It can be tempting to start planting in your garden as soon as the first signs of spring appear! But planting spring flowers too early can mean that a sudden, unexpected temperature drop might kill your hard work. Today we’re talking about what types of plants and flowers you can begin working with in the early months of spring.
Frost-Resistant Spring Flowers
As a general rule, planting flowers before mid-May in Ottawa is very risky. Frost kills most tender annuals, so if you need a burst of colour, always ensure you are planting frost-resistant flowers. Pansies are a great spring flower, because they will withstand a cold snap.
Spring Bulbs Are Blooming!
Spring-flowering bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, need to be planted in the fall to ensure a spring bloom. If you have done your planning correctly, you will have planted bulbs in the fall for that spring splash of colour. If not, no worries! There’s always next year! We can help you get started this fall with our fall cleanup service and bulb planting.
Spring Bushes
Flowering bushes are a wonderful way to enjoy some colour in your garden during the early months. Forsythias, flowering almond, serviceberry, spirea and lilacs are just a few of the species that can be planted for spring blooming.
Remember that with spring blooming bushes, you should always prune after blooming. Flowers grow best on old growth, not new growth.
Spring Annuals
If you do wish to take a risk with tender annuals, make sure to watch the weather reports. If frost or freezing rain is forecasted, lightly cover your annuals with something lightweight (such as garbage bags or a garden sheet) before the bad weather hits. This will protect your annuals enough from the frost.
Remove the cover early in the morning as the weather starts to heat up again. You’ll have to be vigilant! All it takes is one cold snap, and all of your hard work and money could go down the drain.
The old rule of thumb is to plant tender annuals after the May long weekend. Still check the weather reports though, as global warming has provided us with some rather unusual weather events. The first week of June is the ideal time to plant if you want a worry-free garden. Don’t plant tender vegetables before June, as the soil is not hot enough to get them growing.
Are you looking forward to a colourful floral garden this spring and summer? We can help! From maintenance and support, through to full-service garden and horticulture planning, the NeighborScape team can help you enjoy your garden all season long. Learn how we can help here.
