The Month is April, The Year is 2021 and Spring Brings New Life
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” Margaret Atwood
How can you not admire the writing and creativity of Margaret Atwood, the marvelous Canadian poet and writer? Her thoughts on spring certainly reflect mine, and those of most of you reading this. So, let’s get out and paint our fingernails with soil.
Make no mistake, Covid is still around. Perhaps it is no longer the coal car feeding the maw of the engine but, it is the same cunning and patient beast it has always been, but now in many different disguises we call variants.
I have been told that people are tired of hearing me talk about Covid. I am tired as well. The subject of a pandemic and how people would protect themselves and others would never have been part of this writer’s narrative two years ago, but here we are still debating vaccines, masks and social distancing. I want to invite everyone to my garden, and to continue taking people to the great gardens of the world. But that is still impossible if I must wonder whether someone sitting at a table beside me is too stupid or uncaring enough to refuse vaccination.
Perhaps the political dialogue is somewhat calmer, or I am simply watching and reading less news. As for me, I’d rather be six feet apart than six feet under. I am ready to emerge from this long, dark, dank tunnel, I hope you are as well.
We are at an advantage, one of the best places to be is in the garden. No self-respecting variant will find you there.
Enough of that, April is here.
So many great events are happening in April. There are all sorts of national garden celebrations, such as National Gardening Day (April 14), National Orchid Day (April 16), not to mention Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 30) this month. Let’s all plant one new plant in the garden or container to celebrate such days. And of course my upcoming walkabout! Join me on Facebook Live back in my garden for an early Spring tour, April 3rd, this Saturday at 10 am!
And travel:
Like everyone else, just when I thought I was getting zoomed out, I am starting to get the hang of this thing. I can drink wine, laugh at my own jokes and mumble to myself without people frowning, or at least I can’t see them frowning. However, I admit to missing those frowns, the smiles and laughter and appreciation of my bad jokes and many stories. And travel is opening again. I just returned from a real face-to-face symposium at beautiful Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA and others are on the schedule. If you would like Dr A. to speak to your group, by zoom or otherwise, contact Maria Zampini.
Of course, those pale in comparison to the April birthdays of my wife Susan, my brother Howard, our grandson Hampton, and our granddaughter, Avery. Add those to the dual punctures Susan and I have received, and there is no doubt April is going to be a great month.
As busy as April will be, I want to mention a cause celebre we missed in March, that is, Woman’s History Month. So much to celebrate, to be sure, but I want to revel in those amazing women who “grow in our garden”. Woman like Nellie R. Stevens (holly), Francis Williams (hosta), Betty Corning (clematis) and the sisters Kirkpatrick (Annabelle hydrangea). We are so much richer because of their insights. You can always read more on these women in my book Legends in the Garden.
Every now and then, I think I know what I am doing, but no matter how you plan, the garden has a way of making you look a little foolish.
“….she had stuck silk pansies and some white things in the boxes. So much for my horticulture creds. Geez!”
My window boxes have been plotting against me all year, and I have been telling my impatient wife that they will look much better when spring arrives. Hasn’t happened. I came home the other day and she had stuck silk pansies and some white things in the boxes. So much for my horticulture creds. Geez!
Add insult to injury, my redbud is not budding well, my crocuses were eaten by chipmunks and squirrels, the deer got the pansies (maybe why Susan likes the silky things), and my App has crashed more than once.
On the positive side, my grandson Ben in Augusta and I are sharing in the joys of growing potatoes and strawberries together, and so far, he believes in my skills far more than my wife.
How about a few plants I can share with you.
Hope is the one thing even nature can’t mess up, especially for a gardener. And for all those who despaired last year, and stated, “Wait till next year”, well, next year is here! April is time for planting, so in keeping with my love of spending your money, here are a few plants I recommend for my daughters (and for you).
In the last Newsletter, I mentioned lilies, hellebores, clematis, gerbera daisies and baptisia. If you added any of those to the garden, you are richer because of it (perhaps poorer in the pocketbook, but you know what I mean).
Annuals:
Alternanthera Little Ruby: Best small edging plant I have tried. Has substance, maintains color and tolerates sun and shade.
Sunflowers: Dwarf hybrids like Sunsational, Suntastic, Suncredible. Totally confusing names, but colorful and flower all season, without becoming “Suntrees”.
Perennials:
Nepeta: Any of the newer nepetas, such as ‘Blue Prelude’, ‘Cat’s Meow’, ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ and other cat-sy names. Low growers, wonderful blue, lavender flowers. Great around roses.
Delphinium Delgenius series. It may be impossible to find these this season, they are one of the “in vogue” plants. They are brand new, so while I would love my daughters (and me) to try them properly, they may also be a bust. More heat tolerant than standard delphiniums. There are three colors, get what you can.
Dicentra Gold Heart. Nothing new about this plant, but one that my daughters and neighbors love. Bright, well flowered and well behaved.
Echinacea Kismet series. One more echinacea, but for what I have seen, I am impressed. If you like nativars, go for it. I have.
Shrubs:
Dwarf crape myrtles: A number are now available, such as the Dazzle series, and if not sold out, grab a few. However, I am really impressed with the GreatMyrtle series, ‘Cherry Delight’ is exceptional. Excellent for the front of the garden or in containers.
Aralia ‘Sun King’ is usually sold as a perennial but looks like and behaves like a golden shrub. Afternoon shade is best. Grown for the foliage, don’t worry about a flower.
Absolutely – join me with “Tales from the Garden” (stories about plants and their names) and “Back to School with Dr A”, where I provide five-minute thoughts about the science of gardening and horticulture. No tests involved.
Books:
Can you believe it - I have been selling quite a few books. As any author knows, a new book is like a new plant, lots of interest when first introduced but it has to have “legs” to remain standing. Fortunately, my books seem to have pretty strong legs. Specialty Cut Flowers was originally written in 1993, and revised in 2003 with my colleague Judy Laushman. It has always been the standard for cut flower growers and did well, but certainly not one of the best sellers in recent years. However, it was lately recommended by the cut flower guru Nicole Pitt of Flower Hill Farm in Boonville, New York (www.flowerhillfarmny.com). She has a horde of followers and her followers have eaten it up.
The original introduction of Herbaceous Perennial Plants appeared in 1989, and has always been well received by industry and garden people. I introduced the 4th edition a few months ago and it too is selling very well. Naked Ladies, Legends and even The Hat book are still selling.
Mind you, it is not easy to have a new book every year, but I am trying. In fact, I hope by the next newsletter I will have a new color book on perennials for you to look at. And after that, a real surprise …
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