The Joy of Spring

Wednesday, we welcomed the official First Day of Spring.

Technically, spring arrived at 10:00 PM on Tuesday when the sun crossed the equator line, heading north, also known as the spring equinox.

Another way to put it, the First Day of Spring is when the entire world experiences an equal amount of daylight and darkness.  It only happens twice per year, but right now we are not going to even think about the other time when the sun passes the equally headed south!

What a spring it has been!  One of the brightest most can remember! Spring arrived early and just keeps on making a statement!

What defines spring for you? 

For me spring is when shrubs and trees start blooming, bulbs are adding splashes of color, fescue lawns regain their rich green color, and warm seasons grasses start to break dormancy.

Spring is everything that is happening right now in the Oklahoma City area. 

What are your favorite spring blooming plants?  

Are you like me?  Your favorite is, “All of them!” 

PERENNIALS

Creeping Phlox

Creeping Phlox.  The first to welcome spring each year.  Creeping phlox produces a spring-like carpet in pastel hues of white, lavender, red and pink.  Creeping phlox is a moderate grower that can spread up to 2’ but only reaches 4-6” in height.  It requires full sun but will tolerate a couple hours of shade each day.  Borders, walls, and around boulders are where it looks best.  In my garden, you will find it cascading over a rock retaining wall. It tolerates most soils if it is well drained.  The plant requires little maintenance.  Mites are about the only insect problem it will have.  

Dianthus

Dianthus.   It works well as a border, in small groupings, around boulders or as a single plant reaching 10-15” tall with a spread of 12-24”.  They bloom in late spring in rose, pink, white, red.  They like full sun but will take some dappled shade or afternoon shade.  Just like creeping phlox, they are a cool season lover.  They will grow in most soils, prefer alkaline soils, but waterlogged soil will cause crown and root rot.   Heavy mulching near the crown of the plant can be detrimental. Late March through April and into May is the peak bloom time.  Light feeding in the spring with a complete fertilizer of phosphorus, potassium and low nitrogen is recommended.  Other an occasional aphid or powdery mildew issue, they do not have many problems.  There are more than 300 varieties of dianthus to choose from.  My all-time favorite is ‘Firewitch’.  It has a silver-green foliage with a vibrant pink bloom.

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SHRUBS

Forsythia.

Forsythia.  Best grown as a specimen shrub where it can show off its naturally stunning shape.  Forsythia’s brilliant yellow flowers are the first to welcome spring.  It performs best planted in full sun and will grow in partial shade, only with less spring blooms.  It is considered a fast grower.  Forsythia adapts well to most soils but prefers well drained.  It rarely has an insect or disease problem.  Pruning should only occur after spring blooms fade.  If you prune later in the year, you will reduce blooms the following spring.  The best way to prune this shrub is to remove older wood all the way to the base of the shrub.  Traditional forsythia will grow to 6-8’ with an 8’ spread and are well suited for large lawns.  If you have a smaller yard, look for one of the newer varieties, such as Gold Tide (Forsythia ‘Courtasol’), a dwarf variety that only reaches 2’ high and spreads to 4’.

The first shrub to bloom…Forsythia

Bridal Wreath Spirea.

Bridal Wreath Spirea.  A medium sized shrub with arching branches covered with an abundance of white cascading flowers in mid spring.  It is a very hardy, heirloom shrub, with no specific pest issues that thrives in well drained soils.  It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.  To preserve the natural arching shape, avoid sheering but if pruning is needed, it is best done in the spring after blooms fade.  It looks stunning planted in full sun to partial shade in front of darker structures or large hollies.  Spiraea nipponica ‘Snow mound’ is another great variety.

Bridal Wreath Spirea.

Dwarf Flowering Almond.  A somewhat temperamental shrub with wiry branches.  But somehow when it is loaded with pink and white double flowers in early spring you only see it as the perfect plant in your landscape.  They can become messy in appearance without annual pruning after the blooms drop in the spring.  They prefer sun to partial shade and are tolerant of most soils as long as they are not too wet.

