w Continue placement of pea stakes; hoops are needed on peonies.
w Mulch.
w Be on the lookout for the fourlined plant bug nymphs and crush them.
w Slug control should be placed now.
w Aphids are active.
w Hang hummingbird feeders, as the birds are starting to dance in the
columbine now.PruninG
w Many summer-flowering perennials, including leucanthemum,
monarda, phlox, physostegia, and tradescantia, can be pinched or cut
back for height control and possibly to stagger bloom.
w Thinning can be done now, especially for delphinium.
w Lavenders and other subshrubs may still be breaking dormancy.
w Spring-flowering perennials should be deadheaded or cut back or
sheared after flowering.
w Do not deadhead biennials if seeding for the following year is desired.
w It is a good idea to pinch or cut back perennials by half at planting.
w Cutting back may be needed during divisions and transplanting.
w Prune off any growth damaged from late frosts. (In the Columbus, Ohio,
area the last frost date is generally May 20; one year a freeze on May 12
nipped the new growth on some perennials.)All irrigation for Hiddenhaven is
pumped from the pond, which
acts as a giant rain barrel—a
very sustainable practice.