Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a native wildflower that grows 6-12 inches tall. The white flowers bloom late March through May. The leaves add interest to the plant as they are deeply and irregularly lobed. Bloodroot prefers partial to full shade and a soil that is consistently moist. This plant may go dormant as the heat of summer comes on.

Merrybells (Uvularia grandiflora) is another native wildflower. It grows 6-18 inches tall and has yellow flowers from April through June. The flowers are nodding. Merrybells prefer partial to full shade and a moist, well drained soil.

May is often the month to really 'dig in' and get the garden going. Remember, though, that a lot of gardening projects revolve around the last frost date (often mid-May, but some years really more like the end of May). Be watching the weather closely so you don't get caught by frost.

• plant perennials (early May, unless a hard freeze comes)
• pansies and ornamental cabbage can go out in early May (they are very cold tolerant)
• plant annual flowers and vegetables after last frost
• dethatch and aerate lawns if needed
• apply time release fertilizer to lawns and flower beds if needed
• plant summer bulbs after last frost

April – Late April into early May is usually the time to think about crabgrass prevention. Seeds won't germinate until the soil is above 55 degrees for several days.

May- See the article "May, a Great Month for Gardening included in this newsletter.

(Editor's note: In the Dec '08-Jan '09, I featured an article on greener gardening. Since this is such a hot topic, I am elaborating on this topic and printing it in multiple articles over the next couple of issues.)

"Green" seems to mean a lot of different things. Too often, it implies that we need to buy a lot of new products. Not necessarily. For gardeners, being green can be both simple and inexpensive. Gardeners are obviously green by the nature of their activities, but all gardeners should take some time to consider how they can make their garden more environmentally friendly. Some of the best green ideas are merely changes in our everyday gardening practices.

Water conservation is a big part of a "green" garden. Certainly products like rain barrels may help us here, but the real key to conservation is changing our watering practices. Many gardeners run the sprinkler every day for a short time period. This type of shallow watering does not get enough water to the roots and much of the water may be lost to evaporation or wind. This practice does not benefit the plant and it wastes water. Try watering once a week for a longer period of time. This will insure deeper penetration of the water into the soil to really benefit the root system.

Another idea is to abandon the overhead sprinkler and install soaker hoses in your flower and vegetable gardens. Soaker hoses deliver water right to the soil, with very little loss. Overhead sprinklers can lose up to 50 percent of the water they put out through evaporation and drift. Soaker hoses have the additional benefit of not wetting the leaves of the plants. Dry foliage is less likely to develop fungal diseases. Fewer fungal problems means reduced fungicide use (another way to help the environment).

Rain gardens are another way to make the most of the water in our yards. Rain gardens are designed to capture water and put it to good use, rather than allow it to run off into storm sewers. This is a more complex choice and will require some planning to implement. An internet search on 'rain gardens' will yield a wealth of information on this topic.

Rain barrels can be purchased to help conserve water flowing off the roof and into the downspouts. Capturing this water and using it in the garden later is a good way to conserve water and also minimize the amount of water that flows away into storm sewers.

There are a number of commercially made rain barrels available. While simple to use, they must be used correctly to get the most benefit from them. Rain barrels vary in capacity, ranging from 50 to 150 gallons. While that sounds like a lot, in a heavy rain, more than that quantity will come off the roof. A one inch rain on a 1000 square foot roof, may yield over 600 gallons of water, so consider having more than one rain barrel. Rain barrels can be hooked together in a system to collect larger amounts of water. Your rain barrel should have an overflow port and hose that can direct excessive amounts of water from heavy rains away from the foundation of the house.

There are other considerations in proper use of a rain barrel. Rain barrels are heavy when full (maybe 500 pounds or more). They need to be on a level, secure surface. Fine screening should be in place on any openings to prevent mosquito breeding. A tight-fitting lid should be in place to keep children and animals out of the rain barrel. The rain barrel will need to be winterized. Before the first hard freeze, remove the barrel and replace the original drain pipes and downspouts. Empty the barrel and turn it upside down to drain it.

An important thing to remember about the water in a rain barrel; it should not be used for drinking. The water from the roof may have picked up contaminants. Bacteria or other disease organisms from birds and animals on the roof may be in the water. Water from the rain barrel can safely be used in the flower garden. If you are using the water in the vegetable garden, be sure to apply the water only to the soil. Do not do any overhead irrigation which will cause the water to come in contact with the edible above ground portion of the plant.