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"Green thumbs" and gardening novices alike can take
home tips for sprucing up their own gardens during the 12th annual
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival April 15-June 5
at Walt Disney World Resort. Hundreds of acres of lovingly tended
displays brighten the Vacation Kingdom throughout the year, with
the pinnacle of petals bursting forth in an unmatched color show
each spring at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.
How do the Disney gardeners do it? Better yet, how can home gardeners
obtain successful results from their landscape efforts? Where to
begin? Roses, grass, flowers, trees . . . the list goes on and on.
Here are some ideas from Walt Disney World specialists on what to
tackle first this spring.
Walt Disney World Spring 'How-To' Tips For Home Gardeners
Vegetable gardening tips
Choose the site for your vegetable garden making sure that:
- it is well drained.
- it gets about eight hours of sunshine a day.
- a water source is close by.
Add organic matter to the soil, pull weeds and till the plot.
Some more veggie tips:
- Start your transplants indoors about a month and a half before
the last frost date.
- Stagger plantings by two weeks or so to give yourself a longer
harvest time.
- Consider what you eat and how many plants you'll need to produce
that amount.
- Pick plants that do well in your area. Your extension agent
can help you with a list.
Shrub and tree tips
- Spring is a good time of year to plant new trees and shrubs.
- If you have trees in a turf area, they may be getting enough
fertilizer; if not, consider an early-spring fertilizer application.
- Skirt up low branches that get in the way of mowing.
- Re-establish your mulch rings -- a good guide is three feet
from the trunk.
- Get your pruners out and remove cross branches and dead wood.
- Remember not to prune your spring flowering trees until after
they bloom!
Cool-weather turf-maintenance tips
- The cool weather makes us forget that it can be dry. Don't
forget to check irrigation for damaged heads, leaks, and coverage.
- While you're at it, have your lawn mower and power equipment
serviced in preparation for the upcoming growing season.
- Remove sticks, leaves, rocks, and any tall unwanted plants or
weeds from your lawn area before mowing season begins.
- Inspect turf areas for excessive thatch and make arrangements
for lawn renovation if necessary.
Rose tips
- In southern climates, wait to trim roses back until after the
last frost.
- Give each rose bush a cup of bone meal and blood meal in March
and, in the South, an additional cup in October.
- Each bush can use ½ cup of Epsom salt each month April
through November.
- Re-mulch your roses, being sure to keep mulch away from the
stem.
- Remember -- sunshine, cleanliness, good air circulation, and
ample water below leaf level with good drainage will give you
a healthy rose garden with lots of blooms.
General spring gardening tips
- When frost danger is past, plant that Christmas poinsettia
outside.
- Work compost into your soil and sow seeds for this season's
garden. Check with your extension agent for good choices for your
area.
- Be careful when shopping for flowers -- make sure the bedding
plants are for the upcoming season, not the one that has passed.
- Be sure to know what type of sunlight your garden will get so
you can pick appropriately.
- Don't be fooled by cool temperatures -- check the soil to keep
the moisture level correct.
You've begun! Your plants will thank you by providing an abundant
harvest and good show throughout the season. A little work now will
pay off big later on. So, put that extra burst of energy brought
on by the nice spring weather to good use by sprucing up your garden.
You too can have "good show" 365 days a year.
A Plant-Lover's Guide to Walt Disney World Resort
The landscapes of Walt Disney World Resort are special places offering
an array of gardening experiences. Whether you're a "tree person"
or need smaller garden ideas, the Vacation Kingdom has something
sure to spark your interest and make you want to get your hands
dirty. Here are just a few of the horticultural wonders awaiting:
- The 12th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
offers gardeners and "green-thumb wannabes" the chance
to explore the inner secrets of Disney's plant world. Epcot is
blooming with entertainment, gardening experts and more than 1,200
plant species from April 15-June 5. Check out the 30 million colorful
blossoms in gardens throughout the park and the sounds of the
sixties at the Flower Power concert series.
- The All-America Rose Selection (AARS) Display Garden located
in the Hub of Magic Kingdom offers a fabulous show in the spring.
These past winners of the coveted AARS awards hold court near
Cinderella Castle. A winding path leads guests through a fragrant
tour of rose-breeding excellence. The roses are in bounteous bloom
spring and summer, then are cut back in preparation for another
color show that begins around Thanksgiving.
- Only the real trivia buffs can tell you where the largest tree
moved on Walt Disney World property resides -- "Old Man Island"
at Disney's Port Orleans Resort-Riverside recreation area. Children
of all ages playing at its "feet" probably have no idea
that this thriving giant was moved when it was a mere young'un
at 55 feet and a slim 85 tons!
- The most exotic garden of Disney's Polynesian Resort is a joy
to visit no matter what the weather. This tropical atrium complete
with waterfalls is located in the lobby of the resort. Delicate
orchids, bright foliage and a variety of interesting plants perch
on the rocks of this tropical paradise.
- Created in 1995 for the Epcot International Flower & Garden
Festival, the Garden Railway at the Germany pavilion has become
one of the most popular garden attractions at Walt Disney World
Resort. This 50' x 130' miniature garden is a wonder to behold.
"Residents" of the tiny Bavarian village can be found
celebrating holidays, holding festivals and attending to their
day-to-day lives.
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