New "Krone" series

Let spring into your soul and garden!

Gardening and decorating expert Patrizia Haslinger is now giving tips to Krone readers with green fingers.

(Bild: Herzensgärtnerin)

When the first harbingers of spring, such as snowdrops and sometimes even daffodils, stretch their heads towards the sun, we natural gardeners can hardly be held back - after a long break, we're finally getting back to gardening! A new "Krone" series is also awakening along with nature: professional Patrizia Haslinger is now giving useful tips.

According to the phenological calendar, we are in the so-called "first spring", which means that nature itself is just starting to pick up speed, albeit earlier and earlier! Nothing is running away (yet).

Now is the time to make the most of the warming rays of sunshine, recharge your batteries, go for a walk, listen to nature - the birds are already chirping as if it were full spring and are busy building their nests. Watch the fresh greenery grow in the truest sense of the word - I am always fascinated by the power behind it. Consciously breathe in the fresh air, smell how subtle and delicate the scent of a snowdrop is - or the first daffodils!

What to do before the big bloom
What you can and should actually do now with a "clear conscience": Cut back grasses and perennials - taking care not to cut the fresh greenery as well. You can also use this opportunity to divide them and plant them in new parts of the garden.

A welcome wreath made from natural materials is quickly tied and signals to the guest: "Nice of you to visit me"! Snail shells, feathers or even individual flowers add visual interest to the wreath. Empty eggshells serve as perfect "mini vases".

(Bild: Herzensgärtnerin)

(Bild: Herzensgärtnerin)

(Bild: Herzensgärtnerin)

Remove summer-flowering shrubs such as hibiscus, panicle hydrangea and summer lilacs now at the latest. Watch out! Early-flowering shrubs such as lilac, deutzia and forsythia should be pruned immediately after flowering. Speaking of forsythia - you can also use secateurs on roses when they are in bloom. Tub plants (oleander, olive) can be placed outdoors - a fleece helps against possible night frosts.

Plant the first lettuces in the cold frame
If you are a fan of crops: Apply compost/fertilizer to beds and tree slices now. Pre-plant tomatoes and vegetable plants indoors and plant the first lettuces in the cold frame. Sow radishes, carrots and spinach directly.

Your advisor

Patrizia Haslinger is a passionate garden designer and coach. She is also a certified wedding planner. You can find even more information about the gardener at heart online at www.theHeartgardener.at

A tip for the creative: you can make decorative door wreaths from the clippings in no time at all. Decorate with a few natural materials such as snail shells, feathers and individual flowers (the eggshells serve as a "vase"). Your welcome for an inviting entrance to your home is ready!

Bastel-Inspiration:

Süße Osterhasen aus der Dose

Easter Sunday is ten days away - and here's a great idea to add an artistic touch to this beautiful celebration. Make these fun "tin bunnies" for Easter with just a few materials: you'll need empty tins. Maybe you have a cat or a dog - there will be lots of them from the food anyway, so you can "upcycle" them. What else you need: waterproof paint, some construction paper, colorful ribbons, scissors, craft glue and small flowers or grass from the garden.

Empty cans can be transformed into flower pots with Easter bunny ears. Anything that grows around the house can be planted in them.

(Bild: Herzensgärtnerin)

(Bild: Herzensgärtnerin)

Paint the outside of the tin and leave to dry. Cut bunny ears out of construction paper (possibly overlapping in two colors) and stick them to the back edge of the tin. Wrap a pretty ribbon around them. Ready for planting - take a small group of daisies, violets from the garden or a meadow, for example. After Easter, you can put them back and let them grow again.

If you use small tins and simply fill them with moss or some hay instead of flowers and place a painted egg on top, you have a nice decorative idea for the Easter breakfast table or gift.

Have fun and good luck!