Archived Seasonal Tips and Observations

Mid-Spring 2007

With a snow storm on April 19 and balmy temperatures in the 80s just a week later, it's hard to say exactly what season it is, but according to the calendar at least, it's mid-spring, an ideal time to get in your woody trees and bushes. And don't forget to take a few hours for a walk in the woods to see those lovely spring ephemerals.

Planting Woody Plants

Although you will occasionally be buying bare-root plants, most plants that you buy at the nursery are in containers. Some larger specimens may be balled and burlapped. These instructions apply to planting plants in containers or balled and burlapped. Younger plants tend to adapt better to the conditions of your site, while older plants will give a more immediate effect.

Note that nothing has been done to amend the soil. Plants should be chosen to suit the conditions where they will grow. Plants that require fertilizers and other adaptations to the soil will be a constant headache as you coddle them along. To discover which plants will do well on your property, contact Lasoff Landscape Design for a consultation.

Spring Ephemerals

Spring ephemerals are mostly perennials often found in the woods, where they bloom and leaf out in the spring before the trees leaf out. They often die back by midsummer as they get shaded out. The photos on the linked page were taken at The Mile-Around Woods and on the Short Aldrich Trail in North Bennington, Vermont.