April invites us to be Amazed

Hello friends, April is one of my favorite months of the year.  The morning chorus of birdsong is a concert I look forward to after months of Winter quiet.  Now I can distinguish the high-pitched trill of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet from the brassy wake-up call of the Carolina wren. I feel held by this canopy of song and celebration, from bloom to bird to heart.  This morning, over 30 feathered visitors stopped by to perch, trill, and glide through my garden.  The joy that fills my heart is magnified by all of the twittering agreement.  Spring is here at last. 

I walk barefoot through the still cool grass with tea cup in hand. Every day offers a new shoot or bloom.  In my garden, the Daffodils are mostly done, and the tulips and peonies are picking up the tune.  The white-throated sparrow sings a jaunty tune, splashy and melodious.  She understands I chase Beauty, and want to share it wherever I go. I want to unfold this feeling of sensory delight and wrap it around your shoulders.  I want you to know the joy of a garden.

And you are in luck!  Inspiration is found right next door from April 21st to 23rd right here in Richmond.  Historic Garden Week is hosted by the Garden Club of Virginia and the Council of Historic Richmond.  Gorgeous private homes and gardens open to the public from 10am to 4pm to tour.  Tickets are available through the Garden Club of Virginia website. (See below for details.)

One of the highlights from 2024 was seeing my home garden and two of my clients’ gardens on the Historic Garden Week tour.  I highly encourage you to come out and bring a friend to see the gardens open only once a year!  You will be supporting garden conservation and get loads of ideas to take home to your garden. 

In this month’s newsletter, you are invited to visit gardens, learn how to create gardens, and care for your garden at home. If you haven’t started one, now is a wonderful time for new beginnings.  Your garden will amaze you for years to come. For a full-throttle day of amazement, read Mary Oliver’s whole poem here. 

   -See you in the Garden, Wendell 

RVA IMMERSE 

• HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK IS HERE.  During Historic Garden Week, your neighbors are opening their homes and gardens to invite you to visit.  Tickets raise funds to restore public gardens and green spaces nurtured by the Garden Club of Virginia.  Grab your walking shoes and be prepared for a treat!  Tickets are on sale now for Virginia’s largest open house in April 18-25th.  You can purchase one day or the whole week.  Homes are decorated by gorgeous floral arrangements gleaned from volunteers’ gardens.  Not to be missed! 

• HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK:  Tuesday, April 21st, tour features 5 homes and gardens off South Gaskins Road with docents available to answer questions on the benefits of native plantings.  Tour from 10-4 pm hosted by the Garden Club of Virginia.  

• HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK:  Wednesday, April 22nd tour features 6 homes and gardens in historic Church Hill.  Tour from 10-4pm hosted by the Council of Historic Richmond.  Special attractions include St. John’s Church, and St. John’s Mews. I will be volunteering and would love to see you! 

• HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK:  Thursday, April 23rd tour features 6 homes and gardens in Westhampton neighborhood. Tour from 10-4pm hosted by the Garden Club of Virginia.  

• Herbs Galore and so much more!  On April 25th, enjoy live music & shopping for herbs, annuals, perennials, vegetables, trees and crafts on the Carriage House Lawn at Maymont. Tickets are $10 

• You are invited! Capital Trees celebrates the 2nd Annual Earth Week Festival at Hotchkiss Green.  On Sunday, April 26, kick things off early with a special ribbon cutting at 12:30 pm and stay from 1:00–4:00 pm to enjoy hands-on environmental learning, and Ruby Scoops will be on hand serving up ice cream along with an additional food truck.  Fun!!

• Spring into learning with Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.  From Fairy Gardens to Forest Therapy, Butterfly Pinning to Bird Photography to a Locally-Grown Hand-Tied Bouquet, these experiences offer something exciting and engaging for every curious learner.  I love learning at our gorgeous botanical garden. 

GARDEN GUIDANCE: April 

Spring is here, and we are cooking with gas.  The Farmer’s Almanac says the last frost date this year is April 9th, and we are all clear.  Are we through the frost gauntlet?  Tune into your weather report this month to be sure.  Your new seedlings and containers are most vulnerable to frost at this point.  

Best new garden habit?  The morning stroll.  In the early morning, I like to stroll and see who’s visiting and what’s in bloom.  It’s been so fun to track the seasons in all weather.  I do love researching and learning from other gardeners to guide my steps.  (You should see my book stack!!)  However, I am noticing this habit is yielding a lovely knowing and awareness of what needs care, and what is doing just fine.  I have found more often than not, my garden is taking care of me.  Those deep breaths and sunshine are nature’s gift to me each day. 

