Spring Gardening, How Early can you Start?

Itching to get gardening?

Is spring looking promising in your neck of the woods? The warmer, longer, sunny days always make me itch to get into my gardens. Just when can you start spring gardening? Keep reading!

Use Caution when Spring Gardening!

It is still (at least it is here) early to get into the gardens to clean them out as many (most) hardy perennials and shrubs are still dormant. I know it is tempting when you start seeing green shoots, but hold off a bit. At least until the soil is not mushy.

The same cautionary rule applies to your lawn. If the snow is gone, wait until it is no longer squishy to walk on before raking, aerating, top dressing etc. I have been aerating in the fall for the past few years, so I am one step ahead.

You also should beware of overwintering bees and other beneficial insects. Gardening too early will disturb them before they are ready to come out of their cozy spots under the debris in your gardens.

Also be on the lookout for nests belonging to our fine feathered friends. Spring is nest and baby season for birds. If you discover one being used, avoid it for a while, until babies have left.

Rabbits have their babies in burrows or holes in the ground in a protected area. I came across one a few years ago when weeding a client’s garden. I was pulling weeds when I spotted movement. The only way I could distinguish that they were baby rabbits was by their big feet. They had no hair yet. I replaced the weeds to protect them and moved on to another area of the garden.

Include Pruning in Spring Gardening

You can prune trees now, in fact, this is the best time to do so, before the leaves come out. Pruning is done for several reasons, even cosmetic ones.

Cosmetic Pruning

It is much easier to see the “bone structure” of your trees before they leaf out, so pruning shade trees like oak and maples now, while they are still dormant, is perfect timing. Trees and shrubs always look nicer and tidier when shaped properly and not overgrown. Now is the time to do this, before new growth begins blurring the shape. This is especially true if you feel bad cutting out perfectly healthy branches. Pruning to enhance the shape will encourage and stimulate new growth in spring, which is when you want to encourage new growth. Pruning in fall, however, encourages growth when future cold weather could kill it off.

To shape or control size, cut back one-quarter of old stems to where they meet the central branch or right back to the ground if need be.  Then cut all remaining stems back to one-half their length.  If new growth shoots up too quickly and gets out of shape in summer, cut off the tips.

Boxwoods, yews, holly, and other evergreen shrubs should be trimmed now, while dormant, and before new growth appears. Spruce and firs can be trimmed back now, but pruning pines should wait until June or July, after their first growth of what are called candles (new shoots at the tips). No earlier and no later. With pines, prune (delay growth) by cutting back the candles by half or remove dead, diseased, broken (or unwanted lower) branches to their main stem.

If removing the lower branches of evergreens in your landscape is something you have been considering, now is the time to do so. This is a great way to drastically change your landscape and even improve the condition of your lawn that tries to grow under them.

Overgrown Shrubs and Trees

Overgrown shrubs and trees also benefit from drastic rejuvenation this time of year. Again, this is because the new growth that will be stimulated has a better chance of survival heading into spring rather than winter. I have had particular success drastically cutting back overgrown dappled willows and forsythia in my business. Even though forsythia is on the list of shrubs not to trim back early, this one was so overgrown my client just wanted it reduced in size, willing to sacrifice the blooms that year.

Dead or Diseased Branches

Although it may be difficult to determine if branches are dead or diseased yet, you can mark any suspicious ones for pruning later if this is the case. There is no wrong time to remove dead or diseased branches. Dead, broken, diseased, or crossing/rubbing branches can be cut back at any time during the year. This applies to trees and shrubs. Cut right to the next branch, without leaving a stub.

Crossing or Rubbing Branches

In the case of crossing or rubbing branches, decide which of the crossing branches lends best to the overall shape of the tree or shrub and remove the other. Keep in mind branches should grow upwards and outwards for optimal shape. Heavy snowfalls and winter winds can snap even the healthiest of branches. These broken branches should be removed for aesthetic purposes as well as for the continued health of the tree or shrub.

What Not to Prune in Early Spring

The general rule of thumb is “If it blooms before June, prune after flowering. If it blooms after June, prune in spring.” That is because spring bloomers do so on older (last year’s) wood, while later flowers come from new (spring-generated) wood.

That means do not prune anything that blooms early, like lilacs or forsythia, as you will cut off the spring blossoms.

Pruning Technique

Use a good quality, sharp set of loppers to prune branches. This is one of those times it pays to purchase quality. Choose a set you can handle, as some are quite heavy, and create a workout for your arms. If cut branches are diseased, wipe the lopper blades with disinfectant (rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide) between cuts.

