PHOTO: Helleborus orientalis in bud.

Spring in December?

It has been an unusually mild December, and some of you may be seeing “springlike” growth in your home gardens. Plus, you are tempted to get out in the garden. Here’s what you can expect:

PHOTO: Viburnum in bloom.
It’s happening in our yard, too: This viburnum bloom photo was taken December 10, 2015.

Bulbs and perennials: Any new growth present now will experience a freeze in the very near future. That will have little impact on these plants come spring.

Evergreens and newly installed plants: Because it has rained so much, you shouldn’t have to do any supplemental watering. You should continue to monitor any evergreens that are in containers and provide supplemental water, if needed. A word of caution: always avoid working with and on soils that are wet.

Flowering trees and shrubs: Lilac, redbuds, forsythia and other flowering trees and shrubs will be impacted by this season’s warm weather. The longer the warm weather stays above freezing, the greater the chance there will be damage to the flowers. Prolonged warm weather at this time of year may mean fewer spring flowers on some plants.

There is another benefit to the warm weather: Get outside! You can finish those outside projects like installing brick pathways that you started earlier in the year. You can also lay sod and plant deciduous trees and shrubs until the ground freezes.

PHOTO: Helleborus 'Ivory Prince' in bloom.
Lenten roses like Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ are in bud or bloom in the Garden.

When you visit the Garden to see Wonderland Express, see if you can find lady’s mantle or the bed of dwarf fragrant viburnum in full flower, the hellebores coming to bud (hint: Farwell Landscape Garden), or the ornamental kales with great color.

It’s a great time for a winter walk!


©2015 Chicago Botanic Garden and my.chicagobotanic.org

Published by

Keep Growing

Keep Growing, the Chicago Botanic Garden's member magazine and program guide, occasionally features guest columns by experts in the fields of horticulture and conservation. This blog post appeared or will soon appear in an issue of Keep Growing.