Spring is Here

“Don't wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.”
Luther Burbank

Happy Spring Family & Friends,

“Spring is Here” is a beautiful song by Rogers & Hart—the same two who wrote numerous Broadway hits. I love to hear my husband Fred play it on the piano, as I gaze out my window at my tulips starting to poke their heads out of the freshly laid mulch—such a happy sight. This is what makes all the hardwork worthwhile.

In this spring 2004 newsletter, we have a fun video of my assistant Savannah and I, sourcing plants at one of our favorite nurseries, some fun facts about the equinox, 9 spring tips for the garden, and one of my favorite recipes for Easter from Ina Garten—Perfect Roast Chicken, and it is perfect, delicious, and easy.

It has been a busy first quarter for The White Pear—lots of fun and challenging projects to start the year off on a good note. We are so grateful to all our many wonderful clients, who we enjoy collaborating with, and who have become a part of The White Pear family.

Here’s a short video with Holly and her assistant Savannah, sourcing plants at Cascadian Nursery.

Equinox

We’ve all heard of the equinox, but what is it exactly?

The equinox happens twice each year, in the beginning of spring, around the 20th of March, and in the beginning of fall, around the 23rd of September.

Because the rotation of the earth as it circles the sun is always tilting in the same direction, at 23.5 degrees, the solar equinox is a moment in time when the sun appears directly above the Earth’s equator, resulting in the sun being at an equal distance from the northern and southern hemispheres. This is why we have the four seasons. Our summer is Australia’s winter, because we are closer to the sun and they are further from the sun. In spring and fall we both have the same weather around the time of the two equinoxes—spring and fall.

The two equinoxes are the only times when the "edge" between night and day is perpendicular to the equator. As a result, the northern and southern hemispheres are equally illuminated, lasting approximately four days—both north and south poles are in daylight. In other words, the Sun spends an equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on the earth, so night and day are about the same length.

Any planet with a tilted rotational axis has an equinox. A dramatic example is Saturn, where the equinox places its ring system edge-on facing the Sun. As a result, the rings are only visible as a thin line when seen from Earth.

Now my head hurts 🙃

9 Spring Tips For The Garden

1. After a winter of rain, snow, wind, and ice, spring is a good time to walk your landscape and inspect your trees. Damaged or broken branches should be removed at any time for safety and plant health, but if you didn't get to do your pruning over the winter, now is the last chance to prune for desired shape and size before the tree becomes full with foliage.

2. Be prepared for unexpected weather. A late freeze may damage tender emerging buds, be prepared to protect your plants if needed. Bring in or wrap potted plants, mulch roots, and cover shrubs with frost fabric if needed. Avoid plastic coverings as they can hold moisture against the plant and cause worsening freeze damage.

3. The start of sunny days and warming soil temperature means that many plants will be exiting the dormant season and ready to flush out new growth. Most trees and shrubs benefit from a slow-release fertilizer this time of year for a little bit of extra nutrients going into the growing season.

4. Crabgrass, a common lawn weed, is best tackled in the early spring. Applying a pre-emergent weed control helps tackle these weeds and others before its time to do other lawn care later in the season. If you plan to reseed, manage weeds first and then wait until later in the season to reseed, as the weed pre-emergent will prevent grass seed from growing!

5. After a good spring cleanup nothing livens up the landscape better than a fresh layer of mulch. An inch or two layer of mulch neatens up planting beds and helps protect plant roots and retains moisture, while eventually decomposing and adding organic matter to the soil. Make sure the mulch does not pile up on tree trunks or woody shrubs, as this can cause fungal diseases in the bark and smother shallow roots.

6. After we’re clear of freezing temperatures, inspect your irrigation systems (hose bibs, sprinkler heads, drip tubing). Take a look for any components damaged over the winter and make sure to get those fixed before regular watering resumes. Turning your system on and looking for any sprays or leaks can help you pinpoint any problem areas.

7. Know your shrubs before pruning. You might be eager to start your work pruning and shaping shrubs in the garden, but make sure to leave spring-blooming shrubs like Forsythia, Mock Orange, Flowering Quince, Deutzia, and Lilac alone until flowering is over. Shrubs like these bloom on “old wood”. Other summer and fall blooming shrubs such as Rose of Sharon, Hydrangea (paniculata), and Japanese Spirea flower on “new wood” and are fine to prune now.

8. Spring is a great time to divide many perennial plants. Dividing a perennial that has gotten large creates new space for roots to grow and can help you manage the health and size of your plant. As a bonus you now have 2, 3, or 4 new plants to move around your garden or share with friends and neighbors. Plants that can be divided in the spring include: Mondo Grass, Agapanthus, Aster, Astilbe, Black-eyed Susan, Echinacea, Crocosmia, Hosta, Japanese Forest Grass, and many others!

9. Don't forget your hardscapes! Prepare your outdoor lounging or entertaining areas and spruce up paths and edging. Check the condition of your deck or patio and consider if you need to power wash, paint, stain, or refresh patio joint sand. Note if you've had any runoff or erosion issues over the winter, start a plan to get those addressed before fall. Spring is a busy time for the landscaping industry, so getting started early with a Landscape Designer or Contractor ensures your landscape will be ready to enjoy for the summer and fall months.

Ina’s Perfect Roast Chicken

This is an Ina Garten recipe that my husband and I love! It’s delicious and super easy. We are big Ina Garten fans. We love watching her cook on her TV show. She’s fun and makes everything look so easy, like her famous saying “How easy was that?” She is also a lover of entertaining with good friends, good wine, easy cocktails that look fancy, and beautiful table settings with all the amenities. Try Ina’s Perfect Roast Chicken and let me know what you think.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

3. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted

1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks

1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges

Olive oil