Follow these tips to decrease the amount of disease in your vegetable garden and grow as a gardener!

*Select disease resistant varieties.

*Plant closely related vegetables in separate areas of the garden.

*Rotate your vegetables to prevent the same types from growing in the same spot year after year.

*Control weeds and insects.

*Remove and destroy any diseased plant material.

*Remove the plants soon after harvest.

*Remove ripe vegetables. Don't let them become overripe on the plant.

*Disinfect garden tools.

*Apply fungicides appropriately when necessary.

*Plant at the recommended spacing to ensure good air circulation and sunlight penetration.

*Water the base of plants.

*Mulch to control weeds and to provide an absorptive barrier against disease organisms being splashed around during heavy rains.

*Stake and trellis plants to keep the vegetables away from the soil and each other and to keep the leaves shading the vegetables.

Many of these tips were taken from the University of Missouri Extension.

Each month take a quick assessment of your landscape and garden. Look around your home and property and take note of any areas you aren't pleased with. Notice if any areas are too bare or too crowded. Make a note to look at these spots again in a couple months, then plant or transplant if needed. Do you see any spots where declining foliage is showing through? Make note of how you can camoflauge plants that are finished blooming. Potted plants and hanging baskets are great, quick ways to add pops of color around your home. Look at your trees and shrubs. Do you want more color during different seasons? Do you want to change the shape of your landscape beds? Try a different mulch? Decrease the amount of lawn you have? If you grow vegetables, make notes of what varieties you have, your favorites, diseases and insects. Take lots of pictures! Keep a journal and do some dreaming and planning each month and grow as a gardener.

Summer arrives this month! Follow our June gardening checklist to ensure the summer gardening season gets off to a good start.

*Continue planting, but try to be finished by the middle of this month.

*Continue to weed, weed, weed!

*Mulch if you haven't yet.

*Continue enjoying some early vegetables.

*Water.

*Insects start becoming a problem. Start pest management.

*Deadhead and cut back.

*Autumn-flowering plants can be cut back for height control.

*Display some cut flowers inside in a pretty vase.

*Powdery mildews and other fungi may start to appear. Treat appropriately.

Join Kelly over lunch June 12 and learn the ins and outs of growing hydrangeas.

One of the most popular flowering shrubs in Indiana, hydrangeas can be as frustrating as they are beautiful. With as many varieties as there are, it can become overwhelming to decide which type best fits your garden or landscape. Join Kelly as she reviews the different types of hydrangeas and helps make it easier to decide which variety would work best for you.

Lunch and Learn at the Gardens is a series of garden related talks held at the Education and Resource Center, 551 N. Miami Street. They take place once a month on a Wednesday, from February to October. The talks will begin at 12:15 and will end by 12:45. Bring your own lunch. There is no charge. For parties of 6 or more, please call 260-563-1020 to make a reservation. Main parking is at 518 N. Wabash Street. There will be limited parking behing the Education and Resource Center. 

Mulch is a material, usually natural, that's added on top of your garden soil. There are several types of mulch to choose from. The most common are hardwood chips or shredded bark, straw and pine needles. Mulch helps keeps the soil temperature steady, keeps weeds from sprouting, helps the soil hold moisture and beautifies your garden or landscape. Once you have finished planting, be sure and add a layer of mulch. Two inches is sufficient. Any more than that and you run the risk of suffocating your plants. Be sure not to place the mulch too close to the base of plants as this can also suffocate them. Leave a few inches of open soil. Grow as a gardener and enjoy thebenefits of mulch this summer!

I'm confident in saying there's no gardening chore disliked more than weeding! Weeds are a battle you have to fight throughout the gardening season, but getting control of them now will lesson the war later. Grow as a gardener and read through our answers to some common weeding questions. 

When should I start weeding? Now! Early weeding is sometimes difficult because the weeds are immature. Young weeds are coming up at the same time as your perennials. If you're not sure what it is, don't pull it out. Come back in a few days and check again.

When are the best days and times to weed? Choosing a good time of day to weed can lesson the burden. Some gardeners weed in the morning or evening, when it's cooler. Others choose to weed in the middle of a cooler day to avoid mosquitos. Pick a time that works for you and try to be consistent. That will help establish a routine. Pick a few days after a rain to weed because the soil will be soft, but not too soft. Don't weed when the soil is wet. You'll compact the soil and inhibit plant growth. If you're going to hoe, wait for your soil to be completely dry.

