Waring: Spring planting season approaching
Lisa Carter Waring
Forget what the groundhog predicted. This is the first week of March, and there are many signs that tell us spring is right around the corner. The dogwood trees are budding, the daffodils are poking their bright yellow heads above the ground and the Ladybug has officially opened its doors for yet another gardening season.
Ladybug Greenhouses, located on Legion Road, is owned and operated by Johnnie Klewicki and her daughter, Theresa Williams. The mother-daughter team has been in business since April 1993. Jackie Williams, James Munn and Tangie Thurmes are three other familiar faces at the Ladybug. They help to care for the plants and to assist customers when they come in to shop.
The Ladybug takes pride in offering an assortment of popular plants, shrubs and trees that are relatively easy to grow and maintain in our particular climate.
"When the customer is successful growing plants in their yard, then we are successful," Theresa Williams says.
This year Williams has put together literature with tips to help home gardeners plan and care for their plants, shrubs and trees. There is information on home-garden recipes for pesticides and other formulas that will help you care for your plants. The literature is available at the Ladybug free of charge. The Ladybug also will hold an open house March 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Master gardeners will be on hand during the event to offer advice and answer questions.
March is the time to begin planting roses, shrubbery and trees in your yard. This year the Ladybug is excited to host an array of relatively new shrubs that have recently been introduced to the market.
The Lime-light Hydrangeas, my personal favorite, made their debut a couple of years ago. What makes them unique is that, unlike many other varieties of hydrangeas, they can tolerate the sun. The Lime-lights bloom all summer and produce large, cone-shaped flowers that are lime-green in color. In addition, another new sun-tolerant hydrangea at the Ladybug is called the "Pinky Winky."
This year, the Ladybug will also carry the new "Invincibelle Spirit" hydrangea. It is a beautiful, re-blooming pink hydrangea. It is appropriately named since $1 for every "Invincibelle Spirit" plant sold this year will be donated to breast cancer research.
Along with the new hydrangeas, the Ladybug will have two new varieties of the popular Butterfly Bush. These new varieties were developed by Dr. Dennis Werner of the J.C. Raulston Arboretum. The arboretum is the botanical garden located at N.C. State University.
The "Blue Chip" Butterfly Bush grows to a height of 2 to 2 1/2-feet tall. It has lavender-blue flowers. Unlike some of the other varieties of the Butterfly Bush, the "Blue Chip" is considered noninvasive and will stay small and compact and not spread in your yard. It is a nonstop, continuous bloomer and its small size makes it a great ground cover or it can be grown in pots. The second new variety of Butterfly Bush developed by Dr. Werner is called "Miss Ruby." It has rich pink blooms and grows to a height of about 4 to 5 feet tall.
There is also a new sweet shrub at the Ladybug this year called "Venus." It produces white flowers with a powerful fragrance and grows 5 to 6 feet tall. This new plant was developed by Dr. Tom Ranney of N.C. State.
As tempting as it may be, Theresa Williams says it is not yet time to plant most of the popular spring annuals. She says a few annuals, like snapdragons, petunias, pansies and sweet William, can take a chill but not a freeze. Those can be planted in late March, she says. Most other annuals should be ready to go in the ground sometime between the first and the middle of April.
"In our region it rarely frosts after April 1," Williams says. "The rule of thumb for annuals is April 15."
But since Mother Nature doesn't always go by the calendar, Williams says it is best to watch the weather forecasts. The critical time for planting perennials and annuals is when the night temperatures stay in the upper 30s and 40s.
If you visit the Ladybug, make sure to say hello to Mama Kitty.
Mama Kitty is the adopted garden cat that enjoys interacting with the Ladybug customers.
And this year Mama Kitty will be joined by another newly adopted garden cat named Annie.
Happy gardening!
Lisa Carter Waring is a retired educator and consultant who lives in Hope Mills. She can be reached at LCart99@aol.com.