Ciscoe Morris Warns Northwest Gardeners
Garden expert Ciscoe Morris warns that colder weather has returned to Western Washington after a "false spring." Morris advises local gardeners to protect tender plants and avoid planting too early, emphasizing that patience is key in garden timing for the Pacific Northwest climate.
- A "false spring" is a period of unseasonably warm weather in late winter that can trick plants into blooming or budding prematurely, leaving them vulnerable to subsequent frosts. This phenomenon can be detrimental to vegetation that emerges from dormancy too early. - For the Seattle area, the average last frost date can range from late March to mid-May, depending on the specific location and its proximity to water. However, these dates are based on historical averages, and a late frost can still occur. - Plants that are particularly vulnerable to a late spring frost include those that bloom or start to grow early, such as some magnolias, flowering cherries, and certain varieties of rhododendrons. Tender perennials like fuchsias, pelargoniums (annual geraniums), and tuberous begonias are also at high risk. - To protect tender plants from freezing temperatures, gardeners can cover them with materials like cardboard boxes, buckets, bed sheets, or burlap. It's recommended to create a tent-like structure to prevent the covering from touching the foliage, which can transfer the cold. - For potted plants, which are more exposed to the cold, one of the simplest protective measures is to move them into an unheated garage or basement during a cold snap. Grouping container plants together close to a structure can also help reduce the effects of freezing wind. - Ciscoe Morris has been a prominent gardening figure in the Pacific Northwest for over three decades, known for his enthusiastic personality and "Oh la la!" catchphrase. He previously served as the Director of Grounds Care at Seattle University, where he implemented a pesticide-free gardening program. - Morris is a certified arborist and horticulturist, and for years wrote gardening columns for The Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
