Many signs speak of the promise of spring time
By Thea Steinmetz
Insights
Published March 25, 2009

During the second week of March there are early plants in the garden heralding the coming of spring. Even though these eager and robust bloomers are expected every year, it still becomes an “a-ha” moment to discover them.

The forsythia invites cutting after a few days of moderate temperatures. When cut too early during persistent cold temperatures, the cheery yellow buds will not come into flower. There is no standard to go by year to year. At times when long branches are cut, put them in a pail of water and place them in the dark in the basement and they will do just fine. After one week, they may gloriously show off their grace.

Somehow, somebody that paid no attention to the proper time of cutting back these faithful friends, cut them too late in the season.  That somebody might have been me. If forcing for spring color is in the future, this is a plant that should never be trimmed after early summer, no matter how lustily it grows. The little branches harvested are a bit anemic looking on one side of the fence, while the neighbors shrubs are offering greater choices for cutting.

Even though there are fewer branches suitable for cutting, there are still enough to bring in to enjoy. After all, it is a long established tradition and for us gardeners some rituals must be observed. Having these cheerful yellow flowers in the house is part of an annual habit.

The snow drops, at first glance, looked as if they had very short stems, but this was not the case. When it came time to pick them, it was surprising that by hugging the ground, the stems were longer than expected. The garden has two locations with sizeable patches of these dear bell shaped flowers and that seems hardly enough. After a few years in the ground, they are so tightly clumped and must be divided. There are a few other areas that can benefit by some early spring delight. Let’s spread these beauties around.

When a little bundle is cut, gathered in a small and delicate vase, these flowers bring a quiet joy into the house. Placed next to a small figurine on a side table, there is an instant breath of spring.

The third harbinger of spring are the pussy willows. They are the little furry balls that almost offer an invitation to pet them. For those that do not have them in their garden, they are a must for every home in the spring. Obviously one can snap one’s fingers and have an instant mature plant in the landscape. You are forgiven if you cheat a bit. There are very good and real looking fake pussy willows available in stores. Occasionally, we are permitted to pair the real with the fake, or as these copies are now called, everlasting.

Some years back, weeping pussy willow came to my garden.  The grace of this plant is a delight so observe throughout the year. With everything growing horizontal  around it, the drooping branches add interest and bring motion to the flower bed. There are a number of yellow and red primroses planted close to the base, so there will be additional color, once spring gets really serious.

The Lenten rose, properly named hellebores, is right on time this year. Even though the beds were cleared of leaves in the fall, enough accumulated through the winter to provide a cover for these border plants. Once the leaves have cleared away, it came as a great surprise how many flowers had popped out of the earth, even on low temperature days. When they first emerge, their heads always hang down, making them appear sad. There is now a new variety on the market that suggests an upright growing habit.

The stems are still a bit short for cutting and this will be remedied with the passing of a few additional weeks. That is the beauty of the hellebores, they flower for many weeks. When bringing them into the house, the stem ends should be burned before depositing them into a vase.

Yellow and blue crocus are also timidly sticking their heads out. These strong colored specimens are a sure sign of nature’s awakening. These small flowers are so welcome and yet their beauty is so fleeting.

Then, there is the ever faithful daffodil. Depending on southern or northern exposure, the leaves are eagerly displaying a few inches of growth. There is great satisfaction of cutting some to bring into the house. Daffodils trumpet that spring has arrived.

 On the next sunny day, grab a pencil and a sheet of paper and take a slow walk around your property. Evaluate where you want to make some changes. With the mostly bare ground, it is easier to dream of where improvements fit into your overall plan. It also gives a guideline of what plants you might want to look for when visiting a garden center come planting time.