Is it safe to plant yet? I’ve heard that 50 times this spring and the varied weather pattern almost made me a liar!
The prediction for frost didn’t hit the mark for most gardens, but my garden is the lowest point in town and we had frost twice. It’s frustrating because the 10-day forecast would indicate lows in the 40s. So I covered and uncovered and covered and uncovered, and in spite of the light frost, the only plants I lost were the ones I damaged trying to protect them … that’s how it is.
Right now is the time to prune mugho pines to keep them in shape and to control their size. Remove half to three fourths of that new growth called the “candle.”
Bridal wreath spireas are glorious this weekend and as soon as they are finished blooming, remove the old stems to encourage new growth from the base. That will control the size of the shrub and give that beautiful flowing form that is the natural shape for this spirea, I despise seeing them trimmed to a “box” form, and the flower show is not what they are capable of presenting. Lilacs, mock orange, and weigelias follow right behind on that pruning schedule. This gives the new growth time to mature and establish flower buds for the next season
Perennial flower beds are looking great after the rain and this is a good time to apply a granular fertilizer to get the maximum benefit for the color they will be giving. The three-number analysis on every fertilizer package tells what you need to know for using what where. For blooming plants, the middle number should be larger than the first, meaning that there is more phosphorus than nitrogen in that formulation … that will be the best to encourage maximum bloom. Nitrogen is necessary for foliage growth and will produce the green color, but too much nitrogen gives lush growth at the expense of flower development.