Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up April: Welcome Spring-Bring on the Blooms!

Welcome to my Garden!

Welcome! It has been a windy, cold, rainy April, but that does not stop the flowers from blooming! With some milder days mixed in with temperatures mainly in the 40's and 50's and the moderate rain, there are signs of Spring and the garden coming to life everywhere. Join me for a tour of my Long Island, zone 7b garden!

Welcoming Committee!

The welcoming committee stands by with beverage of choice in hand to greet visitors to the garden. Behind them, Spirea Double Play 'Candy Corn' adds a touch of brightness to the garden with its outstanding reddish-pink foliage, which later turns to orange, then to a mixture of light green and yellow with orange highlights, a color resembling that of candy corn; hence, the name. This addition is new to the garden just last year and I am loving it!

Hellebore 'Champion'

In the shade border, Hellebore 'Champion' is now in full bloom, displaying its pinkish-yellow bracts with pistils and stamens in the center. This evergreen with months of blooms is perfect for early arriving pollinators, with the first bumblebee visitor arriving just the other day.

Hellebore 'Merlin'

Also in bloom is Hellebore 'Merlin' with its pinkish bracts. It has been blooming for about a month now and continues to please, while in the same shade border is Hellebore 'Dark & Handsome'.

Hellebore 'Dark & Handsome'

I do love all the different varieties of Hellebores and how they bloom at different times throughout the winter, but I think just maybe 'Dark & Handsome' could be my favorite! It does point more downward that the other varieties, but the blooms are like no other!

Spirea Double Play 'Candy Corn' and Stachys (Lamb's Ear)

For some more colorful foliage, here is another view of Spirea 'Candy Corn' along with Stachys (Lamb's Ear). The soft white foliage of the Lamb's Ear has just started wakening up within the past few days.

Patio Border

Hyacinths are also in bloom right now. Here is purple Hyacinth with its fragrant blooms...

Patio Garden

joined by a white cultivar. Both exist right along the main patio within view.

Sedum 'Pure Joy'

Sedum 'Pure Joy' with its compact, lime-green foliage adds a nice touch to the garden throughout the season in anticipation for its later delicate pale pink blooms. It is also one of the most low maintenance plants in my garden, growing to just under a foot tall.

Sedum 'Angelina' (Stonecrop)

Here is Sedum 'Angelina' mixed in with a combination of several other varieties of Sedum groundcover along the pool border where it is in full sun all day. Later in the season, various colored blooms including yellow, pink and white will rise above the foliage, depending on which cultivar is blooming.

Peony 'Bartzella'

Another bloom to look forward in late May to early June is that of Peony 'Bartzella' This hybrid is a mix between the tree form and perennial form of peony, creating a stronger, sturdier plant with large yellow blooms that do not flop over. Springtime is certainly full of anticipation!

Pool Border

Along along the pool border are the forming buds of Allium 'Globemaster', which will bloom in early June along with blooms of Daylily 'Stella D Oro' to follow.

Allium 'Globemaster'

Here are the buds of Allium up close!

Pulmonaria 'Leopard'

One of my early spring bloomers in the shade garden is Pulmonaria. This variety is 'Leopard' with its deep green foliage that is freckled with white spots and complemented by bluish-purple blooms. 

Jacob's Ladder 'Golden Feathers'

Jacob's Ladder is another shade plant known for its foliage, with blooms to follow.

Patio Garden North

Along the north side of the patio garden, the bright foliage of Nandina 'Obsession' continues to please along with Weeping Norway Spruce and Dwarf Cryptomeria. Soon the blooms of Ajuga 'Black Scallop' will accompany them.

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar Driveway Border

While waiting for Liriope (Lilyturf) to start its new season, the trunk of the mature Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar along the driveway is now visible to see.  This tree has certainly grown over the years into a huge specimen.

Driveway Border

Here is another view along of the Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar with Golden Skyland's Oriental Spruce and Coral Bark Maple in the backdrop. There is also the foliage of Boxwood, Japanese Garden Juniper, Blue Star Juniper, Hinoki Cypress and Mugo Pine to accompany them.

Dwarf Japanese Andromeda 'Cavatine'

A familiar sight in spring are the blooms of  Japanese Andromeda. This is Pieris 'Cavatine', a dwarf version of the plant with small, bell-shaped white flowers that somewhat resemble those of Lily of the Valley.

Forsythia Blooming!

And of course it just wouldn't be spring without the blooms of Forsythia, which can be seen everywhere right now on the island. I planted this one on the street median years ago so that I could watch its early bright yellow display.

Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my April garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday, Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden. 

IN THE NEWS! Celebrating three months since The Houseplant Guide: How to Easily Select & Maintain Indoor Plants came to be! If you are into houseplants, this may be the book for you! I cover over 120 plant selections with full color photographs of each one and detailed descriptions on care and maintenance.

Other Places to Find Me:

You can visit my Author Page to learn about and Purchase My Books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey!

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Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2025. All rights reserved. 

