Waiting & Wanting Springtime

Anticipation ~ we all have it during the late winter and, early spring. For garden enthusiast and others alike it is the possibility of warmer weather, spring flowers, baseball, spring break and simply some dry and pleasant opportunities to be outside before the mosquitoes get going again.
March is the transitional month as I see it. This is when our yards and gardens look warn out, tired and bleak. The Camellias have finished blooming and if you are fortunate to have had varieties carry you with color through the entire winter, you will miss them as much as I will. Soon after the Camellias you will get the Daffodils, Tulips, Quince, the Forsythia and some Spirea, but I have often said that the reason God made Azaleas bloom at the end of March was to take our eyes off how bad things look. Your garden really isn’t that bad. It is just at its deepest moment of sleep. Total dormancy getting ready to explode in color displays and eye-catching changes of plants, insects and men on weed-eaters!
Garden Centers start to buzz and we all begin to relieve our pent up frustrations and tensions by becoming weekend warriors once again. There will always be something new to purchase and explore, but the best recommendation I can give a homeowner is to wait to get to the real annual plantings until after the middle of April. Our ground has to warm up or the plants will suffer from cool season fungi. It is ok to continue planting trees and shrubs. They will love you for installing them now as their roots will get a good foothold before drier weather. But, you will always be better to wait for warm soils and planting of your annuals. Now this is the opinion from a Landscape Architect and Horticulturalist point of view that has had to have this proven to him all too often!
What I do like to do is clean up, prep soils, mulch, and compost. Divide and transplant Perennials. Enjoy the fire pit or outdoor fireplace. Dream of where you can install new beds. Dream of where you can put the pool or fountain. Dream of where that greenhouse would go. Dream of how you are going to create or improve on that meditation garden….Then I would encourage you to get a master plan going and tackle one area at a time. If you are doing it yourself, don’t lose focus by spreading yourself too thin with numerous projects that you do not complete. If you are working with a professional – let them work with your budget. They are experts who do this on a daily basis and can ensure that you get the most for your investment dollars.
March is a great time to visit one of the many garden Shows across the south. Mississippi has some great shows that will be sure to wet your fancy with new plants, lectures by experts, and examples of some great landscape combinations. The lectures are great because they will show you what works in your region. Many of the presentations have photos and displays of something that might entice you to do something fun and different. What better a place for a gardener to be than with 30-40 captive experts?
And March finds me finalizing and organizing the color displays I will be installing in 6-8 weeks. I love to photograph these installations and review how they looked a year earlier. I can always learn, add or teach from my previous years experiences. And with new plants coming in each year, it just expands the possibilities of my paintbrush and pallet even more.
This year I am excited about using Sunpatiens, an impatien that will grow in full sun! Caladiums and regular impatiens have always been my favorite, so this will be an interesting addition to the spectrum. I am a little worried on Caladium availability due to the weather in Florida this winter. Early reports on availabilities are not good. So get yours early! Nirvana Series of Periwinkle has been promising for not melting out and I will be returning to use this versatile plant once again.
And don’t just stay at home. Travel the great State of Mississippi and see the wonderful gardens it has to offer. From Natchez to Columbus you will love what you see. One of My favorite spaces is actually right here in Jackson in the Crane Blvd and Fondren area. Mature Dogwoods, Azaleas, Wisteria and more.
Wake up your spring by truly enjoying the season of change and all that there is to offer in the outdoors of Mississippi.


written by Randolph W. Graves, ASLA
Randolph W. Graves, ASLA is a Landscape Architect and Partner in the central Mississippi Design/Build company Madison Planting and Design Group. A Graduate of Mississippi State University; Randy and MPDG are PLANET National Environmental Award winning Landscape Architects and Contractors. HE has been practicing his award winning craft for over 26 years. . For more bio information and discussion on the Landscape design/build process visit http://www.mpdg.net