Gardening tips for April

Now that COVID-19 has most all of us working remotely from our homes, here is a list of tips to help you get outside and enjoy the garden. Most of your perennials are putting on new growth. The first ones putting on new growth are the spring flowering shrubs and late spring and early May perennials.

When should you remove the dead stalks/stems?

If you see new growth starting either on the stem or at the base of the plant, then prune out the dead. If the growth is coming from the base, prune the stem to the ground without injuring the new growth. If the new growth is showing on the stem, cut above that new growth.

It is best to divide most perennials in the spring, once they just start showing some new growth. Don’t move iris — that will stress the iris plants. Wait until summer to do that.

However, I am listing a few of the most common perennials you can divide in spring: Beebalm, Bachelor Button, Black-eyed Susan, Blanket Flower, Bleeding Heart, Bugleweed, Butterfly weed, Catmint, Coneflower, Coral Bells, Coreopsis, Dianthus, Daylilies, Hellebore, Hardy Geraniums, Hosta, Lambs Ears, Mums, Phlox, Salvia, Shasta Daisy, Sedum and Speedwell.

 What perennials should you wait to divide besides iris in the summer? Columbine, Peony and Oriental Poppies.

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