Category: Tropical Style

Increasing perennials encompass an assortment of plants usually classified by their growth habits, which include twining, by tendrils. Climbing plants also consist of rambling rose, a hardy, versatile plant that becomes a show stopper when it rambles over a fence or other structure. Contrary to vining plants, climbing rose requires coaching to direct its growth.

Twiners

A twiner is a plant that grows by wrapping its stems around the nearest support. Twiners require little care when planted against a hardy supporting structure, like an arbor, trellis or fence. Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, creates large saucer-like blooms and vibrant orange and salmon blossoms that appear in autumn and summer. Wisteria (Wisteria spp.) Is a twining plant that grows in USDA zones 4 through 10, creating white or purple flowers and reaching adult lengths of 30 feet.

Clingers

Clingers have little, adhesive rootlets that cling quickly to your support. Clinging vines are sick advised against a wooden construction, as the vigorous climbers often cause structural damage. However, they easily grow up a brick or concrete wall or even a sturdy arbor, fence or trellis. Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala petolaris) eventually reaches lengths of 30 to 50 feet growing in USDA zone 4 through 8. It’s appreciated for the clusters of sweet-smelling white flowers that appear in late spring and summer. Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) is a fast midsummer bloomer with showy trumpet-shaped blossoms, suitable for planting in USDA zones 4 through 10.

Tendrils

Tendril plants wrap lean, wispy tendrils around a supportive structure. Vines that climb by tendrils are usually less rambunctious than climbing vines and are suitable for growing against a chicken wire, chain link fence or other structure with little grids. Grape vines (Vitis spp.) Climb by means of tendrils. These attractive vines are dense enough to make some privacy when providing flavorful fruit. Although fever zones vary, nearly all grape pies tolerate USDA zones of 7 and above. Clematis (Clematis spp.) Is acceptable for growing in USDA zones 3 through 9 and comes in many varieties, providing blooms in shades of blue, purple, scarlet, white and pink.

Climbing Roses

Climbing roses are stunning when trained to grow up an arbor, trellis or fence. Like conventional roses, climbing roses arrive in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Autumn Sunset (Rosa “Autumn Sunset”) is a vigorous, apricot-gold climber that attains heights of 8 to 12 feet. City of York (Rosa “City of York”) is a 8-foot climber with deep green foliage and creamy white flowers. Seven Sisters (Rosa “Seven Sisters”) is a climber that reaches heights of around 20 feet using emerging blooms that are deep purple, gradually fading to pale mauve. Although growing zones vary, climbing roses are hardy plants that are unfazed by freezing temperatures and tough winters.

See related

If you’ve got a camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) growing in your lawn, you probably are aware that it’s named for the camphor fragrance its leaves provide off when crushed. The tree only requires light pruning from time to time, however when your tree is outgrowing its area or its dense shade is preventing grass from growing in the area, you can prune if back severely and expect powerful new growth to look, as long as you prune at the ideal time and give the tree some extra care after trimming.

Choosing a Time

Evergreen camphor tree has glossy green leaves. It could possibly be 65 or 70 feet tall when older and, like most broad leaf evergreens, it tolerates heavy trimming, or renewal pruning, rather well. This is especially true if pruning is done in early spring, when the tree is already consented to put out a fresh flush of spring growth After spring pruning, tree wounds also tend to heal relatively quickly because the tree is actively growing. It’s not a good idea to do heavy pruning in fall or summer, because hot summer weather can stress the tree and slow fresh growth, while tender limbs which appear after fall pruning are easily damaged from winter’s cold.

Minimizing Tree Damage

When pruning back divisions on a camphor tree, use freshly sharpened pruning shears to avoid tearing the bark and damaging the tree branches. For high divisions, use a pole pruner with a sharp saw or pruning blade. Wash your pruning blade thoroughly with rubbing alcohol between each cut, to prevent the spread of plant diseases. To decrease the tree’s height, then trim back branches in the outer portions of the canopy. To thin the tree and generally lessen the dense shade under it, remove one of every three or four side branches from its major limbs. Make slanted cuts just ahead of the branch collar, which is the thickened area of bark close to a division’s origin. When shortening small side branches, cut each 1 back into a side branch or cut about 1/4 inch above of a side grass; that helps encourage growth of a new shoot behind the fresh cut.