Cut Back Ornamental Grasses and Perennial Stalks

You can and should cut back ornamental grasses that were left tall for the winter. By now they look weather-beaten anyway. Cut them back to 4 to 6 inches from the ground before new growth appears. This will ensure the tender new green shoots (when they appear) won’t have to compete with the dead and crispy brown ones. Cut them back as soon as you can get to them, even if you have to wade through some lingering snow.

Use a sharp pair of garden shears to make the job of cutting back the ornamental grasses much easier.

This pruning also applies to other perennials you left over the winter. Bird lovers often leave seed heads and pods for their fine feathered friends to snack on. Some leave perennial stalks for their beauty when covered in snow or some variation in an otherwise bleak-looking winter garden. For whatever reason you have left yours intact, now is the time to cut (snap off) the brown and crispy stalks down to ground level.

Other Perennials

Give tufted grasses (blue fescue, sedges, blue oat grass etc) a haircut, shearing back to approximately 3 inches from the ground, removing any loose and dry foliage.

Remove only the old large leaves and stems from semi-evergreen perennials such as heuchera and hellebores,  leaving small leaves at the plant center intact.

Cut back woody perennials such as Artemisia, salvia, Russian sage, and lavender to 6 inches from their base.

Trim most roses (except for shrub type that blooms only once; wait until after they have bloomed), as well as sand cherries,  spirea, dogwoods, smokebushes, burning bushes,  euonymus, and some hydrangeas (PG type only, the rest should wait until summer) 

Get Ahead of Crabgrass

If crabgrass is making an appearance on your lawn, treat it quickly! As soon as the snow is gone crabgrass germinates, so the earlier you get to it the better. The snow is always gone from my south-facing lawn first, so I have to get on the crabgrass now. You can recognize the sprouts as they are bright green on an otherwise drab lawn, and whorled like spokes on a wheel.

I have tried corn gluten, a preemergent, with varying results; the biggest problem is finding it in the stores so early. Scotts has a product out with good reviews for treating crabgrass. I have yet to try it.

This year I poured boiling water on the germinating sprouts, will let you know how that works.

Disinfect Tools and Pots with Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is an environmentally friendly alternative to bleach for cleaning and disinfecting in the garden.

If you use containers on your patio, deck or in your gardens, a warm sunny day is a great time to clean them out. Empty them by dumping the soil into a large garbage can or bucket.   Add some peat moss and compost to the bucket, and stir it up.  This soil can now be used for your containers this summer.  Rinse out the containers and spray with undiluted 3% hydrogen peroxide to disinfect them. Let the pots sit in the hydrogen peroxide for at least ten minutes. Rinse again, then fill them with new soil so they are ready to fill with annuals when your last frost date arrives.

If you intend to fill any containers with perennials (I have some with ornamental grasses in them) you can do that now. Contact your local nurseries to see what they have available, my favourite here is Ritchie Feed & Seed.

Hydrogen peroxide is also an effective way to clean your tools. Spray or soak them, let them sit for a minimum of ten minutes, then rinse and dry.

Change up Your Outdoor Decor

Remove your winter arrangements (the evergreens that are not so green anymore) and replace them with harbingers of spring. Nothing says spring like pussy willows (I saw some at Farm Boy yesterday) or forsythia branches!

Start Some Seeds

Non-hardy seeds should be started at least six weeks before your last frost date, so this is a great time to get them going. I have learned a few tips over the winter regarding seedlings. Stay tuned for a future post on that subject, coming soon.

Plan and Dream

This is also a great time of year to plan. Make a list of things you want to do, even if they seem far-fetched. Sometimes dreams become reality!

While it is still too early to really get started, there are a few things you can do to scratch that gardening itch.

Photo Credit

Social Media Lessons to be Learned

lessons to be learned

There are many lessons to be learned these days, especially for those enthralled with social media. Some people are learning the hard way, but (hopefully) learning nonetheless. Covid-19 and the systemic racism that has reared its ugly head are making 2020 a year to remember, and it’s only half over!

These are just a few examples of lessons we (should) have learned….

Social Media Comments Can Come Back to Bite You in the Butt!

Just ask the two guys fired from Vanderpump Rules. Racist comments made many years ago have cost them their jobs, at least on the popular TV show. It has not yet been determined if their jobs at the bar owned by Lisa Vanderpump are in jeopardy as well. Maybe they didn’t deserve to be fired from the show for comments made so long ago, (especially when they are only in their mid-twenties now and comments were made ten years ago) but perhaps TV stations are making an example of them.

Racist Jokes or Pranks are not Funny!

