Gardener's Week
Apple Trees: Scionwood is foot-long portions of the previous year's woody growth of favorite varieties that are cut in late winter and then grafted to apple saplings. The trees grow into clones of the scion source tree. Tower Hill Botanic Garden is taking orders through March 29 for $3 scionwood sticks cut from its collection of 119 different antique apple varieties. Call 508-869-6111, ext. 39, or visit www.towerhillbg.org.
Cleanup: Cut ornamental grasses to the ground and compost the tops. New shoots will soon sprout.
De-skunking: Skunks are getting active again. They are naturally laid-back, but a particularly foolish dog can trigger their heavy artillery. To chemically neutralize skunk spray, wash the dog with a mix of: a quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide from a pharmacy with a quarter cup of baking soda, and a teaspoon of liquid dish soap. Keep it out of eyes, nose and mouth, and rinse with tap water.
Early flowers: Signs of spring to look for include hellebore flowers, crocus, fuzzy blooming pussy willows, the white bells of snowdrops, white forsythia (abeliophyllum) and Japanese pieris, yellow Cornelian cherry dogwood and spidery witch hazel blooms.
Greenhouses: There is a small exhibit of floral watercolor paintings by Nancy S. Howell on display at the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens Visitors' Center though May 1. The Visitors' Center is adjacent to the Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses located at the east side of the Science Center Building and is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (and most weekends during the same hours), and the greenhouses are open every day of the year 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture offers courses in watercolor painting, botanical art, plant-related lectures, and garden tours. Most programs are held at the Visitors' Center. For further information, call 781-283-3094, or check the website: www.wellesley.edu/FOH.
Heirloom tomato starts: Verrill Farm, 11 Wheeler Road, Concord, is taking orders for more than 30 varieties of heirloom tomato starts through April 2. Order forms are available at the stand, on the website at http://www.verrillfarm.com, and by fax (978-318-0300). Plants in 2- to 3-inch pots cost $1.50 each. Pickup starts in mid May. Farmer Steve Verrill will teach a class on tips for successful gardening on Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m.-noon. The cost is $10 per person and includes a coupon for two heirloom tomato seedlings. Call to register before March 18.
Houseplants: This is a good time to repot plants before they hit their spring growth spurt. Increase fertilizer slightly.
Seeds: Read garden catalogs, send in seed orders, and assemble your seed-starting setup and paraphernalia. Seeds you can start now include hardy perennial flowers, pansies, and snapdragons, because these are frost-hardy and can be planted outside in April. But hold back on planting most others, or they'll be too leggy before it's warm enough to set them outside.
Shrub dogwoods: Those grown for bright red or yellow twig color can be cut back to stumps now so they will have young, brightly colored stems next winter instead of old dull ones. You can also cut the oldest stems of June-blooming spireas to the ground to promote bloom.
