Oh . . . The Joy Of Bringing The Outside In

One of the pleasures . . . (for now I’ll look past all of the work that needs to be done to revive my garden beds), when I look outside at home, is enjoying the colors of yellows and pinks and whites of the spring yard. Every year is different with the weather of New England; and this year in particular is very unusual with so many plants in bloom at the same time. This past weekend, as I walked through the yard, I saw the fading yellows of the forsythias, the fewer than normal daffodil flowers, and the emerging apple and crabapple tree blossoms. The whites of the spiraea ‘Bridalwreath’ and the viburnum ’Carlesii’ ( my favorite viburnum) stood in contrast to the bright pinks of the rhododendron’Aglo’ and ‘PJM’. The dark purples of the lilacs and azalea ‘Karen’ are just beginning to show their color. However, the cold temperatures that came recently after the record warmth did affect the magnolia blooms for this year. Oh well . . . there is always next year for the yellow buds of my magnolia.

Ok, back to the exciting display. On Saturday morning, knowing that the much-needed rain storms were approaching, I went through the yard with my pruning shears and a bucket of water to capture some of those spring delights. I chose a few of the apple and crabapple slender branches from my mature trees and added the pink sprigs of the ‘Aglo’ and the arching whites of the ‘Bridalwreath’. I arranged them all in a vase, re-cutting as necessary, to enjoy for a few days inside while it rained outside. I also collected a few delectable blossoms of the ‘Carlesi’ because it smells “heavenly”.

 

When cutting woody-stemmed plants, such as forsythias, lilacs and viburnums,  if you mash the ends of the stems with a small hammer, the stems will be able to absorb more of the water from the container. The flowers will also last a little longer if the water is changed daily; and it is recommended to add a few drops of bleach or floral preservative to the water.

For how ever long the flowers last in the vase, I will breathe in the scents and enjoy the colors of spring, knowing that next week I will go in search of something else to “bring the outside in”.

Oh My . . . How Dry It Is!

 

The weather in 2012 has been anything but normal. One of the major consequences of having below average amounts of snowfall and, thus far, below average amounts of rainfall, is that our soil is very dry. Typically, spring snow melt and March and April rain storms, give a deep watering to all of the trees, shrubs, perennials, lawns, and gardens as they waken from dormancy. This has not happened this year. The result is that the soils are dry and the plants are already stressed from lack of moisture.

While we were preparing the landscape beds this past week; cleaning off the street debris, composting around the shrubs and perennials, and mulching, I noticed that the top soil was dusty and powdery, and the shrubs, particularly the spiraea plants were not showing their typical greening leaves. Even the trees were not as vibrant as they normally are at this time of the year. Since the irrigation system had not yet been activated this year, we watered all the individual plants and watched while a good amount of water ran off the dry surface, particularly if there was any elevation to the bed. So we quickly worked on mulching the landscape beds, leaving a ring around the trunks of the trees and shrubs to avoid rot. Once we added the mulch, we then watered the plants which allowed the surrounding mulch to hold the water longer to give the plants more relief. At the garden center, we use an organic perennial mulch that doesn't use up any of the nitrogen from the plants as it continues to decompose and add nutrients back to the soil

One of the major spring tasks that homeowners do is to spread fertilizers on their lawns and planting areas in preparation for the growing season. A concern for this year, in particular with dryness of the soils, is applying fertilizers before thoroughly watering the areas. Sometimes "plant burn" or "fertilizer burn" may occur and lead to a browning result or plant death. So at least for this spring, you should water before feeding.

We may have no control over what "Mother Nature" may do, but we can pay close attention to what effect the current weather has on our gardens and make sure to use whatever moisture conservation methods are available to us. 

What To Do With Those Potted Flowering Spring Bulbs

What To Do With Those Potted Flowering Spring Bulbs

I love the scent of the Easter Lily and the gorgeous potted blue hyacinths that graced my dining room this past week. However, as the blooms fade, I am thinking about planting them in one of my garden beds at home. So many times I intend to plant those same spring-blooming bulbs in the fall (which is the usual planting time) but my garden beds seem too full with daylilies, hostas, and grasses and I neglect to plant. As I look at one bed in particular, I am going to plant the hyacinths and see what happens.

Since the potted bulbs were forced to flower earlier than their natural bloom time, a lot of nutrient value has been taken out of the bulb so it is important to use some bulb fertilizer or booster on top of the soil and I will add bone meal and/or compost to the bottom of the planting area. Normally, when planting bulbs in the fall, you would plant bulbs to a depth that would be approximately 3 times the length of the bulb. My potted hyacinths have been grown in a pot less than the recommended depth; so as I plant, I will allow for some composting mulch to cover the hyacinths after the leaves have naturally died back. The spot that I have chosen will allow the hyacinths to be seen in mid-spring but as the leaves die back, the nearby 'Endless Summer' hydrangeas will grow and cover the leaves. It is important that the leaves be allowed to brown naturally as the sugars and energy produced by the leaves replenish the bulb for the next years bloom. I have seen some creative ways that gardeners use to disguise the leaves such as braiding the leaves, but the best idea is to plant the bulbs where they will be hidden by an emerging summer-blooming perennial or shrub.

Some of the gardening experts have reported inconsistent results when planting forced bulbs, possibly taking 2-3 years to rebloom, but I'm a risk taker and willing to take the challenge. 

Aww . . .Pansies, those brightly colored flowers with the cute faces!

         The pansies are in at the Garden center and we are planting them. I have been watching the nighttime low temperatures within the last week and although we have had some bizarre temperature swings this spring, its time to plant. Early spring color is so desired in our landscape as we complete the cleanup tasks, removing fallen leaves and branches from the winter; pansies are a safe choice to plant.

         While pansies are an annual (must be planted yearly), they are members of the viola family and have perennial (plant that returns year after year from the same root structure) "cousins". We will be getting in some of those new varieties such as 'Columbine' and 'Etain' violas when the Garden Center opens on April 19th. The annual pansy is cold-tolerant and can survive light frost and even the occasional "surprise spring snowstorm".  Customers have told me that their pansies have come back year after year, but usually that is because pansies drop their seeds near where they have been planted or if the seeds have been carried off by the birds, a new pansy plant will come up in a different spot. I have been delighted by a pansy sprout and bloom in the middle of my driveway during a winter thaw in January in years past.

          We are planting pansies in one of the landscape beds that gets full sun, as pansies grow well in full sun during early to late spring, but will survive best if planted in an area where they will get some shade from the intense hot summer sun. It is important to water consistently, preferably early in the day to avoid any of the typical fungal diseases. Additional care tips include fertilizing with a low phosphorus fertilizer (to reduce the leggy appearance of the grown pansy plant) and to remove the blossoms that are faded or dead. We have also cut back pansy plants by a third to renew growth and blossoming for the fall season. If grown organically, pansy blossoms are an edible tasty garnish for salads and desserts. It doesn't get better than that!

Check out some intriguing Pansy Flower Recipes we found !!   

                                       

                               Aww . . .Pansies, those brightly colored flowers with the cute faces!