Sowing and Planting
- Sow French marigolds, petunias, dahlias, and other summer bedding seeds in the coming weeks.
- Start flower seeds indoors with heat and then move them to a cooler greenhouse; a small heated propagator can help raise plants successfully.
- Sow seeds of sweet peas and support autumn-raised plants with light canes.
- Plant perennial flowers in pots at any time.
- Plant gladiolus corms and lily bulbs directly outdoors from mid-March.
- Hardy annual flowers, such as calendula, candytuft, and California poppy, can be sown now.
Lifting, Dividing, and Moving
- Complete lifting and dividing herbaceous flowers soon if the soil is dry enough; water them until they re-establish fully.
- Ornamental grasses move best at this time of year.
- Move spring bulbs “in the green” as the flowers fade; separate bulbs of different colors while flowers are still present.
- Lift green, full-leaf spring bulbs just after flowering and move them to other areas if necessary.
Timing and Late Season Planting
- It’s getting late for sowing bedding flowers as they will flower very late; buy plants in May instead.
- Some quick-maturing bedding flowers like dahlias and marigolds will still do well if sown late.
- Hardy annual flowers sown now will flower in late summer.
