I was looking out on the Tranquil Garden today and thinking about starting the annual spring clean-up. I won’t be doing it right away, because, first of all, that would be against my nature; but, also because the ground is still pretty soggy, and I’ve read many times that walking around on the lawn and flower beds before the ground has a chance to dry up is a no-no. It can compact the soil and grass in a way that you won’t like later on. It’s not good for the garden, in other words. One recent article I read suggested that if you can walk on the grass in stocking feet without getting your socks wet, you’re good to go.
Once all danger of compacting the soil is passed, however, there are lots of things to do to help optimize the growth in your garden. You can start by cleaning out the dead stalks from last year’s growth; throw them on your compost pile, they will help dry out the compost if it’s a bit too wet. Once the beds are clean of the old growth you can take stock of how your bushes have fared over the winter. You might want to prune back the roses-most of them can take a pretty hard pruning this early in the year. Other plants need to be pruned right back to the ground. Peonies for instance, if you didn’t do it in the fall, will need it soon, before the new growth comes up. This is more a question of how neat you like your beds, because peonies will do well whether you cut off the old growth or not. Some gardeners feel it’s a waste of energy, but others say the old growth can harbour harmful bugs. Your choice!
There are many plants that are evergreen, so when the snow is gone, there they are, looking a bit bedraggled and greyish but still alive. I usually wait awhile to see which parts of these plants are going to revive and which ones will need to be cut off. Some are obviously mangled and dead so you can go ahead and cut those branches or leaves off.
The one chore that will do your garden the most good is to lay down some mature compost, either from your own compost bin or from the garden centre. There are many choices, and I don’t think there’s any harm in experimenting with the different kinds of composted manure that are for sale. Some are cheaper than others, so choose according to your budget. You can spread it around the roots and drip lines of your plants, digging it into the soil a bit as long as you’re careful about not cutting off the tops of plants that are just under the soil. When in doubt, just lay the compost on top and let the worms do the work of pulling it into the ground.
Soon it will be a good time (as soon as the earth is thawed out) to plant the hardy perennials that you’d like to add to your garden. It’s too early for annuals in our neck of the woods, but in more temperate areas of the country you may be already enjoying them, lucky you. Here, the usual rule of thumb is not before Queen Victoria’s birthday, (AKA Dollard Day in Quebec), which is May 18th this year, I believe. It seems ages away but freak frosts have been known to happen, so it’s better to wait or lose all your money.
I’m going to sign off now, because I’ve got supper to cook. I’m hoping to put up a photo album of my London/Bath flower photos, maybe on the weekend. Happy Spring!
To help celebrate, here’s a rendition of Schumann’s Symphony #1, the Spring Symphony, with Nézet-Séguin conducting.
I love to hear from you!