Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Easy Care for Cemetery Plots

For a simple, rather carefree planting around a cemetery plot this spring and summer, geraniums are an excellent idea. Or, try its large family with many purple, red, apricot, peach, wine, pink, and white blossoms, which is pelargonium. Very easy to care for and you can mix and match, or all one variety, your choice for a five foot garden bed.

Plant them to the same depth that the plants are when you get them in their pots this spring. Do not put out until after your frost date. Fertilize them once every 3-4 weeks and water whenever nearby. Keep old flowers and poor leaves clipped off. They are fairly pest resistant.

Other choices would be the beautiful canna lilies, planted to a depth of 4-6" and watered well. They bloom throughout the summer. Zinnias are very nice, maybe a six pack of them and space one foot apart.

Dahlias come in dwarf sizes now, so three of them would be easy. Plant the tubers in the spring 5-6" deep but you may need to stake them later if the area gets wind. They are available in a myriad of colors.