Giving Extra Care

When you have pruned a camphor tree, minimize shock to the tree by giving it a little extra care can help encourage healthy new development. Add three or four inches of organic mulch like straw or shredded bark into the ground below the tree canopy, to help conserve moisture and keep down weeds. Keep the mulch back about 6 inches from the trunk to stop constant moisture against the bark, which can encourage fungal growth. During dry spells, provide the tree extra water, aiming to get about 1 inch of water per week, containing rain. Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation to minimize runoff of water and make sure the soil is thoroughly moistened.

Plannng Long Term

Camphor tree grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11 and is fast-growing, adding about 2 feet into its width and height each year. Although it grows quickly, it may be best to propagate heavy pruning out over several years, rather than doing all the pruning in one season. Prune some development during the current spring, then observe the tree’s response to choose how soon to prune again. If new development is strong and vigorous, you can safely prune the tree each spring, until you achieve the desired outcome. But when the tree’s response to pruning is slow or new development only appears on a few divisions, wait a year or two to provide the tree a few extra recovery period prior to repeating the pruning process.

See related

Graceful old oak trees, dripping with strange green plants bring about mind Spanish moss growing on Southern live oak trees (Quercus virginiana). In case your oak is located on the other side of the nation, though, it is probably a Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) that grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 10. That stringy stuff hanging on it might be mistletoe, a lichen or perhaps part of the tree.

Under the Live Oak Tree

Often towering over 50 feet with a spread almost as large, based on the variety, oaks are a number of the world’s largest trees. Evergreen live oaks thrive in coastal locations. The coast live oak and interior live oak (Quercus wiislizenii), that grows in USDA zones 6 through 10, have shiny, spiky leaves. The Southern live oak, native to coastal regions of the southeast from USDA zones 8 through 11, plays host to many epiphytic plants, including the iconic Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), but both of the tree and its fellow traveler Behavior demand high humidity and dampness, which will be missing west of the Mississippi. Spanish moss grows in the same zones — USDA zones 8 through 11 — as its host oak tree.

Live Oak Catkins

Live oaks blossom in spring, creating long catkins that curtain gracefully from the ends of their branches. If your tree is shedding stringy stuff in spring, then it might be engaging in its yearly flowering where the long male catkins let loose pounds of yellow mud and then fall from the tree as fresh leaves push out them. Other oaks create catkins, but live oaks generate impressive batches of their hanging blooms.

Underneath the Mistletoe

One variety of mistletoe (Phoradendron villosum), a parasitic plant, which possibly grows on all oaks in USDA zones 6b through 11. The plants root from the tree bark in the upper parts of the tree. Strands of the shrubby plant arch up to two feet from branches. The female plants produce seeds from the plant’s signature white berries that birds find delicious. The birds spread seeds to lower branches and also to higher branches of neighboring trees. In case your oak tree hosts mistletoe, its oval leaves become visible as the tree sheds old leaves in spring. In deciduous oaks, the plants become evident as the trees shed their leaves in late autumn.

3D Lichen

Lichens aren’t parasitic, but epiphytic — and they’re not officially plants. They live from sunlight along with the moisture from the air. Lace lichen (Ramalina menziesii) resembles Spanish moss in its stringy growth pattern and has been mistaken for its eastern lichen for ages. Lace lichen hangs in long “beards” and tends to grow on trees near rivers. Other lichens also hang from oaks, but lace lichen is striking — and ordinary enough to be assassinated as the state lichen from the California Lichen Society. If the stringy stuff in your oak hangs like good beards, turns gray in the winter or dry season and also breaks off in lacy clumps, it is probably a stringy, or “fruticose” lichen.

See related

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and blackberry (Rubus spp.) May resemble each other at first glance, but just poison ivy contains urushiol. This chemical, which can be from the plant’s sap, which can cause severe itching, an inflamed rash and blistering after it contacts human skin. Blackberry, on the other hand, provides healthful fruits, even in the wild. Poison ivy is hardy at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10; blackberry species’ hardiness ranges vary, with Rubus fruticosus hardy in USDA zones 5 through 10. So poison ivy and blackberry share a few locations. 1 common expression, “Leaves of three, let it be,” often, but not always, holds true if differentiating poison ivy plants from blackberry plants.

