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| Welcome! 2022 Gardening Year in Review |
Happy New Year and welcome to my south shore, Long Island garden! Here in zone 7a, after a relatively quiet December with the first dusting of snow on Christmas Eve day, the landscape was hit with its first significant snowfall on the 7th with 6-8 inches of snow across the island, with deeper amounts on the north shore. The garden became a winter wonderland until it was washed away by rain a few days later, followed by a record high of 19 degrees on the 11th. Then, on the evening of the 28th and continuing all the way through evening of the next day, the Blizzard of 2022 came upon the island, bringing 22.4 inches of bountiful white, the second highest snowfall on record! Spring could not arrive soon enough. Despite cold, snow and rain, Hellebores continued to bloom throughout the month!
After a January full of surprises, February temperatures started to rise, and the ground could finally be seen again after two weeks, but then on the 13th...Mother Nature gave us another go around with a layering of more snow! Between intervals of cold, snow, freezing rain and ice, the garden endured. On warmer days, it was time to go outside and explore. Hellebores continued to bloom, bright red berries were abundant, and the branches of Coral Bark Maple glowed with a vibrant pinkish-red hue in the cold.
With the arrival of March, memories of the blizzard had escaped my mind as crocus were blooming, hyacinth buds were forming and the Hellebores continued to put on a show. Perennials were coming to life everywhere and trees had formed catkins and buds. As we all know, March is a month of surprises. There was a combination of daytime temperatures in the 50's, followed by drops of twenty degrees the following day with winds and snow squalls. One day life is all about being in the garden, while then next it is back to staying warm inside while gazing out the window to watch the snow fall upon the spring blooms. At least there were flowers to be seen from either outside or from the window!
The month of April was much cooler than usual, which has seemed to be the trend over the past couple of years. The start of the month brought temperatures in the 40's with snow squalls, until days moderated to somewhere in the 50's. We did get a few surprises with temperatures soaring into the 60's and I would rush out into the garden. At that point, Forsythia, Magnolia, Hyacinths and Daffodils were all in bloom. A little cool weather may slow things down, but spring had officially arrived.
It's the most wonderful time of the year...well for us gardeners anyway! The spring of 2022 had been much cooler than normal with many windy days, but after some rain and a few days in the upper 60's and low 70's, spring had finally sprung and the garden was underway with all its new foliage and blooms. Some sights to be seen were the blooms of Pulmonaria, Kwanzan Cherry, Viburnum, False Indigo, Azalea, Eastern Redbud and Salvia. It was wonderful to be outside in the garden once again.
Welcome June! Following a relatively cool and windy spring, the temperatures had moderated into the upper 70's and low 80's, and with some nightly thunderstorms, the garden had come alive with color everywhere. From the pink and red blooms of Spirea and roses to the white blooms of Dogwood and Viburnum, other blooms including Nepeta, Coreopsis, Salvia, and Daylily had also joined the mix. The garden was now in full speed ahead!
Summer flew by quickly this year as the July garden brought temperatures in the mid to upper 80's, with bountiful blooms! Things were busy in the horticultural world, so any time I had remaining would be spent in the garden doing some deadheading and enjoying the summer views. The blooms of St. John's Wort, Hydrangea, Echinacea, Black Eyed Susan, Sedum, Daylily and Echibeckia were in full force, as the vibrant deep pink blooms of Crape Myrtle kicked in later in the month. Towards the end of July and into August, Long Island had entered its longest period without rain, becoming the sixth driest summer on record.
The "dog days" of August brought rounds of temperatures in the 90's and was one of the hottest summers I can remember here in the northeast. With our first real drought in years, which lasted seven weeks, we desperately needed rain. Finally, by the end of the month, the much needed rain had finally graced the landscape, and temperatures moderated into the 80's. The garden was rejuvenated and blooms of Stargazer Lily, Platycodon, Hydrangea 'Tardivia', and Sedum joined in the mix.
As the summer started to wind down, with slight hints of autumn in the air, temperatures backed down into the 70's to lower 80's, with more normal rainfall. As the garden was now in late summer mode, there were now spikes of deep purple blooms rising from Liriope, joined by blooms of roses, hydrangea, St. John's Wort, Sedum and Hosta to keep the garden going through fall.
As the sign says, Happy Fall! Autumn had officially arrived with daytime temperatures moderating into the sixties, autumn blooms, changing colors and a new crispness in the air. As late summer blooms continued, blooms on Montauk Daisy and Chrysanthemums joined in with plumes on ornamental grasses, and with the changing colors of foliage everywhere, it was evident that we were transitioning towards the winter months.
The beginning of November brought unusually mild temperatures in the 70’s, and almost overnight, winter-like conditions had arrived as temperatures plummeted into the mid-40’s. The sudden change brought changing colors in the landscape that have been a sight to behold. The Weeping Japanese Maple in the front yard displayed hues of deep burgundy and orange foliage that I had never seen before, while the colors everywhere else equally matched. Nature certainly had mastered its beauty.
The month of December brought daytime temperatures in the 40's, with some frosty mornings, and the first dusting of snow on the morning of the 12th. As the official start of winter had arrived, the foliage of evergreens turned to reddish highlights, some to a deeper golden hue, berries appeared more vibrant than ever, seed heads on perennials and plumes on grasses put on a display, and the true structure of trees could be seen. The garden continued to provide joy. The end of the month brought in the coldest temperatures since the year 2000, with temperatures in the teens and a chill factor in the single digits on the 24th and 25th, just in time for Christmas, while jumping into the 50's by New Years Eve. As the garden plunges deep into winter, buds on Magnolia, catkins on Weeping Pussy Willow, and Hellebore buds about to open, stir up anticipation and hopes for a not too distant spring.
Happy New Year and wishing all the best to you and yours for a wonderful 2023! Thank you for being here and for your support, and always...Happy Gardening!😊
Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2022. All rights reserved.
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