WELCOME TO MAY
Weren’t the Daffodils amazing this year? Last year, a number of the early blooming Daffodils never made it to the show due to an untimely freeze. This year, they were spectacular. The early, middle and late season varieties all did well. If you want to extend the show at your house, figure out which variety you have, and plan to order some from one of the other groups in July/August for the best deals. Be sure to request that they hold off delivery until September. One year, some arrived in August, and I lost a bunch due to mold from our heat and humidity. I had them stored in my garage.
We had a crazy spring this year with shifts from warm to cold to warm to cold. Many of our plants didn’t know what to do. If you have any Hydrangea macrophylla, they were among the hardest hit. I know that quite a few of you have ‘Endless Summer.’ Many needed to be cut back to the height of the new growth coming from the base. The varieties that bloom on 1st and 2nd year wood should bloom this year, but it may be a little later than normal. If your varieties only bloom on 2nd year wood, don’t expect any blooms. If you’re tired of this lackluster performance of the H. macrophylla, consider some of these other options….
HYDRANGEA SERRATA / MOUNTAIN HYDRANGEA – though they bloom on 2nd year wood, these bloom a little later than the H. macrophylla, and seem to weather the late spring freeze/thaw a bit better
HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS / SMOOTH HYDRANGEA – bloom on 1st year wood, and don’t seem bothered at all
HYDRANGEA PANICULATA / PEE GEE HYDRANGEA – bloom on 1st year wood, and don’t seem bothered at all
HYDRANGEA QUERCIFOLIA / OAKLEAF HYDRANGEA – bloom on 2nd year wood, but for some reason, aren’t nearly as affected by the late spring fluctuations
Some of the other plants where I’ve noticed dieback….
ABELIA
CALLICARPA
HYPERICUM
There may be others, but these are the ones I’ve seen. Just prune back to healthy foliage, and the plant should look fine in short order.
WORMS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIRELESS EFFORTS
There have been years when some of you have reported terrible damage that you have attributed to worms. I even found some well-documented articles on the subject, so I do sympathize if you have been adversely affected by these little creatures. I live in the woods, and as you can imagine, I have installed many garden areas throughout our property. When I started, our soil was mostly clay of the bright orange variety. Today, those same garden beds have well aerated soil, very dark brown to a depth of about 10 inches or more. If you have worms, you learn to recognize the regurgitated tiny soil pellets they leave behind, rich in nutrients, helping to keep our soil cool and moist. I top dress with a layer of shredded bark mulch once a year. The mulch decomposes, which also adds to the health of the soil, and the worms help a lot with the decomposition process. While many of you can’t wait to rid your planting beds of these creatures, so far, I’m happy to share my space.
KEEP TRACK OF TEMPERATURES
Enjoy the warm summer days that often surprise us in May, but also try to remember how difficult this is for our plants. If the weather suddenly turns warm, the plants will be experiencing stress and will need more water. A good rule of thumb is a 20 degree change in temperature is significant enough to cause stress. During the growing season, try to give your plants water 3x/week, if at all possible. Just do the best you can. Remember a long, slow, steady soak is much better than a quick burst.
PEONIES AND ANTS
Have you seen ants swarming around your peonies? This is actually a good sign. Not only are ants NOT harmful, they are actually an example of biological mutualism. The peonies provide nectar (food) for the ants; the ants protect the peonies from aphids, thrips, and other non-beneficial insect pests. The ants are NOT eating the thin protective layer surrounding the flower bud. This is just a popular myth.
TIME TO DIVIDE PERENNIALS
Now, is the perfect time to divide and spread out many of the perennials. Frequently, it’s as easy as placing the shovel where you want to cut the plant, and dig straight down. The mother plant stays put, and the baby plant will be given a new home. Rule of Thumb…do not change the depth of the root mass, and soak immediately after planting to remove the unwanted air pockets.
DO…spread Holly-Tone within the drip edge of all your BROADLEAF EVERGREENS, and other acid-loving plants. It’s not too late.
DO…spread Plant-Tone within the drip edge of all other plants, but I usually limit myself to a liberal broadcast among all of my PERENNIALS. It’s not too late.
DO lay out protective rings of DIATOMACEOUS EARTH to protect large leaved perennials from slugs. Hopefully, I’ll get around to these chores soon.
ANNUALS…Now you can buy your annuals. Try something different this year. Experiment. You can always change it later. Feeding your plants once a week can make a huge difference in the performance. Miracle Gro, Peter’s Plant Food or Jack’s Classic Plant Food are options. If you use a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote, then you may only need to apply 1x/month or less.
SPRING FLOWERING PLANTS…Your Helleborus should be dead headed to minimize the number of volunteer seedlings. Many of their seed pods are plump and ready to explode. Spring flowering bulbs will benefit if you remove the spent flowers and allow the foliage to remain until it turns brown.
GARDEN TOURS…Do you enjoy visiting private gardens? May and June is the best time to see most Maryland gardens. Be on the lookout for tours taking place throughout the state.
POISON IVY…Poison Ivy is already leafing out. At least now we have a fighting chance to avoid it. Please take precautions when in the vicinity of this irritating plant. Feel free to refer to the Poison Ivy Primer, now resident on my website.
