What better way to celebrate spring than with lots of vibrant flowers! Here are a few favorite spring showoffs in a range of sizes to fit any garden.

time to cut the grass

Ornamental grasses add interest to a garden through winter, but in spring they need to be cut back to make way for new growth. That’s a lot of work added to the list of spring cleanup chores.

But Sonia Sugarman of New York has found a simple and tidy way to do this. She wraps a length of duct tape (or two, depending on how tall the grass is) around the clump of grass before cutting. Make sure to overlap the ends of the tape since the adhesive doesn’t actually stick to the grass. With the tape wrapped around the middle, Sonia had an instant bundle that’s easy to carry to the compost pile or stick in a yard waste bag. And since the tape doesn’t stick to the grass, it’s easy to cut it off. Make things even easier on yourself and use electric hedge trimmers to cut the grass down near the base.

Click to see a foliage detail.

problem solver

Pennsylvania pellitory
Parietaria pensylvanica

IDENTIFICATION — Growing 6 to 18 in. tall, Pennsylvania pellitory has leaves with slightly fuzzy undersides. Click the image to see a foliage detail. At first glance, this spring weed’s narrow upright form looks broader because the plant often grows in dense colonies. The green flowers along the main stems have no petals and are barely noticeable.

FAVORITE CONDITIONS — Although it prefers part shade, you’ll find Pennsylvania pellitory in full sun if the soil never dries out. It reseeds rampantly, especially in areas that are tilled annually.

CONTROL — The shallow, fibrous roots are easy to pull or hoe out. (Check out our favorite hand hoe.) If you miss pulling a few weeds, red admiral butterfly caterpillars will enjoy eating the leaves. But herbicides are effective if you need to eradicate large stands of this annual.

Read about more spring weeds in the April issue of Garden Gate magazine. On newsstands now!

plant pick

Moss phlox
Phlox subulata

Moss phlox is one of those tried-and-true perennials that we often neglect in lieu of newer flowers. But wouldn’t you like to have a perennial that insects leave alone? Or one that comes through the coldest winters and the hottest summers without extra care?

You may know this spring bloomer as moss pink, mountain phlox, ground pink, creeping phlox or flowering moss. No matter what you call it, this perennial is easily recognized by the low, dense mounds of bright colors. There are several great named cultivars, but this perennial’s been around so long that often it’s just sold by color. To get the best habits and colors, try to find named cultivars like the ones shown here.

This plant grows best in a bed with good drainage. Click here to see how ‘White Delight’ and ‘Atropurpurea’ are used in a rock garden setting. Along a path where you can enjoy the flowers in spring is another good spot, especially since moss phlox tolerates the heat next to a sidewalk or driveway.

Wherever you grow it, it’ll look best if you plant several in a group. Use all one variety or create a tapestry of color by letting several colors grow together. (You can keep the names straight by using the nifty plant tags at right!)

TYPE Perennial BLOOM Flowers in shades of red, pink, violet, blue and white in early spring LIGHT Full sun to part shade SIZE 4 to 6 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide SOIL Well-drained, slightly alkaline PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 9, Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

Nothing matches the extravagant impact of bulbs blooming in spring. But you don’t have to plant hundreds of them — here are a few simple bulb and plant combinations that will create a great splash of color!

Check out more outstanding plant combinations in Great Plant Combos Made Easy at right from the editors of Garden Gate magazine.

As the season dwindles down, garden tasks often seem to increase. But your work doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are a few things you can still tackle late this fall to make sure your garden is in shape and ready for spring.

REPAIR AND REPLACE TAGS —?Sure, you think you’ll remember the name of that new perennial next spring. But a tag is a big help. Now is the time to check old tags to make sure you can still read them, or put out new tags.

CUT OR LEAVE STANDING? — Research shows that perennials are more likely to survive winter if you don’t cut them off until spring cleanup time. The exceptions are plants that harbor pests, such as peonies with botrytis or iris with borers. Cut the foliage down, and if possible, burn it. Can’t burn in your municipality? Bury the material in the trench with the weeds.

TUCK ‘EM IN FOR THE WINTER — If you live where the ground freezes, a thick blanket of mulch over your perennials is good as an insurance policy. Your objective is not to keep the soil warmer, but to keep it at an even temperature. Wide temperature fluctuations between cold and warm damage roots and often cause winter kill. Once the plants are completely dormant and the ground is beginning to freeze, 4 to 6 in. of straw or crisp oak leaves (don’t chop them up first or they pack down too tightly) will do the trick. Leave this winter mulch in place until the weather warms up in spring. You’ll know it’s about time to remove it when the forsythia starts to bloom.

Read more about this and other stories in the current issue of Garden Gate magazine!

plant pick

Iris
Iris hybrids

Just about everyone has grown iris at some time. But if you’ve noticed yours aren’t blooming like they used to, it may be time to divide — every three to five years is a good rule of thumb. You can move your iris any time if necessary, but dividing them in mid- to late summer is best. It gives the rhizomes enough time to establish a good root system before winter.

Start by trimming the foliage back to 10 to 12 in. to make plants easier to handle. Use a garden fork to lift the clump out of the ground. Then break or cut off the new growth, which is usually along the outside, from the center of the clump, and discard the old rhizomes. Replant the divisions right at the soil’s surface so they don’t rot.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 8 to 49 in. tall and 18 in. wide BLOOM Almost every color in spring LIGHT Full sun SOIL Well-drained PESTS Occasional iris borer HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9; Heat: AHS zones 9 to 1

plant pick

Fernleaf bleeding heart
Dicentra hybrids

From midspring to fall, fernleaf bleeding heart’s arching flower stems dangle delicate blooms above bunches of lacy foliage. Most flowers have shades of red or pink, like ‘Luxuriant’, at left, but it’s possible to find white bloomers, like ‘Snowdrift’.

