Garden Reports and Rejoicing – March 15
Normally, of course, a post at this time of year would be titled Spring Cleaning. But after an amazingly warm winter it seems as if we’ve moved from late fall into the growing season. I have California poppies that have lived through the winter, Liriope that looks as good as it did in October, and a Spirea ‘Ogon’ that is coming into flower a good month early. I feel as if I’m late getting things cleared out, but in actuality it’s a month earlier than normal.
Time to stay in the moment and deal with what is. Really, what does it matter that I’m pruning roses in March instead of April? And all the speculation about possible pest problems that may or may not be worse because of the warm winter is just that: speculation. We are no more able to foretell the future than we have been in years past.
We humans want to put things in neat little boxes. “Because of this, that will result,” we want to say with certainty. And when it comes to the natural world, this is complete folly because there are so many factors that are so totally interconnected. It’s never just the mild winter, the drought or the cool, wet summer.
What it comes down to is that we need to tend to the garden and landscape when it needs tending, no matter what the calendar says. We need to cope with the conditions we see, no matter what the previous season has dealt.
We are constantly called to make the best of what is, and most importantly, to continue cultivating.
On this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, my Spirea Ogon, in the back of this perennial bed, is starting to flower. This past week I've been cutting perennials to the ground, doing some pruning and clearing away the places where oak leaves gather. No matter that I usually do this in April. My plants are telling me it's time.
