Perennial beds are now waking up from the winter, with some of the first plants being spring bulbs and a few early bloomers such as bleeding hearts – if the rabbits leave them alone. Rabbits will feed on the tender tops of most perennial plants in our beds until more of what they really like to eat begins to appear in the landscape.
Along with flowers, gardeners can see those perennial weeds coming up, too. This is the time to start your weed management program before they get too far along. Dandelions always seem to frequent flower beds along with the plantains. Chickweed can become a problem, too. Chickweed actually is a fall or winter annual that makes its presence known early in the growing season because it has been doing well all winter and is a prolific seeder.
One early-season strategy is mechanical removal. Do it as soon as you see weeds and repeat the practice until the weed runs out of energy. If you allow the weeds to regrow and leave them there for a couple of weeks before going after them again, they already will have replaced some food reserves. So, do your weeding often. Remember, for any kind of a weed seed pre-emergence herbicide to work, the beds will need to be weed free. One caution is to be sure the product you would like to use is safe for all your perennials. And always read and follow label instructions.
If you disturb the soil after application, weed seeds can sprout again and grow. So expect that. A bit later in the season, dried lawn clippings can be used for mulch as another way to manage weeds.
If there are some open areas in the perennial bed, think about using annual flowers to fill the space, introduce more color and help keep the weeds away. Right now, pansies would be a good choice. As the weather continues to warm, consider petunias. Petunias have an almost limitless array of flower colors and growth habits to pick from, and come in two flowering types, grandiflora and multiflora. Grandiflora has fewer but bigger blooms, while multiflora has more blooms but remains smaller in size.
Spending some time in the flower beds now can reveal other perennial issues that need attention. If the spring bulbs come up with lots of foliage but few blooms, then dividing the spring bulbs can be the answer. This is very true for daffodils. This will be done later in the summer as the foliage naturally yellows. Daylilies have a similar problem of becoming overcrowded. Right now, you can see the older clumps that look like a doughnut. All the new growth will be happening in the outer ring of the crown.
As you go out to do garden tasks, be sure to enjoy the spring weather and watch the remarkable transformation of your beds from the winter of browns to the greens of spring.
• Richard Hentschel is a Horticulture Extension educator with University of Illinois Extension, serving DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties. This column originates on his blog at go.illinois.edu/overthegardenfence. To get more tips from Hentschel, watch his “This Week in the Garden” videos on Facebook and YouTube.