I don't know about you but I'm buzzing like a bee about this weather. Temps in the 70s in early March?? Yes, please. Fingers crossed that it's here to stay. We really didn't think we would be out in the garden this soon! Our team already got to go out and start sprucing up some gardens this week. You can start waking up your gardens too! If you’d like some help e-mail us to schedule an early-season maintenance visit. Additionally, Staghorn also offers annual maintenance contracts that are tailored specifically to the needs of each garden. Contact us if you're interested in getting a quote.

Spring Garden Checklist

If you’d like to start waking up the garden yourself, there are some key things that should get done. Here is a quick checklist to get you going!

Turn Irrigation Systems Back On

Once the overnight temperatures are consistently well above freezing and daytime temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees, you can turn your irrigation systems back on. Now is a good time to check for any winter damage that may have occurred. Check to make sure water is coming out everywhere it should be.

Cut Back Ornamental Grasses and Perennials

You should cut back ornamental grasses and perennials to the ground or a few inches above. This should be done in late winter/early spring (now), before new growth begins.

Prune Trees and Shrubs

Spring-flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned in late spring after they flower. Summer-flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned in the winter or early spring just before they push out their new growth. Evergreens are best pruned in the early spring as well just before their growth spurt.

Fertilize

Most trees experience a burst of growth in the spring and then slower growth throughout the summer. It’s good to fertilize as this growth is about to occur. This can be done as soon as the ground is workable and into May. We recommend an organic brand such as Espoma or Dr.Earth.

Assess Winter Damage

As we start to see things coming back, we can assess winter damage that may have occurred. Maybe a few branches of a plant have died or have been broken from wind or the weight of snow. These branches should be pruned off below the damage, to the next set of healthy branches. Generally new growth will occur frm this area to replace the broken section.
 

If you'd like help in caring for your garden this year contact us about setting up a maintenance contract for the coming season. We would love to help you keep your garden looking it’s best all year.

Happy spring everyone!

It’s Time To Plant Some Bulbs

Winter can seem like it lasts forever(and it hasn't even started yet). When those spring bulbs start to pop up, it gives us hope that winter is almost over. Now is the time to get those bulbs in the ground so we can enjoy them in the spring. Different bulbs bloom at different times ranging from as early as February and going through June. It’s nice to have a variety so you have bulbs popping up all season.

Some nice varieties to choose from:

Early Bloomers

Crocus chrysanthus, Snow Crocus

Galanthus, Snowdrop

Mid-Season

Daffodils

Narcissus Fidelity

There are so many types of daffodils and tulips. Some varieties bloom early such as, Narcissus 'Tahiti', some mid-season such as Narcissus Fidelity, and some are late bloomers such as Narcissus bulbocodium 'Golden Bells'.

Tulips

Tulip 'Veronique Sanson'

Tulips also have a range of bloom times depending on the variety.

Late Season

Lilium asiatic 'Elodie', Lilies

Allium 'Globemaster', Alliums

I wish these were everywhere I went.

Planting

When choosing your bulb layout, keep in mind the bloom times, colors, and heights. If you have different types blooming at the same time, you don’t want the shorter ones to be hidden.

Most bulbs prefer an area of full sun.

The rule of thumb for planting depth is digging a hole 3x the height of the bulbs. You can layer your bulbs depending on their size and bloom times as well.

Add soil amendment and cover bulbs. You may want to plant annuals over bulbs for extra frost protection.

Before & After: Park Slope Backyard

In the spirit of today's snow, I've opted to do a "Before & After" post on a backyard we designed last winter and installed in spring. The first time we laid eyes on this Park Slope backyard it had at least a foot of snow covering it (and not much else), but take a look at that "After" shot – lush, fragrant plants to the max! Check out more photos of this project and some of our other gardens here.

5 Signs of Spring - A Nature Guide to Recognizing the Light at the End of the Tunnel (of Winter)

It's late February. Your SAD symptoms are raging. We're technically less than a month away from the first day of spring, but today's high is a disagreeable 25 degrees and you're bookmarking another new recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. We know the warmth will arrive eventually, but how much more can we take? And more importantly, how can we spot the first signs of spring? Behold! Here are 5 fail-proof signs of spring to help you spot the light at the end of the tunnel that is winter.

1. Serviceberry's (Amelanchier canadensis/alnifolia) Are Blooming
Not only are they a harbinger of spring, but these beauties look great all year long (excellent fall color). Want to know why they're called Serviceberry? The blooms on this small native tree used to signal that the ground had thawed enough for graves to be dug and thus, funeral services could be held for the folks who died over the winter. Yay, cemetery lore!

2. Buds Emerging on the Eastern Red Bud Tree (Cercis canadensis)
Another delightful small native tree, the aptly named Red Bud forgoes subtlety and goes all out in early spring with an explosion of tiny hot pink blooms. They should be easy to spot not only because of their brightness, but because all the other trees they hang out with will likely still be bare-branched.

3. Crocuses (Crocus sp.)
These cute little guys are often the first flowers to pop out of the ground in late winter/early spring - sometimes even when a little snow is still on the ground. Fun fact: Ever wonder what deal is with saffron? Or where it comes from? Crocuses, my friends. The fancy-pants spice is actually obtained from the stigmas of the autumn-blooming Crocus sativus.

4. Spicebush Blooms (Lindera benzoin)
While not particularly common in most city gardens, the native spicebush is easy to spot in wilds of Central Park and Prospect Park. Small, understated yellow flowers emerge before leaves and smell awesome. Later in the summer, these shrubs play host to one of the wackiest caterpillars/butterflies, the Spicebush Swallowtail- check out those (fake) crazy eyes.

5. Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)
You're going to want to call these buttercups, but you shouldn't because they technically aren't. These super low-growing plants have bright yellow flowers that often emerge even before the crocuses do (or at least at the same time). Despite their common name, they aren't actually part of the highly toxic aconite family (e.g., wolf's bane), so leave them out of any poisons you're planning on brewing up.