It has been a crazy spring so far with summer-like temperatures the first week of spring followed by more seasonable temperatures – and back down to freezing at night. Unfortunately some spring blooming trees were tricked into blooming almost a month a head of time; and their flowers were damaged by the hard frost. The star magnolias are covered with brown wilting flowers and the tulip magnolias are dropping their big pink buds before they are fully open. A shame – these two trees are magnificent in full bloom and always a welcome sight in spring.

April is a busy time for gardeners. Remove the winter mulch as plants begin to grow and the danger of severe frost is over. Leave a little mulch off to the side – if a blast of winter is predicted you can quickly cover the tender perennials again. If you didn’t prune your roses and fruit trees already and cut back your perennial grasses (to about 4 inches from the ground) do that in early April.

Spring, particularly April, is the ideal time to plant new trees and shrubs in your landscape because of our cool, moist weather.  If we by chance have a dry spell after planting new trees and shrubs, remember to water these new plantings regularly. Most local garden centers and hardware stores stock trees and shrubs that are hardy in our area. One important rule of thumb – don’t plant the tree too deeply. Where the roots begin on the trunk should be at or just above the soil line when the new tree is planted.

Spring is also a good time to divide those overcrowded perennials while the soil is moist and the top growth is still minimal and manageable. A dense clump dug up and divided will grow and bloom better, and you will have extra plants to fill in your garden or share with neighbors and friends.  Start by using your shovel and digging deep around the perimeter of the clump you want to divide. Then force the shovel or garden fork under the root ball and pry it up, saving as much of the root system as possible. Shake or wash the soil from the root ball and pry or cut apart individual crowns. I have actually used a hacksaw on some old clumps to get them apart. Each new clump or division needs to have sets of leaves and roots in order to grow. Replant your divisions promptly so they don’t dry out, at the same depth as the original clump and water well. This method works for most perennials except the irises. We will talk about dividing them in early summer, after they bloom and are resting.

I like to add a little color in late April by planting cool-season annuals – pansies, violas, snapdragons and sweet alyssum will all tolerate a little frost. Enjoy your spring blooming bulbs and shrubs and start planning for those heat loving annuals that we will talk about next month. I have been reading about a new variety of lilac hardy for our area. It is called the Bloomerang and supposedly is a reblooming variety that will bloom throughout the spring and summer. I love the smell of lilacs in bloom and can’t wait to plant one of these to enjoy that scented blossom all summer long!