Enjoy the Splendor of Early Spring
After a typically long winter it's hard to imagine how quickly nature can conspire to bring a change in the seasons. Just two weeks ago I was taking my son sledding here in Wilton, while last weekend we were walking in shirtsleeves through a vibrant and much rehabilitated Central Park. This way I get a preview of spring to come 55 miles north as many spring blooming plants had already started their display.
Back at home, awaiting the fulfillment of the promise of spring, we're now seeing the forests' early blushes as the red maples bud, followed by willows' lemony greening and very soon the short-lived creamy flowers of shadbush. Last April we got 3 days of 90-degree weather that turned out to be the hottest days of the year with the rainy & cool summer that followed. I watched in disappointment as spring flowers burned through their display in half their usual time. I consoled myself with the anticipation that spring 2010 will be spared from that fate.
This year I've noticed that the various cultivars of witch-hazels (Hamamelis) in my yard opened their flowers a week or two later than in recent years. The cold and snowy weather has certainly been the cause. But I've been enjoying them for over a month already and there may still be a week or two left in them.
With my pruning shears I cut an armful of Forsythia earlier this month and have enjoyed their burst of spring color before any buds opened outside. Same was done with the Hamamelis in February. When forcing flowers and then replacing spent blooms with freshly cut branches you can create a sequence of flowering that can be enjoyed for many weeks. At this time consider flowering cherries (Prunus), quince (Chaenomeles), and Rhododendron "PJM", followed by Dogwood (Cornus), crabapple (Malus) and magnolia.
In the Perennial Garden
If you didn't cut back your perennials last fall, don't wait any longer. Buds are swelling and growth has started. Old debris will only slow them down now.
Evaluate the weed and mulch situation in your perennial gardens. Many weeds begin growing early, and now's the time to start to pull them, especially when the soil is moist from the recent rains. As you pull weeds, note the depth of the mulch. A 2- or 3-inch layer is plenty. Any more and you risk smothering roots. It's best to wait before applying new mulch as most perennials have not yet emerged. You want to minimize disease problems from constant contact with damp mulch by keeping mulch off of new crowns.
And speaking of mulch, avoid making (or allowing your lawn maintenance people to) mulch volcanoes around trees and shrubs by piling it up 6 or more inches deep. Not only does it look ridiculous, it can smother the trees' surface roots. Or just as bad, the tree starts to create new roots in the too-high layer of moist mulch. These are called adventitious roots. The problem is that they are weak, easily damaged and will eventually weaken the tree. A 2- or 3-inch depth is plenty. And keep mulch at least a few inches from tree trunks, too. A properly planted tree should start to flare where it meets the ground. Just like in the forest.
Springtime in this region is long and luxurious. Take time to enjoy it in all its splendor.
