The Whistling Gardener

by Steve Smith

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, located at 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., and a respected local expert on all things horticultural. You can reach Steve at 425-334-2002 or by e-mail at info@sunnysidenursery.net.

What with our colder and wetter than normal spring, many plants in our gardens are behind schedule and, believe it or not, that can be good news when it comes to chores that we still have not completed. Specifically, it's not too late to prune our roses.

For years our mantra was always to prune our roses on president's day and, while that still may be the case, I am inclined to think that later is better than earlier. Back when I still had a rose garden of almost 100 roses, I found that if I pruned them in late March or even early April (which sometimes meant pruning off 3-4 inches of new growth), my roses would be out of sync just enough to miss the barrage of aphids and black spot that always shows up in spring. By the time they were fully leafed out, the lady bugs were taking care of business and you know what? They still bloomed about the same time as the roses that were pruned in late February.

So don't be afraid to prune your roses over the next two weeks or even up until they show less than 4 inches of new growth. After pruning fertilize and mulch them so they can pick up a head of steam.

Two plants that are on my top 10 list for April are a spectacular perennial and a small tree/large shrub. The golden leafed bleeding heart known at Gold Heart is certainly one of my favorite golden plants and it is at its prime as we speak. A vigorous and dependable perennial that rarely needs dividing and never needs staking or spraying or anything other than a little shade, Gold Heart is topped with pink and white flowers that truly look just like hearts all month long (it's too bad it doesn't bloom on February 14th). In the summer it goes dormant and is happy to have summer perennials cover it until the next spring. No partially shaded garden should be without a Gold Heart bleeding heart.

If you like hummingbirds (and who doesn't) and want to plant a native (or at least a selection of a native), then you will want to include in your garden a variety of red flowering currant called King Henry VII. Henry is a hummingbird magnet and easy-to-grow shrub or small tree that will grace your garden for 3 to 4 weeks in April with drupes (that is the botanical term for the flower form) of dark pink flower clusters. Henry is non-demanding and drought tolerant; just make sure it has good drainage.

There is a new website for gardeners which is still under construction but looks to be a useful resource, especially for beginning gardeners. It is called Garden Compass and, when complete, will provide regional information on various types of plants such as roses and ground covers and trees and annuals and bulbs, as well as design tips for containers and landscaping and general gardening info. Of course there is plenty of advertising, which is what funds these sites, and some of the products are not available in the northwest, but by far most of what you see can be found in our local garden centers. Take a look at it and tell me what you think. If you have a favorite website I would love to hear from you so I can include it in my favorites as well.

That's it for early April. Remember, you don't have to be a liberal to enjoy a bleeding heart in your garden. Send your questions to my website at sunnysidenursery.net and I promise to provide you with a timely answer.