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Ah, Sweet Mysteries of Spring- Questions from the Garden - Page 5

© Carol Wallace

Those are only a few of the perennial mysteries that my garden presents me with. There are many other possibilities, such as "Is it time to prune the _____?" - a question I can ask myself several times a year, since the best cutting back time depends largely on when the plant in question flowers. And then there is the eternal debate - are birds our friends, or our foes. They are friends when they eat bugs and slugs and the bagworms that used to infest the apple tree annually. But when I direct seed some of my plants, they suddenly turn into the enemy

And there are mysteries of a purely aesthetic nature, like "What on earth possessed me to order a RED flowering plant. (I hate red.) The answer here is that I love the foliage of the fernleaf peony - and so far have never seen it in any flower color than red. I reason that the flowering season for the peony is relatively short - and then the foliage will add a lacy note to the garden all summer. Sometimes you can forgive a plant a minor flaw if it contributes enough in other ways.

I could go on. And on. But I won't. Instead I think I'll let you talk. What mysteries has your garden given you so far this spring?

* Fernleaf peony photo courtesy of Van Bourgondien Bulbs and Perennials

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