TIDEWATER GARDENING
by K. Marc Teffeau, Ph.D.
May Flowers . . . Spring has arrived, and there are lots of activities in the garden and landscape! However, I remember when a cold front came through and made it chilly in early or even mid-May on the Shore. Be prepared to protect tender young plants if that happens. Let’s get working on pruning spring f lowering trees and shrubs. May is the best time to do this, as
these ornamentals will start setting next year’s f lower buds in August and September. Any dead or broken branches that were caused by winter winds or snow should be evident by now, so prune them out. If you have very overgrown forsythias, f lowering almonds, Japanese quince or spireas, you can cut them back to a third of their original size and they will regrow.
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