iGrow - A Service of SDSU Extension

We are coming off a year that put a good deal of stress on cool-season grass lawns. The drought stress was obvious but we cannot forget that excessive heat across the region also was an additive stress to our lawn grasses. But now that spring weather is finally here, how can you work to get back to having, what I like to call, a “Lawn to Your Liking”?

Red columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, is this week’s native perennial to know. Also known as wild columbine, this plant has striking red flowers that droop from the ends of tall stalks.  The 2 inch long flowers are comprised of 5 backwards-pointing fused tubes with yellow stamens. These plants are visited by insects with long mouthparts, like butterflies and some moths (hawk moths in particular) as well as hummingbirds.

Spring is a great time to be planting trees and shrubs. Check with your local nursery or garden center for bare root trees and shrubs, which are usually just available in the early spring. Bare root trees are usually less expensive than balled and burlapped or containerized trees and they are not as heavy to move around when you are planting them. However, you do have to keep some important planting guidelines in mind.

While budding leaves and flowering branches are a sign that your trees are ready for spring, there are also a number of pests and diseases to keep a close watch for as your trees complete their spring transition this May. The following are some tips for treating trees for common pests that could hamper your trees' spring development.

This week’s native perennials are both phloxes: Phlox divaricata (Wild Blue Phlox, or Sweet William) and Phlox pilosa (Downy or Prairie Phlox). Once planted and established, these flowers will come back every year, adding early color and food for butterflies and pollinators to your garden.