April Garden Guidance  

• Mulch your Garden Beds to prevent weeds and preserve moisture over the coming Summer season.  Did you leave the leaves?  I moved my leaves that have not decomposed to the back of my beds, creating a neat and tidy border in the front with mulch.  BUT you don’t have to do this…you can leave it be if you like.  Be sure to get your leaves off the lawn.  

• Now is a wonderful time to plant Trees, shrubs, and perennials in your garden.  Remember the adage, right plant for the right place.  This means matching your chosen plant to your sun and soil needs.  If you have questions, this is where your garden-loving friend, local garden center, or landscape designer can be helpful.  Consider natives to feed and support our local birds and pollinators.  

• Care for Trees and Shrubs by removing dead, diseased, or damaged limbs.  Three Ds:  You can prune in regard to the three “Ds”:  Does your plant have any areas that are DEAD, DISEASED, or DAMAGED? You can safely remove with hand pruners or loppers. How do you know it’s dead? Dead wood is not green inside, snaps when you bend it, and may be hollow. 

• Call Your Arborist.  Now is a great time to call an arborist to evaluate your tree canopy. If you have Crape Myrtle Trees that suffer from bark scale, now is the time to treat. 

• Time for a Trim? Evergreen and deciduous shrubs can be pruned now.  Just know that pruning stimulates growth, and not to take more than 1/3 of your shrub at any one time. You can safely “deadhead” or remove old flowers from shrubs like Panicle Hydrangeas.  However, shrubs under three years old rarely need to be pruned.  

• DO NOT PRUNE SPRING BLOOMING SHRUBS UNTIL AFTER THEY BLOOM. You will cut off this year’s blooms.  Some spring-blooming evergreen examples of what NOT to prune now are azaleas, rhododendrons, mountain laurels, gardenias, and camellias. Some spring-blooming deciduous examples of what NOT to prune now are fothergilla, lilac, viburnum, and hydrangeas that bloom on old wood. 

• Pruning Roses. If you haven’t yet, you can still prune Drift roses.  They should be cut back hard, just before new growth emerges, but don’t be afraid to give them a haircut. Prune to promote a dense, bushy shape and boost blooming. Remove any dead, damaged, or crossing canes to improve airflow.  Remove old foliage from Ornamental Roses and remove crossing canes to allow air flow with sharp hand pruners. Tie up climbing rose canes horizontally instead of vertically to produce more blooms. This really works!! 

• Pruning Hydrangeas. Only prune Hydrangeas that bloom on new wood.  If you are unsure, just deadhead and wait until they bloom to determine your strategy.  You can always remove hollow and dead stems. 

• Cut back the grasses.  Ideally, you cut back just before new growth emerges. But if you waited, be careful not to cut off the tops. 

• Care for emerging Perennials by removing heavy debris around the crown. You may establish a pollinator border along the back of your bed with those leaves.  “Chop and Drop” Perennial foliage to create a perfect mulch.

NATIVE PLANT SPOTLIGHT

Every month, I pick one of my favorite native plants to highlight for your garden.  Why?  Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35% of the world’s food plants depend on pollinators to reproduce, and 96% of North American land birds rely on butterfly and moth caterpillars to feed their young. If you want to feel great about turning your garden into a healing hub for the world, here is an easy breezy groundcover that will suppress weeds and feed pollinators. Have you met moss phlox?  Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox, Moss-pink).  The creeping habit of Moss Phlox can form a carpet of breathtaking spring flowers in pinks, whites, purples, and light blue.  As the flowers fade, the evergreen groundcover suppresses weeds… and deer don’t like it!  I’m planting more in my garden this weekend. 

PROJECT HIGHLIGHT

In honor of Historic Garden Week this April, I am returning to a very special relationship and garden collaboration spanning the years.  In Westover Hills, I partnered with my friend and client to bring her vision to life. Over the seasons, we worked together to restore brick walls and pathways, create garden rooms, add new trees, shrubs, and perennials.  We found inspiration in the timeless structure of Gillette Gardens for her front and back yard on a sloping lot. Over the years, we refined garden rooms by layering boxwoods, Crape Myrtles, hydrangeas, roses, grasses, and native Dogwood Trees to create a space that feels both classic and welcoming for family and friends.  Seeing this garden featured on Historic Garden Week in 2024 was a joy we shared.

What she wanted:  Gracious garden rooms defined by restored brick walkways and lush plantings.

What we did: Created a CAD garden design to create clarity in restoring a beautiful garden with beautiful, deer-resistant plantings.   A cohesive planting design links old favorites with new blooms.

Would you like to plant your own beautiful and beneficial garden?  It’s not too late to dream, to plan, and to create a plan for your Spring Garden!!  Now is the perfect time to begin a garden journal or sketch a plan.  Gardens are nature’s love notes, reminding us to care for ourselves.  Please reach out if I can help you create your haven at home. 

-See you in the Garden, Wendell