Another Vanderpump Rules pair (two of the original females) were fired for
phoning the cops on a light-skinned, black co-worker because her tattoos and dark skin fit the description of someone the police were looking for. This was a recent (and immaturely stupid) discretion.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Admedia/Sipa/Shutterstock (1713227af) Lisa Vanderpump-Todd and Andy Cohen Andy Cohen’s ‘Most Talkative: Stories From The Front Lines Of Pop Culture Book Release Party, Los Angeles, America – 14 May 2012

Just Because you are not a Racist does not Mean you are Anti-Racist

It’s not enough today to be non-racist. The Black Lives Matter movement is demanding we become anti-racist. If you have a platform, it is essential to speak up and put your money where your mouth is.

White Privilege is Rampant, Especially on Social Media

White privilege is a fact that many of us are not (at least we were not) aware of. An example of it in the news (at least one of them) featured Jessica Mulroney, the host of CTV’s I Do, Redo. For some reason, she believed her projects were more important and pressing than someone else’s. Perhaps because she is a Canadian socialite, married to the son of a former prime minister, and/or BFFs with Megan Markle. I don’t believe that her comments, although aimed at a black woman, were racist. Just insensitive and egotistical, coming from a lifestyle of white privilege.

photo credit to Us Magazine

Who knows if firing these TV personalities was the right thing to do, but perhaps it’s the only way to get the right message out there. Hopefully, the standard will be raised.

Positive Changes

Along with the tough lessons learned from the issues in the news, some people have taken learning to a whole new level. Activities they never had time for before COVID forced them to stay home are now hobbies that may just last a lifetime.

Gardening

I had to laugh with a garden center employee when she told me someone informed her they wanted to grow tomatoes, then quickly asked “what does a tomato look like?” All of a sudden gardening is everyone’s new hobby. This was evident as all plants at the nurseries were quickly picked over the very weekend they were permitted to open. Grrrrrr.

I can understand the discovery that gardening is relaxing and very rewarding, no new revelation for me. I started a gardening business eight years ago now, and still love every minute of it. This newfound hobby many have taken on has affected my business though as many of my clients are now able and willing to look after their own gardens.

Online Shopping and Banking

Several of my elderly clients have now learned how to e-transfer funds. This may sound trivial to many of you younger folk, but the older generation is more prone to mistrust computers and cell phones, especially for anything financially related. To them this is huge!

Of course, online shopping has been around for years, but during this COVID pandemic, it is more popular than ever. Delivery services are saying they are busier now than during the Christmas holiday season. Amazon released a statement recently saying they are prioritizing their orders, so if you ordered something they deem non-essential, you won’t be receiving it anytime soon.

I learned this the hard way when I ordered Mother’s Day gifts for my daughter in laws. Even though I placed the orders in late March in anticipation of the holiday in mid-May, the gifts did not arrive until mid-June.

Quality Time with Family

My two eldest sons have both learned they are enjoying the COVID restrictions as it is allowing them to spend more quality time with their children. It is a well-known fact that children thrive from spending quality time with their parents. Unfortunately, our pre-COVID lives were so complicated and busy that quality time was slipping through the cracks. Simple things (after all, that’s all we are allowed to do) like going for a walk, movie nights, homeschooling, crafts and more are becoming the new normal. Your children are probably loving all the attention.

We may just have a baby boom next winter as couples spend more quality time together too. On the flip side though, the divorce rate may already be increasing as some couples are struggling with being cooped up with their significant others.

Supporting Local Businesses

As small businesses struggle with the tanking economy caused by the pandemic, it is more important than ever to support them. Without money coming in from customers, business owners are struggling to pay their rent. Many have also been forced to lay off employees due to the huge loss in revenue.

The big chain stores/businesses will probably survive, but the mom-and-pop restaurants, bars, gift shops, novelty stores etc. may not. Research local small businesses offering curbside pickups and take-out food or purchase their gift cards to use when these stores reopen. Many have switched to an online process, ensuring touchless payment. Some even offer free delivery through Skip the Dishes, Uber Eats, or their own delivery service.

Losing the Judgement

We must all learn to be less judgmental of others, on social media and elsewhere, especially when living in such trying times. Everyone’s situation is different, so people should concentrate on their own, without worrying and complaining about the actions of others.

photo credit to John Hain, Pixabay


What have you learned?

Feature picture credit to pixapopz

Daughter From Another Mother

I am devastated this week after hearing of the sudden and unexpected death of a dear friend.  The initial shock is fading, but I am still having difficulty believing that she is gone from my life. She called me her daughter from another mother.

Although she started out as a client in my gardening business, …..

Continue reading “Daughter From Another Mother”