Tell-Tale Leaves

Examine the leaves to help distinguish a blackberry bush from poison ivy. Both plants’ leaves develop in a three-leaf design originally, however, as a blackberry bush rises, all its two bottom leaves split into two leaves, leading to a five-leaf cluster. In terms of colour, poison ivy leaves are green while the bottom of blackberry leaves are light green to greenish-white. If the leaves are wrinkly, it’s a blackberry bush. Poison ivy leaves are smooth. Also, some blackberry species possess serrated leaves while poison ivy doesn’t, though some poison ivy leaves are notched.

A Thorny Situation

Should you see thorns or spines on the plant’s stems, then you are likely considering a blackberry bush. Poison ivy doesn’t sport thorns. Thornless types of blackberries exist, nevertheless. So don’t rely solely on thorns to distinguish poison ivy out of blackberry.

Berries of a Different Colour

The ripe fruits of a blackberry bush are dark, ranging from purplish-black to black, and the unripe berries may be red. Poison ivy additionally has berries, but they’re light green when young and grayish-white, white or cream when mature. Blackberry fruits are aggregates, meaning each “berry” is composed of a number of individual fruits which form a single cluster, or berry. Poison ivy has sole berries.

Growth Habit

An elastic plant, poison ivy has a number of growth habits. It can develop as a woody shrub, a creeper that spreads across the floor and as a climbing vine. Blackberry bushes form dense thickets, or brambles, in the wild. When blackberry bushes are elongated, their canes can be erect, semi-erect or trailing.

See related

Whether you’re using your lavender (Lavandula) crops for exotic cooking, for aromatic oils, or merely for their pleasant scent around your garden, sooner or later, your plants are going to want some cutting back. But February is typically a time when your lavender plants are in their dormant stage, and therefore, it’s not exactly the best time for pruning.

When to Prune

The best times to prune your lavender plants is during the new-growth stage during the first spring, or after they have flowered. The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources recommends pruning after the plants have flowered in the summertime, while Colorado State University’s Extension service recommends doing it as the green leaves begin to come out in the spring. A spring pruning will remove any dead or unattractive old growth and permit new growth to thrive, even though a summer pruning can encourage further summer blooming. Another benefit of pruning after flowering: you’ll get to utilize those attractive, pleasant-smelling flowers in sachets or in bouquets. Whatever you choose — or whether you choose the two options — it needs to be apparent that February is somewhat too early — or somewhat too late — to get ideal pruning.

Frost-Hardy Lavender

If you’re developing a frost-hardy variety of the plant, such as English lavender (Lavendula angustifolia), hardy from U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 8, or lavandin, (Lavendula x intermedia), hardy from USDA zones 5 to 9, a hybrid of Lavendula latifolia and Lavendula angustifolia, you might discover that it blooms more than once annually. If you’re choosing the summer-pruning choice, the best course is to prune right after the flowers bloom, suggests the U.K.’s Downderry Nursery. The nursery specialists there urge pruning back to a plant height of about 9 inches, leaving a few small shoots intact, and then continuing to cut fresh flowers as they bloom.

Other Varieties

Other varieties of lavender are far less cold tolerant, such as Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), hardy from USDA zones 7 to 10, and French lavender (Lavendula dentata) hardy from USDA zones 8 to 11. These types may bloom only once. Prune them in the summer after flowering, recommends the Downderry Nursery, and leave several blooms intact to permit for new growth, as you would with the other more frost-hardy varieties. If you decide to prune them in spring, do it when new growth starts, cutting away any old growth, avoiding cutting into the woody stems, and departing the new growth intact.

Pruning Safely

Whether you’re pruning just before the end of the dormancy period in spring or you’re doing it after your lavender flowers, it’s always a good idea to practice decent pruning hygiene. To put it differently, be certain that you’re cleaning your pruning clippers and shears so as to avoid spreading diseases from plant to plant and season to date. Brush off any loose dirt, and then soak the resources in a solution of one part bleach to three parts water, which indicates the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

See related

Squashes, including butternut, acorn and spaghetti, make a tasty addition to snacks that are sweet and foods. Squashes have a tendency to grow on bushes or on climbing vines. All summer months, such as zucchini and crookneck, grow on bushes that are non-vining. Even though some varieties have a bushing habit winter squashes are inclined to grow vines. It’s hard to tell whether a squash seedling will develop into a bush-type or a vine-type just. Seed packs and plant maintenance tags contain the info you need to determine the plant’s growth habit. As they grow also, watching the squashes lets you know whether the crops are bushes or vines.

