DAN’S PAPERS
danshamptons.com
April 5, 2013 Page 39
GARDEN
CALENDAR
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Veggies, Flowers, Grasses: Time to Plant! By jeanelle myers
The calendar says spring is here and though the weather says otherwise, I’m back in the gardens in anticipation and preparation for its arrival. This past week we were working at a house with a large waterfront exposure. The bays and oceans remind me of the plains as they are the visual flat places here. There I was facing the ocean flatness, the cold spring wind and sun on my face. I was here on The East End but a part of me was on the plains of Nebraska where spring winds and light intensity are a more significant indication of spring than budding trees and shrubs. There are just not that many trees and shrubs there! The trees and shrubs at the house on the water, however, were abundant and I left the meditation of my life on the plains and attended to the work at hand. Many ornamental grasses needed to be cut down. We use a power hedge trimmer to do a neat and quick job. Unlike last year at this time, there was no new growth yet…evidence of a colder and later spring. The buds on the macrophylla and lacecap hydrangeas did well in the winter and are fat. We removed the dead branches and shaped the shrubs as needed. The paniculata types…PGs and
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tardivas…got an overall pruning and reduction in is done, we will rake out the beds. Some gardeners size. We removed deadwood in the Annabells and blow the beds to clean them but I don’t like those blowers! They “clean” the beds but they also blow reduced them by two thirds. I look forward to rose pruning in the spring away last year’s compost and some topsoil, expose knowing that they will be off to a good start. Each weed seeds and put a lot of debris and soil into the type needs a somewhat different approach but the air. So our beds do not look as clean as my mother’s basics are the same: First remove the dead branches. carpet but when the new compost goes down, those Then remove the tiny branches and any that grow bits of plant material will not be seen. In the vegetable garden we removed toward the center of the bush. Thin weeds, and applied worm castings. out some smaller branches so there’s I do not rototill or turn over soil at good air circulation. Reduce the size any time. Amendments like compost, by about two thirds. Always cut to just fertilizer, castings, lime etc. go onto above an outward-facing bud. Rugosa the surface and get worked into the roses sucker, so in addition to these soil as we plant, with rain and by the steps, I remove all of the suckers. Some soil “critters.” This week we’ll plant diligent research on rose pruning is peas and fava beans followed next reassuring and rewarding. The same week by lettuce, onions and leeks and basic procedures are followed when shortly after that by carrots, beets, pruning any tree and shrub. Each chard, and kale. I don’t grow spinach, situation may require additional steps if you do, now is the time to plant it. given the plant and its circumstances. I hope to find time this year to work We cut liriope bordering the Daffodils are here! on my own poor garden. A tree fell down sidewalks down close to the ground. This removes the tattered winter leaves and insures during Superstorm Sandy and a lilac branch is lying glossy ones for the summer. We cut back caryopteris on the ground…it has buds, though, so I may wait and perovskia to force abundant new branches. We to cut it until it blooms! The camellias are so tall went into the shrub borders and removed interfering that they’re leaning over. All of the hydrangeas need branches giving the shrubs room and air. I remove pruning. I need irrigation and new fencing. Whew! deadwood from Japanese maples and prune them to There’s a lot of work to do! Jeanelle Myers is a professional gardener, landscaper accentuate their splendid shapes. Finally, when all of the pruning and cutting back and consultant. For gardening advice call 631-434-5067.
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