One thing about living in the Midwest is that you never know, from year to year, what kind of weather to expect. A few years back we had snow on May 5th! Happy Cinco de Mayo! (The tulips were not happy!) This year, following a near-record cold April, we’ve experienced the second warmest start to the month of May in Kansas City weather history…dating back to the 1880s. 1962 was a bit warmer through the first 17 days. Add to that the lack of rain in the first half of the month and plants all around town are begging for a drink. We did finally get rain the third weekend of May, so that helped, but our outdoor plants have experienced a roller coaster ride of a spring.
Hopefully, things will settle down in June and the plants can get back to business as usual, providing beautiful blooms and colors all summer long. Don’t forget, if you have a container or hanging plants, they need water almost every day unless they have gotten rainwater. Here are a few pics of some spring plants doing what they do best.
Landscaping Tips
When choosing plants for your landscaping, pick plants that bloom at different times throughout the season to ensure a beautiful view all summer long and into fall. This terraced landscape looks great in the spring with the soft yellow of a Bartzilla peony, the purple irises and the pink dianthus. In the background, Veronica, lilies, and a Miss Ruby butterfly bush wait to make their debut. They will be followed in the fall by flowering asters complemented by the rich red of a Full Moon Japanese maple tree and several colors of groundcover sedum that change with the seasons.
Container Garden Tips
Containers are a great way to add a pop of color to any area all summer long. And if you’re entertaining, they are easily moved from one spot to another so you can jazz up a back patio for company and move them back to the front porch when the party is over!
Planning to plant some containers this year? Remember the rule for container gardening – you need a thriller (a big showy plant that is the main focus), a filler (something shorter and bushier that will fill the area around the main plant), and a spiller (a plant that will dangle over the edge of the planter to create even more color and contrast). You can also add a tall plant in the back, like a spike, to give your container more dimension and variety.