Garden Newsletter

To grow healthy rhododendrons, location is key. They need some sun and don’t do well in exposed locations (winter winds desiccate the foliage and kill flower buds). I have two rosy red blooms on ‘Haaga’, a University of Helsinki hybrid I planted two years ago, and I’m thrilled.

May and June are prime time to shop for vegetables and annuals, because nurseries are well-stocked with these seasonal offerings. Here are some annuals I’ll be trying in containers this year.

I have a couple of formally clipped myrtle standards in terra-cotta pots I’ve had for a few years. They started as small plants, and have been pruned and repotted as needed; they spend winters indoors in a sunny window. Currently, I’m in the process of hardening them off so they can summer outdoors.

Many seeds stay viable for a year or more, especially with careful storage. (Protect them from moisture, heat and light.) If you’re wondering if some of last year’s — or older — seeds are still viable, here’s how to test them.