Which tool should I use? Talk to five gardeners and you'll probably get five different answers. Some of the most common tools are dandelion weeders, hoes, trowels and weeding forks. Garden Tool Company has great pictures and descriptions of a large variety of weeding tools. The key is to find a tool that works for you. And remember you can use a tool in other areas and for other weeds than it's designed for!

How often should I weed? Weeding regularly is key. Some gardeners weed for a few minutes every day. Others weed for a longer time once a week. Pick a schedule that works for you and your landscape and stick to it. Once you skip a time or two, you'll have a lot of cathing up to do!

What about using herbicides? Of course, weeding by simply pulling up the weeds is better for your landscape and your family's health than is using traditional chemicals. If you choose to use chemicals, research your options and read and follow all use and safety instructions! There are natural, organic and non-toxic herbicides available. Doing a quick internet search will provide you with information on these safer options.

And finally–

How do I prevent weeds? Preventing weeds in the first place is the most important step of weed control. Having full, healthy plants is important as this leaves less soil exposed for weeds to establish themselves. Pulling weeds before they go to seed is also important. Having a good natural or man-made barrier between your garden and lawn is also important. If you use compost, make sure it is free of weed seeds. If it hasn't composted properly, there may still be viable seeds that will sprout. A two inch layer of mulch is important for controlling weeds. As you're weeding or planting take care not to disturb the soil any more than is necessary. Doing so will bring weed seeds to the surface where they will germinate.

Hopefully you've been inspired to add something new to your weed control this year! 

Shrubs that bloom in the spring need to be pruned as soon as they're finished blooming. They develop their flower buds for next spring while they're growing during the summer and fall. So if you wait until this fall or early next spring to prune them, you'll be pruning off all their flower buds.

Many spring flowering shrubs don't need a lot of pruning. Look over your shrubs and prune away any dead or diseased branches. If your shrub hasn't been flowering as well as it has in the past, you may need to prune away some of the older branches to allow for more young, vigorous growth. Also, look at the space your shrub occupies and if it's getting too big for the space, you can prune it back to make it smaller.

There is a correct way to prune your spring flowering shrubs. Incorrect pruning is not only unhealthy for your shrub, but is a major eyesore. If you're unsure how to go about pruning your shrubs correctly, check out this guide from Purdue University. It has great directions and illustrations.

Take some time to care for your shrubs and grow as a gardener. They will award you next spring with a great flower show!

Spring is in full swing! Follow our checklist to ensure you don't miss anything during this busy gardening month! This month has many opportunities for you to grow as a gardener!

*Plant, plant and plant! Add some compost to each hole.

*Plant your annuals now and any sensitive perennials.

*You may want to pinch or cut back annuals when planting.

*Continue to divide and transplant perennials. Spring flowering perennials can be divided and transplanted after flowering.

*Move or remove any unwanted seedlings.

*Take note of any empty spots for new plantings.

*Weed, weed and weed!

*Mulch.

*Hang hummingbird feeders.

*Put together potted plants and hanging baskets.

*Many tall summer flowering perennials can be pinched or cut back for height control.

*Deadhead spring flowering perennials. Cut them back if they're unsightly.

*Watch for late season cold weather and protect any sensitive plants.

*Plant vegetables and harvest any cool season vegetables you planted earlier.

*Spring flowering shrubs need to be pruned after flowering. They will flower next spring on the growth they make this summer.

Join us May 15 and discover the beauty and design of bird eggs.

Spring welcomes an abundance of bird activity. Birds begin building their nests for their young who will arrive soon. Inside their nests hide some of the most beautiful creations in nature. Bird eggs come in many shapes and sizes, colors and patterns. Join Amy as she explores the splendor and design of bird eggs.

Lunch and Learn at the Gardens is a series of garden related talks held at the Education and Resource Center, 551 N. Miami Street. They take place once a month on a Wednesday, from February to October. The talks will begin at 12:15 and will end by 12:45. Bring your own lunch. There is no charge. For parties of 6 or more, please call 260-563-1020 to make a reservation. Main parking is at 518 N. Wabash Street. There will be limited parking behing the Education and Resource Center.