Start looking for the words”summer” or”winter” on the plant’s care label or seed packet. It grows on a bush if the plant is a summer squash.

If the plant is a winter squash determine the number. For instance, the”Table Queen” number of acorn squash grows on vines, while the”Table King” and”Cream of the Crop” varieties grow on bushes. Most butternuts grow on vines, but the”Ponca” variety has a semi-bushing habit.

Because it grows, watch the plant. Vine-type squashes develop long vines that can grow between 10 and 20 ft in length. Bush-type squashes possess a more compact look.

Put supporting or around. The trellis wills climb. Bush types will not.

Have a look at the rind of the fruit. Summer squashes mainly have a rind, while winter, squashes that are vine-type have a tendency to have a thick rind.

See related

Euonymus alatus, also known as winged euonymus or burning bush, adds stunning autumn color to the garden. Hardy into U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 4, Euonymus alatus is tolerant of contamination, pollution, heat and colour. While this low-maintenance shrub survives virtually every urban state, it requires summer wateringsoil along with also a substantial quantity of space. The cultivar Compactus is considered a dwarf of those species, in a mere 9 to 11 feet tall and wide. Euonymus alatus cultivars do not grow true from seed, but the plant may share many of the attributes of its parent plant.

Seeds from a Euonymus alatus shrub in the autumn, when split and the fruits start to dry out.

Put the seeds in a plastic bag or jar full of moist sand. Clearly label contents and the date on the bag using a permanent mark.

Put the bag in the back of the fridge to stratify, the seeds for 3 weeks, or cool.

Put a heating pad. Cover it with plastic to protect it from moisture and flip it on the lowest setting.

Fill a seed starting tray with soil. Put the Euonymus alatus seeds on the top of the ground, then cover them with sand. Moisten the sand using a spray bottle.

Cover starting tray with plastic wrap. Place it on top of the heating pad. Euonymus alatus seeds require a continuous temperature of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit to germinate.

Check to make certain that the sand is moist. Mist using a spray bottle of water. Euonymus alatus seeds germinate in about 8 weeks.

After sprouting plant the seedlings. Put in a sheltered location in the sunroom or on the patio before the weather warms and all chance of frost is past.

Plant your Euonymus alatus shrubs 6 to 10 ft. When the soil is dry to your touch water regularly.

See related

Somewhere around early October I begin wearing layers once I head out to work in the garden — thermal cotton, fleece, wool or light down help ward off chilly temperatures. And I know winter’s coming when hats and scarves come out of the cupboard. There’s a feeling of expectation, with shift in the air.

Fall garden maintenance hits its peak this month. Be certain that you have your tools organized, so you are prepared to function if the weather cooperates, and strengthen yourself from a local orchard, homemade pumpkin bread or sour apples.

Paintbox Garden

Get Ready for the cold. The gorgeous hues of marigolds will blacken with frost, therefore cut flowers to garnish food platters or tuck stalks into a vase along with other late-season annuals, like zinnia and sweet potato vine, as you pull crops up for the mulch pile and clean beds.

Harvest basil, mint and parsely to make a piquant salsa verde or pesto.

Paintbox Garden

Glazed terra-cotta birdbaths need to be emptied, scrubbed and put away. Clay baskets will freeze and crack in winter, so these will need to be moved. Make room in the garage, storage shed, greenhouse or cellar.

Paintbox Garden

Photograph container combinations. Go around along with your smart phone or digital camera and then record your plant combinations, so you can recall what worked and what didn’t. Once spring rolls around, you can review the images along with any plant notes you have created, and also be organized if searching for annuals.

Paintbox Garden

Transplant perennials and split grasses. Select a gentle, cloudy day to minimize jolt once you split and move crops. Rejuvenate decorative grasses through division. It’s a big job — especially if they’re large clumps of grass (Miscanthus spp) — so be sure you have a pruning saw for cutting through the dense root canals. Discard the middle of the plant and cut on the outer parts into sections for replanting.

Paintbox Garden

Plant garlic to next summer’s harvest. Garlic is planted in October, so the cloves can begin to set in warm soil before winter sets in.

