Working outside this spring has been quite unreal; it’s May, yet cool temperatures still linger and feel like it could still freeze. We actually had SNOW in April! So many plants are late to come up, leaf out and/or bloom and vegetable gardeners are also feeling the frustration as warm weather crops such as Tomatoes and Peppers still have to be coddled before being set out to plant.
Plants, both edible and ornamental, are pretty resilient. We as gardeners have to constantly be patient with nature and know that things will come around. Once warm weather consistently stays around, our landscapes will be bustling in bloom and abundant with new growth that we might not even be prepared for. No matter how dampening this weather can be, we have to move forward with all our tasks for the season: getting the irrigation system up and running, planting our containers, shearing the Osmanthus hedge, and starting all those other projects we have scheduled for spring.
On the upside of things, the Soest Garden is filling in quite nicely with just about everything up and growing. One of the highlights early this month is the ever-so-charming species Tulipa batalinii ‘Bright Gem’. Its soft apricot flowers and silvery blue-green foliage just delight visitors who come by and see the drifts of this little treasure growing in Beds 6 & 7.
The major renovation and replanting of Bed 7 is yielding some extraordinary new plants that will surely delight visitors. With the Styrax obassia starting to finally leaf out, it is casting the shade necessary for many of the woodland plants we’ve integrated into the garden. While they’re still young and establishing, they are catching the eyes of many people. Here are some plants to look out for:
Arisaema speciosum - Asian Jack-in-the-Pulpits are hugely popular among avid gardeners here for their bizarre “Cobra Lily” flowers and large foliage. This was a donation from Kelly Dodson of Far Reaches Nursery and should be in flower this month!
Beesia deltophylla - a lovely and much sought after evergreen perennial with bronzy red, heart-shaped leaves that turn a deep green as the leaves mature.
Convallaria majalis ‘Aureo-striata’ - Golden variegated Lily-of-the-Valley. As sweetly scented and charming as the original, but with glowing golden-striped leaves.
Paris polyphylla - Relative of the Trillium, this rare and unusual plant sports a whorl of foliage that set off a second tier of alien like flowers with antennae that’s just as bizarre as can be.
Podophyllum delavayi - A Chinese mayapple. Another rare and much sought after plant by collectors for it palmate leaves heavily mottled in purple and maroon early in the spring.
If that weren’t enough, we’re also getting in new plants from our friends at Swanson’s Nursery who, once again, offered to supply us some new varieties to evaluate in the garden and Steamboat Island Nursery is bringing in a few things to spruce up our beds and containers.
The weather outside is slowly improving, I can sort of feel it. Do come out and look for these new treasures and watch them grow and develop as they get established.
Cheers,
Riz
Protect tender young shoots from late frosts and pesky slugs. A simple inverted pot may be helpful if you’re worried about the young tender shoots being zapped by the cold. Slugs are in full force in early spring so watch for slimy trails and munched-on leaves. While the gravel paths in the Soest Garden have helped to deter slugs, they’re still active. We recommend products such as “Sluggo” that are easy to use and safe for animals (besides slugs, of course)
Start buying your plants for the absolute BEST SELECTION. Nurseries are stocking up on perennials now and local plant sales are fast approaching. A comprehensive list of plant sales is available from the Miller Library.
When purchasing plants, make sure you get your money’s worth! Some nurseries are in such a hurry to get material out that they often don’t “finish” their plants, meaning the small transplant has yet to properly grow and root to fill in the container. Often times, you’ll get a gallon plant and when you knock it out of its pot, you get a pot of dirt and a little plug that’s barely developed. It never hurts to carefully knock a plant out of its container to make sure it has viable roots that are actively growing.
Dry Shade Bed