, urges gardeners to take inventory of plants already on their property before heading to the nearest nursery. At Schiller's house, she divided some of the ajuga plants with a transplant shovel and moved the flowering ground cover back into another flower bed. Zander said many homeowners hesitate to divide plants in their gardens, but it saves them money. “They're scared they're going to kill the plants,” she said. “Everyone buys the same thing. If they like a hosta, they'll buy the same hosta. It's okay to divide it.” When to water Depending on the temperature and dryness, some plants may need to be watered twice a day. Pay special attention to shrubs and trees that you just planted this season. “If you put your finger in the soil and it's dry, you need to water it more. If it's moist, you don't need to do anything. If it's soggy, you're either overwatering it or it's rained a lot and you don't need to water it,” she advised. Pruning Zander pruned her serviceberry so it wouldn't be overwhelmed by the purple-flowered clusters of rhododendron next to it. Pruning plants also encourages new growth, so Zander encourages homeowners to prune aggressively. “It's really hard to kill a plant; they want to live, so they'll find a way,” she said. But it's important to prune at the right time. To maximize next year's blooms, prune after this year's flowers have fallen. “The lilacs, rhododendrons and azaleas are almost done, so prune them back,” she advises. Xander's usual advice to budding gardeners is to keep projects manageable and be realistic about how much time you can devote to your garden. “It should be fun,” she says with a smile.
MEDFORD, Massachusetts —
This time of year, with all the rainy days and the recent sunshine, garden plantings and greenery are starting to stand out, but are you making the most of your green space?
Gardening coach Jess Zander crouched behind a sourberry bush beside the front steps of her Medford, Massachusetts, home, pruning branches with hedge shears.
“This is what you do,” she told her homeowner, Jesse Schiller, as she cut the tree's base.
Zander travels from town to town helping homeowners visualize better, more manageable gardens. Last year, she quit her job as CFO after her social media handle “You Can Do It Gardening” took off and she saw a surge in requests for gardening training.
Invasive plants
When Xander arrives at a house, the first thing he does is check for invasive plants.
“That's the first thing I look for. I search thoroughly. I always find something. Out of hundreds of properties, there are some that have nothing,” she said.
She discovered black swallowwort at her Medford home.
“You have to get it by the root, before it goes to seed,” she told Schiller, as she plunged the trowel into the ground and dug up the plant, exposing its long, gnarled roots.
Zander urged homeowners to be aware of invasive plants on their property and try to control them where possible – some, like Japanese knotweed, can be destructive and may require the use of herbicides to eradicate them.
Shop in your own backyard
Zander urges gardeners to take inventory of what they already have on their property before heading to the nearest nursery. At Schiller's home, she separated ajuga plants with a trowel and moved flowering ground cover plants back to a separate bed. Zander says many homeowners are hesitant to divide plants in their gardens, but doing so can save them money.
“They're scared they'll kill the plants,” she said, “so they just keep buying the same thing. If they like a hosta, they'll go buy the same thing. It's okay to share plants.”
Timing of watering
Depending on temperature and dryness, some plants may need to be watered twice a day, paying special attention to any shrubs or trees that are new to the season.
“Put your finger in the soil and if it's dry, you need to water it more. And if the soil is moist, you don't need to do anything. If the soil is soggy, you've either overwatered it or it's rained a lot and you don't need to water it,” she advised.
pruning
Zander trimmed the sourberry plant so it wouldn't be overwhelmed by the rhododendron next door (which has clusters of purple flowers). Pruning plants encourages new growth, so Zander encourages homeowners to be proactive.
“It's really hard to kill a plant. They want to live, so they'll find a way,” she said.
However, it is important to prune at the right time: for optimal flowering next year, prune after this year's flowers have fallen.
“So your lilacs, rhododendrons and azaleas are almost done. Get in there and prune them,” she advised.
Zander's usual advice to budding gardeners is to keep projects manageable and be realistic about how much time you can devote to your garden.
“It's going to be fun,” she said with a smile.
