Last night my daughter Mary and I went to see the movie âMy Big Fat Greek Wedding 2â. This was a much anticipated mother-daughter outing. The movie was about the importance of family, with the underlying theme of an 18-year-old daughter choosing a college and moving away from her family. It is a story that has been playing out in our home this winter. Mary has chosen a college that will take her 620 miles from family but will bring her much closer to determining her unique calling in life.
As a family we are preparing ourselves for this transition. Sarah, our middle daughter, is very much looking forward to being the one to drive herself and her brother to school. As we start to shift the household chores, I am mentally trying to prepare myself that I wonât get to see her beautiful smile for several months. Her two younger siblings are determined to be there when we take her to college even though it means that they will miss several days their first week of high school (and even worse, it means they will hear their mom sob for hours afterwards).
Spring is the time for transitions also. The plants in our yard are transitioning out of the cold hibernation of winter into the beautiful sunshine and warmth of spring. It is our responsibility to prepare and embrace this transition as well.
As the perennial flowers start to emerge, you may find that you need to rake or cutback the old foliage. As a general rule, if the old foliage still looks good, then leave it alone. If the foliage is brown, rake or cut back the plants. Be careful how far you cut back though. Some plants like Russian Sage can leaf out on last yearâs branches so you donât want to cut it back too far. Ornamental Grasses can also be cut back this time of year. Again, as a general rule of thumb, they can be cut back to about 6-8â above the ground.
Summer blooming shrubs and evergreen shrubs can be pruned, if necessary, in the spring. Spring blooming shrubs should not be pruned until after they bloom. Hydrangeas, potentilla, roses, spirea, yews, and junipers would be examples of shrubs that can be successfully pruned in the spring. Lilacs, weigela and viburnum are examples of spring blooming shrubs that if they are prune in the spring they may not flower very much. This would be due to their flowerbeds being cut off.
It is important to note that, depending on the weather, certain plants may not have leaves for 4-5 weeks. Rose of Sharon is an example of a shrub that may not show any signs of growth until late May. One way to check and see if there is any sign of life in a shrub or tree is to slightly scratch the surface of the bark. If there is green under the bark, then there is at least life in that particular portion of the plant. If the bark is brown under the surface then that portion of the plant may be dead.
Although, we didnât have heavy snow fall totals this year, it is a good idea to inspect your yard for damage. Any broken branches or twigs should be pruned off. Sometimes, perennial flowers may have been lifted out of the ground and they can be gently pushed down or replanted.
Spring is also a good time to treat weeds pro-actively. Preen is a pre-emergent herbicide that when applied to your landscape beds helps to minimize the amount of weeds. Now is also a good time to treat for weeds in your lawn. There are a number of very effective name-brand weed and feed lawn care products. Weed and Feed products kill weeds and fertilize your lawn.
With a little preparation and determination, you can shepherd your yard successfully into spring and through the summer. With that same preparation and determination, we will drive Mary to Kansas State University in August. Go Wildcats!
