Saturday (5/01/2021) the temperature got up to 90°F with high winds and fire warnings. Sunday was better, only 85°F and breezy. Barely any rain this spring so the garden is VERY dry. I started watering yesterday which may be a first. Usually in the spring I am indoors because it's too cool and wet.
The temps had my species peonies opening in one day and their petal being blown off by the wind. Many things are blooming almost two, sometimes three, weeks ahead of last year.
As a result of the odd weather, my potting bench is full of plants, purchases from local nurseries and three groups from mail order nurseries. I decided it is too dry to plant them; in part because then I have to wander all over the garden watering them. Leaving them on the bench means I can water them at once. I'm also planning on re-potting some of the smaller things into larger containers to grow on a while before I put them in the ground; some tiny primroses in particular.
I ordered a number of shrubs online and I had to laugh at the different sizes they've come in; even within one nursery. I pay attention when it gives the pot size when I order, but it is always fascinating to see what they look like once I unpack them.
You can see exactly what I mean lwhen you ook at these four shrubs (from left): Viburnum dilatatum 'Tandoori Orange' (Tandori Orange Viburnum), Salix helvetica (Helvetica Willow), Cornus sericea 'Pucker Up' (Pucker Up Red Twig Dogwood) and Weigela middendorffiana (Middendorf Weigela).
I am pleased I was able to find these shrubs and they all look happy and healthy so the size is not really a concern. The Viburnum is the first one with orange berries; the willow has soft silver foliage; the Cornus is more compressed than C. compressa and grows as a fat shrub rather than columnar. The Weigela, a plant I usually don't like, has the most lovely delicate little creamy yellow flowers with an orange throat. Looking forward to watching this one grow!
Now, if we would just get some rain . . .
I've been very impressed by the plant packaging this season especially by the big stores like Home Depot, plus the plants have good roots. In years past, I've had plants come where the soil immediately falls off from a single root meaning that the plant had just been set in a small pot for mailing.
Posted by: jane strong | Monday, May 03, 2021 at 11:49 AM
JANE — Have to admit that the only time I ever bought anything (2 shrubs in person) from Home Depot, I did not have good luck with them. But I've had great luck with plants from all the specialty mail order nurseries. If I have a problem they quickly replace the plant or credit my account.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Monday, May 03, 2021 at 01:11 PM
I read the first sentence of this post and literally double checked your masthead to verify I was reading the blog I thought I was. Hitting 90+ here in April isn't "normal" but those occurrences aren't unprecedented either. I sympathize with the necessity to delay planting. I got my ginkgo tree at last on Saturday, much later than I'd ever envisioned, and of course we're also much warmer than I'd hoped with persistent wind. I had to trade up and get a larger tree because that's all the nursery's supplier had and, after struggling to get it home and unloaded from my husband's truck, we decided to hire someone to plant it for us. Unfortunately, that means the tree will be in its 24-inch box for another 2 weeks :(
Posted by: Kris P | Monday, May 03, 2021 at 01:47 PM
KRIS — I was thinking of you as I was writing that; mentally telling myself that you deal with this stuff all the time. But it is at least a month or so early for us — both for the plants and for me.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Monday, May 03, 2021 at 03:25 PM
Oh my, you are having a harder spring than I am. What an unfortunate divergence from the norm! Of course, extra hot is just as difficult as extra cold. Everything is very green here since we've had lots of rain but I still see damage from the last night of hard frost a week past our last frost date. Hope things up there return to "normal" soon.
Posted by: Barbara H. | Tuesday, May 04, 2021 at 08:08 AM
Our avg April rainfall is 2.47", this year we had .39", the dried April on record. It's so dry out there and I too have things to plant. Here's hoping we both get some May rain.
Posted by: danger garden | Tuesday, May 04, 2021 at 10:20 AM
BARBARA & LOREE — We got rain last night: 1 inch!!!
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Tuesday, May 04, 2021 at 10:54 AM
Glad you had a nice soaking! We haven't hit 90 (fortunately) but such hot weather early on in the season alongside dry weather is extremely discouraging...
I hope it cools again for a few days. We were hot enough to put on the air conditioning, and today was warm and humid, but I think that changes tonight.
Posted by: Frank | Tuesday, May 04, 2021 at 07:37 PM