Late Spring

Not late spring as in - the end of May.

Late spring as in - late.

It seems to be taking forever to be spring this year.

Low temperatures, dipping to the 30’s at night, have slowed spring (and this gardener) considerably. I compared plants this year with some pictures from April 4, 2010.

Lilac 2011 – barely showing any color in tiny buds.

Lilac 2010 – opening nicely.

Hyacinths 2011 – struggle against the cold.

Hyacinths 2010 – in fragrant glory

Brunnera (Forget-me-not) 2011 – plants just visible.

Brunera 2010 – starting their blue profusion.

The forecast for the next week is considerably warmer. That should rock me out of my cold-induced stupor.

Spring Pruning

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There are consequences to planting a large shrub in a small space. It means that every year it will have to be pruned or cut back. As the lilacs finished blooming, it was time for their yearly haircut.

The white lilacs were planted more than 50 years ago (before we lived here). About 15 years ago they were cut back to about 3 feet. They have continued to grow and bloom. They are trimmed each year. (I've posted before and after pictures.)

Inch by inch they have become too large for the space and too tall for me to reach the top branches. So this year I gave them a major pruning. I reduced the size by 1/3. I pulled/cut/dug the runners that popped up – some as far as 3 feet away from the main shrub.

I also did a major pruning on the huge, old, purple French lilac in the front yard – got rid of some old branches, cut out the tallest branches and the dead wood. That opened it up a lot and may lessen the powdery mildew this summer (maybe). This lilac doesn’t send out runners.
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We pruned and trimmed some other spring blooming shrubs and accumulated a large pile for the city’s compost center.

It will be interesting to see if there are more or less of the fragrant lilac blooms next year but at least now they are a more manageable size.

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Who ever plans for the size a shrub will be in 15 (or 50) years?


(Information on lilacs from Cornell University Extension.)

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – April 2010

Over the years, I tried to grow primrose without much success. I even began to call them “stinkin’ primrose”. This primrose, in its third year, is my first success. It was a gift from a friend’s garden. I don’t know its name but I know I’m happy to have it in my garden. (If you know or have a guess, please leave a note in the comments.)

The trees and shrubs are perfect today.

White lilac

Purple lilac


Dogwood


Redbud


and spectacular azaleas
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Ah, Spring!

From a brown, chilly March to a bright, colorful April - there are sure to be many examples blooms in the links at Carol’s blog for April Bloom Day. I can’t wait to see what is blooming around the world. Visit May Dreams Garden blog and enjoy!
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Scented Garden

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You may have noticed that the three plants in the last “NEED” post are scented plants.

I have been working on a scented garden for six or seven years. The garden is about 10 feet wide by 35 feet long. The Daphne and Casablanca Lily will add their aroma to that garden. (The tuberose will perfume our deck.)

(Picture May 2006)

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I’ve noticed that a lot of flowers in this garden are white. I like the white theme. It’s very restful. I don’t know if this is botanically correct but it seems to me that there are more fragrant white flowers than any other color. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

White blooms:

Sweet woodruff with the tiny white flowers serves as groundcover

White Lilacs bloom in May

Garden Phlox David tall white beauty adds to the summer aroma.

On a summer evening, Nicotiana Fragrant Cloud sends a slight perfume to only the most discerning noses.

The twinkling flowers of Sweet Autumn Clematis lightly scent the air in fall.

Sweet alyssum gives off a heavenly fragrance all summer long.

Other colors: In early spring hyacinths bloom. In April Sweet Shrub’s heady aroma fills this garden and beyond. Summer scent of Lavender Grosso brushes against strollers on the path.

Daphne will add some bones to the garden and add to the spring fragrance. Casablanca Lily will enhance the late summer perfume.

I can’t wait to sit in this garden with a cup of coffee and inhale.

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(Note: Bat white-nose syndrome has been found in Pennsylvania caves. See February 27, 2008 post.)

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Spring Garden Update

I spent most of yesterday afternoon deadheading spent tulips, hyacinths and daffodils to allow the energy to go in to the bulb instead of making seeds.

I’ve finished a lot on my spring list: moved blood grass, divided and potted everything on the list, finished pruning shrubs, finished trimming roses and moved (¾ of) the mulch.

I’ll start the first batch of compost tea this afternoon and make a trip to Hickory Grove in Catasauqua for some annuals to plant in May. If we get more frosty nights like last night I’ll be stashing them in the garage overnight.

There is so much in bloom right now.


Pink azalea


White rhododendron


White lilac


Bleeding Heart


The blooming trees are especially beautiful this year. The redbuds and dogwoods are full of flowers,


After the rain Tuesday, my world is green again.

(Pennsylvania bats white nose syndrome update– Morning Call story 4/29/08 http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-white.6383696apr29,0,6811063.story )

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Columbine, Lilacs and Cardinals

As the last of the tulips fade, the columbine, lilac, dogwood, azalea, lily of the valley, rhododendron, sweet shrub, dead nettle, iris, bridal wreath, sweet woodruff and silver dollar plant all come into boom filling the air with sweet aroma and bright colors. There are buds on the roses and dianthus.

Re-seeding cleome, snow-on-the-mountain, forget-me-not, cosmos, sweet alyssum, and snapdragon are beginning to pop out of the soil.

Weeding and planting continue. The top of the soil is dry which makes weeding difficult. I need more mulch. I would be happy for a soaking rain right now. The cucumber and pole beans have germinated in their pots. I’ve started to plant cuttings – only 70 more to go. I need to get the canna and tuberose in the ground. I need to shop for a few annuals. I finished fertilizing the bulbs with bone meal, tidied and fed the roses. All the soaker hoses are in place.

Blumenplatz planting has begun. (see April 21 post) The “Garden of Serenity” is in good shape with Saturday morning mulching completed by a happy and energetic group of volunteers. The Miller House Garden cleanup is almost complete. Planting is set for May 24.

There is an endless parade of stimulation and work in the May garden.

But, the most exciting occurrence this spring - three cardinal baby birds live in a holly bush outside our living room window. It’s a magnificent opportunity to watch them hatch, feed and grow.