May Day, Preen and Baby Snakes

There's a new Preen product available only at Lowe's. It is a mulch that has a pre-emergent already in it. The product literature says it will prevent weeds for six months. We are trying it on these Sweetspires because they require weekly Bermuda grass weeding over the summer.
The color is too red but may fade in the summer sun.

We decided to remove a riparian area (weeds and vinca) next to the house where baby bunnies have been born and where baby snakes have also been born.

The photo is of one of the baby snakes that was displaced this week. He/She is climbing up the house after scaring us by peeking into the window and wiggling its head at us.

It is May first and we have cooling rain for the week which is great for the transplants as well as recently planted seeds. The rain makes this a perfect time to distribute fertilizer, too, since it will be watered-in while the plants are under cloud cover. (Hot dry weather + fertilizer can lead to burning)

Stay on top of picking lettuce and other spring greens before they bolt. Put in annual flowers now. Pull weeds. Plant shrubs and trees as soon as possible after the rain stops. Look carefully around peony, rose and other buds for signs of insect eggs and wipe them off with a paper towel dipped in a mild solution of dish soap in water.