By Vicki O’Neal,
CID, ASID
What a Welcome Time of Year!
The weather is breaking and we all feel
renewed and energized. The temperatures
are not only warmer but days are growing
longer. I love not only the first blooms, but
the bright chartreuse green of new foliage
on the trees just as the first leaves begin
to emerge. Each passing day brings more
abundance of spring to enjoy. Can you recall
the amazing smell of the first
fresh cutting of the grass, and the
feel of it under your bare toes?
It’s irresistible to get out into the
garden and start digging. There
is something very primal and
nurturing about connecting with
the earth.
The gracefully arching blooms
of golden forsythia are the calling
card of spring, as are the
white and pink lollipop tops
of flowering trees. Bulbs are a
personal favorite. Those first
crocuses opening even if there
is frost or, if we’re lucky, a little
snow, remind us of the resilience of nature.
There is just nothing like the scent of a vase
of old-fashioned daffodils to cheer up the
breakfast table and call us outdoors.
As the warmth of sunny spring days arrives,
we can’t help but hit the garden centers
with zeal, and are eager to reap the rewards
of spring planting. New perennials,
shrubs, and trees benefit from planting as
early in spring as possible. This gives them
more time to acclimate to their new home
before the heat of summer arrives, and the
selection is at peak as well. However, many
plants have been grown in a sheltered environment
and may need a little protection
in the event of a hard, late frost. This is
particularly true of the tender new growth
on plants such as hydrangea and Japanese
maples.
Do Your Homework
Before planting in your spring garden,
homework and careful planning can save
time, effort, money, and potential disappointment.
A great start is to seriously take
stock of your existing landscape. Especially
if you are shopping for shrubs and trees, it
is a great help to prepare a shopping list,
preferably with a master plan in mind. This
will give you some direction as to how your
choices will blend into your existing landscape.
I have made many trips to the garden
center and been captured like a kid in a
candy store when eyeing the selections in
bloom. It’s easy to be lured by optimism
and horticultural ambition into making
purchases that might not be appropriate for
your garden or particular growing conditions.
The sheer number of choices
can feel daunting.
When making selections among
those blooming beauties, always remember
to read the labels. The plant
tags provide important information
on culture such as sun or shade
requirements, ultimate size (they
aren’t kidding), planting instructions
as well as bloom time. The
most common mistakes I see are
improper planting and mulching,
planting too close to a wall or structure,
and not allowing enough space
for each plant to grow to its mature
size. In the master gardener circles
our phrase is “right plant, right place.”
Gardenkeeping
Housekeeping in the garden, or “gardenkeeping,”
has many routine tasks that need
attention at this time. Foundation plantings
and beds need to be cleaned out by removing
damaged or dead foliage, leaves, and
weeds to improve appearance and prevent
disease. Late winter and very early spring is
a great time to prune many shrubs with the exception
of spring flowering plants such as azaleas and
rhododendrons. Some plants bloom on old wood
or have very specific pruning needs, so if in doubt
it is always best to do some research. The optimum
time for pruning specific trees also requires a little
homework. If needed, mulching is a good practice
to protect plants from the coming summer heat and
to conserve moisture. Spring is a great time to get a
soil test for specific areas of cultivation, and begin
applications of soil amendments as indicated.
Lawn Care
Your lawn is calling for attention too, but not in
the way you might think. According to the local
Extension Offices, it’s best not to fertilize a fescue
or cool season lawn at this time because spring fertilization
encourages top, blade growth at the expense
of root development. If you have followed
the fall fertilization recommendations, the lawn
has plenty of nutrients to sustain it through the spring and summer.
If you haven’t, it’s still best to wait until fall rolls around again
to fertilize. It’s also ecologically sound only to fertilize when the
plants can best utilize the nutrients. Less is more when using fertilizers
and pesticides in the garden.
At this time your lawn does need pre-emergent crabgrass and
broadleaf weed control. This can be applied in granular form or
spray, carefully following the recommendations by the manufacturer
for application. Nature gives us the schedule for the first application
of crabgrass control. It is ideally applied before the last forsythia
blooms fall. Always check the forecast prior to applying any
chemicals to the lawn or garden. A heavy rain following treatment
will quickly wash your efforts and dollars away and the chemicals
may end up in the Chesapeake Bay or our ground water.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Many tender annuals appear in the garden centers before it is actually
safe to plant them in our area without protection from cold
nights. Generally in this area, we are in Agricultural Zone 7a, meaning
our last potential frost date, believe it or not, is around April
15th. Many of these plants have been raised in a greenhouse or protected
shelter and need to be ‘hardened off’ before planting out in
the garden. If you like to plant annuals and vegetables, there are
cool and warm season varieties. I personally think it’s usually a better
bet to grow varieties preferring cooler weather in the fall. Cool
nights can run out deep into spring here, but daytime temperatures
can suddenly climb into the nineties without warning toward late
spring.
Have you ever noticed that some of your azaleas will be in full
bloom, while the blossoms on others, maybe side by side, have
not even begun to open? This is due to a small, but important, not
well-known fact: there are early, middle and late blooming varieties
of many flowering trees, shrubs, bulbs, and perennials. This is
particularly prevalent in plant species that have many varieties such
as daffodils, daylilies, azaleas, rhododendrons, and crape myrtles.
There are also spring and fall blooming camellias (C. japonica and
C. sasanqua, respectively). Again, be sure to check the plant tags.
This is valuable information when planning the succession of color
and bloom to extend seasonal interest and beauty. If you want a
particular plant that blooms a specific color, it is a good idea to buy
those plants when they are in bloom.
Spring speaks of renewal, and is a reminder that nature is evidence
for eternal optimism. Most rewarding is to sit back and
enjoy the results of your efforts, and as the saying goes “take
time to smell the flowers.” Celebrate the garden this spring!
Resources
If you have gardening questions, don’t forget the great
resources available. Professional landscape designers,
as well as local garden centers provide a wide variety
of services and expertise to assist you in making
the most of nature’s gifts. The local County Extension
Offices offer a wealth of information. Check out
their programs and services:
Henrico County; (804) 501-5160;
www.co.henrico.va.us/extension |
