March 2024

What to Expect this Early in the Spring. (Your Plants Aren’t Dead!)

I recently had someone tell me that they had ripped out their newly planted garden of 6 months because it was all dead. I whimpered “No- just wait! Its still early.  They are coming up!” The cold temperatures, rain and stiff  winds have made lots of plants stay underground and wait for temperatures to get and stay warmer.

I hate to admit it, but I also thought that I had lost a lot of plants. About 3 weeks ago I was Googling, “ Do squirrels eat perennial roots?” It was hard to see anything because there were so many weeds in the beds. Ever so slowly the tiny perennials are now showing. When one 60 degree day hit, everything sprouted!

Here are some photos of what your plants may look like, and its ok!

Here is an Annabelle hydrangea just coming up from short stems and from the ground directly.

How about these tiny Echinacea other wise know as Coneflower.

These hibiscus look dead in the top of picture, but they are fine. The butterfly bush on the left has been pruned back one third.  The creeping phlox in the foreground  you should be seeing soon.

Can you see the clematis here that is drowning in the day lilies. Clematis delicate vines should be showing.

Next is the  Amsonia perennial starting to come up.

So what I am trying to say is just wait til mid April before you get too depressed. Try to weed out what you  know are weeds and sit tight.

Christie lives in Manakin Sabot , Virginia where she manages a 3 acre garden. Her blogs are written from her 35 years as a personal and professional gardener.