Here’s the pile of hardneck bulbs I dug up back in July — I will search for the greatest ones to break up and replant this month. What isn’t planted will be stored in a dry, cool place (the cellar) and used for cooking.

Paintbox Garden

Take inventory of noteworthy shrubs with fantastic fall color. Northeast gardeners are blessed with the most spectacular seasonal color — look round garden centers and notice what you enjoy. It’s not too late to plant trees trees or perennials.

There are a number of simple, low-maintenance winners because of their region with yearlong appeal. Witchhazel (Hamamelis vernalis) is a large shrub or small tree that turns gold and retains its leaves for a long time.

Paintbox Garden

Another shrub that turns to gold when the frost hits is coastal sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), named because of its own terminal seed heads that persist following the fragrant flowers fade.

Paintbox Garden

Look carefully at winterberry (Ilex verticillata) this season and you’re going to see stalks covered with vibrant fruits that attract birds. They’ll persist after the leaves fall to make a brilliant show.

Paintbox Garden

And round the time pumpkins and gourds hit farm stands, showy ‘Mt Airy’ dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii ‘Mt. Airy’) turns shades of carmine, persimmon and butter yellow.

Read more footprints in the plant guides

Paintbox Garden

Do your autumn cleanup chores. It will take some the time to do what you can before the spring rush, so here’s a short list:
Start a new dump pile to Generate compost.Leave seed heads up for wildlife — coneflower, liatris, sunflower and black-eyed Susan are favored by birds.Cut back hostas and herbaceous perennials.Mulch beds.Collect seeds.String lights on trellises and tuteurs for winter displays.More regional garden guides

See related

There’s much to be achieved and enjoyed in the August backyard. Butterflies abound, while the magenta, burgundy and orange colors of late-summer bloomers foreshadow fall colors. Give your containers and summer edibles some love by maintaining them suitably watered and fed. Deadhead spent summer flowers for replicate blossoms — or let them set seed to provide food and habitat for wildlife during the forthcoming months. As you proceed, take stock of everything you see in the lawn, preparing for fall planting. Here’s what to do in U.S. gardens in August.

Locate your August backyard checklist:
California | Central Plains | Great Lakes | Mid-Atlantic | Northeast
Pacific Northwest | Rocky Mountains | Southeast | Southwest | Texas

Timothy Lee landscape layout

Northwest. “Maintain on deadheading roses, Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum), dahlias and other summer-flowering plants,” writes landscape designer Genevieve Schmidt. “By removing spent flowers, you promote the plant to continue placing new buds and place energy into flowers for the rest of the summer.”

Get her Northwest August checklist

California. “Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, once an area of windswept sand dunes, is now a showcase of plants from all over the world,” writes garden editor Bill Marken. “Few are more eye catching than nodding pincushion, among many proteas out of South Africa. Proteas are notoriously difficult to develop, which explains why their high price as cut blooms. They are worth a try if you are able to provide what they need: perfectly drained soil and the perfect climate — coastal, not too hot”

Get his California August checklist | Summer tips for your California backyard

Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Southwest. “Are your container crops looking tired? To look their best, plants will need to be fertilized when grown in containers,” writes Arizona horticulturalist Noelle Johnson. “Utilize a slow-release all-purpose fertilizer, that lasts around three months, or apply a liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks. You will be rewarded with larger plants and much more blooms.”

Get her Southwest August checklist

Rocky Mountains. “The large heat of August isn’t the time to split or transfer crops, but it’s a excellent time for planning ahead to get a busy September and beyond,” states Colorado landscape designer Jocelyn Chilvers. “Look in your garden with a critical eye as you aim your work and shopping lists for your cooler days to come.”

Get her Rocky Mountains August checklist

Land Design, Inc..

Texas. “Light, frequent waterings will simply encourage shallow roots, which won’t serve your crops well in times of warmth and dry weather. It’s preferable to water more deeply but less often, encouraging your plants’ roots to dig deep into the ground,” writes landscape designer Jenny Peterson.

