Well Cliff Mass says that if the fronts hold this weekend, he is going to start on his vegetable garden! These are the things that make me go Whooot! (He is better than that old Groundhog any day for trying to nail down your garden schedule.)

So that means the Spring clean up is ON - and early - which I really hopes translates into a normal Spring.....not like last year, coldest on record, that really was not fun and the gardens hated it.

Spring clean up does need to be done with a gentle hand though, especially in years where it starts early, so dont go nuts yet ,as it is still 6 weeks until "actual Spring":

We usually start full on Spring clean up right along with the start of the rose pruning season - which normally starts on Presidents Day, which is still 4 weeks before the Vernal Equinox and the start of actual Spring. So we are a good 5 weeks away from the usual "last frost date" right now......I would be really happy if we didn't get at least one more frost, but I also don't count my buds before they open, so I think a cautious hand would best serve my clients right now.....even though I know it is making some of them crazy to see "dead stuff" in the garden still! (and as always, I appreciate their patience and trust in me!)

For now the work is taking down the perennial foliage left up for Winter, cutting back grasses, cleaning up leaf litter left on beds to protect them through the Winter and doing only light pruning on shrubs; as in only cleaning up any Winter/snow damage they may have sustained and taking out dead branches -  DONT start pruning the shrubs yet. (see my post on Sping Pruning from May of last year below) This is also the best time of year to get at the weeds.....with a warm Winter (second warmest on record for the whole country) the weeds can and will get ahead of you very quickly once the weather warms up just a little.

Flower and Garden show was also  this last weekend - which is the official start of the nurseries stocking up for Spring - I think they will be stocked early this year too as they will be wanting to make up for the bad Spring last year and wont have as much fear of a late freeze. Right now there is the usual fare of primroses, potted bulbs, pansy and viola......yawn.....but this will change soon.

So if I were you I would wait until the perennials come in.....or even better check back in with the new BOX OF RAIN STORE
in March to see our container garden offerings!! (and Vertical Wall hanging plantings that we are working on right now!!)



 


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