2023 April Garden Sustainable Maintenance Practices for the Southeast
APRIL
I was down to four adult birds. It was time to add more to my flock! Welcome six new chicks!
The Garden House has seen many renditions. Originally the LOVE SHACK with a rusted roof (painted as such) with a bench so I could sit and enjoy my children playing on the lawn. Once I got plexiglass and a roof, it was a greenhouse for a couple of years. Now it holds firewood and a single seat for me to sit and admire the garden from a different vantage point. I do love a fire in the garden. Alas, the fire pit has been put away for the spring and summer.
It’s that time of year again!
APRIL Everybody is a gardener in April—if not of one’s own or volunteering in another, or even just being an admirer of all that April brings. I love the trifecta effect—azaleas, dogwoods, and redbuds. Your garden should be prepped and ready to roll! and grow!
I look forward to Spring. While it may last a week or a month, the duration is unpredictable, so every fine day should be taken advantage of. I know I try to! I look forward to the last frost date more than the first day of spring. For us, April is the last month for a frost for the season. Mine, in particular, is April 8th. If in NC, click HERE to see yours.
The Back 40 (ft) North to South—Seeing the trees and shrubs leafing out is good. This area is a no-go area. By that I mean, what’s behind the hedge, is left to do it’s own thing with no maintenance from me. It’s part of my forever garden concept; areas that I can just let Nature do her thing, allowing me less maintenance. The area is mostly filled with trees and shrubs, money plant, salvia, and other pollinating plants. In front of the hedge are several hellebores that are easy to get to for maintenance. I recently cut the hellebore flowers before the seed was ripe.
The Back 40 (ft) South to North—Same
Back 40 (ft.) Acer palmatum 'Emperor'. The purple is nice amongst all the green!
The Gazebo Corner—My husband has been working to take the chestnut down. He is on a mission to remove any tree that might hit the house. I’m not sure why he started here, perhaps it’s one he feels is something he can do. I did get chestnuts each year, but I never did anything with them. Picking up the seeds each year was high maintenance, so I can honestly say, I will not miss it.
The ladder remains; I moved the swing back to the porch where it was originally.
Epimedium ‘Sandy Claws’. This may not be the fanciest of the empmediums, but I do love it. I’m sure it has everything to do with the reddish foliage.
Epimedium Patch
Martensa virginia blooming. This beauty is one of my fave spring ephemerals. The freshness of the foliage awakens my senses.
Wildflower Extension
The Wildflower Patch Extension—host celedine poppy among wither ephemerals.
Wildflower Patch
The Wildflower Patch—I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I visited a friend who was downsizing. She had some very nice art pieces. I would have bought more but someone beat me to it! Anyhoo, there was a Tinka Jordy rabbit similar to the one I commissioned from her. The ears had been repaired, and poorly I might add, but it was only $40.00. I will see about having Tinka repair them properly. Even with this cause, It was a steal! I’m still getting the one I commissioned. I’ll pick up next time I see Tinka!
The Mixed Border—South to North—this bed isn’t as jazzy as it was last year due to the horrid Christmas polar destroyer, knocking back all the winter annuals.. It may recover in May. We shall see.
Mixed Border cherry tree, ‘Stella’
South Side with Air Bee and Bee—The Southern magnolia will also come down. Again, my husband is right, it is too close to the house. I didn’t plant this; it was there when we moved in. At the time it was below the roof line, now it's twenty feet talker than the house! I started cutting limb that I could reach leaving stubs so I can use them as a ladder to climb up to remove more.
The Southside—I was able to dig out the hardy kiwi. Even though it fruited for the first time last year, the flavor wasn’t worth what it took to tame this massive vine—still thinking about what I would put there. I left most of the trellis up and will pick up a climbing aster from
The Ostrich Fern Garden—I love seeing the green frowns emerge. One day will be a see of green. Counting down!
The Front Fountain Garden—I love the Japanese fishing floats, but they would only bunch up. I got the bright idea of tying a wire to the blown end and weighed it down with a brick. It worked like a charm!
Food Forest Extension—The blueberries like it much better here. Soon, there will be plenty for me after the birds do their feed!
The Food Forest—
The Front Beds/Parterre—Right now, the beds are filled with snapdragons. They should be blooming now, the the December temperatures, in the 20s, knocked them back.
The Riverbed with Raspberries and Muscadines—
The Chimney Swift Tower—
The Perennial Garden—
The North Side—
The Girls Garden—
Coop
The Wildlife Pond—
The Mixed Border—North to South—
Mixed Border columbine’
Mixed Border tree peony