I think many of us have been pleasantly surprised by how pretty our spring gardens are.
From blooming azaleas, rhododendrons, kerria and dogwoods, to glorious flowering bulbs and perennials. While there are definitely some casualties to the cold winter weather, for the most part, our plants have proven much more resilient than we would have thought.
Many plants have started growing and letting you know where to prune, but some are just barely beginning and your patience is going to be tested a bit longer. My figs, along with many others I have seen are dead to about a foot off the ground with plenty of new sprouts down low.
I will begin cutting my dead branches this week. Do be careful when pruning figs about getting the sap or latex on your skin. Some people do have a reaction to it. I have also totally lost my confederate jasmine on the fireplace wall.
It is dead! I saw some in another garden where it was more protected, and it looks great--so location does make a difference. Mine was in full afternoon sun, and exposed on a brick wall with no protection and it is a goner. I will replace with something else.
Loropetalums for the most part are coming alive.
I have heard from friends further north that they see no new signs of life, and many in central Arkansas keep saying they don't see any new signs, but look closely. Almost all of mine have plenty of blooms with brown leaves, but new foliage is starting to appear--more daily.
I think they will be totally fine. My pineapple guava is also slow about sprouting,
but I think it too, will be fully leafed out in a month. Just look at all the pretty blooming plants and avoid the winter damaged ones if you can. But you can begin to prune if you know for sure, and replant if that is necessary.
Speaking of replanting, I have been talking with horticulturists, nurseryman and growers across the south and we are in for a doozy of a plant year. Almost everyone is reporting record sales this spring, and we thought all those records were broken last spring and summer. I have heard predictions that annual summer flowers will be hard to find past early May. I think we will get more tropical flowers in, but if you have specific annuals you want, you better start buying them now. It may also be a year where gardeners get handy with propagation and starting seeds and cuttings.
Shrubs and other woody plants are also tricky to find. Popular plants like loropetalum, Encore azaleas and even Japanese maples are moving off the shelves as fast as they arrive--and replacements may not be coming until fall. This is a new phenomenon for everyone from growers to retailers to home gardeners and landscapers, so everyone needs to work together and stay calm about it. More plants will be coming eventually, and this may be a great time to try something new. There are many reasons for the shortages from shipping issues overseas, greater demand because people are staying home and gardening, and winter damage--both on the home front and in wholesale nurseries. Nurseries and garden centers look like a grocery store when snow is forecasted, and unfortunately some of the shelves look like those milk and bread aisles. Let's all work through it together. If you have the time to shop--go look. This may be a time when you don't wait to think you can get it later--buy it when you see it.
Think about supporting local plant sales like Master Gardener groups or school gardens. I went to Access Schools on Mississippi
in LR Saturday for the first day of their plant sale. They had tons of great plants grown by their students. I love supporting young people AND getting some fabulous plants for my garden. They will be selling daily through the week until the plants are gone.
It is great to see the popularity of gardening so high. I think we all need some connection with the earth and growing plants is a great way to stay centered. Just don't let the frustration of not finding exactly what you want counteract that. Happy Gardening!