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TREES

Oklahoma Redbud.

Redbud.  My all-time favorite “Welcome to Spring” plant.  (You can expect me to dedicate an entire email to this tree every spring.)  Reddish-purple blooms appear on branches before leaves appear.  The ‘Oklahoma’ variety was discovered in the Arbuckle Mountains and known for its glossy, heart shaped, green leaves in the summer.  It grows to 15’-20’.  Prefers full sun but does well as an understory tree in dabbled shade.  For more Redbud love, visit our article from last week!

Redbud.

Oklahoma Redbud

Redbud.

Redbud buds are swelling up!

Red Baron Peach

Bonfire Patio Peach.  With a mature height of 5-6’, its profuse early spring eye-level pink blooms are a real head turner.  The dark red to burgundy summer foliage keeps the interest going all season long. The small tree performs best if it receives at least 6 hours of full sunlight per day. 

Bonfire Patio Peach

‘May Night’ Salvia

‘May Night’ Salvia.  Sage type flower spikes of deep bluish-purple that will add color in April, May, and early June. The best flower show will be in full sun, but it will tolerate a little dappled shade each day.  The plant grows 12-18” tall with flower spikes reaching 24”.  The plant looks great in the middle of the garden planted behind creeping phlox or dianthus, and in front of Shasta daisy or Black-eyed Susan.  The leaves often become tattered later in the summer and become dormant over the winter. Keep faded blooms removed to maximize bloom period and pruning the plants after blooming may result in a few fall blooms. In the early spring, before new growth emerges, remove the dormant foliage.  Salvia tolerates clay soils but will struggle with root rot if the soil stays saturated. 

May Night Salvia

Dianthus and May Night Salvia

Flowering Quince.

Flowering Quince.  Another early bloomer known for adding splashes of red to the landscape.  It also performs best in full sun and tolerates partial shade but with fewer blossoms.  Considered a moderate grower and mid-sized shrub, most varieties reach 4-5’.  It does best if planted where it can grow to its natural size and shape.  If pruning is required, only prune in the spring after blooms have faded.  Flowering Quince is loved by butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant is very draught tolerant once it is established and it will tolerate most soils, but like most plants would enjoy well drained areas.  Another variety, Chaenomeles speciossa Double Take Series has blooms that resemble camellias. 

Flowering Quince buds are staring to pop.

Forsythia buds

Shrubs such as Double Play Candy Corn Spirea add interest to the spring landscape as their new foliage emerges.

Dwarf Flowering Almond

Snowball Bush is another great spring show piece that is just starting to add interest to the landscape.

Oklahoma Redbud

Crabapple.

Crabapple.  There are many varieties of crabapples, but ‘Prairifire’ is one of the best.  It was the Oklahoma Proven tree of the year in 2007.  It is disease resistant and not fazed by most of the problems with crabapples.  Flowers of rose-pink cover the tree as soon as leaves emerge.  Young leaves go from purple-red to dark green as they mature.  Branches have red fruit in the winter. Mature, 20-25’, trees have a rounded top.  Plant in full sun as a specimen tree or in a grouping.  Water extra during periods of extreme heat or draught. 

Ornamental Peach Trees add shades of pink to the March landscape.

Saucer Magnolia.

Saucer Magnolia.  A specimen type tree that reaches 15-20’.  Large blooms put on a spectacular show on multi-trunk spreading branches.  Blooms range from white to pink to purple.  Best if planted in full sun.  Plant away from radiant west or south heat where warm spring days may cause buds to develop too early only to be killed by a late freeze.  They require regular deep watering in the summer months when leaves become tattered looking.  It is best if their roots are protected with a layer of mulch to conserve water in the summer.

Saucer Magnolia.

Saucer Magnolia

Spring Bulbs

One of my favorite ways to declare spring is Hyacinths, Daffodils and Tulips!

