My Oh My, the Forsythia Are Blooming!

As you know, we are having a very early spring and this weather is pushing the dates forward to get busy in the yard and garden. Broadleaved evergreens like hollies, boxwood and euonymus are nice and green while other years, at this time, we may have noticed a lot of brown leaves due to "winter burn" from very cold temperatures coupled with windy conditions. If these plants need pruning now is a good time to get that done. Also it is time to get the clean-up started before we get into the planting season.

This is the perfect time of the year to prune some of our evergreens like yew shrubs, arborvitae and junipers. If you have any of these varieties that may have become a little too large for their location this is the time to give them as severe a pruning as you care to do. The great thing about pruning severely at this time of the year is that the plant is loaded with energy and is ready to really "pop" after the winter. Another thing that is so good is that you will not have to look at the stubs very long that will result because the new growth will be coming in just a short time. It would be good to have this type of pruning finished in the next couple of weeks.

As soon as flowering shrubs like forsythia, bridal wreath spirea, lilac, mock orange and weigelia are finished blooming that is the time to prune them so they make a full plant and bloom with even more flowers next spring. Prune your roses now since they are breaking dormancy and beginning to grow. Cut back your hybrid teas and floribundas to about 12" from the ground including your Knock Out roses. Climbing roses should only be pruned back slightly to remove any really wild growth, keeping the long canes in place so the trellis remains full.



If you have covered some tender perennials or garden mums to protect them for the winter, it is the time to uncover these plants for two reasons: 1) spring has sprung and our plants are growing and 2) avoid having rot which can occur causing damage to the stems of the plants you protected. It appears that any harsh weather is behind us so no damage to the plants is likely to occur.

Remember to put the weed control down in the flower beds as soon as you can get the beds cleaned up. It is early for this but essential to do now due to the advanced warmer weather.

Enjoy the nice days that are ahead, get outside and soak up the spring. If a question comes up, drop us a line at info@meadowview.com, we'll do our best to get you a prompt answer.

Growing here in the Miami Valley for 33 years.
Meadow View Growers

www.meadowview.com.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Landscaping/Gardening Information:

Related Articles

Pest Control Tips for Maintaining Your Greenhouse
Greenhouses provide a warm, humid atmosphere and are home to a variety of different plants and flowers which is why they are a perfect target for insects. There are numerous types of insects which will want to live in your greenhouse and feed off of the wonderful plants and flowers which you have put so much time and effort into maintaining.
Fall IS Really for Planting
Since fall is just around the corner it is a good time to think about planting in your landscape, this is absolutely the best time of year for planting trees and shrubs.
The String Algae Blues
Now that Spring is upon us and things are coming back to life in your pond with the warmer weather, many of us are battling with string algae. String algae is caused primarily by a combination of the buildup of organic nutrients in the water, and sunlight.
Growing and Preserving Cut Flowers
There is nothing more cheerful than vases full of fresh flowers placed around the house that have been grown and cut from your own garden. A cut flower is one that has been cut at the stem and placed in a vase of water.
5 Pieces of Equipment Gardeners Cant Live Without
Gardening is fun and rewarding and may be considered a hobby, talent or both and sometimes it's just luck. Gardening is not as easy as it looks and involves dedication, time and consistency and many trials and errors.
Planting Roses in Pots
In years past, serious rosarians would never consider having a potted rose on their property unless it was just waiting for its home to be prepared in the garden.Times have changed and potted roses now have a place in the lives of condo and apartment dwellers, city slickers who don't live within sight of a tree, and anyone who has an empty space on their terrace or patio in need of the beauty that only a rose can bring.
Hummingbirds
Many individuals are fascinated by hummingbirds. So much so, that they will do anything in their power to attract these petite creatures to their yards.
Gardening For Birds
What a cruel trick the weather is playing on us.WE HAVE SNOW ! ! !A bit depressing for us outdoor types.
Teak Garden Furniture: A Natural Extension of the Home
In the past, the garden has traditionally been a separate entity, with wrought iron or plastic furniture dotting the landscape in no particular design pattern. Seen as simply a place to have a picnic or, perhaps, read a book on a nice day, attention wasn't given to the fact that the garden is a natural extension of the home.
Choosing the Right Roses for your Garden
There are literally hundreds of types of roses that you can grow in your garden. With such a selection to choose from, it can be extremely difficult to choose the rose that's right for you.
Composting Makes "Cents"
Because most of us that enjoy gardening like to see our plants thriving with as little effort as possible, one way we can have this happen is by providing the best soil conditions for our plants.
The Perfect Garden Sundial
Is it possible for a garden sundial to tell perfecttime?The chances are very good if you can make one yourself, or get one custom made for your location. But both thesealternatives will take either time or money.
What You Should Know About Miniature Roses
Miniature roses are exactly what they sound like. They have all of the fragrance and beauty of a regular rose, but they have smaller blooms.
Composting - aka: The Circle of Life!
Composting is where the gardening thing comes full circle. You've created your garden bed, you've nurtured your plants.
Keeping Your Planters Looking Good All Summer
Keeping those beautiful hanging baskets looking good doesn't take a lot of time and it isn't necessary to work on them often.
How to Grow Bamboo
Bamboo is a mysterious and elusive plant that baffles taxonomists who try to contain it within a botanical class and gardeners who try to contain it within a limited garden space as they learn how to grow bamboo. For many years, bamboo was thought to be a primitive grass but recent DNA testing has shown it to be one of the most highly evolved forest grasses.
Suet Facts and Tips
If you are like many people, backyard birding is a hobby for you whether you actively encourage visits from birds or not. One way to attract birds is to put out suet -- beef fat -- and watch the crowds stop by and devour the treat.
How to Choose the Right Bulbs for Your Spring Flower Garden
Choosing the right bulbs involves more than just selecting colors and cultivars. Timing, bulb size, and most importantly, bulb health are equally significant factors in designing your spring garden.
Hummingbird Migration
Specific humming bird migration patterns differ by species and habitats, but there are a few common points linking the different species' migration habits.All hummingbirds migrate because of the hormonal changes within their bodies which are set off by changes in the length of daylight.
How to Grow Cucumbers
The versatile cucumber (cucumis sativus) is tasty pickled, in a salad, as a salad, in a sandwich, or just eaten raw. How to grow cucumbers depends largely in part on how you plan to eat them.