Masterpiece Landscaping Blog

There have been at least three springs over the past twenty years that resemble the present spring, when the vegetative world  started a month early and has continued to maintain such a schedule.  The symptoms have been the same, although this year, 2010 our Spring began according to calendar, in March…. even a week earlier.

Since then, not a day has been over 80 degrees Fahrenheit and there have been no driving dusty winds with dry humidity.  We had a good winter for snow depth and cover.  There’s been a lot of sun…….cool…..and just enough moisture to start plant growth early.

In my grounds and in other landscape gardens I visit there is more color than usual. 

Those plants with showy color are showing their color earlier and longer.

 The early flowering perennials and shrubs bloomed the full month earlier.  The French lilacs usually flower in the Twin Cities around the last week in May.  This year they are already open with all their normal frangrance that goes with them.  Forsythia usually is among the first shrub to color here.  This year the fragrant viburnums bloomed the same time.  Crabapples are peaking now, May 3rd instead of May 22nd.  They will be in bloom longer if there are no serious storms or dry windy days of 80 plust temperatures.  Sunny cool days, and cool but not freezing nights.

A number of years ago when a volcano in the  Philippines  erupted, we had spring all spring and summer.  There wasn’t any heat at all.  My azaleas were in bloom for a month.  

In all cases when April was not exceptionally cool, May would be cooler and less sunny…..still a help if colorful gardens were your only care regarding weather and its temperatures.

I notice there are some exceptions….plants who don’t seem to care how beautiful April was for plant growth.  My white fringe trees and many of my redbud five and six year old seedlings are only now showing interest in coming to life.   Smoke bushes are notorious for their funky attitudes about sending out leaves.  Some of the long gawky stalks still look pretty naked, yet some show life.  Regardless of their present state of dress, it is likely the shrub will be in full foliage in a week or two.

Black lace Elderberry has  beautiful pink clusters when it blooms.  But that its blooming is rare in the Twin Cities unless the stems were covered with snow all winter.  Apparently the branchings regularly die back to ground level.  Do not remover the shrub, thinking it is dead.  It is entirely root hardy and will send up new shoots soon, if not already.  The new shoots may become six feet long or more.  But, alas, they are not likely to bloom.

I am certain that the vast majority of landscape gardeners in the Twin City area view this spring as outstanding…..thus far.

So far both March and April have been cool or mild and clear.  We had a good winter snow to supply good soil  moisture. 

According to most growth calendars, we are about three weeks ahead of schedule.  My Juddii Viburnums began opening their blooms yesterday…..redbud is in full lavendar-pink bud….PJM Rhododendron in its fifth day of full bloom.  Forsythia has been in bloom for over ten days.  That isn’t so abnormal….It’s the rest of the blooming calendar  that is running early. 

Usually the deciduous shrub and tree leaf out which visually pushes the conifer evergreens into the green background mass of vegetation after dominating the “green” and “form” of the  landscape for the past 6 months, occurs between May 8 and May 12.   It is occuring now in my west suburban neighborhood. 

Personally, I am for global warming in Minnesota.  I prefer a zone five climate community to our 3 to 4.5 mixes in the greater Twin City area.  I remember the harsh winters of my childhood in the late 1930s and early 1940s.  Real blizzards….hard driving dry snow pelletized to sting ones face…..and snow covering the ground  every Easter. 

There were no Cardinals nesting in the Twin Cities then…..not until bird feeders and warmer weather lured them into the Twin Cities, where now they seem to be quite nestled  in.  Experts are now expecting sixty or more years of colder winters, however.  What will winter be without those redbirds?   

I had serious deer, rabbit and mouse damage to many of my arborvitaes this last winter.  Generally, the deer problem is relegated to the suburban communities, with rabbit and mouse damage usually widespread in the cities, especially in fenced in home grounds.  This last January I saw a very aggressive hunting coyote stalking rabbit stew.  Fox  and feral cats aid the  pest control business in my community.   The deer is another matter. 

Otherwise most plants survived without any winterburn at all…..very unlide last winter. 

Look for saw fly larvae…worms…on your mugho, scott’s , and even occasionally on you white pine conifer trees.  Normally they emerge on the pine needles around May 10 to May 15.   I expect to see these wormy creatures in a few days.  Wash them off as soon as you see them with a powerful blast of water from your garden hose.  Shake the tree branches if a hose is not available…..Malathion is often recommended to cause harm to the larvae.   For future control apply the appropriate systemic insecticide.

The worms hatch inside the pine needles having been deposited there late last summer.