“Avoid watering directly on the foliage of your plants, and water earlier in the morning or later in the day to avoid rapid evaporation,” she advises. “Better yet, install drip irrigation or soaker hoses to direct water nearer to the plants’ roots”

Get her Texas August checklist

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Central Plains. “That is prime butterfly season. You can deadhead flowers and hope to get a second, smaller flush, or leave them up for winter interest,” writes Nebraska garden consultant Benjamin Vogt. “Most birds will eat the seeds in fall, so you’ve got to decide if deadheading is worth the bet. Usually it’s best to leave up coneflowers and other mid- to later-summer bloomers, while early summer flowers may be a fantastic bet to reduce. Here a tiger swallowtail is enjoying with a pit stop”

Get his Central Plains August checklist

Barbara Pintozzi

Great Lakes. “August marks the transition from summer to autumnal blooms, starting with all the tall sedums, including Hylotelephium ‘Purple Emperor’,” writes Illinois garden trainer Barbara Pintozzi. “Growing it facing chartreuse foliage makes it a garden standout.”

Get her Great Lakes August checklist

Paintbox Garden

Northeast. “Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium spp) is booming along roadsides and in meadows,” writes Vermont landscape consultant Charlotte Albers. “This native wildflower is widely flexible and grows well in poor soils, so it’s a fantastic choice for a rain garden or swale, or to put in an area where water pools when rains are heavy.”

“The species is somewhat intimidating — just too tall for most gardens, but there are shorter versions. That can be ‘Phantom’ (Dupatorium x ‘Phantom,’ zones 4 to 8), a dwarf that grows about 40 inches tall and brings honeybees and butterflies”

Get her Northeast August checklist | See more beauties of the meadow

Amy Renea

Mid-Atlantic. “While the temperatures are scorching now, cool weather will probably be within a few months, so today is your time to start seeding cool-season plants,” says garden writer Amy Renea. “I really like planting a second run of greens such as chard (pictured), spinach along with a variety of lettuces. Wait around to get a summer rainstorm and get out there and seed!”

Get her Mid-Atlantic August checklist

Gardening with Confidence®

Southeast. “Select and preorder your spring-blooming bulbs today while supplies are plentiful,” writes North Carolina backyard writer Helen Yoest. “Don’t put off today what will be gone tomorrow. The bulbs that are peculiar sell out. I can say this now because I’ve already put in my order. Try something fun like the species tulip Tulipa clusiana.”

Get her Southeast August checklist

More: See more regional gardening guides

See related

The May backyard feels really fresh, lush and colorful, it is difficult to resist. The wonder and beauty of it all keeps us at our tasks after our backs are weary and the sun has grown dim. Enjoy. Wishing you your very best gardening season ever.

Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Plant summer-flowering bulbs and tubers for example dahlias (shown here), gladiolus, begonias, caladiums, lilies and cannas later in the month for a summertime burst of colour. Include them in container gardens with annuals, herbs and veggies, or plant them directly into the backyard in well-amended soil.

Plant trees, shrubs and perennials the moment the ground is workable. Ornamental trees, such as the Tatarian maple (Acer tataricum) revealed here, are most commonly used as ornamental accents but can also serve as shade trees in tiny landscapes.

Photo by Wikimedia commons consumer Le.Loup.Gris

Avant Garden

Plant veggies and tender annuals after the danger of frost has passed. Harden them off if they’re coming from a greenhouse or home atmosphere. (Hardening off means to acclimate plants by slowly exposing them to more times outside over a period of several weeks or days.)

Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Keep the foliage of spring-flowering bulbs — such as daffodils (shown here), tulips, frittilaria and hyacinths — until the plant has completely died back. While green, the leaves photosynthesize and construct food reserves for the plant. When the foliage has dried and can be pulled from the plant with a gentle tug, it can be removed safely.

Prune spring-flowering shrubs — such as forsythia (shown here), quince, lilac, spirea and daphne — promptly after flowering, as needed. Save yourself time and keep a more natural look for your own trees by pruning them lightly by hand instead of shearing them.

J. Peterson Garden Design

Check sprinkler and drip systems. An efficient irrigation system is the ideal way to conserve water.
Make sure your sprinklers are delivering the right amount of water to the right location. Check for leaks and overspray. Adjust your clock to accommodate seasonal conditions (evapotranspiration) and regulations or limitations.

Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Stay ahead of the weeds. Even though it is not nearly as exciting as planting something new, you’ll be glad you did. Keep your weeding tools useful and do a little each time you are outside.

5 Ways to Naturally Grow the Weed War | More regional gardening guides

See related