Last October we wrote about spring flower bulbs, “Plan Now. Plant Next Month. Enjoy Next Spring.”

If you were inspired and added spring flowering bulbs to their landscapes, you have been enjoying a spring full of color.  Bulbs started blooming early and just keep adding color.

Open your calendar right now to October and write “Plan spring bulb planting!”

The bright red spring leaves of Japanese Maples are sure to catch your attention.

A friend told the story this week of an employee in a business greeting him with “What has brought you joy today?”  

What a wonderful greeting!

We hope, as the landscape burst with new life, you find joy in the beauty God creates for us every spring.

Don’t let the busyness of life rob you of the joy of spring!

Get outside.  Go on a walk.  Visit a park. 

Add a new plant to your landscape!

Spring is here!

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

The First Ritual of Spring

For many lawn enthusiasts the first ritual of spring isn’t seeing their first flowering shrub, it is the first time they fire up their lawn mower.

When February delivers as many spring like days as it has this year, the questions about the first lawn mowing are abundant.    

Let’s cover some of the most common first lawn mowing questions we field:

When is the right time for spring lawn maintenance? 

The best time is between the last week of February and mid-March.  The goal is to do it after the last chance for extended cold weather and before spring green up. 

How low do I need to cut the lawn the first time?

This will be the most often asked question over the next few weeks.

The old rule was to cut the lawn as short as the mower would go.  Homeowners would brag about getting the lawn shorter than their neighbor.  The more dirt exposed, the better. 

But why?   What is the purpose of scalping your lawn to the dirt?  Is that the best thing for your lawn?

The practice of scalping your lawn in the spring on the lowest setting isn’t needed and isn’t beneficial for your lawn.

But there is something you should do every spring – the initial spring lawn maintenance. 

It is common for Fescue to end up over 3” tall. 1.5-2” is a good starting height in the spring.

Spring lawn maintenance is the process of cutting the lawn to the height you plan to start mowing this spring. The purpose is to remove the cold damaged leaf blades allowing the crown, stolons, and rhizomes to grow. It is not good to cut the lawn so short you see dirt.

What is the difference? 

Lawn scalping is setting your mower on the lowest setting, cutting the lawn as short as possible, often exposing some soil in the process.  But, anytime you expose dirt in your lawn you are opening the opportunity for more weeds to germinate.  And, when you scalp as low as possible you run the risk of damaging the plant crown.  Damage to the crown will result in a weaker root system and a stressed lawn through spring and into the early summer. 

Spring Lawn Maintenance is the practice of setting your mower height at or just below the height you plan to start mowing for the season.  This sets the lawn up for you to  gradually increase the cutting height through the spring and summer with your lawn reaching its maximum height during the heat of late summer. If you plan to start your lawn off for the season on the second notch on your mower, then do the initial spring lawn maintenance at the same height.

Often Bermuda lawns end the season at 2-3” tall. Cutting it down to 1” is a good place to start the season.

Warm season turfs, Bermuda and Zoyia, go completely dormant during the winter, so removing the brown leaf blades is necessary.  The leaf blades (grass shoots) are damaged by the winter freezes and do not green back up.  In the spring, the crown, stolon, and tillers will green back up.  So, only leaf blades need to be removed, not the crown or stolon.

Fescue lawn before Spring Lawn Maintenance has removed the freeze damaged grass tips.

Fescue lawn after Spring Lawn Maintenance.

Should I remove the clippings or leave them on the lawn?

Bag the clippings or rake them up after mowing.  Removing the clippings is always a good practice anytime you are removing more than 1/3 of the grass blade in one mowing whether it is dormant or green.

Fescue lawn 3 weeks after Spring Lawn Maintenance

If I have a cool season lawn (fescue or rye), is spring lawn maintenance needed? 

