This year, in many parts of the country, winter stood its ground and refused to unclench its chilly grip. Spring-flowering plants emerged slowly; understandably cautious about exposing their petals to the freezing breezes. The flip side of that hesitance is that once the petals opened, they remained open longer due to the low temperatures. While this seasonal drama has been playing to audiences of frustrated gardeners, the garden centers have stocked their pallets with plants and online merchandisers have bombarded loyal customers with endless offers and updates. Unable to actually work in the garden, many of us have succumbed to those enticements and now have holding areas full of shivering plants.
A slow spring with lots of bad weather can lead to garden desperation. Winter clean-up chores go unfinished as you struggle to trim shrubs, start seeds, install new plants and get on with all the other business of life. Before pitching yourself off the deep end, take a step back and assess your situation.
Don’t touch spring blooming shrubs, unless you are sure the parts you trim are truly dead. No matter what shape the plants are in, they are also about to bloom. Wait until afterwards to pick up the shears. If you have lots of as-yet-unpruned summer flowering shrubs, like rose of Sharon, butterfly bush and blue mist shrub or caryopteris, don’t worry. If you have some time in the next month or so, trim them back. If you don’t get the time, never fear. The somewhat leggy shrubs will bloom at the appointed time, after which you can cut them back by one third or even two thirds. Butterfly bushes will even rebloom after the haircut. The once-blooming summer shrubs will sprout new growth that will be more compact and attractive.
Nip off the old flowerheads of mophead-type hydrangeas, but restrict yourself to that. The buds have already formed for new ones. Fortunately, “nipping off” is a chore that can be done quickly and, if necessary, in short time increments. Deadheading of daffodils, tulips and other spring flowering plants can also be done a bit at a time. Don’t fuss at all with the leaves; they need to stay on the plants to photosynthesize and provide energy for next season’s flowers. If you have daffodil or crocus clumps that need division. But have little time for such activities, target one or two clumps and divide them now, while the holes in the planting scheme are very apparent. Fill even a few of those holes with divisions and you will be grateful next year at this time.
Approach hosta division the same way. Hostas, which multiply like rabbits, are only deterred by slugs that nibble holes in the leaves, or deer, which consume them completely. Divide a few overgrown hostas now, if you have the time. The rest of the congested clumps can be divided any time between now and the fall. As long as the divisions are well watered in their new homes, they will be fine.
The plants in your holding area can probably wait awhile, as long as they are watered and somewhat protected from harsh winds and storms. Bare root plants that arrived from online or mail order vendors should be potted up immediately in any handy container and placed in the holding area. Shallow rooted cuttings or pot-bound annuals should be given priority treatment and either transferred to larger containers or planted somewhere. If you are agonizing about permanent homes for these plants, put the agony on hold and get them in the ground. Any convenient spot will do. You can always transplant later. Most are in small containers, which is the source of some of their troubles. The silver lining to the small container cloud is that small size makes planting easy and quick.
If you can’t get all the onion grass out of the lawn now, lop it off with the mower or string trimmer. You will feel better the moment you catch a whiff of that distinctive onion-y smell. Mulching everything at once is both daunting and time-consuming, but doing it gradually as you go along is manageable. Weed a reasonable sized patch and then mulch it. It will stay weed-free, saving you time in the long run.
Most important of all, be happy in your garden. Even onion grass is emblematic of rebirth and new energy. If you can’t love your garden in spring, there is little hope for the rest of the season.