Brian Leatherman, district manager for Davey Tree Expert Company, has been a D.C.-area resident since the 1970s. He doesn’t recall weather as warm as it’s been this winter.
“It’s not unusual for a few days here and there, but this year has been rather extended,” he said. “It’s really unusual.”
While the weather leaves many Washington residents smiling, plant lovers throughout the area are fretting. With the forecast in March looking to be cooler, that begs the question: “What can backyard gardeners do to save their precious plants?”
Leatherman said that, unfortunately, for cherry blossoms there’s not much to do. With a March cold spell on its way in, and if temperatures get cold enough, many of the already bloomed cherry blossoms will likely freeze.
“As far as flowers, there’s always pine straw to create a nice little layer to protect plants coming up,” Leatherman added. “You can rake them off the top once it gets warmer.”
With these wild temperature swings, it’s hard to know when to actually get your gardening done for the spring. Leatherman advises home gardeners to wait until mid March to plant anything new.
“For plants already in the ground, bulbs and things planted last fall, there’s not much to do with planting those,” he said. “I recommend pansies as they’re pretty tough. They handle cold weather well.” Pansies come in lots of different varieties as well.
In the D.C. area, flowering trees, particularly cherry, are especially favored. “Dogwoods and redbud trees also give nice early blooms,” Leatherman said. “Deciduous magnolia trees, as well as pear and crabapple, have a nice variety of blossoming times within a few weeks.”
What’s his favorite plant this time of year? Like most of us, Leatherman loves those elusive cherry blossoms.
