Plant of the Week
The fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus), native to the Eastern United States, is both beautiful and easy on your horti-conscience. A great alternative to non-natives like the crape myrtle, this ornamental tree reaches 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide at maturity. Rescuing us from our post-dogwood blues, it blooms in May. Fringe tree flowers are a bright white with wispy, ethereal petals. Come autumn, the leaves turn a brilliant gold. What’s not to love?
Guest
My little sister Sue Ann Kane, one of my three lovely siblings, sat down to talk with me about starting a garden from scratch. Clean-slate gardening can be daunting. There’s a whole lot of space to fill and no understory or pre-existing features to work with. Balance is key: prioritize immediate needs like privacy shrubs, while exercising patience and getting to know the space intimately before embarking on bigger projects like hardscaping. It takes a couple years for a garden to establish itself and for all the new additions to reach maturity. Don’t worry, there are ways to spruce up your space in the meantime. Sue Ann cut mulched garden beds and added window boxes, cast-iron urns, privacy plants, and annuals for some fast flair. Her dreams for the future include introducing more native plants, starting with our beloved fringe tree—music to my ears!
Playlist
Forget-me-nots are going to seed. Quick, grab some flowers and shake-and-shimmy them all over your yard!
Pre-prune your perennials.
Grass is back! Keep your mower blade as high as possible to encourage new growth and prevent grass burnout.
Listen
“The Surrey with the Fringe (tree!) on Top” from Oklahoma