National Garden Month
Published on April 29, 2021
After spending the past few months inside it is now time to get out and get your hands dirty. April is National Gardening Month so get out and grow.
During the 1980s, the National Garden Bureau worked with 23 cosponsoring national horticultural organizations to legislate National Garden Week. Former President Reagan signed the Proclamation April 18, 1986. National Garden Week was first celebrated April 12 to 18, 1987. In 2003 the celebration was extended to include the entire month of Aril.
It has long been recognized that, for many, digging in dirt relieves stress and improves mood. Gardening is also good exercise, which promotes heart health and helps with weight control. It reduces the risk of stroke by lowering blood pressure and has shown to delay the onset of dementia.
Gardening is not only good for you but also for the environment. Plants filter the air and help curb soil erosion as they lower our "carbon footprint" in several ways. Plants remove carbon dioxide from the air as the carry out photosynthesis. The ecosystems formed within a garden help to add to the diversity of plant and animal life. Among this diversity are an increased number of pollinators which are important in food production.
Jackson County Parks + Rec Supervisor of Natural Resources Belinda Bass offered up a few pro tips for help with your own garden:
- Don’t plant annuals and most vegetables before Mother’s Day. This will insure they do not get a frost. Started perennials can be planted a week or two earlier if there is no frost in the forecast but care should be taken, they will be sensitive to low temperatures even if it does not frost.
- Pre-emergents are helpful to keep weeds down, but weeding will always be something you will have to do.
- Over-crowded plants cause a lot of problems, avoid this by planting your plants a garden trowels length apart. They will fill in and be healthier!
- A good garden hoe is essential.
Great Decorative and Pollinator Friendly Plants to Grow In Your Garden
Perennial :
- Black-eyed Susans
- Cone Flowers
- Day Lily
- Butterfly Bush
- Butterfly Weed
Annual:
- Zinnias
- Salvia
- Marigolds
- Dill
- Fennel
“Dandelion’s may be frowned upon, but they flower early and provide much needed nutrition for honeybees and other pollinating insects. This is also an edible weed. The flower petals can be added to salad and the greens can be steamed like spinach, it is great when mixed with other steamed greens,” Bass said.