Early April: Spring flowers and vegetables

The progression of spring flowers means there is always some maintenance to do. The earliest flowers, winter aconite (yellow) and Siberian squill (blue-purple), have gone to seed and if you don't mind them spreading leave the seed heads alone, otherwise remove the seed heads. Daffodils are continuing to bloom and should be dead headed (old flowers removed) to focus plant energy on recharging the bulb for next year. The leaves should also be left for a while also to recharge the bulbs. If you have a clump of daffodil leaves but no flowers, the bulbs may be too crowded and the soil exhausted. The recommended way is to either mark the location of the clump for later lifting and transplanting or lift the clump now and let rest until the fall. Or, you can lift the clump now, divide the bulbs and replant in fresh soil composed of original mineral soil, compost, and some potting soil. You can replant in the same location, move some bulbs to a new location, or give them away. It will take a couple of years before the bulbs reach flowering size. Tulips and hyacinths are starting to bloom and can be cut for bouquets which also serves to remove the flower heads, otherwise dead head them too. Little grape hyacinths and wood hyacinths both produce stalks of seeds which should be removed if you don't want them growing everywhere. Siberian squill, grape hyacinths and crocus all seem to grow well in the lawn and don't mind being mowed. Flowering shrubs like forsythia and flowering quince should be pruned after flowering. Both can be pruned to a shape or left natural. The natural shaped forsythia get a severe prune every three years to keep them under control, this also exposes new plants forming where the branches touch the soil. Some of the new plants are put in containers to give away. If you have wild flowers or go on hikes to see them, spring beauty is blooming as is bloodroot. Sessile Trillium and trout lilies are in bud or flowering. Redbud trees are coloring, dogwood will follow and maples are blooming. Harvested 15 asparagus stems on Monday before the 20 degree nights. Rain and warm temperatures are encouraging growth, it is a short season and asparagus can be enjoyed steamed, grilled, made into soup, and given to friends. Peas planted the end of March are germinating. The January spinach is growing and there will be no further spring planting of spinach. More onion seeds were planted, none have germinated yet. If you planted lettuce or kale they may be coming up. Strawberries are growing new leaves and plants that jumped out of the bed into the path are being returned to open spaces in the bed. It is a lovely time of year, sometimes the sun shines then we all want to be outside enjoying it. Spring bulbs are doing their best to lure you outside and early growth in the garden is satisfying. Enjoy. Susan Carty is professor emerita at Heidelberg University.