Inevitably, when planting in early spring I dig into the roots of something that’s not showing yet, usually a hosta that I kinda knew was close by, but I’d forgotten exactly where. And occasionally, a new something will go into the ground without an apparent conflict, only to discover it’s planted a fraction of an inch…
Month: March 2016
Spring planting
In case a reader has not been outdoors in recent weeks, or has just emerged from hibernation (or lives far to the north), it’s spring. The scattered few cold nights expected over the next few weeks should not discourage the gardener from getting on with his spring business, whether that’s cleaning up before anything new…
Seedlings of dubious quality
A number of hellebore (Helleborus) seedlings are flowering in the garden for the first time, and I must say, none are exceptional. In fact, I’m not sure that they’re any good at all. Though the foliage is fine, the flower colors are unremarkable compared to the dozens of named varieties in the garden. A few…
Yes, there are flowers
When hellebores, mahonias, and spireas flowered early in winter there was ample reason to wonder, will this be it? Will there be any blooms at all come the beginning of spring? Now that spring has arrived, we see that yes, there are, with the number of flowers barely diminished. ‘Ogon’ spirea (Spirea thunbergii ‘Ogon’, above)…
Warm then cold, a typical March
The gardener should be aware when he complains that the early spring weather is miserable, no one is listening, though perhaps screaming at the chilly breezes soothes his soul. Yes, it’s raining, or snowing, sometimes simultaneously, but it’s March, and this is to be expected. As recent weeks attest, one March afternoon will be seventy…
Early and late, flowering together
Heaven forbid I should ever figure this out. The gardener expects some confusion, and particularly in early spring. My observation in this garden, for whatever little good that might be, is that ‘Dr. Merrill’ magnolia (Magnolia × loebneri ‘Merrill’, below) flowers a day or two before ‘Royal Star’ (Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star’) which is also…
Suddenly, it’s spring
The first half of this winter was extraordinarily warm, while the second six weeks were more typical. Certainly, the late winter was not exceptionally cold, but after a pleasant beginning the season dragged on with several weeks under the cover of deep snow. Thankfully, this is behind us, though the gardener should expect scattered frosts and…
Spring’s arriving in a hurry
With warm temperatures forecast for the first half of March, a rapid (and welcomed) transition from late winter into spring should be expected. There will be more flowers, sooner, and of course some blooms will fade more quickly in the relative heat. On the negative side, I expect weeds to begin germinating, and gardeners are…
Maybe next year
I cannot recall the time that I started and completed any task in the garden before the very last minute, or later. Occasionally, this rushing around results in complications. Winter weeds (and weeds in general) are rarely plucked before they spew thousands of seeds that will grow next winter’s crop, and it would seem that…
Early March
‘Ogon’ spirea (Spirea thunbergii ‘Ogon’) is unlikely to flower this spring. It flowered modestly with the warm temperatures of late December and early January, and then began to leaf before cold put an end to the premature growth. A less sturdy shrub would be troubled when newly emerging foliage is damaged by repeated freezes, but…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 