For the best spring green up, I would recommend mowing the lawn a little shorter than you left it at the end of last season.  Fescue and rye leaf blades often have brown tips from the winter cold.  If you remove the brown leaf tips soon, your lawn will develop better color quickly as soil temperatures warm.

If you have a fescue lawn, in the next couple of weeks cut your lawn a little shorter than you left it in the fall to remove the freeze damaged leaf blades.

Should I dethatch the lawn? 

Dethatching is the process of removing excess thatch.  Thatch is the layer of undecomposed grass clippings that builds up on the soil surface.  When your lawn is healthy and you are mowing often enough, you should not have thatch build up.  This is even true if you do not catch your clippings during the growing season.  But, if you have a layer of more than 1” of thatch, dethatching is recommended.  Use a verti-cutter, also known as a power rake, to remove the thatch before spring green up.  Excessive thatch stops air, nutrients, and water from reaching the root zone and results in a shallow rooted turf. 

Aeration, after spring green up, is also an effective way of removing thatch and has the added benefit of reducing soil compaction.

In most cases, spring lawn maintenance followed by aeration after spring green up will cure thatch problems.  In over 30 years in the lawn and landscape industry, I have only seen a handful of lawns with excessive thatch problems to the point that dethatching was required.

Best Practice for Bermuda Lawns  – Anytime in the next 3 weeks, cut the lawn on your mower’s next to lowest setting and remove the clippings.  Plan to aerate your lawn in April – June to reduce compaction, improve soil structure, and move organic material into the root zone.

Best Practice for Fescue Lawns – In the next 3 weeks, cut your lawn a little lower than you left it in the fall to remove the freeze damaged leaf blades, then be ready to resume weekly mowing in mid-March. 

If you have any questions concerning the practice of spring lawn maintenance vs scalping, send us an email or give us a call. 

Our goal is to help you get your lawn off to its best start this spring.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

What says, "it's spring!" to you?

My definition of anticipation – waiting for the spring landscape to burst with color!

This week was the week I have been waiting for since the first cool freeze last fall.  Warmer days, fewer nights in the 30’s, and longer days have yielded fescue lawns turning greener every day, trees with swelling buds, and shrubs adding color to the landscape. 

I love spring!   

This time of year it is common for me to see a plant bursting with color and declare it to be my favorite plant.  Only to declare a new favorite the next day. 

Since I don’t have the time to write about all my favorites and you don’t have the time to read about them, I have narrowed the list to three spring favorite perennials, three shrubs, and three trees.

PERENNIALS

Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera). The first to welcome spring each year. Creeping phlox produces a spring-like carpet in pastel hues of white, lavender, red and pink. Creeping phlox is a moderate grower that can spread up to 2’ but only reaches 4-6” in height. It requires full sun, but will tolerate a couple hours of shade each day. Borders, walls, and around boulders are where it looks best. In my garden, you will find it cascading over a rock retaining wall. It tolerates most soils as long as it is well drained. The plant requires little maintenance. Mites are about the only insect problem it will have.

Dianthus (Dianthus). It works well as a border, in small groupings, around boulders or as a single plant reaching 10-15” tall with a spread of 12-24”. They bloom in late spring in rose, pink, white, red. They like full sun but will take some dappled shade or afternoon shade. Just like creeping phlox, they are a cool season lover. They will grow in most soils, but prefer alkaline soils — waterlogged soil will cause crown and root rot. Heavy mulching near the crown of the plant can be detrimental. Late March and into May is the peak bloom time. Light feeding in the spring with a complete fertilizer of phosphorus, potassium and low nitrogen is recommended. Other an occasional aphid or powdery mildew issue, they do not have many problems. There are more than 300 varieties of dianthus to choose from. My all-time favorite is ‘Firewitch’. It has a silver-green foliage and with a vibrant pink bloom.

