It’s only March; curb that gardening enthusiasm

One of the characteristics a gardener must possess is a sense of optimism. How else can you justify planning — and paying — for a garden that will face challenges from the weather, ravenous wildlife and various attacks from insect invaders? None of these is enough to dissuade determined gardeners who might consider taking up golf instead.

Although that optimistic bent may serve gardeners well during much of the year, keeping it in check when late winter masquerades as spring is perhaps a gardener’s greatest challenge. When the sun is shining and the temperature nips at 50 degrees, it’s difficult to remember that we may not have seen the end of winter yet.

In 2013, an early March snowstorm dumped more than a foot of lead-like snow on Ozaukee County and leveled parts of my garden. Branches broke on many of the trees in our yard and an entire mature cedar tree split in half with part of it coming to rest on the roof over the living room. It turns out that Mother Nature did us a favor as far as the cedar was concerned, as the garden and yard took on a new, refreshingly open look with that tree removed from the picture.

Even though there was a silver lining in losing that tree, the image of it cantilevered over the house under the weight of what was probably a literal ton of snow serves as a reminder of what March can dish up.

No matter how much the garden beckons to winter-weary gardeners’ souls, it’s worth trying to keep that ambition in check. Walking on sodden garden beds is a sure way to compact the soil and potentially damage the tender crowns of perennials just starting to wake from their winter slumber or snap off the first shoots from spring bulbs preparing to make their appearance.

Fortunately, there is always something to be done in the garden, and it’s a good time to tackle a few tasks. Pulling out the stepladder to do the first pruning on a hedge of Carpinus betulus (aka hornbeam) might have been a chore at any other time of the year, but it was a joy during Sunday’s warm weather.

I also did a bit of rejuvenation pruning on some spireas, which have developed relatively bare legs after a few years of only very light shaping. If they hadn’t needed such drastic attention, it would have been better to prune them after they flowered.
 

It’s also a good time to prune some hydrangeas, such as Hydrangea paniculata, which typically have long, conical flowers and include varieties such as Limelight, and Hydrangea arborescens, including favorites like ‘Annabelle.’ These varieties bloom on new growth, so pruning now won’t affect flowering. Avoid pruning shrubs that flower in spring, such as lilacs or weigelas, so you don’t sacrifice the flower buds.

Other jobs, like garden cleanup, are best left for another several weeks, since plants and wintering insects still benefit from last year’s decaying material.

Because even though optimistic gardeners can picture the tulips and daffodils, you never know what Mother Nature may bring.