ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – With Mother’s Day having passed, it’s now safe to put plants outside in pots or in the ground, but gardeners should take a few steps first.
Neil Cox, owner of Country Corner Farms in Roanoke County, said every growing season brings challenges. This year, it is the drought.
“You might have a perfect growing season, once every 10 years,” Cox said.
Before buying plants or putting them in the ground, gardeners should look up to assess the sunlight.
“You need to know your light. If you get full sun, part sun, shade. That’s the number one question we always ask, and that’s the number one question, nobody knows because they walk out the front door, but they don’t ever look up,” Cox said.
Knowing how the sun hits your yard will affect how well plants grow.
“A full sun plant will live in the shade, but it won’t bloom. And a full shade plant, will die in the sun. A beautiful plant is beautiful because they knew where to put it,” Cox said.
Once plants are in the ground, they need regular attention.
“If they’re wilted, they need water. If they’re yellow, they need fertilizer. Success in planting is all in how much time you want to put into it,” Cox said.
Cox said some people are reluctant to try gardening.
“I think people’s main problem, is that they’re not willing to try either. We have some people that say, oh I kill everything. Well, you know, the only way you’re going to succeed is to try,” Cox said.
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