Flowering shrubs
Azaleas steal the show across the South during the spring, but don’t forget that there are other flowering shrubs for the season. Sweet mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius), shown at left, is a favorite passalong whose fragrance and beautiful blooms will make you smile. Use it near or behind a white wooden fence to show off its blooms. The bright yellow blossoms of double-flowering Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’) look like sunshine in the shade and deserve a spot in every garden. Echo the warmth of their flowers by placing them near low stone or brick walls. The bigger-than-softball-size blooms of Chinese snowballs (Viburnum macrocephalum) start green and then turn white. Give this one some room, and place it in the back of a shrub border as a backdrop for your other plants.
Summer Color
Purchase bags of bulbs and tubers now. Set out gladiolus, crinums, cannas, dahlias, caladiums, and elephant’s ears after the last frost. These plants add bright flowers and bold foliage to your yard.
Lawns
It is important to water newly planted lawns regularly to help them establish healthy root systems. Infrequent, deep watering is better than frequent, shallow watering as it promotes deeper root growth. Once established, most lawns need about an inch of water a week.
Japanese Maples
It’s hard to resist the lacy foliage of these graceful trees. Buy now for the best selection. Use as a specimen in your yard or in a large container on your patio. They prefer filtered light and moist, well-drained soil. Good choices with a weeping form include ‘Crimson Queen,’ ‘Tamukeyama,’ ‘Inaba Shidare,’ and ‘Garnet’ (all with reddish-purple leaves) and ‘Waterfall’ with green leaves.
Once these flowers have finished blooming, you may want to cut back their leaves to clean up the appearance of your flower beds. But don’t do it. Daffodils use these leaves to transform sunshine into making next year’s blossoms. Wait until the foliage has turned brown and withers. Then if you still feel the need to clean, you can easily pull the dried leaves away.
Gift Hydrangeas
You can enjoy the blossoms of potted French hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) inside easily for three to four weeks. Care is simple. Place in a cool room with bright, indirect light. Water plants regularly (check every other day), allowing the soil to dry slightly between watering. Do not let plants sit in saucers of water. You will have the best luck adding them to your garden in the Lower and Coastal South.