Spring Pruning Guide: When & What to Prune

This Month in the Garden

As the weather warms up and new growth begins to emerge, early spring is an ideal time to prune many shrubs and perennials. Pruning helps shape plants, encourage healthy growth, and improve flowering and foliage. However, timing is key—some plants benefit from spring pruning, while others should be left alone until later in the season. When pruning, use clean, sharp tools to make precise cuts and prevent disease spread. Prune on a dry day to minimize disease risk, and avoid pruning too late once new growth has started to emerge, especially for plants that bloom on new wood.

Here’s a guide to common trees, shrubs and perennials that should be pruned now in spring for their best performance. When in doubt, always research specific plant needs before pruning, since some plants require light shaping, while others benefit from hard rejuvenation pruning.

TREES & SHRUBS TO PRUNE IN SPRING:

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia): Crape Myrtle bloom later in summer on the new wood of the season and can be pruned in late winter-early spring before new growth occurs. Avoid harsh cutting (often referred to as Crape Murder) and focus on removing only damaged or crossing branches or sucker growth emerging from the bottom of the plant. A light pruning is recommended to reduce overall height, improve shape and encourage stronger growth.

Crape Myrtle 'Sioux'

Abelia:  Trim back up to one-third of the plant, focusing on removing dead or weak branches. Abelias bloom on new wood, so pruning now will not reduce flowering and make a more compact plant. Remove dead, damaged or crossing branches and long shoots to encourage vigorous new growth and abundant blooms in summer.

Abelia 'Kaliedoscope'

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia 'davidii'): blooms on the new wood of the season and should be pruned in late winter/early spring to encourage new growth. Prune branches when you see green buds appearing and before new growth starts to approximately 12-24 inches from the ground. Buddleia highly benefits from a severe pruning.  "Hard" pruning promotes many new arching branches with larger flowers than if the plant had not been pruned.  

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

Roses:  Cut back dead, diseased or weak canes, removing about a third of the plant. Shape as needed and trim just above outward-facing buds. Hybrid teas, floribundas, and grandifloras benefit from a hard prune, while climbing roses need selective thinning. Pruning out old woody stems encourages new growth.

Knock Out Rose

Spirea: Pruning Spirea in spring encourages a fuller, compact and healthier plant with more abundant blooms. If you have summer-blooming Spirea (like Spiraea japonica), cut back by about one-third in early spring before new growth emerges. Spring-blooming varieties (like Spiraea vanhouttei) should be pruned after flowering.

Spirea japonica

Caryopteris (Bluebeard Shrub): Trim to about 6–12 inches tall before new growth emerges. Since Caryopteris blooms on new wood, a hard prune leads to better flowering. Bluebeard Shrub benefits from pruning similar to Spirea, creating studier dense growth and a healthier more compact plant.

Caryopteris (Bluebeard Shrub)

Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata & Hydrangea arborescens):  Panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata) and smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens) bloom on new wood, and can be pruned now by cutting back no more than one-third of their height. These varieties include but are not limited to Hydrangea 'Tardiva',  'Endless Summer', Let's Dance 'Big Band', 'PeeGee', and 'Limelight'. Prune only as needed and avoid over pruning as it can lead to loss of blooms as the plant puts all of its energy into new growth. Avoid pruning bigleaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla) Oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia) and Climbing Hydrangea in spring, as they bloom on old wood. For Hydrangea that bloom on old wood, it is alright to prune off only the faded blooms above where the buds appear and to thin out overcrowded and dead branches to improve air circulation and light penetration. 

Panicle Hydrangea

PERENNIALS TO PRUNE IN SPRING:

Hellebore (Lenten Rose): It is best to remove winter burned and tattered foliage from Hellebores in late winter-early spring to clean up the plant, allow blooms to be seen. New growth will start to appear once the temperatures warm. 

Hellebore (Lenten Rose)

Lily Turf (Liriope muscari & Liriope spicata): Use shears to cut back all foliage to about 2–3 inches tall before new growth appears in early spring. This practice refreshes the plant and removes tattered foliage.

Liriope (Lilyturf)

Ornamental Grasses (Miscanthus, Pennisetum, Panicum): Cut back to about 4–6 inches from the ground before new growth begins to clear out dead foliage and encourages new shoots. If you wait too long, new shoots will be difficult to avoid cutting.

Ornamental Grasses

PLANTS TO AVOID PRUNING IN SPRING:  

Some trees and shrubs bloom on old wood and should not be pruned in spring. Instead, wait until after they flower. These include but are not limited to Lilac (Syringa), Forsythia, Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Kwanzan Cherry, Ornamental Plum, Azaleas and Rhododendrons, Weigela, Viburnum, Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla), Climbing Hydrangea and Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia). Note: Be very careful when pruning Hydrangea as many varieties produce their blooms on old wood from the previous season. 

As a rule of thumb, any tree or shrub that blooms in spring or early summer should not be pruned until after bloom. 

Mophead Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden! By pruning your trees, shrubs and perennials at the right time, you will set them up for a season of lush, healthy growth and abundant blooms. 

Visit my Author Page/Purchase My Books:

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations  

Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener

Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden

Shade Gardening for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

The Houseplant Guide: How to Easily Select & Maintain Indoor Plants

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2025. All rights reserved.