It's been an unusual summer for sure!
This past winter was indeed a wicked one 鈥� the warm January followed by biting -20C in February was extremely hard on plants, so going into spring, we really didn鈥檛 know what to expect.
I spoke to a lot of garden clubs during the spring and losses were great all around.
Gardeners lost plants they have never lost before, and others saw plants survive that they were sure would be lost.
This was a particularly hard year for hydrangeas, roses, clematis, camellias, and Japanese maples.
We sadly lost a 40 year old Japanese maple and thought we had lost our 35-year-old fig tree, but 鈥� surprise, surprise 鈥� the fig just started putting on leaves in mid July. Better late than never I guess.
Several clematis that we thought we had lost, suddenly grew in June and starting blooming in July.
Other plants thrived 鈥� we have never seen such a wonderful blooming on the peonies as this year. They were actually breaking dormancy in February when we were hit with the cold snap, but that didn鈥檛 seem to stop them at all. They just kept going and had the best year ever.
Hostas, ferns, and astilbes loved the wet spring and have been stars in the garden. And the lily bulbs have far exceeded any expectations this year, putting out amazing blooms that lasted longer than usual.
When I say it was a strange year, a good example is my centre rose garden.
My roses took a big hit and were black to the bottom. We pruned them back in March and in April new shoots appeared, followed in July by a wonderful blooming.
Behind the roses was a camellia that did not fare so well 鈥� dead to the root.
And then, to my ultimate shock, dahlia tubers that I had left in over the winter (I was too busy in the fall to dig them up and completely forgot), reappeared. One dahlia, called Rip Tide, is actually blooming beautifully in the garden right now 鈥� a total bonus in my eyes.
Many people who planted their vegetables and annuals earlier in the spring found themselves replanting after so much cold and wet in March and April, even into May.
And yet now, in mid-August, the rough start to the year is becoming a distant memory as we enjoy the bounty of current vegetables and flowers.
The drought is not as bad as last year, so lawns are actually looking decent with the recent two days of rain. Always nice when we can have intermittent showery days in between the hot ones 鈥� a gardeners biggest wish.
Water conservation continues to be important to all 鈥� so enjoy what is blooming now and hope we get more rainy days soon.
Fall will be here before we know it and raking season will begin.
鈥� Pam Erikson is owner of Erikson鈥檚 Daylily Gardens and Perennials and president of the 91原创 Garden Club