SHRUBS

Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia ‘Lynwood’). Best grown as a specimen shrub where it can show off its naturally stunning shape. Forsythia’s brilliant yellow flowers are the first to welcome spring. It performs best planted in full sun and will grow in partial shade, only with less spring blooms. It is considered a fast grower. Forsythia adapts well to most soils but prefers well drained. It rarely has an insect or disease problem. Pruning should only occur after spring blooms fade. If you prune later in the year you will reduce blooms the following spring. The best way to prune this shrub is to remove older wood all the way to the base of the shrub. Traditional forsythia will grow to 6-8’ with an 8’ spread and are well suited for large lawns. If you have a smaller yard, look for one of the newer varieties, such as Gold Tide (Forsythia ‘Courtasol’), a dwarf variety that only reaches 2’ high and spreads to 4’.

Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spiraea x vanhouttei). A medium sized shrub with arching branches covered with an abundance of white cascading flowers in mid spring. It is a very hardy, heirloom shrub, with no specific pest issues that thrives in well drained soils. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. To preserve the natural arching shape, avoid sheering — but if pruning is needed, it is best done in the spring after blooms fade. It looks stunning planted in full sun to partial shade in front of darker structures or large hollies. Spiraea nipponica ‘Snow mound’ is another great variety.

TREES

Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texenis ‘Oklahoma’). My all-time favorite “Welcome to spring” plant. (You can expect me to dedicate an entire email to this tree every spring!) Reddish-purple blooms appear on branches before leaves appear. The ‘Oklahoma’ variety was discovered in the Arbuckle Mountains and know for its glossy, heart shaped, green leaves in the summer. It grows to 15’-20’. Prefers full sun but does well as an understory tree in dabbled shade.

‘May Night’ Salvia (Salvia x sylvestris). Sage type flower spikes of deep bluish-purple that will add color in April, May and early June. The best flower show will be in full sun, but it will tolerate a little dappled shade each day. The plant grows 12-18” tall with flower spikes reach 24”. The plant looks great in the middle of the garden planted behind creeping phlox or dianthus, and in front of Shasta daisy or Black-eyed Susan. The leaves often become tattered later in the summer and dormant over the winter. Remove faded blooms to maximize bloom period and pruning the plants after blooming may result in a few fall blooms. In the early spring, before new growth emerges, remove the dormant foliage. Salvia tolerates clay soils but will struggle with root rot if the soil stays saturated.

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles japonica “Texas Scarlet’). Another early bloomer known for adding splashes of red to the landscape. It also performs best in full sun and tolerates partial shade but with fewer blossoms. Considered a moderate grower and mid-sized shrub, most varieties reach 4-5’. It does best if planted where it can grow to its natural size and shape. If pruning is required, only prune in the spring after blooms have faded. Flowering Quince is loved by butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant is very draught tolerant once it is established and it will tolerate most soils, but like most plants would enjoy well drained areas. Another variety, Chaenomeles speciossa Double Take Series has blooms that resemble camellias.

Crabapple (Malus ‘Prairifire). There are many varieties of crabapples, but ‘Prairifire’ is one of the best. It was the Oklahoma Proven Tree of the Year in 2007. It is disease resistant and not phased by most of the problems with crabapples. Flowers of rose-pink cover the tree as soon as leaves emerge. Young leaves go from purple-red to dark green as they mature. Branches have red fruit in the winter. Mature, 20-25’, trees have a rounded top. Plant in full sun as a specimen tree or in a grouping. Water extra during periods of extreme heat or draught.

Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana). A specimen type tree that reaches 15-20’. Large blooms put on a spectacular show on multi-trunk spreading branches. Blooms range from white to pink to purple. Best if planted in full sun. Plant away from radiant west or south heat where warm spring days may cause buds to develop too early only to be killed by a late freeze. They require regular deep watering in the summer months when leaves become tattered looking. It is best if their roots are protected with a layer of mulch to conserve water in the summer.

What are your favorite spring plants?

Send us an email or give us a call (405)367-3873, we would love to know what says “spring” to you!

Lorne Hall