By Jan Dahling, MG Volunteer Co-chairperson

Yes, Spring is Finally Here!!! Mother Nature is quite amazing in how she can give us a few warm days and this can transfer a garden into something spectacular!  We have been quite busy tidying up the perennial beds, the woodland paths, rock and bog gardens.  The efforts of our work are beginning to show with flowers popping up from the hellebores and epimediums we trimmed back.  A big Thanks for our “Garden Troopers” that tackled those pesky winter weeds in the blustery wind.  After the nearly 4 inches of rain we received in a day and a half, the weeds came easily out of the ground.

Jack Driskell, Patti Locke and Jan Dahling gently removed the Pagoda Dogwood that was growing from the root of the original one that had to be cut down, due to its unfortunate demise a couple of years ago.  We have placed it in the rooting bed and when it is strong enough it will be returned to the garden.  There is another one that has been growing from the trunk and we have left it in place to “hopefully” grow as well.

We are having an unusually warm spring.  So many plants are overlapping their blooming times.  Some other interesting plants in bloom:  Trout Lily, Daffodil ‘Apricot Whirl,’ Camellia reticulata ‘Frank Houser,’ Camellia ‘Peppermint Patti,’ Daphne genkwa ‘Lilac Daphne,’ Viburnum x burkwoodii, ‘Burkwood Viburnum,’ Exochorda racemosa ‘Pearl Bush,’ and Cydonia sinensis ‘Toyo-Nishiki’ Chinese Quince.

Our Lunch and Stroll-n-Learn was great as always with lots of visiting and talking.  Thanks go out to Diane Johnson for educating us on Integrated Pest Management.  Also, to Jack Driskell as he is too modest to mention his talk. He shared wonderful pictures and beautiful plants he purchased them on his trip to JC Raulston Aboretum. We are so jealous! We walked to show off the Camelias in bloom.  Camellia reticulata ‘Frank Houser’ in particular needs to be staked as the bloom is larger than your hand (see photo).

If you would like to join the Thursday Master Gardeners and Friends Work Group, contact Jim Parks, SGG Volunteer Coordinator at jparks@smithgilbertgardens.com. Spring workdays are on Thursdays from 9:00am to 11:00am. We are gathering fifteen minutes early in the Publix Parking lot and carpool to SGG. The second Thursday of each month after our work session, we have a pot luck luncheon and Stroll-n-Learn.  We look forward to having you join us this year.