Short-cut to energy Cut back foliage of
early-flowering herbaceous plants.
| PRUNE
early-flowering shrubs such as Kerria japonica and Spiraea Arguta, which finish flowering on wood that was produced the previous year.
| Lift
early-flowering Lilium regale and reset them in well-drained soil.
PRUNE
early-flowering spring shrubs such as forsythia and ribes after the flowers have gone.
6 Lots of you have written to tell me about your
early-flowering daffodils.
? Put metal plant supports in place to help tall and lax-growing,
early-flowering perennials to keep upright and prevent them from being damaged in severe weather.
To perk up a winter display, replace badly damaged plants with pots of dwarf,
early-flowering bulbs such as scillas and narcissi.
Asters can be planted in summer to fill gaps left by
early-flowering perennials, and look great in silver, grey or pastel schemes.
Divide
early-flowering perennials such as primulas ?
"But this
early-flowering construct was never developed into a practical system for breeding," says Dardick.
Also deadhead
early-flowering herbaceous species, but do not cut back to the ground, or next year's flowers will be poor.
Like other
early-flowering trees, trees such as the silver maple and American elm, red maple flowers are visited by a variety of insects on warm days in late winter when the flowers are releasing pollen.