By Pat Dray
The Garden Spot
Pat Dray
If you’ve been keeping your garden journal, you know when all your different shrubs, trees and perennials typically bloom.
I love to watch the progression of bloom in my spring blooming plants, from the forsythia to the hellebores, from the azalea and dogwoods to the rhododendron. As summer and fall approach, I know which of my perennials will be blooming and where my “bloom gaps” are. This allows me to plan for three seasons of bloom.
The other important reason to keep a garden journal is so that you know not only what’s blooming when, but what’s getting attacked by critters, diseases or insects and when. This information lets you treat plants at the appropriate time to minimize pesticide usage.
Once you’ve identified your bloom gaps, you can either fill them with other perennials or with annuals. Perennials are plants that will bloom for generally two to three weeks year after year, while annuals only live one year but bloom continually. I find it’s best to know what plants will fill those gaps before I head to the garden center; otherwise I’m easily distracted by what’s blooming that day, rather than when I actually need something blooming. You can do an internet search using terms such as “August blooming plants” to determine what plants will fill the gap best.
Pay particular attention to the light and water needs of the particular plants you find and remember that “full sun” means eight hours of sunlight. If you don’t have enough light for bloomers, you can choose shade-loving plants with interesting foliage to fill those gaps. Most of the shade lovers are not dramatic bloomers, but some of my favorites are heuchera, Solomon’s seal and hosta.
It’s also important to remember your color palette as you select plants. White, red and yellow are considered “advancing” colors, meaning that they will be brighter in the bed and appear closer than “receding” colors such as blues and violets. You can use color theory to give a shallow bed a feeling of depth by intermixing these advancing and receding colors in your bed or to highlight certain areas. The consistent use of color will also help to unify the look of your property and lead the eye through the landscape.
As you’re planning to fill your bloom gaps, don’t forget that spring is a great time to split and replant your perennials. If you have plants or shrubs that aren’t doing well in their current location, it’s time to dig them up and move them to a happier place.
Many local garden clubs will be having May markets in mid-May, providing a great opportunity for you to purchase locally-grown plants at reasonable prices with plenty of gardening advice available from club members. The Garden Club of Orange’s market is on May 8 from 9 a.m. to noon at the High Plains Community Center pavilion. The Milford Garden Club’s market is on May 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Fowler Rotary Pavilion behind the Milford Public Library.
Pat Dray is a past president of the Orange Garden Club and a master gardener.