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It is obvious now what is broken, bent and winter-burned. I am slowly going through my garden cleaning up. I am slowly cleaning up my garden. If I feel the damage has greatly disfigured a shrub, I am drastically cutting it back to bring it back into shape—EXCEPT the things that are getting ready to bloom. I am only cutting dead branches off of these. I'll prune and shape them more drastically after I enjoy the bloom. Examples are camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and all the spring blooming plants. Also know that many needled evergreens do not grow back quickly or attractively after being severely cut back. Oftentimes, it's better to replace these because of the time factor. |
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As far as the bent—not broken—things, I am just using my judgment. Again, I am going to tie up the branches of spring bloomers, enjoy the blooms, and prune as needed after the blooming period. |
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Many evergreens are showing burned leaves as a result of drying out from cold winter winds and continuously frozen ground. The damage is just beginning to show up. What to do? Nothing, until the new growth appears and you can truly see what is dead before you prune. On some things, it may be May 1st before you see new growth. Be patient. Just prior to new growth, some plants will drop all their damaged leaves (all evergreens drop some leaves prior to new growth, anyway)—this may alarm you, but hang in there. Just because the leaves are burned doesn't mean the stems/wood are dead. |
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Also very important: Don't get a false sense of security just because the weather is warm today. Which means don't buy and plant your tender blooming plants/vegetables/tropicals—or put your tender houseplants outside—until after the last chance of frost, which averages around April 25th in the DC area—earlier to the south and east of the city; later to the north and west. To be safe, I wait until May 1st. Trust me—it's worth the wait. |
It’s no secret that the recent heavy snows have caused shrub and tree damage. Some things will need to be pruned. Some things may need to be tied up and/or staked. And some things will need to be removed—and replaced, if you wish.
Until the snow melts, please try to refrain from doing anything. Your involvement before then may cause additional breakage.
We are available to help with the clean-up and recovery in your garden. Before I can assess possible damage, the snow must be completely melted in your garden. This is necessary so I can move around, actually see all of your plants and assess damage, and see the ground. Some things may be only partly uprooted and could possibly be replanted and staked—I can’t tell this if I can’t see the ground.
Here at Woodland Cottage, it is still too early for me to accurately assess damage…but from what I can see, it looks like there is not an enormous amount of breakage. Most evergreen shrubs, however, are buried still and may need pruning and tying up/staking.
If you need my help, give me a call as soon as the snow melts completely in your garden!
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Holiday '09 |
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 ear Clients and Friends,
 Recently, my friend Mike Smith gave me a DVD set of the first season of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to watch while I ride my stationary bike. So, I’ve started watching 30 minutes at a time as I ride. In one of the early episodes, an intern is looking at the babies in the hospital’s nursery and notices one is turning blue. When alerted, another intern—whose “territory” was the nursery—got upset and said there was nothing wrong with the baby. The outside intern pursued treatment of the baby, following her instincts (and over the nursery intern’s head, of course) and it turned out the baby did have hidden, serious health issues, which were treated. I began to notice that this same “instinct” was essential in the emergency room where unconscious adult patients, like babies, couldn’t verbalize what was wrong with them.
This all got me to thinking, of course, about how similar it is for horticulturists. After all, we are the plant “doctors”, and our “patients” cannot speak to us. After practically a lifetime loving and observing plants, I’m getting there—yet sometimes, I still feel like there is so much more to know. With globalization and hybridization ever speeding up, it seems like practically every time I go to a nursery, or public garden, I see a new plant or variety. It’s one of the things I love about what I do—that practically every day I learn something new. On the other hand, it can be really hard to keep up, identify plants and properly diagnose plant problems. How do new plants take to our climate? What diseases, pests, and environmental challenges will they face? Why does the same plant do so well across the yard and keep dying on the other side of the house? How can my neighbor have an exotic that I just can’t seem to grow? Micro-climates, soil differences, wind tunnels, sunlight, toughness, deer—I wish plants could talk! And I bet that’s what doctors think, so often, when their patients can’t communicate with them. The process of elimination and instinct are so important to my craft, too.
It does make work challenging, rewarding and fun. And I do think that proficiency in horticulture is truly a lifetime quest. Some days, I feel like it will take me ten lifetimes to learn all I need to know. Other days, I feel like I know a lot more than I thought I did. In this business, it does take years to become an expert. There is so much to learn and know.
Next story> Serendipity in the Garden
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