Bleeding heart is easy to care for. Deadheading? Optional. Dividing in spring? Optional. Staking? Unnecessary. In fact, with just a 3-in. layer of compost placed over the roots in spring, and a consistent watering schedule, this hardy plant will be happy! However, it does reseed readily, so if you don’t want a large stand of bleeding heart, pull seedlings in spring. If you plan on letting this perennial set seed, keep in mind that it can hybridize easily. Plant more than one cultivar in your garden, and you may get a surprise mix of flower colors next year.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 1 to 2 ft. tall and 18 in. wide BLOOM Red, pink or white blooms from spring to fall LIGHT Part to full shade SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 8; Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1

Learn about other great perennials in Great Plant Combos Made Easy at right!

PHOTO: Courtesy of Walter Gardens, Inc.

plant pick: new for 2009

‘Golden Sunrise’ Lenten rose
Helleborus hybrid

After a long winter, Lenten rose is a welcome sight, sometimes blooming even through snow. ‘Golden Sunrise’ is the first in the Winter Jewels™ series, which has large flowers in true color strains. That means all the flowers will be the same color, instead of a mix, like many other Lenten rose hybrids.

‘Golden Sunrise’ has 2- to 3-in., downward-facing yellow flowers. Each has red in the center. Some have a blush, some are solid and others are spotted like the one at left. All have red veining on the petal backs so you get a colorful view from above, too.

TYPE Perennial SIZE 18 to 22 in. tall and 24 in. wide BLOOM Yellow in late winter to early spring LIGHT Part shade SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 9; Heat: Not available

Meet more great new plants for your garden in the latest issue of Garden Gate magazine. Check out the Web extras for this story and more! Click here for all.

plant pick

Tulip
Tulipa hybrids

There are some plants that just stand for a certain season, and nothing says “spring” as loud and clear as tulips!

There’s a tulip out there for everyone. You’ll find nearly any color except blue, and some flowers are streaked with two or three colors. Some are that classic tulip shape, like ‘Barcelona’, in the photo, while others have fringed or ruffled edges, double blooms or elegant, pointed, lily-shaped flowers.

Like most bulbs, tulips like a spot that’s sunny in the spring, but they’re perfectly content under big shade trees that leaf out later. Just make sure they’re in well-drained soil, or the bulbs can rot.

If you garden south of zone 8, buy pre-chilled bulbs or refrigerate your bulbs for four to six weeks before you plant them.

TYPE Bulb SIZE 4 to 24 in. tall by 3 to 5 in. wide BLOOM Wide range of colors from early to late spring LIGHT Sun to part shade SOIL Moist, well-drained PESTS Crown rot HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 3 to 8; Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1

See more spring-bloomers in Garden Gate magazine issue 85, on newsstands now!

dividing bleeding heart

The best way to propagate bleeding heart, either fernleaf or the old-fashioned type, is by division. You can divide plants in either early spring or fall. You may want to divide fernleaf in the spring just before they start to grow and old-fashioned ones in the fall so you don’t sacrifice any precious blooms.

The roots spread horizontally, so cut a wide circle around the crown to get as much root as possible. Don’t worry if you cut or break a few roots.

Near the crown of the plant you’ll spot pink buds of new growth. Use a sharp knife — the Soil Knife works great for this — and slice through the roots, making sure each division has at least one of these buds, two or three would be better. Cut out and discard any roots that are fleshy and hollow.

Reset the roots immediately; don’t let them dry out. Dig a wide hole for each division, about 2 ft. apart. Work in lots of compost before you set the roots in the hole. Cover with about an inch of soil and water thoroughly.

using containers in borders

Containers aren’t just for porches, patios and decks — you can also put them in your perennial borders. Here are some tips to help you decide where to place the containers.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX — The soil often dictates which plants you grow in your garden, but if you want to grow something that doesn’t work, try a container. For example, you can plant a container of succulents and place it among moisture-loving plants. You can also move houseplants outside in summer and place them among perennials.

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT — In narrow areas, like along the side of a driveway, sidewalk or side of the house, hang baskets of colorful annuals to add height to a planting that might otherwise be too low. Place several shepherd’s hooks in the bed — the repetition will give the bed a sense of unity.

grape hyacinth
muscari armeniacum

If you’ve ever planted grape hyacinths in fall, you know that they sprout leaves in just a few weeks after planting. This startles some gardeners the first time; they think they’ve planted them too early and all is lost now. It’s not; that’s just what they do. Grape hyacinth leaves are evergreen, sprouting in the fall and lasting until after their spring flowering.

Because the flowers are small, you’ll get the greatest impact by planting a mass of bulbs. Plant them along a path or front edge of a flower bed; anywhere you can enjoy their sweet fragrance. Grape hyacinths can also be planted in containers with other bulbs or annuals.

TYPE Bulb SIZE 6 to 8 in. tall BLOOM Midspring LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 4 to 8 Heat: AHS zones 8 to 1

pop starts

In spring, most gardeners have a cluster of newly purchased plants waiting to be set in the ground. Here’s a way to make your new acquisitions an attractive feature until you plant them in containers or in the garden.

Set small, 3-in. pots of plants, like ground covers, into an old wooden soda bottle case. The dividers will keep the plants from tipping over, making them easier to water. Handles on the case also make it easier to carry the plants when you’re ready to plant. In the meantime, the case also makes a charming ornament in the garden for a few weeks at the beginning of the season.