Dirt Therapy

Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Shasta' (aka "Doublefile Viburnum")   Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Japanese Kerria ( Kerria japonica ) There are some plants (okay, a lot of plants) that I consider "must haves" in the garden and this is one of them. Kerria, also known as the "Yellow Rose of Texas" or the "Easter Rose" is simply a wonderful shrub, easy to grow, and it has never failed me. In fact, a few weeks ago when it started to bloom, I wondered if it would meet the same fate as the Yoshino Cherries and the Alabama Snow Wreath - the week-long temperatures of 80+ degrees did them in and their blooms only lasted a few days. A sad disappointment, but the Kerria stood its ground and it is still beautiful. It blooms for a long time and is always blooming at Easter time. This is a woodland-type shrub and does well with some shade. I've always been partial to shrubs that have cascading fountains of blooms. Kerria sends out long branches loaded with bright yellow pom poms, growing anywhere from 4 to 10 feet in height and spread. The bright green st...

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

I have not participated in Gardener's Bloom Day since I don't know when. Usually when I think of it, it is too late but I'm actually on the ball this time. As most of the country seems to be fast-forwarding toward summer, thoughts of 2007 keep creeping into my mind. That was the year we had an early spring and a devastating late freeze. I'm hoping the same fate is not lurking around the corner this year. I actually feel like I was cheated out of a winter this year! I do enjoy winter - it gives me a chance to unwind and do things inside (like baking, catching up on movies, etc.) that I otherwise feel guilty doing when it is nice outside. Michael tells me I need to get over this but I just can't help it. I can't stand being inside when I could be accomplishing outside. The bright side of this early spring is that I'm getting much accomplished so maybe I won't be overwhelmed later. Gardener's Bloom Day is the 15th of each month and garden bloggers...

I get a lot of questions about pruning hydrangeas. It can be a confusing topic because some hydrangeas are pruned differently from others. The process was baffling to me the first years I grew them but it turned out I did the right thing - I didn't prune them at all. Ask yourself this - why do you want to prune your hydrangea? The only good reason for pruning is to control their size. If you have one that is getting too big for its britches or just getting in the way, then prune. However, there are certain rules to know. First things first - do not prune at all until the hydrangea is at least 3 years old. Hydrangea macrophylla - the mophead types - are the most popular and the most commonly grown hydrangeas. They bloom on old wood and new growth coming from old wood which means you should not be pruning them this time of year! If you cut them back now, you will be reducing your blooms. You can thin them out. To do this, take a look at the bare twigs and look for the...

The saying goes that when the forsythia blooms, it is time to prune roses. Actually this is the time to prune many things (even before forsythia blooms). Here are a few things I always prune this time of year: Ornamental grasses are very attractive during the winter months but before the new growth begins, it is best to cut them back all the way to the ground or you will have the old dead blades mixed with the newer ones and that is not pretty. Set your lawnmower at its highest level and mow down liriope (monkey grass). You can also use the weedeater for this task. Other plants to prune now (or the coming month) include: Butterfly Bush - the entire shrub can be cut back within a foot or two from the ground. Nandina - Cut about 1/3 of the oldest canes down to the ground. Leave the remaining canes. Evergreen shrubs (including hollies) - prune right before new growth begins and danger of hard freezes are over. Roses  (I'll post on this later) (Prune only if nee...

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy