Mayday! Mayday! It’s still too early to put some heat-loving plants outside in the NW
The first week of May is when many homeowners will want to plant containers, hang flower baskets and poke seeds into the ground. Most of the time things will work out well, but this is the MayDay! MayDay! Call of warning that it is still early to let certain warm season plants spend the night outdoors.
Coleus, tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, begonias and impatiens are a few of the tender little things that will slump, spot and pout if placed outdoors when nighttime temperatures drop below 55 degrees. These heat-loving plants do best when planted outdoors in June or at least mid May. Gambling gardeners can take their chances this month and you could hit the jackpot if the weather cooperates.
Q. You showed some lovely images of Japanese Forest Grass on social media (I now follow you on Facebook) but my question is, what does this golden grass look like in the winter and do you have to cut it back? — M.P., Puyallup
A. Japanese Forest Grass, or Hakonechloa, comes in several colors and forms, some with tinges of pink in the leaves, some with all gold foliage, and the striped yellow, green and white version in my garden. All types do well in shade with lots of moisture and turn a golden brown in winter. The good news is that this ornamental grass spreads politely into larger clumps, and you do not need to cut it back like other grasses. Just wait until spring then grab the winter brown foliage with one hand and it comes away with a gentle tug.
Q. I want to add a butterfly garden to our new home. I did see a Zoom talk you gave about “What Not to Plant” and you said that buddleia were invasive and we should not plant some of the buddleia varieties. So what is a good butterfly bush to plant? — N.P., Buckley
A. Don’t take my word for it, look for the new Flowering Shrub of the Year “Pugster Blue Buddleia” for a more compact mounded shrub with deep blue pointed blooms that monarch and viceroy butterflies adore. This butterfly bush is deer resistant as well and it won’t reseed all over the neighborhood. There is also an even lower-growing buddleia called “Lo and Behold “Blue Chip,” and if you cannot find this one, you can always ask your local nursery to suggest other well-behaved butterfly bushes. Washington nurseries are no longer selling the invasive buddleia.
Q. Is it too late to plant sweet peas? I seem to remember you telling us to do that months ago. — Forgetful, Enumclaw
A. Nope. Get the seeds of sweet peas and peas into the ground immediately but presoak the seeds overnight first. Keep the seedlings as cool as possible with a mulch over the soil this summer. Once the weather becomes warm and dry, peas and sweet peas tend to dry up and stop producing. One tip is to grow them in a spot shaded from the hottest afternoon sun.
Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.